Hello all:
I was less than a year old when the Battle of Okinawa took place so I have no first hand knowledge to add. However, my brother-in-law served on the USS Chenango-CVE28-during the early part of 1945. He recently e-mailed me asking about something that happened on board. I attach his comments...
Although no squadron of F4U's operated off carriers in the pacific, we trained a marine squadron of 28 F4U's on our way from Seattle to Pearl Harbor. Nobody could figure out why were training Marine pilots flying F4U's. It was total secrecy.
As far as I know, no marine squadrons were assigned to carrier duty. All carrier squadrons were Navy. Anyway, the other interesting thing is that the training consisted exclusively on night launchings and landings. They kept it up every night, in total darkness, for two weeks that we took to get to Pearl. Of the 28 corsairs, 22 were lost or damaged. My office was in the rear of the hanger deck but up high and to the right and immediately under the flight deck. I could hear them slamming into the deck all night as they came in. My quarters were just about the spot where they first hit the deck as they came in.
Perhaps it was a one time raid that the Marines wanted to pull on the Japanese somewhere and it was important enough to warrant all the time and cost and equipment expended. Nobody has ever explained what this was all about.
At any rate, the Navy never took to the F4U. They were not easy to fly and, more important, the Navy could buy 3 F6F hellcats for the cost of one F4U.
I wonder if there is any reference to this somewhere on the internet?
Does anyone have any knowledge of this that I might share with him?
Thanks a bunch!
George