D-Day FAA Hellcats

[BruceMk11]

Apart from 800 & 804 Sqns on HMS Emperor guarding the Western Approaches on D-Day, were any other FAA Hellcat units active? Could these units have been armed with rockets?

804 was absorbed by 800 on the 18/6/44.

[andy bird]

The Fleet Air Arm employed the F6F and also the F4U. The only fighter-to-fighter FAA F6F action took place in May 1944. On 8 May, F6F's from the Fleet Air Arm's No. 800 Squadron (Lieut. Comdr. SJ Hall, DSC, RN), off HMS Emperor, while escorting a flight of Barracudas was attacked by a mixed group of Me-109's and FW-190's. Two F6F's were lost, one, probably, to anti-aircraft fire (one source indicates that both F6Fs were lost in a mid-air collision, not to any German fire of any kind); the Germans reportedly lost 2 Me-109's and one FW-190. The FW-190 was claimed by Sub-Lieut. Ritchie.

Sub-Lieut. Ritchie had perviously had 3.5 victories when flying a Sea Hurricane.

Six days later on 14 May, 800 Squadron's leading scorer, Sub-Lieut. Ritchie (now with 4.5 victories) added a He-115 to his tally and the shared another He-115 with the CO of 804 Squadron, Lieut. Comdr. Orr, giving him a total of 6 victories for the war.

Prior to these actions, FAA F6F's were used for anti-aircraft suppression on raids against Tirpitz on 3 April 44 (Operation Tungsten). These included - from Emperor - 800 Squadron (Lieut. Comdr. Hall) and 804 Squadron (Lieut. Comdr. SG Orr, DSC, RNVR).

The next and last European appearance would accrue 1,500 miles away to south in the Med

I've got no mention of R/P's only that the FAA Hellcats were employed for flak suppression and bombing.

Andy Bird

[BruceMk11]

Thanks Andy. But...Hellcats actually were in operational use on D-Day: 'Emperor...joined the CVEs Pursuer and Tracker for the naval part of the D-Day landings in Normandy, Operation Neptune, giving fighter cover over the western approaches to the English Channel from June 5th.'

http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive....m#.VZJPwhuqqko

My interest was prompted by reading that Lt-Cdr Gerald Haynes, RAN, had flown a rocket-armed Hellcat on D-Day (see link below; also includes details re his Malta service). Having examined his service file in the interim, I can see that wasn't possible; he was in Australia! It was the next month that he embarked for the UK, arriving in September. He instructed at HMS Vulture (St Merryn) 27/10/44-25/11/45. It might have been at Vulture that he flew Hellcats (being both a qualified pilot and observer), as that type is listed as being used there.

http://www.battleship.com.au/battles...gerald-haynes/

The Hellcat could be armed with rockets: 6 x 5 in (127 mm) HVARS or 2 x 113x4 in (298 mm) Tiny Tim unguided rockets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F6F_Hellcat

Cheers,

Bruce

[Adriano Baumgartner]

BRUCE,

You already may have the following books, from which I took this data:
On Chapter Eleven: D-Day to VE-Day in Europe of the book “Britain’s Fleet Air Arm” by Ron Mackay (Schiffer book) there are only mentions of the activities of 880 Squadron (Seafires III) by Lt. Crosley.

On the excellent book “Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939-45”, by Ray Sturtivant (Air Publications) we do have only two recorded losses for D-Day, which are:

SPITFIRE EN831 (Mk.Vb) To RNDA 9.2.44; 886 Sqn 3.44; 808 Sqn Lee 3.44; D-Day, hit by EA, dived in sea or Le Havre lI.S pilot tried to climb out, Cat Z 6.6.44 (SIt H A Cogill killed)

SEAFIRE L.III
NF533 RY 4.3.44; 761 Sqn Henstridge 5.44 (prefix?); 885 Sqn Lee, D-Day invasion, spouing for RN, presumed hit by flak, FL in field S of Hennanville-sur-Mer, Normandy.
Cat Z 6.6.44 (S/L A H Bassett killed)

I tried to find mentions on rockets, but got no joy too....sorry...this is what I found.
Yours,
Adriano

[BruceMk11]

Thanks Adriano. That's a very handy book you have!

Is there any mention of Lt-Cdr Gerald Mellor Haynes?

[Bruce Dennis]

Hello Bruce, Adriano and Andy
The logs of the two carriers equipped with FAA Hellcats around D-Day make no mention of rockets. The same applies to the Hellcat squadrons employed later in the south of France operations.
Hope this helps,
Bruce

[BruceMk11]

Just noticed there is a pic of FAA Hellcats (on an unidentified carrier) being armed with rockets in the first group of plates in the 1986 edition of Mike Crosley's 'They Gave Me A Seafire'. Several of the groundcrew are wearing only shorts, so the location is presumably the Med or Far East.

[James A Pratt III]

Both the FCWD part 4 and my notes from the book Seafire the Spitfire that went to sea have 4 Seafire or 3 Seafire and 1 FAA Spitfire lost do to Flak on D-day.
885 Squadron S/Lt A.H Basset and S/lt H.A. Cogshill KIA Lt C.L. Metcalfe WIA
886 Squadron Lt C.L. Metcalfe bailed out unharmed.

VCS 7 1 Seafire lost

Luftwaffe over Norway loss section has JG 5 with 3 109 losses on 8May 1944
and the claims list has JG 5 with 3 Hellcat claims on this date. Uffz Hallstick 2 and Ltn Prenzler 1 both of 10/JG5

On 14 may according to my notes 1/406 lost 2 He-115 shot down and 3 destroyed on the water by 800 Squadron.

Also Oblt Schnieder of 10/JG5 Spitfire claim of 11 Feb 44 was most likely S/LtW.L. Horner in a Seafire IB MB353 HMS Furious off Norway. He was KIA. The other pilots in his flight claimed 1-1-3 but there are no reports of any loss or damage in the Luftwaffe lost list for this day.

[BruceMk11]

Thanks James. And Geoff, thanks for looking into it and providing certain evidence that FAA Hellcats were sometimes armed with rockets on ops.

Just when and where Haynes flew rocket-armed Hellcats will have to remain a mystery at this stage.

Cheers,

Bruce

[James A Pratt III]

Books on the FAA ect The Forgotten Fleet (The BIF and BPF 1944-1945), Carrier Operations in World War 2 Volume 1 (RN carrier ops), Airwar over Burma 1942-1945 (matches or tries to match up FAA claims with Japanese losses).

Other FAA Seafire claims:
10 Nov 1942 off Oran 884 Sqn off the Victorious claimed a Ju 88 damaged there is a still from gun camera footage in the Book "Send Her Victorious" showing smoke coming out of the Starboard engine of this Ju 88. This is not mentioned in Fighters over Tunisia. I think this plane may be from a recon unit or possibly Wekusta 26.

15 Oct 44 near Athens Greece a 809 Sqn Seafire MB150 off the CVE Stalker Lt D. S. Ogle claimed a Ju 88 the Seafire was also fitted with a photo recon camera and there are pictures of the plane going down smoking or in flames. The book Seafire the Spitfire that went to Sea has a still of this. This aircraft could also be from a Recon unit or possibly Wekusta 27 which operated in this area.

I hope this is of some use or interest