F6F Hellcat - The US Navy's Ace Maker

[@AllthingsWW2]

Hey there! This was a hard one to keep around 12 minutes, had to cut and compress a lot of content, a lot of things left unsaid. I hope you enjoy it. I know my English is far from good, so I've added subtitles. Listening to your advice, I lowered considerably the music, let me know if it is better now. I want to thank you all for the support, especially the subscribers. I've already chosen the next aircraft and I accepted one of your suggestions from a previous video. Feel free to keep suggesting, I'll eventually get to it. In the description, I've added a "Corrections" entry where I'll correct any mistakes when I find them. I'll try and do that for the previous videos too. Have fun!

[@alexsandersmith1880]

Good luck with more videos, well done!

[@danweyant707]

We certainly hear a non-native accent but I think he did a fine job.

[@danweyant707]

Odd detail about Harris, but a lot of veterans have `issues` - far too many suffer from what is asked of them.

[@ronaldtillberry3253]

I understood you very well.Your english is very good and your video seems very well researched. I am looking forward to more of your videos. 😊

[@michaelemberley2767]

Your English is perfectly understandable. The only thing that is noticeable to me is how you say numbers. For instance you might say "The Focke Wulf one hundred and ninety was armed with seven point ninety two calibre machine guns". A more natural sounding way to say that would be "The Focke Wulf one ninety was armed with seven point nine two calibre machine guns". Not so much a criticism as an observation. Really enjoy these videos

[@johnkochen7264]

On first glance the Hellcat has a strong resemblance to the Wildcat. When the Hellcat was first introduced, Japanese pilots mistook it for its predecessor and thought they were easy meat. They soon learned the error of their ways.

[@edwardpate6128]

Too their everlasting regret!

[@markfryer9880]

A fatal error for many Japanese pilots including several aces.

[@ericbouchard7547]

The Hellcat's chief engineer (who also headed the design teams responsible for the Wildcat, Avenger, and Bearcat) was a man by the name of Bob Hall. He refused to let anyone else fly any of the planes until he'd done it himself first. He'd also worked with the Granville brothers in the '30s to crate the famous Gee Bee series of aircraft.

[@charlesfaure1189]

Okay. First of all, the Akutan Zero was not even discovered until July 1942. It wasn't flown until September of that year. So no, it did not have any effect at all on the development of the F6F design or powerplant. The first Double-Wasp-powered F6F-3 was FLOWN on 30 July 1942. The first PRODUCTION F6F-3 (R-2800 engine) FLEW on 3 October of that year. So no, Grumman did not suddenly make design changes in three weeks' time because of a captured Zero. It was the input of combat pilots who had fought against the Zero that influenced the design. Second, the lack of a turbocharger was not a weakness, as the R-2800 was installed with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger just like the

[@paulbarnes6124]

Love your for and against grading on planes helps understanding their role 👍👍

[@michaelbatson1879]

David McCambell was the only American fighter ace during WWII to become "Ace in a day" on two separate days. June 19th, 7 kills, and October 24th 9 kills.

[@bassmith448bassist5]

Still Corsair fan. However, gotta give the Hellcat credit. It's an extremely robust and capable fighter. Can easily manhandle the Zero in the hands of a skilled pilot. It was durable and had a powerful engine. It could have used a bubble canopy though.

[@Kiltking]

Still a Mosquito fan.. Low and fast.👍🏻

[@hertzair1186]

Had to wait until the Bearcat for that canopy…

[@SoloRenegade]

Once the F4U had its issues worked out and pilots learned how to use it effectively, the F4U dominated, and was better than the F6F. The F4U was even a better dive bomber than the SB2C, and had a heavier bomb load.

[@bobgriffith1810]

@@SoloRenegade That’s why the marines used it almost exclusively in ww2.. excellent ground support

[@s.marcus3669]

@@hertzair1186 I was gonna say the exact same thing but you beat me to it by three days!

[@guillermohorruitiner1232]

AIve seen a lot of videos about planes, and this one in between the best of the list. Very good work. Keep on doing this to enjoy !!!

[@michaleeuwe]

Good documentary about this fighter, please make more of these documentaries about fighter aircraft of the 2nd world war.

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you! I intend to.

[@AlexDahlseid2002]

The F6F hellcat’s legacy lives on as the top SRT trims of the Dodge Challenger and the Dodge Charger models those being the Dodge SRT Hellcat and the Dodge Charger Hellcat.

[@jamesvandemark2086]

A cousin became an ace in the Wildcat. The hard way, he said. Never flew the Hellcat. He loved it in the Corsair

[@spenner3529]

Good channel. It's more about power-to-weight ratio than raw horsepower numbers. And the F6F was no doubt the best aircraft for carrier operations, having great forward visibility, ruggedness and few vices as opposed to the F4U, which was always a handful at sea, and was only tamed, eventually, by the Royal Navy.

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@redr1150r]

Was that some old Aurora model box art on the intro ? 🙂I'm now 72 and was raised on Naval Air Stations, besides doing 20 years in Naval Aviation myself. While living on NAS Miramar in the early 50's, I can remember Corsairs, earl A-1's, early jets and I believe some Hell Cats would taxi by on a taxi way across the street and fence separating the Air Station from Navy Quonset hut housing. One thing to to remember, is that when an aircraft has been declared " Obsolete" a few linger on, here and there , until the final curtain call.

[@NoThx7531]

Excellent summary, typical of AllthingsWW2, and while we see so many videos from US, UK, and other sources, IMO you ROCK with Fact Packed graphics and narration! Have to talk about your clips (original, or edited) for Aviation Museum use. WOW, great job, and looking forward to hearing Expert opinions from WW2 Hellcat Ace, and a USN Carrier pilot, veteran of several hundred 'traps,' carrier landings. Many thanks!! Viele danke, and apologies for not remembering Polish from great grandmother.

[@andrewboyle5550]

Great episode. Really enjoyed it

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

enjoying video about F6F Hellcat

[@McShaganpronouncedShaegen]

Nice job on the Hellcat.

[@stevebourke9769]

Great analysis in your videos.

[@Bob-b7x6v]

I remember every model kit you used the box art from.

[@BallisticCoefficient]

Excellent!. Thank you.

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you!

[@bkjeong4302]

Probably the best carrier fighter of the war overall.

[@jimmyc3238]

Great videos - subscribed! (By the way, the first syllable of "Grumman" rhymes with "drum" rather than "groom".)

[@AllthingsWW2]

Welcome and thank you for the tip!

[@aeelmore69]

Thanks. Good job

[@MrFlintlock7]

I'm gonna need you to make videos faster, since yours have surpassed the ""Flying the..." videos from Periscope and I'm hooked.

[@eugrules]

Great vid, well done.

[@КостянтинЧухліб]

what is the name of the game at the end of the movie?

[@scootergeorge9576]

How did the F6F compare to the F4U? Which was the superior carrier fighter?

[@panzerofthelake506]

Corsair was definitely better

[@pauka13]

@@panzerofthelake506 While the Corsair outperformed the Hellcat in some aspects, as a carrier based fighter the Hellcat was definitely better due to the fact that it was much easier to land on decks, and also the handling characteristics were better especially at low speeds. Beginner pilots could learn to fly it quickly wich helped them to survive their first missions. The Corsair needed an experienced pilot to show its full potential and wasn't as beginner friendly as the f6f. Also more f4u's lost in accidents especially during landing on carriers.

[@jasons44]

Enjoyed

[@brianking5092]

I believe that the Wildcat and the P-40 fought the Japanese to a standstill by late 43. By then the Japanese were already lagging behind in aircraft production and pilot training. Had the US never introduced the Hellcat, Corsair, or P 38, it would have taken longer, but the US would have still won the war. By the time the Hellcat came along Japan was overmatched and the air war became a route.

[@ironwoodnf]

What you believe and what are facts might be different. The Hellcat was responsible for more kills than any other fighter in the Pacific.

[@Tamburello_1994]

Rout.

[@jotabe1984]

Hellcat was a war-winning fighter, but i guess the numers might give the impression the Aircraft was better than what it was. I was superior to Japanese Zero in every aspect, but to be fair the IJN admirals refused to seal the fuel tanks in order to give their aircraft extra range. The result was that planes used to burn as soon as one incendiary bullet even from a 12,7 (.50 cal) machinegun. If we look at the Wildcat's numbers (a plane that remained in service thanks to its hability to be deployed in small CVE) the kill/death ratio in 1944 it was also outstanding, because they had the propper tactics and also because japanese planes were essentially a death trap

[@Philliben1991]

Also many Japanese pilots by that stage of the war could barely fly their planes. There whole purpose was as human sacrifices not air combat. A far cry from the early stages of the war when Japan had one of the most experienced and well trained pilot pools of any nation.

[@maxpayne2574]

The F6 is just so plain-looking I think that has a lot to do with its lack of fame. The Courser with the inverted gull wing, the sleek P51 with the belly scoop, the P38 with twin engines and tail were more visually interesting.

[@AllthingsWW2]

I completely agree!

[@SoloRenegade]

But among that list, P-51, P-38, P-47, and F4U, the F6F was the most inferior overall too. That's why it is overshadowed.

[@Crashed131963]

I quess to people who knew nothing about the Pacific war. The Hellcat was famous because it was basically the only US navy fighter and the US Navy was well known in the war against Japan. The US Marines used the Corsair and Lightning in the Pacific ,not the Navy.

[@Crashed131963]

@Le Vi Not many corsairs were used on US carries , the British came up first with methode to use corsairs on carriers. Even if the war went on longer the BearCat was to replace the Hellcat.

[@subdawg1331]

maybe one on the f4u?

[@Bob-b7x6v]

I can only imagine what would've happened if the F8F Bearcat made it into WW2.

[@alloomis1635]

hellcat was a good plane, but it came to war against a much weaker enemy. zero fighter could beat an f4f initially, but good pilots could beat the zero, with the right tactics. hellcat and corsair made anyone look good. would be interesting to see how they did against yak 3, a 'less is more' fighter in the japanese style, but with more engine, and gun.

[@pauka13]

pointless comparison as these aircrafts were designed to fulfill different tasks. Let's assume that both planes were piloted by equally experienced pilots, the yak-3 could easily win a dogfight at low altitudes, but overall the Hellcat is more versatile as it is a more capable weapon platform, it can land on carriers, more robust so it can take more battle damage and gives the pilot better survival potential.

[@markfryer9880]

I wouldn't have said that the Japanese were a weakened enemy at the time of the Hellcat's introduction. The Japanese had been stopped in their massive expansion across the CBI, the Pacific and the South West Pacific, but the hard fighting to send them back home to Japan was only just beginning. There was a degree of apprehension as to how the Hellcat would perform in head to head battle against Japanese Zeroes flown by top Aces, but the first few battles were to show that while the Hellcat looked similar to the Wildcat, it was a completely different aircraft and it's performance and it's pilots were to eventually overcome the Zero.

[@NoThx7531]

Wars aren't won or lost on "What ifs" but the stark reality of 'What it is,' or was in our rear view mirror of History. The Hellcat was the right plane, at the right time, in the right place all over the planet = the Med, or the Pacific where it ruled and reigned as The Best Carrier fighter of WW2. So it was the best naval fighter in all of history,... it's pretty unlikely we'll ever see that challenged. Great video, only negative about the end of Cecil Harris, maybe best left unsaid?

[@jaybee1434]

good commentry

[@WagesOfDestruction]

The Hellcat tended to fly in formation, it was rare that a Japanese would go against them one to one. Generally, the Japanese were outnumbered. This makes many of these statistics dubious.

[@dubyacwh7978]

My favorite is still the F4U Corsair but maybe that’s the Marine in me Semper Fi

[@dubyacwh7978]

@Hoa Tattis to put things in perspective it’s not about numbers or percentages what it is about for Marines is Esprit de Corps Being proud of our heritage does not detract from accomplishment of any other branch of service As a matter of fact I’m equally proud of my father who did serve in the 5th Army in Italy They didn’t get the accolades given to the Army that invaded Normandy but what all branches did was serve admirably to defeat the forces of Evil threatening world freedom and liberty I salute all branches and I choose to salute my brothers first

[@dubyacwh7978]

@Hoa Tattis that’s fine too be proud of your heritage as well

[@dubyacwh7978]

@Hoa Tattis I’m sure that every branch has that but not having been in the Army I didn’t experience that I can only go by what my own experience is I will say that I have respect and admiration for anyone that serves in any military branch for any country They have all signed up to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country and their citizens

[@dubyacwh7978]

@Hoa Tattis maybe it should be

[@SoloRenegade]

F4U was objectively better than the F6F overall. It just suffered issues early on that delayed it returning to the carriers in high numbers and replacing the F6F. The F4U displaced the F6F, F8F, and the SB2C from the fleet carriers.

[@fliegeroh]

What a sad, tragic end for Cecil Harris. He vanquished Japanese fighters but could not not defeat alcohol. For such a hero to die alone in a jail cell makes me sad

[@shawnbeckmann1847]

Thank you I did not know that about Cecil Harris after I read your reply I looked him up what a sad story.

[@markfryer9880]

The battle with the bottle has brought many people down, not just Aces and Combat Heroes but many more ordinary people. Often the bottle goes from a chance to celebrate, to a means of relieving stress, to a prop to help a person to deal with pain and suffering (sometimes Combat or tragic circumstances related), and finally a means to try and maintain functionality. It can be a very slippery slope that starts off gradually and then rapidly increases with only the fortunate getting off the slippery slope in time and without too much damage.

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

Japanese when they saw "blue blankets": *"the sky is speaking in english."*

[@alexius23]

In the beginning many Japanese mistook the Hellcat for the Wildcat

[@zonacrs]

This greatly contributed to the Hellcat's success. A common Japanese tactic was to get a Wildcat in a vertical climb and have the advantage as the Wildcat would stall first. The much more powerful Hellcat would stall much later than a zero and the tables were turned. The fact that they looked so similar probably led to a lot of kills.

[@danweyant707]

They DO look a good deal similar - catching the low- wing vs mid- wing nuance in combat would be a tough thing.

[@danweyant707]

I mean, the Hellcats a LOT bigger, but how do you tell scale in the air?

[@zonacrs]

@@danweyant707 Difficult at best. Despite being different sizes they have a very similar profile because the Hellcat is pretty much a super sized much more powerful Wildcat. I imagine the Japanese pilots learned to focus on the landing gear because that is the biggest visual cue, underwing fold in the Hellcat vs. into the forward fuselage for the Wildcat. By then it was too late, the US Navy had already developed tactics for the Wildcat which worked by using it's strengths, and the Hellcat just upped the game. The US Navy pilots just refused to engage in low altitude turning dogfights because that is where the Zero shined.

[@alexius23]

@@zonacrs I watched video from a Hellcat ace who described exactly what you typed

[@Bob-b7x6v]

Only the 3Ns and 5Ns had 20mm cannons.

[@robbybee70]

arrested for DUI and commited suicide in his cell at 65 that's very sad but I think there is far more to that story

[@Rusty_Gold85]

Did the Japanese "really " call their own own planes a Zero? As the Pilot was quoted ? That was a code name the US called it .

[@AllthingsWW2]

Hey there, this is from the A6M wikipedia page. "The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter (零式艦上戦闘機, rei-shiki-kanjō-sentōki), or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (零戦, zero fighter), "0" being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was "Zeke", although the name "Zero" (from Type 0) was used colloquially by the Allies as well." Hope you enjoyed the video.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

@@AllthingsWW2 Thank you very much for the added info . It made me wonder what they called it without hindisght and between each other on the ground . I suppose anything with a Red Sun on the wings was shot down anyway

[@0Turbox]

The first robot voice who really sounds like one ;)

[@adriansalt3774]

The hellcat was a bruiser, nothing fancy, just find the enemy and kill it, so while it wasn't the best fighter of the war it was the best air carrier fighter of it's time, easy to fly, one tough SOB, good firepower, strong landing gear, good range, basically it got the job done 🔥🔥.

[@markfryer9880]

Part of the Grumman philosophy was the importance of getting the pilot back home to his ship or airfield alive where possible. Good armour to protect the pilot as much as possible. A good rugged air cooled radial engine that could survive hits and keep running even with cylinders damaged to keep flying and fighting. A self sealing fuel tank to prevent fires from the punctures to the fuel tank and to keep as much valuable fuel in the tank to keep flying. A good sturdy wide track undercarriage to deal with the challenges and rough conditions of carrier landings. Relatively easy to fly and fight, working with the pilot not against the pilot. All of these things combined to make the Hellcat a valuable war winning weapon during WWII.

[@chandrachurniyogi8394]

imagine squadron of the carrier borne Douglas AD-3N Skyraider multi role piston engined ground attack fighter being prepped for CAP on the vast flight deck of USS Gerald R Ford (CV-20) fuel cell i-HYBRID powered 102,000 ton stealth (CATOBAR) super carrier in present day & time . . . or the carrier borne Grumman TBM-3A Avenger multi role piston engined fighter bomber for that matter . . .

[@GTX1123]

Right plane for the right job at just the right time. USN pilots had already demonstrated their superiority flying inferior F4F's to an almost 7:1 kill ratio against the superior Zero - a remarkable achievement considering they were killing Japan's best pilots. Grumman wisely designed the F6F relative to skills honed in the F4F. Faster, more firepower-bomb payload, slow stall speed, great visibility, easy maintenance & stowage; perfect for carrier flight op's / inexperienced pilots.

[@Tamburello_1994]

I thought most of their best pilot died at Midway.

[@GTX1123]

@@Tamburello_1994 You missed the point; i.e. "USN pilots had already demonstrated their superiority flying inferior F4F's to an almost 7:1 kill ratio against the superior Zero - a remarkable achievement considering they were killing Japan's best pilots".The Battle of Midway was June 1942. The F6F wasn't delivered until Sep 1943. So USN fighter pilots took out Japan's best pilots flying the "inferior" F4F. That's the point.

[@Tamburello_1994]

@@GTX1123 WAIT! YOU CHANGED YOUR COMMENT SOMEHOW! ☺ I see my error. I go by names more often than numeral designations, and got tripped up there. I'm just reiterating what you already said more or less -- my bad. Thanks for clarifying for me.

[@GTX1123]

@@Tamburello_1994 It's all good. Even though F4F pilots did a remarkable job with what was a much slower fighter, the F6F came at just the right time. Between it's much improved top speed and other improvements and inexperienced Japanese pilots, the Hellcat's nickname "Zero Killer" was well deserved. It was also light years better for green rookie USN pilots than the F4U Corsair which was nicknamed the “Ensign Eliminator”. The Corsair was superior in speed and rate of climb to the F6F but it was an absolute nightmare for a rookie pilot to try and master for carrier op's.

[@Tamburello_1994]

@@GTX1123 Butch O'Hare and his "Thatch Weave" was the advantage the Wildcat had.

[@gedb3946]

your English is superb.

[@AllthingsWW2]

Thank you.

[@Crashed131963]

And if the war went on much longer ,the BearCat was to replace the Hellcat ,even thought the Japanese had nothing to match the Hellcat still. Such a one sided war in the Pacific.

[@major_kukri2430]

I wish it flew as well in war thunder.

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

Also, leyte is pronounced as "ley-te".

[@nwolinsP]

The Hellcat was a great plane. However, it extraordinary success was in its timing. Japan was fielding less experienced pilots and putting then in less than advantageous situations.

[@travisgartside409]

Say Guadalcanal again,I dare ya , I double dare ya! Say Guadalcanal again!

[@jazmindeakin5644]

the UK navy use it against the Japanese too

[@BobbyBruffett]

😂piloted my first WW2 aircraft,the F6F hellcat model plane in Ozark Missouri,you can still see my Spirit body flying the honorable Plane🇺🇸😂🧬🧬🧬✈️🛫,love that aircraft 😂😂😂😂

[@manricobianchini5276]

Nice stats. But the F4u Corsair was far better as an air superiority fighter. If the Americans would've just persisted in getting the F4u carrier-ready, things would've been even more devastating for the Japanese.

[@Bob-b7x6v]

Zoom and Boom

[@FeiHuWarhawk]

Most of the kills were against Japanese bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Fighter to fighter was closer to 1 to 1. What rarely is discussed was the horrible training and operational losses. The Hellcat was a far more pilot friendly than the Ensign Eliminator Corsair.

[@dukecraig2402]

Why do people like you think if you make something up then that makes it true? The F6F had a 13 to 1 ratio against the Zero, a 9.5 to 1 ratio against the Ki-84, and a 3.7 to 1 ratio against the J2M. That makes for an average of 8.73 to 1 against all Japanese fighter's. And US, Japanese and German losses in training and operations are all very similar, so it's not like it was something unique to the F6F or even the US itself, the fact is training fighter pilots in WW2 was a dangerous business for anyone.

[@FeiHuWarhawk]

Duke…please show us where you got those statistics.

[@dukecraig2402]

@@FeiHuWarhawk Look for yourself, it's not hard, where exactly did you get your's from? Yea, you made it up.

[@FeiHuWarhawk]

Duke….you made the claim you post the link or book where you got those statistics.. Not my Job to prove your claim. First they sound bogus. Typically fighter to fighter shoot downs were fairly equal in just about every engagement. It sounds What you are posting are Claims not actual data which the new books are documenting losses and names who was shot down. They also get into details on operational losses and combat losses. In every outstanding fighter record most of the planes shot down were bombers. As for the Zero based in Japan they gave as good as they got when they encountered the Hellcat hitting coastal targets. Hellcats and especially Corsairs did not do well being hit by 20mm cannon and 12.7mm nose mounted mg. So know it was an effective fighter even toward end of WW2 conflict.

[@dukecraig2402]

@@FeiHuWarhawk And you made your claim, which we both know you made up.

[@Bob-b7x6v]

Superior training and tactics always make up for aircraft shortcomings. There were better IJAAF and IJNAF types, but their numbers were low, their aces mostly dead, and the quality was low.

[@manricobianchini5276]

The F4U Corsair was still a much better fighter plane. Hands down. It's only flaw early on was that it wasn't suitable for carrier use... until the British made it so. The F4U Corsair, P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt were the best. I also really like the Hawker Tempest.

[@Bob-b7x6v]

"Keep it simple, Stupid." -Roy Grumman

[@strikezero01]

Marianas turkey shoot

[@tellyonthewall8751]

American aces and my bare butt .. 5 shut down ... "Bubbie" Hartmann 352, Rall 275, Marseille 158 (20 DEC: Correcting numbers .. "human computer glitch" ..c") ..)

[@brucewelty7684]

Well, note that we were not shooting at the Reds. When we did go dead to head with them, THEY SUFFERED!

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Heinz Bar 305

[@tellyonthewall8751]

@@jonathansteadman7935 Thanks .. it's no listing after numbers, just what I found in the "organic computer" at the time of writing .. btw. .. it's Bär not Bar .. just pronounced like the English bear .. it is German for a bear 🐻 ... 20 dec. revision: And the "computer" had memory loss in the RAM circuits .. correct numbers in my initial message. Heinz Bär actually had 220 kills Only two with over 300 .. Hartmann and Barkhorn .. 352 and 301. 13 Russians, 5 Finnish, Rumainians, South Africans (Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle .. His mum must have been very angry seeing him coming out .. why else call your son "Marmaduke"!!) and a LOT of Germans before the first and most scoring yank ace, Richard Bong, 40 kills is on the list .. One thing is .. the missing of some of the Red Tail Tuskegee Airmen on the list of World Fighter Aces from WW2 of which at least 2 had Ace status but was never acknowledge and possibly a couple more or 3 ... but ohh yes the yank fought for Freedom, Equality and Liberty .. just not for their own countrymen!!! Take a look at the docu / read the book "Hellstorm" .. and learn how "good 'n fair" the yank is

[@tellyonthewall8751]

@@brucewelty7684 search "list of World War II flying aces" and see the lot of German Pilots NOT flying in the east but still 100+ victories or more .. see Hans Joachim Marseille with 158 victories against the Anglo Commonwealth Air Force in Africa .. lets just say a bit more than Richard Bong .. most scoring yank ace with 40 victories. It was sheer numbers doing it .. but!! ... Did you know, that the 8. Air Force alone lost more men in Europe than the entire US Marines in the Pacific Campaign ??... 54.000+ casualties (more than half the casualties of USAAF in the entire war). The material loss was 16 to 20% + before long range escort .. 10.500+ airplanes .. very close to a stop of day bombing .. FDR administration did keep those figures secret till after the war .. So it wasn't all SUFFERING for the Germans

[@brucewelty7684]

@@tellyonthewall8751 That is true. Is is also true that in the last or so years of the war the Nazis only had to fly a FRACTION of the distance on each sortie. AND they had a lot more targets everyday to shoot at, whereas the USAAF had fewer targets, more distance and MORE DAMN PILOTS.

[@701CPD]

"The Grooman Hellcat?"

[@manricobianchini5276]

Yes... the F4U Corsair was much better. I believe the F4U was the best fighter in WW2. I will always be a fan of the P-38, my second pick. The F6F was not the most significant fighter in the Pacific. Sorry. Disagree one hundred percent.

[@Warrior_Pilgrim]

The Hellcat was responsible for 75% of all USN enemy shoot downs. Pretty hard to argue with that number.