In the first year of the Pacific War between the United States and the Empire of Japan,
there was just one fighter in the US Navy’s arsenal that could even hope of going go toe-to-toe
with the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, at the time the best carrier fighter the world had ever
seen, and that aircraft was the Grumman F4F Wildcat.
Entering service in 1940, the Wildcat was the Company’s first monoplane fighter, and
the latest in a line of aircraft they had built for the U.S Navy.
Developed during the chaotic time when manufacturers were making the transition from biplanes to
monoplanes, the Wildcat was a mix of both older and cutting-edge technology.
It inherited several parts from its predecessors, such as its chunky, barrel-like appearance,
and its narrow fuselage-mounted landing gear; but at the same time, it featured a highly
advanced powerplant, a potent armament, and a new ingenious style of folding wing.
Despite these innovations, the Wildcat would go into the Pacific war at a big disadvantage.
By the time of Pearl Harbor less than half of the planned number of airframes had been
delivered, they were often manned by inexperienced pilots, and they were being sent up against
the numerically and technologically superior Zero, which was often flown by highly skilled
and experienced japanese pilots.
In many ways, the story of the Wildcat can draw a lot of similarities with its contemporary
operated by the Army Air Corps: the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.
Both designs inherited equipment or structural parts from their predecessors, both were intended
to be quickly replaced (being looked at more as a stop-gap fighter), both became popular
with foreign operators, and, surprisingly, both were the only U.S fighter’s to see
active, frontline service for the entirety of the war.
Much like the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the Wildcat played a major part in the early, desperate
campaigns of the war, and sadly much like the P-40, its huge contributions are often
overshadowed by the aircraft that came after it: the F6F Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair.
It wont come as a surprise that I have a bit of a soft spot for these two under-appreciated
machines, and hopefully this video and its follow-up deep-dive does the Wildcat as much
justice as those that covered the P-40.
Before we get into that, I want to thank Nord VPN for sponsoring today’s video.
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Speaking of which, lets continue looking at the F4F Wildcat.
The story of Grumman’s first monoplane fighter actually begins with a biplane design: the
XF4F-1.
In 1935 the Grumman F3F was just about to enter service with the US Navy, and the F2F,
though a little unstable, had done moderately well.
However, this was a time of rapid progress in the world of aviation, and with new frontline
bombers entering service with top speeds that exceeded the navy’s best fighters, their
bureau of aeronautics sought out something better.
They invited submissions for a design with an emphasis on high-speed performance, and
quickly received submissions from manufacturers Brewster and Grumman.
Though the F3F was barely out of the factory, Grumman had already been working on a superior
version, known as the Model 16.
It was designed to have an 800hp radial engine, and was projected to have a top speed of 264
mph.
The Navy accepted this design, and awarded a contract for it to be built as the XF4F-1
in March of 1936.
But for Grumman there quickly arose a problem, as just a few months later Brewster were given
a contract for their XF2-A, and it was a monoplane.
This new design threatened to out-perform Grumman’s latest work, but the Navy didn’t
want to cancel the XF4F-1.
They viewed it as a sensible backup in case the Brewster design ran into problems, especially
as the company had never produced a dedicated fighter before.
Leroy Grumman was none-too-pleased about being viewed as the Navy’s Plan-B, and upon seeing
revisions of the XF4F-1s projected performance with various engines (which provided only
a marginal improvement over the F3F), his design team asked the Navy to cancel the contract
for their prototype so that they could submit a new monoplane design for approval instead.
This approval was soon granted, and on July the 28th 1936 a contract was given for the
production of the new XF4F-2.
As it was essentially a major re-design, rather than something designed from scratch, it inherited
some parts of the original biplane prototype.
The landing gear still retracted into the fuselage, which was something inherited from
Grumman’s first fighter, the FF, and the cockpit location remained the same.
The landing gear on the Brewster XF2-A mimicked that of Grumman designs, and both prototypes
took on the appearance of thick, mid-wing monoplanes that had very narrow undercarriages.
Though the Brewster design team had a head start by about a month, Grumman completed
their prototype first, and powered by a 1050hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp, it made its maiden
flight on September the 2nd.
Designed to be equipped with up to four machine guns, two .30 calibre weapons in the nose,
with provision for two .50 cals in the wings, and with a top speed in excess of 290 mph,
the Grumman monoplane was a promising contender, but the engine let it down.
During the evaluation trials it was plagued by constant overheating problems and bearing
failures, which led to several modifications to the cowl and spinner to try and address
them, but the problems persisted, and the prototype was heavily damaged in a dead-stick
landing during catapult trials in April 1938.
Thankfully both pilot and aircraft survived, and the XF4F-2 was taken back to the factory
for planned repairs.
Because of the ongoing issues, the Brewster prototype was ordered into production as the
F2A buffalo, but the Grumman prototype had shown so much promise that the Navy encouraged
further development.
Not only had they been impressed with the design, but again they wanted a strong backup
in-case the Brewster Buffalo proved disappointing.
Had that decision not been made, the situation for US Navy Carrier Squadrons in 1942 could
have made for grim reading.
Undeterred by the setbacks, Grumman’s design team got to work on improving their troubled
prototype.
The front of the airframe was modified to take the new XR-1830-76 Twin Wasp, which was
a two-stage, two-speed supercharged version that produced an impressive 1,200hp.
The fuselage was reinforced and the cowling enlarged to accommodate the change, and to
compensate for the added weight the wing was increased in both span and chord.
Among numerous other changes, the one that physically set the aircraft apart the most
was the squaring-off of the wingtips and tail surfaces.
With the change in powerplant and relevant cooling systems, most of the problems that
had plagued the XF4F-2 were happily absent in the new XF4F-3.
It made its first flight on February 12th 1939, and in the subsequent flight evaluations
it attained a top speed of 333 mph.
Though some cooling issues persisted, it was not enough to prevent a production order from
being placed in August, with the Navy placing an initial contract for 54 aircraft as the
F4F-3.
Deliveries to U.S Navy squadrons began in December of 1940, with VF-4 from USS Ranger
and VF-7 from USS Wasp being the first to receive the Wildcat.
But the Navy wasn’t the only customer.
Foreign interest in the F4F had been growing since almost the beginning, and shortly after
receiving the Navy’s order, Grumman also received one from France.
They ordered at least 81 export models which were to be built under the Grumman designation
of G-36A.
They were to be powered by 1,200hp Wright Cyclones, fitted with French equipment, and
armed with 7.65mm Darne machine guns.
Unfortunately, the first G-36A did not take to the skies until the 11th of May 1940, the
day after Germany’s blitzkrieg began against Western Europe.
In consequence of this, the French order was cancelled after just a few planes had been
built, and the order was taken over by the British Purchasing commission, with the aircraft
being adopted and re-designated as the Martlet Mk.1.
After an awkward beginning when Britain received the first few aircraft, still with French
throttle settlings, and -heaven forbid- metric instruments, things quickly improved, and
the Martlet was embraced into the ranks of the Fleet Air Arm.
In total over 1,100 Martlets (across six different variants) would eventually be supplied to
the British, and rather unsurprisingly the F4F’s first confirmed kill was that of a
British-flown Martlet Mk.1, which shot down a Junkers Ju 88 off Scotland on Christmas
Day 1940.
On the whole, it was well liked by British pilots, Famed test pilot Captain Eric “Winkle”
Brown often sung the aircraft’s praises, and you can’t ask for a better recommendation
than that.
It’s massive fuselage and radial engine made for a striking contrast when compared
to such things as the Fairey Fulmar, and more importantly it was especially forgiving when
it came to hard landings.
This made it quite easy for new pilots to get to grip with the diverting experience
of world war two-era carrier landings, although the aircraft’s narrow undercarriage made
taxiing on regular airfields a rather dramatic experience.
In comparison to its warm reception with British pilots, the Wildcat’s operated by the US
Navy got off to a much poorer start.
Many were not pleased by its handling, having been spoiled by the nimble F2F and F3F Biplanes,
and the adjustment to the chunky monoplane brought with it a slew of training accidents,
particularly aboard carriers.
1941 was a year of painful adjustment for many pilots, and then became one of painful
reality come December the 7th.
By the time of the attack on Pearl Habor there were just under 250 Wildcats in service.
Most were the F4F-3, but some were the F4F-3A, which had just a single-stage supercharged
engine.
This design had been contemplated when there were concerns about parts shortages for the
usual powerplant, but those fears never materialised and the -3A variant was only built in limited
numbers.
Pearl Harbor was, of course, the Wildcat’s combat debut for the US Navy, and it was a
very one sided one.
The Wildcat squadron stationed at Pearl Harbor was VMF-211.
Two weeks before the attack they had split their forces, basing half at Hawaii and the
others at Wake Island.
Both elements took heavy losses, 9 out 11 were destroyed on the ground at Pearl Harbor,
and 7 more at Wake island.
The four airworthy Wildcats that remained at Wake put up a legendary defence of the
island, with Lt Henry Elrod becoming the first pilot to receive the Medal of Honour, though
this was awarded posthumously as he was killed when the island was overrun on December 23rd.
Lt Elrod also claimed the first sinking of a Japanese warship, when his bombs detonated
a rack of depth charges aboard the Japanese destroyer Kisaragi.
The Wildcat’s first combat operations from carriers did not Begin until February 1942,
when U.S forces began a series of hit-and-run attacks against Japanese held islands in the
Pacific.
Not too long after this, another Medal of Honour would be awarded to a Wildcat pilot.
On the 20th of February, Lt Edward “Butch” O’Hare became the Navy’s first ace when
he shot down five Japanese bombers in one sortie, defending the USS Lexington.
Thus far in the war, no Wildcat had encountered its soon-to-be-famous foe: the Mitsubishi
A6M Zero, but that changed with the Battle of the Coral sea.
The first combat between the two fighters occurred during Task Force 17’s attack on
the light carrier Shoho.
The Japanese sent up a mix of A5Ms and A6Ms after the incoming torpedo bombers, and the
escorting Wildcats of VF-42 came in with a huge altitude advantage.
Ens Walter Haas became the first Navy pilot to shoot down a zero, and in this first engagement
VF-42 lost no aircraft.
By the end of Coral sea things had changed.
Both sides had been frustrated by poor weather, and both sides had entered into combat with
either a large advantage or disadvantage in altitude.
Very quickly, Wildcat pilots learned that their opponent was not one to be trifled with.
The Zero came as a shock, it was faster, climbed better, and turned tighter than the Wildcat.
In the right hands it was a deadly opponent, and it was often in the right hands as the
A6M pilots were highly trained combat veterans.
Yet despite the Zero’s apparent superiority, the Wildcat could hold its own as it could
absorb significantly more damage.
Additionally, not long into the war many had been refitted with self-sealing fuel tanks:
something the Zero completely lacked.
The F4F and A6M would clash again at the Battle of Midway, and this would feature a large
number of the improved F4F-4.
This new version featured folding wings (which allowed many more to be equipped aboard carriers),
and the armament was changed so that the -4 mounted six .50 calibre machine guns in the
wings.
A total of 81 F4F-4s took part at the battle of Midway, and although they were still deemed
inferior to the Zero, they shot down three Japanese aircraft for each Wildcat that was
lost.
As escorts they actually did a pretty poor job, but this was not a fault of the aircraft,
but rather an unhappy combination of extreme range, improper use of some of the bombers,
and some decidedly bad luck.
As a fighter, they performed better, particularly in the defence of Yorktown and Enterprise.
This was partly the result of better communication, and more accurate direction being given courtesy
of radar, and partly because crews were learning how to use the Wildcat to its strengths.
The improving fortunes of the Wildcat can be shown by the growing list of Aces at the
end of Midway.
Five of these were from VF-3 alone.
Despite this, many pilots weren’t happy with the performance of the F4F-4.
Many criticised its performance when compared to the Zero, and the addition of two more
machine guns without an equivalent increase in ammunition meant that pilots now had less
“gun time”.
This was an especially painful problem for less experienced pilots, who were still learning
vital gunnery and trigger-discipline skills.
These complaints would be answered in the next major production variant of the Wildcat:
the four-gunned FM-1.
This was the first Wildcat that was to be produced by the Eastern Aircraft Division
of General motors, who in early 1942 were tasked to take over production of the Wildcat
so that Grumman could focus on its eventual successor: the F6F.
But the F6F wasn’t ready yet, and many more Wildcats were needed, so Grumman, Eastern
Aircraft, and the Navy worked together to further improve the design.
Whilst that work was underway, the Wildcat continued to distinguish itself in the Pacific.
Wildcats operated by the Navy and Marine Corps scored remarkable victories over the Japanese
at Guadalcanal – collectively the air units here became known as the Cactus Air Force,
cactus being the code-name assigned to the island.
The campaign had got off to a rough start for a lot of the pilots, as many of them lacked
experience, but the Wildcat’s ruggedness preserved many who should have been lost.
It could manage dead-stick landings with relative ease, on the land or on the water, something
helped by the fact that the wings were mid mounted, allowing the sturdy fuselage to absorb
the worst of the impact.
Among the pilots at Guadalcanal was Joe Foss, who would become the Marine Corp’s leading
ace with 25 victories, all of which were scored in Wildcats, with 16 of his opponents being
A6M Zeroes.
Though on paper the A6M was still a superior performer, and despite several prominent pilots
criticising the Wildcat, the fact was that its ruggedness gave it a significant advantage
if used correctly.
The Wildcat was not a defensive flyer, the Zero could run circles around it, but its
stronger airframe allowed it to easily out-dive the zero, and this favoured very aggressive
flying styles.
Scott McCusky, a Wildcat ace, summed it up quite well:
“Unless you tried to fight a Japanese fighter on his terms -or did something stupid- you
were not at a real disadvantage in the Wildcat.
He could climb away from you, but you could dive away from him.
In the F4F, we were not going to score a kill in every fight, but we never felt that we
were at a disadvantage where we were going to lose.”
By the end of 1942 the Wildcat had a kill-to-loss ratio of just under 6-to-1, and it had taken
part in key battles that turned the tide of the pacific war.
But although it was about to be outclassed by its successor, the F6F Hellcat, its most
produced, and most successful model had not even entered service.
Just over 1,100 F4F-4s had been built by Grumman, but some 4,770 FM-2s would be built by Eastern
Aircraft.
The FM-2 took the four-gun design of the FM-1, much caressed by US pilots, and made it even
better.
It was designed to be used aboard the smaller but more numerous escort carriers, vessels
from which the newer and heavier F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair could not operate.
It was powered by a lighter and more powerful engine, the 1350hp Wright R-1820-56.
To compensate for the increased torque the tail was made larger which makes the type
easy to distinguish.
When part of an amphibious task force, a regular role for escort carriers in the Pacific, the
FM-2s were responsible for providing vital air support for the marines onshore, as well
as providing assistance to TBM Avengers – which also operated from the escort carriers.
They would also see use in the Atlantic, helping to keep the vital shipping lanes open, and
by the end of the war they had assisted in the sinking of 30 U-boats.
The most notable event involving the Wildcats from escort carriers was of course the Battle
of Leyte Gulf.
228 Wildcats across sixteen escort carriers would be involved, and because the escort
carriers were so heavily engaged, it briefly became the most intense period of aerial combat
for the Wildcat in the entire war.
The battle also saw the two last “Aces in a Day” for wildcat pilots.
Lt Kenneth G Hippe from VC-3 shot down five Ki-48s within a space of 20 minutes,
Lt Cmdr Harold N Funk shot down four bombers and a zero in the morning, then on a second
sortie he shot down another bomber in the evening.
By the end of the Pacific war, FM-2s from 38 squadrons had been credited with 432 aerial
victories The FM-2 also became the only Wildcat to see large-scale, dedicated use in the ground
support role.
The last 1400 produced were fitted with launch racks for 5-inch high velocity aerial rockets.
These late-model FM-2s saw action during the invasions of the Philippines and Okinawa,
performing vital air support missions for the Marines ashore.
In May 1945, the Navy accepted the last sixty FM-2 Wildcats for service, and production
of the aircraft finally came to a halt.
Production of the Wildcat by both Grumman and Eastern Aircraft totalled some 7,251 units.
When the war ended the Wildcat quickly disappeared from the Navy; some were put into storage,
while others were sold as military surplus, but none saw active post-war service.
Because of this, a good number of Wildcats survive to this day.
Multiple examples of the FM-2 survive, along with a small number of -3 and -4 F4F’s,
and there is a Martlet Mk.1 on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in the UK – unhappily
none of the later models were preserved.
The Wildcat, like the P-40 is remarkable in that it remained useful throughout the entirety
of the second world war, even when other more capable aircraft took to the skies, and if
you want to learn more about it, keep an eye out for the upcoming deep-dive video where
I take a look at this aircraft in-depth.
And I mean it.
Moving forward, this is the new format, every aircraft I cover gets a shorter overview video,
and then anything that requires it will also get a much, much longer deep dive video, where
I’ll cover the technical details in depth, discuss its service history, and lend my own
opinions about its effectiveness, contributions, and so on.
So I hope many of you look forward to that.
But as always, thank you all so much for watching, and a big thank you of course to the Patreon
Supporters, who’s names you’ll see here.
I’m making some changes to my video formats, good changes, moving forward, what I just
talked about being a part of that, but more info on that in the next Rex Rambles video
that should be going up soon-ish.
A big thank you of course to our wing commander tier patrons, our highest tier members.
Once again I’m having issues getting the names updated to me with Patreon, so if I’ve
missed anyone new I apologise for that and I should hopefully have things fixed for next
time.
But as always thank you all for your continued support, and I’ll catch you all next time.
Goodbye.