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HISTORY
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of F6F-3s and modied some F6F-5s as Hell-
cat P.R. Mk. II lighter-reconnaissance aircraft
and others as Hellcat P.R. Mk. II unarmed pho-
tographic-reconnaissance aircraft. The rst
two squadrons to be equipped with Hellcat
Is were Nos. 800 and 804. They were soon
engaged in Operation Tungsten on 3 April,
1944, during which they provided cover for
strikes against the German battleship Tirpitz
anchored in Norway. During the various missi-
ons in early stage UK Hellcats downed three
enemy aircraft and lost two of own (after do-
gghts with Bf 109s and Fw190s). Operating
from HMS Emperor, they ew cover for lan-
dings in Southern France.
British Hellcat squadrons went into action
against Japan on 29 August, 1944, when Nos.
1839 and 1844 aboard HMS Indomitable
provided cover during strikes against a har-
bor in the Netherlands East Indies. The most
important combat sorties own by British Hell-
cats in this theatre of operations were attacks
on Sumatra oil reneries in January 1945.
In the closing days of the war in the Pacic,
they provided only night operations cover.
After the war, almost all airworthy Hellcats
were returned to the United States. The last
two squadrons to y the type were No.892
and No.888, which disbanded in April and
August 1946 respectively. The last Hellcat re-
tained in the United Kingdom was KE209. This
aircraft was still airworthy as late as 1953.
Post War Service
When the war ended, the Hellcat was quick-
ly withdrawn from US front line service. The
last example was replaced by 1948. Only the
night ghter version, the F6F-5N, served lon-
ger, until the summer of 1954. However, the
Hellcat still saw some very important post-war
work as F6F-3K and F6F-5K drones. In July
1946, F6F-3K drones were own through ra-
dioactive clouds during Operation Crossroad,
the famous atomic bomb test in Bikini lagoon.
Between 28 August and 2 September, 1952,
six F6F-5Ks of GMU-90 (Guided Missile Unit
90) were launched from the USS Boxer (CV-
21) against a bridge, a railway tunnel, and
a power plant in North Korea. It is also im-
portant to note that very rst Blue Angels ae-
robatic team started with Hellcats, and it was
named after a night club. NASA was also one
of the post-war operators of Hellcat in USA.
Post War Foreigners
France received 179 F6F-5s and F6F-5Ns
to equip units of both the Armée de l’Air
operating in Indochina; and the Aéronau-
tique Navale based in France and deployed
to Indochina aboard carriers. In the spring
of 1950, while an initial group of Aéronau-
tique Navale pilots received conversion trai-
ning in the United States, the rst F6F-5s were
ferried to Bizerte, Tunisia, aboard the escort
carrier Dixmude to replace Supermarine
Seare IIIs and XVs in service with Flottilles 1F
and 12F. Aéronautique Navale eventually re-
ceived 124 F6F-5s and fteen F6F-5Ns, with
the last being received in 1953. The Armée
de l’Air received forty F6F-5s and F6F-5Ns,
the later which were delivered to in October
1950 and were operated in Indochina by
three Groupes de Chasse. It is interesting to
note that longest operational combat service
after the WWII was achieved by French Hell-
cats.
In Indochina, Groupe de Chasse I/6 ‘Corse
was the rst French unit to use its Hellcats to
provide air support to French troops and to in-
terdict Viet Minh lines of communication during
operations from Da Nang (Tourane named by
French) in early December 1950. Later in the
month, F6F-5s were also assigned to supple-
ment the Bell P-63Cs of GC II/6 ‘Normandie
Niemen.’ Both GC I/6 and GC II/6 sent Hell-
cat detachments to Hanoi for operations in the
Tonkin area where they helped stop a major
Viet Minh offensive. In March 1951, GC I/6
converted to Bearcats and in April 1951, be-
fore being sent back to France without equi-
pment, GC II/6 began transferring its F6F-5s
to GC II/9 ‘Auvergne’. This latter unit then ew
Hellcats until the end of 1952, when it conver-
ted to Bearcats and transferred its last F6F-5s
to the Aéronautique Navale.
The rst combat sorties of the Aéronautique
Navale were own from the light carrier
Arromanches on 6 October and the carrier.
Her Hellcats and Curtiss Helldivers remained
in operation until returning to France in May
1952. When the carrier had to be sent back
to France for ret in early 1953, Flottille 12F
was transferred ashore and continued y-
ing combat operations from the light carrier
La Fayette. Flottille 12F returned to France
One of the radar housing variants of the F6F-3 model.
Instrument panel of an F6F-3.
Mark Nankivil
Mark Nankivil