HISTORY

10

INFO Eduard

kills. Perhaps the most interesting encounter

occurred on March 26, 1945, when aircraft from

No. 882 Squadron of HMS Searcher clashed with

eight Bf 109G planes. German fighters catch the

opponents with surprise and shot down one

Wildcat, but subsequently, British pilots used

the agility of their planes and, according to

reports, shot down four Bf 109Gs and damaged

one. Although none of the British pilots became

aces flying Martlets and Wildcats, it was a highly

popular type.

With a total of 4,437 produced units, the

FM-2 became the most numerous version of the

Wildcat (a total of 7,905 Wildcats of all versions

were produced). Production only ceased in May

1945 when Grumman began manufacturing the

Bearcat, which was meant to replace the FM-2.

The first operational squadrons of this type were

enroute to the Japanese islands when the enemy

surrendered, and the war ended.

While the Bearcat represented a significant

increase in performance compared to the FM-2, it

ultimately did not leave as remarkable a mark in

history as the FM-2 did. It was the Wilder Wildcat

that made sense for escort aircraft carriers of

the Casablanca and Bogue classes, ensuring

the safety of millions of tons of material and

hundreds of thousands of transported personnel

in the Pacific and Atlantic. In some respects, the

FM-2 can thus be considered the most significant

Wildcat version of them all.

Sources:

F4F Wildcat in detail & scale, Bert Kinzey, SQUADRON/

SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC.

F4F Wildcat in action, Richard S. Dann, SQUADRON/

SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC.

Fleet Air Arm, British Carrier Aviation 1039–1945, Ron

Mackay, SQUADRON/SIGNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC.

Wildcat Aces of WW2, Barrett Tillman, Osprey Publishing, 1995

Photo: Patricia Elliott family collection

Deliveries of the FM-2 began in the first half of

1944, and squadrons operating both in the Pacific

and the Atlantic received them. However, their

main tasks were different. In the Pacific, the FM-2s

were often used to support ground units during

landing operations, aided by their ability to carry

two 250 lb bombs under the wings (from BuNo.

74359, FM-2s could also carry HVAR rockets).

In the Atlantic, they primarily provided air cover

for supply convoys from the US coast to Europe

and often assisted Avengers in hunting German

submarines. Of course, in the Pacific, FM-2 pilots

also provided cover for supply ships or engaged

in anti-submarine operations.

The FM-2 scored its first kill on March 20, 1944,

when Lt.(jg) J. H. Dinnen and Ens. R. P. Kirk of

VC-63 encountered and shot down a Japanese

Ki-61 Tony. The most intense aerial combat for

FM-2 pilots occurred during the two-day Battle

of Leyte Gulf. On the first day of the battle,

October 24, 1944, all American carrier-based

fighters claimed a total of 270 kills, with FM-2

pilots achieving 65 of them.

During the Philippine campaign, the Wilder

Wildcat pilots were also known for providing

close air support and air cover over the invasion

beaches. During the Battle of Samar, they directly

attacked Japanese ships.

Many Japanese pilots underestimated the

FM-2 based on its familiar silhouette and were

subsequently unpleasantly surprised. Several

Japanese pilots fell victim to their misjudgment,

and until the surrender of Japan, FM-2 pilots

achieved a total of 432 kills. Lt. Kenneth G. Hippe

became the last American “ace in a day” when

he shot down a total of five Ki-48 Lily bombers

on October 24, 1944. On the same day but slightly

earlier, Lt. Cdr. Harold N. Funk achieved the same

feat, shooting down five enemy aircraft with his

FM-2, adding one more kill in the afternoon.

And the most intriguing fact: While the Hellcat

is generally considered the fighter aircraft with

the best victory-to-loss ratio, 19:1, there was one

type that significantly surpassed it. Yes, it was

the FM-2. Its ratio of aerial victories to losses in

air combat was 432:13, or 33:1! For comparison,

the F4F-3 and F4F-4 versions recorded a ratio of

5.9:1 in 1942.

In British service, FM-2s were designated as

Wildcat VI. They were the only version of this

type that did not receive the Martlet designation.

They performed similar tasks as in the US Navy.

In addition to providing air protection for their

own ships and covering bombers, they also

conducted ground attacks. For example, during

Operation Dragoon, to support the Allied landings

in southern France in August 1944, Wildcat VI

aircraft carried out bombing attacks with 250

lb bombs, carried on the modified racks used

for drop tanks. They also used RP-3 rockets. In

the North Sea, Wildcat VI pilots engaged in air

combat with German aircraft and scored several

The most successful FM-2 pilot with nine confirmed victories was Ralph Earle Elliott Jr.

August 2023