The Fighting Eight

Text: Jan Bobek

Illustration: Adam Tooby

Cat. No. 7074

Most readers will probably associate the US Navy squadron designated VF-8 with the aircraft carrier USS Hornet and combat operations in the Pacific during the first half of 1942. During the Doolittle Raid on Japan by B-25 Mitchell bombers, VF-8’s pilots could only watch from the deck of Hornet, since their Wildcats - for understandable “twin-engined” reasons - were unable to operate from their own carrier. During the Battle of Midway, VF-8 fighters claimed five victories while defending the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. The squadron was disbanded in August 1942 and its personnel reassigned to other units.

VF-8, the “Fighting Eight,” was formed for a second time at NAS Norfolk in the summer of 1943. Its commanding officer was 31-year-old Lt. Cdr. W. M. Collins, who had qualified as a naval aviator in 1937 and would eventually become VF-8’s leading ace, with nine victories.

In early July 1943, VF-8 was preparing for deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. This Essex-class carrier,fresh from the Newport News Shipbuilding, was still undergoing acceptance trials prior to commissioning in mid-August 1943. The VF-8 was equipped with 24 F6F-3 Hellcats. Carrier Air Group 8 (CAG 8), of which VF-8 formed part, also included VB-28 with 37 SBD-3 and SBD-5 Dauntless dive-bombers, and VT-8 with 15 TBF-1 Avenger torpedo bombers. During training aboard USS Intrepid in the Caribbean, VF-8 lost two Hellcats in the Bermuda area between October and December 1943. The scene depicted on the kit’s box art dates from this period.

At the beginning of 1944, VF-8 was based at NAS Puunene, Hawaii, and on 10 March 1944 the aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill became its new floating home. Immediately before CAG 8 embarked, VF-8 had 35 F6F-3s, while the torpedo-bomber squadron operated 22 TBF-1C Avengers. The dive-bombers, now assigned to VB-8, were no longer the Dauntlesses, but 30 Helldivers, most of them SB2C-1Cs, to which the squadron had been converting since December 1943. CAG skipper Cdr. R. L. Shifley was assigned a personal Hellcat. Four night-fighter Hellcats were also carried aboard.

Combat operations involving VF-8 included attacks on the Palau region (30 March - 1 April); Hollandia, New Guinea (21 - 28 April); strikes on the Caroline Islands (29 April - 1 May); and operations in the Marianas in support of the landings on Saipan and Guam (12 June - 10 August).

During September, USS Bunker Hill conducted strikes against targets in the western Caroline Islands. The carrier and its Task Force then headed north, from where they launched air strikes against targets on Luzon, Formosa and Okinawa until early November.

VF-8’s fighter pilots enjoyed their most successful day on 12 October 1944, when, during attacks on Formosa and southern Japan, they were credited with 53 aerial victories in various categories.

F6F-5 Hellcats first entered service with VF-8 in September 1944, although the unit continued to operate the older F6F-3 until the end of its combat deployment aboard USS Bunker Hill.

A total of thirteen pilots attained ace status while serving within the second tour of the Fighting Eight, while two others added several victories with VF-8 toward their eventual ace totals. In addition to the previously mentioned Lt. Cdr. Collins, particular note must be made of the legendary pilot who served as VF-8’s executive officer, Lt. Cdr. Elbert Scott McCuskey. During the first half of 1942, while serving with VF-42 aboard USS Yorktown, he was credited with 6.5 confirmed victories and three Japanese aircraft damaged, most of these successes being achieved during the Battle of Midway. Flying VF-8 Hellcats between March and October 1944, he added another seven confirmed victories and three aircraft damaged.

Between March and November 1944, VF-8 flew a total of 192 operations comprising 2,107 combat sorties, together with a further 986 patrol, antisubmarine, reconnaissance-interception and rescue sorties. VF-8’s pilots claimed 151 confirmed and 19 probable victories, with another 36 enemy aircraft reported damaged. In attacks on Japanese shipping, the Hellcat pilots claimed vessels totalling 43,450 tons sunk, a further 31,700 tons probably sunk, and ships amounting to 60,200 tons damaged.

Seven VF-8 pilots and 34 Hellcats were lost in combat - effectively representing almost 100 percent attrition of the squadron’s aircraft strength. During the same period, CAG 8’s combat operations from USS Bunker Hill also cost it 23 Avengers and no fewer than 72 Helldivers.

VF-8 was re-formed at NAS Alameda on 1 January 1945. After serving at several bases, it returned to the Pacific aboard USS Bennington in September 1945, but was disbanded in November of that year.