KITS 10/2022

F4F-3, BuNo. 1865, VF-72, USS Wasp (CV-7), December 1940

The first production block of Wildcats, 49 aircraft in

total, were supplied in the pre-war color scheme i.e.,

the fuselage and wings’ lower surfaces were sprayed

in aluminium dope and the wing upper surfaces were

painted yellow. The national insignia were in all four

positions, on the fuselage they were painted either on

the nose or on the engine cowling. The color of the tail

surfaces indicated the aircraft carrier. In this case it

was USS Wasp (CV-7). The wing stripes, including the

front of the cowling identified the aircraft allocation

to the unit section. Red was the color of the first section and if only the upper front of the cowling was

painted in this color it marked the second aircraft in

this section. This Wildcat was captured on the film

during the landing on the USS Wasp deck. The pilot

managed to catch the landing rope with his hook ho-

wever the rope broke and the aircraft was stopped

by the safety net. In the film we can clearly see that

this Wildcat carries the unit marking on the port wing

only, starboard wing is missing both the red diagonal

stripe and the number 2. The starboard wing could

have been replaced and the marking added later.

F4F-3, BuNo. 4022, Capt. Herbert Casper Freuler, VMF-211, Wake Island, December 1941

The Japanese made their first attempt att capturing

the Wake Atoll on December 11, 1941, but their attack

was repelled. They did not give up, after receiving the

reinforcements the landing on the island was scheduled for December 23. The landing was preceded by the

air attacks from Sōryū and Hiryū carriers executed on

December 22, 1941, again opposed by Wildcats from

VMF-211. There were the last two remaining VMF-211

Wildcats as the unit was decimated during the previous

landing attempt. One of their pilots was Captain Herbert

Casper Freuler who on this day shot down two B5N Kate

bombers. Shortly after a Zero shot him down and he

was wounded. After the Japanese captured the island

Captain Freuler was taken POW and spent the following

3.5 years in captivity. After the end of WWII, he continued

his service with USMC and retired in 1955 as Brigadier

General.

F4F-3A, BuNo. 3920, Lt. James Seton Gray, VF-6, USS Enterprise (CV-6), February 1942

Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, James Seton Gray loved

the flying since the childhood. In 1930, at the age of sixteen years he became the youngest pilot license holder.

After he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1936, he served on the ships. In 1938 he started his

pilot training and after its completion he was assigned to

VF-6 on board of USS Enterprise (CV-6). After the USA entered the war, he took part in the first Navy raid against

October 2022

the Japanese on Taroa island in Marshall Islands. During

the raid he shot down two A5M Claude fighters. During

the Battle of Midway he commanded the whole VF-6

escorting VT-6 Devastators on their attacks against the

Japanese carriers. During the afternoon CAP on that day

he shot down E13A Jake floatplane. Gray added further

kills to his score while commanding the night fighters

aboard USS Enterprise in 1944 and became a fighter ace.

Lt. Gray’s Wildcat in which he fought over Marshall and

Gilbert archipelagos was camouflaged in Light Gray and

Blue Gray. The rudder sports nine red and white stripes.

The national markings on the fuselage and wings were

already supposed to be enlarged however the aircraft

photograph shows that the large insignia were painted

on the fuselage and starboard wing only. The port wing

retained the original size insignia.

INFO Eduard

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