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THE EASTERN AIRCRAFT FM-1 WILDCAT

FAA Wildcat Vs of 846 in June 1944, with their D-Day invasion stripe. 846 flew anti-submarine patrols from HMS Tracker off the western end of the invasion area. [IWM] 


Text:  Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

 

The FM-1, originally known as the F4F-6, was Grumman’s response to the nearly-unanimous opinion among U.S. Navy wildcat pilots that the six-gun wing of the F4F-4, with an ammunition load for four guns redistributed among six to save weight, while significantly reducing the total time of fire by 20 seconds - an eternity in combat - was unacceptable. The F4F-6 saw the weapons reduced again to four, which was judged more than adequate for the fighter in combat.

 

The decision had been made in February 1942 that General Motors would convert its five idle automobile factories in Linden, New Jersey, for the production of aircraft, under the management of a new subsidiary, Eastern Aircraft. As Grumman expanded production to include the Avenger as well as the F4F Wildcat over the spring and summer of 1942 while pursuing development of the F6F Hellcat, it was obvious something had to give at Grumman’s production facility at Bethpage, Long Island.

While GM management believed they would show the aircraft industry how to really mas produce airplanes, those experienced in aircraft production doubted a workforce used to the lower tolerance requirements for auto production could change and become committed to the high tolerances for accuracy demanded by the aviation industry.

With the outstanding success of the Hellcat, which entered production in September 1942, the Navy ordered Grumman to develop other production sources for the Wildcats and Avengers, so the company could concentrate on all-out Hellcat production. This would be the new 4-gun F4F-6, which would now be known by the designation FM-1 for Eastern Aircraft.

Eastern Aircraft was assigned production of the Wildcat; the company built a shed at Bethpage that summer, remembered as “the fastest-built, least-ostentatious office in General Motors’ history,” where employees could learn the ropes of producing Wildcats. In August 1942, Grumman provided the largely-rebuilt factory in Linden with parts to build two Wildcats on the new production line under supervision by Grumman employees. The next six contained only one-eighth of their parts from Grumman. These were accepted by the Navy after inspection in September. After that, Eastern was on their own. By the end of December, 21 FM-1s had been delivered since the first two. That number was matched in January 1943, with the total doubled in February and doubled again by April 1943. Grumman delivered its last Wildcats in June.

 USS Guadalcanal, commanded by Captain Daniel V. Gallery, captured U-505 after driving the U-boat to the surface on June 4, 1944. This was the first enemy warship captured by the U.S. Navy since the War of 1812. [USN Official]

A boarding party from USS Chatelain (DE-149) boarded the U-boat after the crew abandoned ship and prevented scuttling charges from exploding. [USN Official]

Once the U-boat was secured, she was towed to Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia. [USN Official]


The FM-1Wildcat in the Battle of the Atlantic

Nearly all U.S. Navy FM-1s were used in the Atlantic, where they operated from CVEs in the Battle of the Atlantic against the German U-boats.

The FM-1s operated in composite squadrons with TBM-1C Avengers. Standard operating procedure called for one or two Wildcats to strafe a surfaced U-boat to suppress or divert its anti-aircraft defenses as one of more Avengers bored in to attack with rockets or bombs. If the U-boat pulled the plug and dived, an Avenger could drop a “Fido” acoustic torpedo that homed on the propeller noise.

The escort carriers USS Card (CVE-11), Core (CVE-13) and Santee (CVE-29) were the first to enter the Atlantic battle in the summer of 1943 withe FM-1s replacing their previous F4F-4s.

VC-9, which first served aboard USS Bogue (CVE-9) that spring and summer with F4F-4s went aboard Card for deployments in September through November. The squadron continued the success they had first achieved aboard Bogue, finishing 1943 with a score of eight U-boats confirmed sunk; a ninth was confirmed in 1944 when they operated aboard USS Solomons (CVE-67) to make the squadron Number One in sinkings during the war. VC-1, which operated from Card in 1943-44, and VC-13 which operated from Core, were tied in second place with scores of four U-boats sunk each.

German U-boat commander Admiral Dönitz countered the appearance of the CVEs by re-equipping his submarines with strengthened AA batteries of two 20mm twin mounts and a 37mm single mount, ordering them to fight it out with the Wildcats and Avengers. The up-gunned U-boats could put up a terrific amount of flak, which was often enough to make aircraft withdraw out of range.

The first U-boat to fight it out was U-758, which was caught on June 8 by VC-9 Wildcats and Avengers from Bogue. U-758 fought off two TBM’s and four FM-1s, forcing the aircraft to withdraw while the submarine got away.

The next fight involved a patrol of an Avenger and a Wildcat from Core which caught the tanker U-487 on the surface on July 13, 1943. The U-boat gunners shot down the Wildcat, killing the pilot. The Avenger called up reinforcements and circled out of range till they arrived. The two FM-1s attacked from different directions and cut down the gun crews by strafing; the Avenger delivered the coup de grace before other crewmen could man the guns and the “Milch Cow” disappeared into the ocean’s depths with its load of fuel oil.

Between May and December 1943, the new hunter-killer groups based around a CVE and its air group claimed 27 U-boats sunk. The enemy was no longer the formidable threat they had been in the years before. By 1944, veteran U-boat skippers who survived their patrol to return to base reported that aerial activity in the mid-Atlantic was more than what they found in the Bay of Biscay. FM-1s began being replaced by the new FM-2 “Wilder Wildcat” in the composite squadrons in March 1944. 

On June 4, 1944, the hunter-killer group based around USS Guadalcanal (CVE-60) became the first U.S. Navy unit to board and capture an enemy warship since the War of 1812, when her VC-8 Avengers and Wildcats attacked U-505 after USS Chatelain (DE-149) reported a sonar contact and drove the U-boat to the surface with a Hedgehog attack. U-505 was damaged in the attacks and the crew abandoned her. A boarding party from Chatelain took control of the submarine and prevented the scuttling charge from going off. The submarine was then towed to Norfolk Naval Station. Today, U-505 is on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

 

The Wildcat Mk.V in FAA Service

The FM-1 began appearing in FAA Wildcat squadrons in the fall of 1943, serving under the designation Martlet Mk.V. The name was changed in January 1944 to Wildcat Mk.V when all US aircraft in FAA service adopted their US names.

Wildcat Mk.V JV579, in service as “F-for Freddie” of 846 Squadron, FAA, named “That Old Thing”, is probably one of the better known Wildcats in FAA service, since a photo of it wearing distinctive D-Day identification stripes has been widely shown ever since the war.

This Wildcat, then a Martlet Mk.V, was originally delivered to 1832 Squadron, based at RNAS Eglinton, aka “HMS Gannet”, located in Northern Ireland in November 1943. The Wildcats of 1832 Squadron were later transferred to 846 Squadron, a “composite” squadron of Wildcats and Avengers aboard HMS Tracker in the spring of 1944.

Tracker began as CVE-6, the sixth Bogue-class CVE converted from a C-3 merchantman hull in 1942. She was transferred upon completion to the Royal Navy in November 1942 and arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in March 1943 after delivering aircraft from Norfolk Virginia to Casablanca, Morocco. Over the rest of 1943 and early 1944 she sailed as an anti-submarine convoy escort.

On January 4, 1944 846 squadron embarked from RNAS Machrihanish. The new squadron was equipped with 12 Avenger Mk.II torpedo bombers and four Wildcat Mk.V fighters formerly of 'B' flight, 1832 Squadron. Among the Wildcats was JV579. 

HMS Tracker (D24), originally CVE-6, the sixth Bogue-class CVE converted from a C-3 merchantman hull was transferred upon completion to the Royal Navy in November 1942. During 1943 and early 1944 she sailed as an anti-submarine convoy escort. [Crown Copyright official]


During the work up period there were four flying accidents, two involving Avengers, and two Wildcats; the first was on January 7 when Lt. J. E. Scott RNVR, crashed on deck landing in Wildcat JV333. The second incident was fatal: on January 10 Avenger FN828 crashed into the sea after its starboard wing came off while  making practice glide bombing attack on the ship, possibly due to exceeding the maximum speed limitations; pilot Sub-Lt G. A. Houghton RNVR, observer Sub-Lt E. B. Dixon RNVR, and gunner Leading Airman R. F. Gates, and a passenger Ordinary Seaman G. A. Smith were killed in the crash. On January 13 Lt G. W. McCabe RNVR in Wildcat JV348 landed with his arrester hook up and entered the barrier. An unidentified Avenger crashed on take-off on January 20; the aircraft veered into the port catwalk and its engine broke away from its mounts; the aircraft went overboard and pilot Sub-Lt S. J. Martin RNVR and two crew were safely picked up by the plane-guard destroyer.

After working up with the new squadron, Tracker was assigned to on anti-submarine sweeps on the Gibraltar convoy route west of Cape Finisterre in February, working with HMS Biter as Air Group A.2 with one carrier assigned to anti-submarine and the other a fighter carrier supporting Ocean Escort Groups.

Convoys ONS.29 and OS.68/KMS.42 departed Liverpool on February 12; ONS.29 for Halifax and OS.68/KMS.42 for Freetown/Gibraltar. Biter and Tracker initially supported ONS.29 while on passage to their rendezvous with the escort groups for the combined Freetown/Gibraltar convoy. The wind dropped on February 18 and the convoy was becalmed in the Bay of Biscay, famous for its atrocious weather conditions.

On February 23, OS.68 with 29 vessels continued on to Freetown, KMS42G with 27 ships arrived at Gibraltar on February 25. The escort group spent a week at Gibraltar. 846 Squadron flew ashore to RN Air Section North Front, re-embarking on March 2 when Tracker sailed to meet the next convoy.

Biter and Tracker supported Convoy SL150/MKS41 which formed at sea off Gibraltar on March 3 when Freetown-UK convoy SL.150 rendezvoused with MKS41, Gibraltar-UK. Flying was again hampered by a lack of wind. SL150/MKS41 was attacked on March 10 by U-575 which sank the Flower Class Corvette HMS Asphodel. Four of Tracker’s Avengers searched for the U-boat but no trace was found.

Biter and Tracker arrived in the Clyde on March 12th. After a one week leave, Tracker joined HMS Activity with 819 Squadron, with three Swordfish and seven Wildcats, to escort Convoy JW58, leaving Loch Wew to Murmansk On March 27, 1944. On March 30, two Wildcats from Activity intercepted and shot down a Ju-88. The next day three Fw 200 Condors were intercepted and shot down. 846's Sub-Lt R. H. Meed RNVR in JV490 and Sub-Lt G. C. Debney in JV485 of 819 Squadron shot down one Fw 200 while 846's Sub-Lt Swift in JV522 shot down the second and the third was shot down by an 819 pilot.

 846 Squadron, a composite escort carrier squadron of Wildcat Mk.V and Avenger Mk.II aircraft, was assigned anti-submarine defense of the Normandy Invasion. [IWM]


On April 1 a serious accident occurred aboard Tracker when an Avenger sighted and attacked a U-boat, but was unable to drop its depth charges. The pilot was able to drop three of the four while returning to the ship. Despite frantic signals to "go around again" from the batsman, the pilot flew straight into the round down, at full throttle. The aircraft ended up with its tail hanging over the stern, balanced with the port wing on the stern Bofors mounting. The Avenger caught fire; the crew got out but the pilot was badly burned and died being taken to sick bay. A serious fire burned on the aft of the flight deck. The fire grew and ammunition in the Avenger and the Bofors mount ready use locker popped and exploded. Fire crews and damage control parties put the fire out in 15 minutes. Later that day another pair of Wildcats from each squadron claimed a BV 138 seaplane shot down in flames.

846 Squadron lost two more Wildcats on April 2; one in a barrier crash, the other ditched when Sub-Lt T. D. Lucey, RNVR made a strafing attack on a surfaced U-Boat and came in too low, striking the conning tower. He was rescued after 1 hour, 55 minutes in the freezing waters.

On April 3 an 819 Squadron Swordfish spotted another U-Boat. The Swordfish came under heavy AA fire and was joined by Avenger FN869, flown by Lt J. S. Toner, RNVR, Lt R. A. Woodward, RNVR, and Wildcat JV512 flown by Sub-Lt G.W. McCabe, RNVR of 846 Squadron. Combined depth charge attacks by the Avenger and rocket attacks by the Swordfish with strafing by the Wildcat resulted in the sinking of U-288 in the Barents Sea southeast of Bear Island.

Convoy JW59 reached Vaenga Bay without loss on April 4. Activity and Tracker covered return convoy RA58 which sailed on April 7. The convoy arrived at Loch Wew on April 12 and Tracker was detached to Belfast, arriving on April 14 to enter Harland & Wolf's dockyard for repairs to her fire damage.

Returning to duty on April 29, Tracker suffered storm damage in the Western Approaches and spent the first part of May in the Floating Dock at Greenock.

On June 3, 1944, Tracker left Greenock carrying 12 Avengers and 8 Wildcats of 846 Squadron; 'L' Flight of 1832 Squadron having been transferred on May 13. On June 5, all hands were employed painting the aircraft with the black and white recognition stripes for the invasion.

Tracker joined CVEs HMS Pursuer and  Emperor for operations in the western approaches as part of the cover forces for operation Neptune, operating in a position 150 miles west of Lands' End carrying out anti-submarine patrols to intercept U-boats attempting to enter the English Channel.

On the night of June 10, Tracker and the Canadian frigate HMCS Teme collided in the dark when Teme was chasing down a U-boat contact and swept clean across Tracker’s bow at 0200 hours. Tracker rammed Teme amidships and the two ships were entangled as the heavy swell pushed Tracker in a 'sawing' motion as if she was going to cut Teme in two. When eventually separated Teme had a gaping hole and was taken in tow by HMCS Outremont back to the UK.

Tracker was able to maintain her station despite her stove-in bow; the next day she catapulted all 21 aircraft over 40 minutes; Tracker arrived in Belfast on June 12 where the damage inspection indicated the need for a refit.

846 Squadron was decommissioned on June 12, 1944, and Wildcat JV579 was transferred to a training unit.

On April 3, 1944, Operation Tungsten - the first Fleet Air Arm attack on the German battleship Tirpitz - saw 40 FM-1 Wildcat Mk.Vs of 881 and 896 squadrons aboard the CVEs Pursuer and Searcher fly flak suppression for the strike missions.  

On August 15, 1944, the two squadrons - now equipped with new Wildcat Mk.VI fighters along with 882 Squadron flying Wildcat Mk.Vs -  supported “the other D-Day” in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France.

By November 1944, all FAA Wildcat squadrons were operating the “Wilder Wildcat”-  the Wildcat Mk.VI - while the Wildcat Mk.Vs spent the rest of the war in training squadrons.

Eastern Aircraft FM-1 Wildcat Mk.V of 846 Squadron. The Fleet Air Arm received Martlet Mk.V fighters (later known as Wildcat Mk.V) in October 1943. By November 1944, all FAA Wildcat squadrons were operating the “Wilder Wildcat”-  the Wildcat Mk.VI - while the Wildcat Mk.Vs spent the rest of the war in training squadrons. [IWM]


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The article comes from the issue 12/2023

Info EDUARD 12/2023, THE EASTERN AIRCRAFT FM-1 WILDCAT
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