Grumman F4F-3 and F4F-3A Wildcat, Battle of the Coral Sea Part 4

The most important naval and air battle in which the Grumman F4F-3 and F4F-3A of the US Navy participated was the encounter in the Coral Sea in May 1942. This initial battle of aircraft carriers in history involved the Wildcats of squadron VF-2 from the USS Lexington (CV-2) and VF-42 from the USS Yorktown (CV-5). The battle also culminated the activities of the Wildcats with a fixed, non-folding wing, operating from the US Navy carriers. The F4F-3 and F4F-3A variants of the US Navy Air Force intervened in the actions in the Pacific only until the spring of 1942, when they were replaced in service by the F4F-4 with reinforced gun armament and a folding wing. The new aircraft were more convenient for shipboard operation, the folding wings saved space during storage in hangars and on board. The addition of six 12.7 mm wing machine guns increased the destructive power of the fire on the target. At the same time, however, the ammunition supply per barrel was reduced from 450 to 240 rounds, which significantly reduced the time the pilot could fire. Not all fighters accepted these changes favorably, as they appreciated the more balanced alignment of performance, armament and operational characteristics of the older F4F-3.

The publication is A4 format, full-color on high-quality coated paper, V2 binding, 52 pages, many photos, color side views.