Brazilian Downfall F6F-6

[comrade harps]

Grumman F6F-6 Hellcat
AF-1, Brazilian Naval Aviation, Oki Island, Japan, April 1946


At war with the Axis powers since early 1942, by late 1944 Brazilian Naval Aviation had grown to include Catalina flying boats, Ventura patrol bombers and Hellcat fighters. With the diminished threat in the Atlantic following the Separate Peace with Germany of August 1944, the Brazilian government agreed to send a Naval expeditionary force to fight Japan that included ships, Marines and air power. In mid-1945, the personnel of the F6F-3 Hellcat equipped VF-1 deployed to the Philippines, leaving their aircraft behind. Initially re-trained on second hand F6F-3s, the unit re-quipped with new and more powerful F6F-6s during August, 1945, deploying to Okinawa in October.



After flying mostly air defence mission from Awase and assigned to US Marine Corps control, VF-1 deployed forward to Pohang in southern Korea during December. It was on the bombing ranges of southern Korea that the high degree of accuracy of several of VF-1's pilots was noted. This saw the squadron being assigned to bombing tasks, its specialty becoming the delivery of 1,000 lb bombs. VF-1 participated in the February, 1946, occupation if Oki Island off the coast of Honshu and in March deployed to Oki Air Base. As the Allies prepared to invade Honshu in April, most of VF-1's missions were Pumpkins, targeting bridges, bunkers, fortified defensive positions and tunnel entrances.

[sandiego89]

Nicely done.  Doubt we will ever resolve what color the invasion stripes would have been given the last thread, but yours turned out nicely. 

[comrade harps]

Doubt we will ever resolve what color the invasion stripes would have been

I chose these colours because I wanted something that would show up equally well on NMF and US Navy midnight blue - so, finally I did a US Navy type scheme with these candy coloured stripes.

It's a whif!

[GTX]

Looks good.

Regards,

Greg

[Taiidantomcat]

i was hoping this would be using your brightly colored stripes!  They look great with that Brazilian star and bar 

[Joe C-P]

That is Sabrina Sato level sexy! 

[Brian da Basher]

Let me add to the chorus of "love those invasion stripes"!

Brian da Basher