USN Fighting Squadron Eighhty Three VF-83 emblemUSN Fighting Squadron Eighhty Three VF-83

Aircrew USN ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman Jr ground crew during his tour with VF-83 showing 8 aerial victories 01

Aircrew USN ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman Jr ground crew during his tour with VF-83 showing 8 aerial victories 02

Aircrew USN ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman Jr ground crew during his tour with VF-83 showing 8 aerial victories 03

Aircrew USN ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman Jr VF-6 and VF-83 standing left ended the war with 10 aerial victories 01

Aircrew USN ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman Jr VF-6 and VF-83 standing left ended the war with 10 aerial victories 02

Aircrew USN Ens William J Kingston Jr VF-83 01

Aircrew USN personnel pose next to F6F-5 Hellcat White 111 belonging to VF-83 ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman 01

Aircrew USN personnel pose next to F6F-5 Hellcat White 111 belonging to VF-83 ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman 02

Aircrew USN personnel pose next to F6F-5 Hellcat White 111 belonging to VF-83 ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman 03

Aircrew USN personnel pose next to F6F-5 Hellcat White 111 belonging to VF-83 ace LtCdr Thaddeus T Coleman 04

Aircrew USN VF-83 flight crew abaord CV-6 USS Essex 1945 01

Aircrew USN VF-83 pilots aboard CV-9 USS Essex 01

Aircrew USN VF-83 pilots aboard CV-9 USS Essex 02

Aircrew USN VF-83 pilots aboard CV-9 USS Essex 03

Aircrew USN VF-83 pilots aboard CV-9 USS Essex 05

Aircrew USN VF-83 pilots aboard CV-9 USS Essex 06

Art USN VF-83 crest 0A

Curtiss SB2C 3 Helldivers VB 83 White 315 from CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

Curtiss SB2C 3 Helldiver VB 4 officers and flt crew aboard CV-6 USS Essex at Ulithi Atoll 1944 01

Curtiss SB2C 3 Helldiver VB 4 officers and flt crew aboard CV-6 USS Essex at Ulithi Atoll 1944 02

Curtiss SB2C 3 Helldiver VB 83 White 207 CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

CV-9 USS Essex after her San Francisco refit April 15 1944 01

CV-9 USS Essex after her San Francisco refit April 15 1944 02

CV-9 USS Essex after her San Francisco refit April 15 1944 03

CV-9 USS Essex after her San Francisco refit April 15 1944 04

CV-9 USS Essex aircraft attacked Dumaguete airfield to support the landings on Peleliu 12th Sep 1944 01

CV-9 USS Essex aircraft attacked shipping and oil storage at Surigao Mindanao 9th Sep 1944 01

CV-9 USS Essex aircraft attacked shipping at Manila Bay 5th Nov 1944 01

CV-9 USS Essex aircraft attacked shipping at Manila Bay 5th Nov 1944 02

CV-9 USS Essex and T2 SE A1 oiler USS Tallulah AO 50 refueling in heavy seas off Luzon 9 Nov 1944 02

CV-9 USS Essex at sea during the Okinawa Campaign 20th May 1945 02

CV-9 USS Essex many hands make light work as crew members clean the flight deck 01

CV-9 USS Essex pictured underway conducting flight operations off Okinawa 1945 01

CV-9 USS Essex underway 1943 01

CV-9 USS Essex underway off the Gilbert Islands as viewed from another carrier 29th Nov 1943 01

Fire engulfs the USS Essex flight deck after a Hellcats drop tank burst on landing 16 Dec 1944 02

Fire engulfs the USS Essex flight deck after a Hellcats drop tank burst on landing 16 Dec 1944 03

Fire engulfs the USS Essex flight deck after a Hellcats drop tank burst on landing 16 Dec 1944 04

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat VF-83 aboard CV-9 USS Essex 01

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat VF-83 aboard CV-9 USS Essex 02

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat VF-83 landing aboard CV-9 USS Essex 01

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat VF-83 landing aboard CV-9 USS Essex 2

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat VF-83 White F121 and F120 from CV-9 USS Essex 01

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat VF-83 White F23 taking off from CV-9 USS Essex 01

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat White 24 aboard CV-9 USS Essex 01

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 01

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0A

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0B

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0C

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0D

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0E

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0F

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 115 Death and Destruction BuNo 72534 CV-9 USS Essex May 5th 1945 0G

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 aboard CV-9 USS Essex 01

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 most likely named Blues in the Night aboard CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 most likely named Blues in the Night aboard CV-9 USS Essex 1945 02

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 White 106 aboard CV-9 USS Essex May 1945 01

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 White 116 aboard CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

Grumman TBM Avenger VT 83 drop through over cast target 01

Grumman TBM Avenger VT 83 White 309 Georgia Peach from CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

Grumman TBM Avenger VT 83 White 417 Santas Helper from CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

IJN BB Yamato and CL Agano west of Kyushu taken 7th Apr 1945 01

Japanese kamikaze plane taken seconds before just missing the CV-9 USS Essex 01

Japanese kamikaze plane taken seconds before just missing the CV-9 USS Essex 02

Lt Yamaguchi's Yokosuka D4Y3 Judy kamikaze plane taken seconds before impacting the USS Essex off the Philippines 25th Nov 1944 01

Recon photograph taken 7th Oct 1943 over Wake from a USS Essex aircraft 01

USN personnel VF-83 ground crew 01

Vought F4U 1D Corsairs VBF-83 White 168 circling to land on CV-9 USS Essex 1945 01

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat VF-83 White 115 'Death and Destruction' BuNo 72534 flown by several pilots

 Ensigns Donald McPherson,  Bill Kingston Jr., and  Lyttleton Ward while based on CV-9 USS Essex

From the end of January, 1945, US Navy aircraft in the Pacific carried striking geometric symbols. Markings such as the hourglass belonged to aircraft of the USS Essex. White 115 also had an emblem consisting of a skull and crossbones and the inscription 'Death and Destruction'. The victory tally painted on the cockpit sides possibly includes the total of the pilots that flew the plane. White 115 was mostly flown by Ensigns Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston, Jr., and Lyttleton Ward, downing three Alfs and one Oscar during one of the most concentrated Kamikaze attacks on TF-58 ships on May 4th, 1945. During this event, Ward attained ace status.

Od konce ledna 1945 nesly stroje amerického námoønictva v Pacifiku výrazné geometrické symboly. Symbol "pøesýpacích hodin" patøil strojùm letadlové lodi USS Essex. "Bílá 115" nesla emblém lebky se zkøíženými hnáty a nápis "Death And Destruction" a sestøely pod kabinou, které pravdìpodobnì representovaly skóre stroje. Letoun byl používán rùznými piloty, lety na nìm absolvovali Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston Jr. a Lyttleton Ward, jen dne 4.kvìtna 1945 bìhem jednoho z nejvìtších útokù pilotù Kamikaze na plavidla TF-58 na tomto stroji dosáhl tøí sestøelù strojù "Alf" a jednoho sestøelu "Oscara" a zároveò i statutu esa.

 Additional Information Eduard plastic models - http://www.eduard.com/

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, from the USN VF-83 'White 115' named 'Death N Destruction' operated CV-9 USS Essex 1945.

This plane was shared by US Navy Pilots  Ensigns Donald McPherson,  Bill Kingston Jr., and Navy Marine Corps Medal of Honor badge Navy Cross winner  Lyttleton Ward. With one previous kill, Ward downed four enemy planes in one day in May 1945 to make Ace. McPherson and Kingston also finished the war as aces.

VF-83 Tour of Duty:

From 1945/03/11 to 1945/06 CV-9 Essex CVG-83 F6F-5

IL-2 Sturmovik Cliffs of Dover - COD/CLOD skins - No 3d model at this stage
 
IL2 Sturmovik Forgotten Battles (FB), Ace Expansion Pack (AEP), Pacific Fighters (PF), 1946 skins
  IL2 game skin by HM F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by HM F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex 1945 V0A

  F6F-5 Historical skin of F6F-5 Hellcat "DEATH'N DESTRUCTION" of Ensigns Donald McPherson VF-83, USS Essex, 1945 skin made by Harpia Mafra55 Template made by Jester HM Harpia Mafra55 mauriciomarcosmafra@ig.com.br

  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 121 CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 122 CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 125 CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 127 CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 131 CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 135 CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by RO F6F-5 VF-83 White 138 CV-9 USS Essex 1945

  F6F-5 'Death N Destruction' of VF-83 based aboard CV-9 USS Essex. This plane was shared by Ensigns Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston Jr., and Navy Cross winner Lyttleton Ward. With one previous kill, Ward downed four enemy planes in one day in May 1945 to make Ace. McPherson and Kingston also finished the war as aces. This skin is 100% free for personal use. Please do not alter this skin for upload or incorporate elements of it into others without permission. Thanks. For user-made or free campaigns feel free to use any of my stuff. If you do, let me know so I can fly it. RN Ronnco rtarget@gmail.com

  IL2 game skin by WW F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex 1945
  IL2 game skin by WW F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex 1945 NM
  IL2 game skin by WW F6F-5 VF-83 White 115 Lyttleton Ward CV-9 USS Essex 1945 V0A

  F6F-5 White 115 Death And Destruction BuNo 72534 Serial 115 VF-83 Uss Essex 5th of May 1945 Flown by the Trio of Aces Ensigns Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston Jr., and Lyttleton Ward. Carrying gaudy nose art and a victory tally of nine kills, BuNo 72534 was arguably the most recognizable Hellcat aborad Essex in the last months of the War. The fighters greatest day came on 4th May 1945 when it was used by Ward to down three 'Alfs' and a 'Oscar' as VF-83 helped repel one of the biggest Kamikaze raids launched at TF-58 during the Okinawan invasion. WW Warwolfe1 WarWolfe1@gmail.com http://www.flying-legends.net/

USN Ships WWII
CV-9 USS Essex

The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II

Chronology of the USN in WWII

  1939   1940   1941   1942   1943   1944   1945

    Bibliography:

  • Barrett Tillman, Hellcat: The F6F in World War II, Naval Institute Press, 1979
  • David McCampbell article from National Aviation Hall of Fame website
  • Edward Sims, Greatest Fighter Missions, Harper and Brothers, 1962 - This sequel includes U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots
  • Barrett Tillman, Hellcat Aces of World War 2, Osprey

    Magazine References: +

  • Airfix Magazines (English) - http://www.airfix.com/
  • Avions (French) - http://www.aerostories.org/~aerobiblio/rubrique10.html
  • FlyPast (English) - http://www.flypast.com/
  • Flugzeug Publikations GmbH (German) - http://vdmedien.com/flugzeug-publikations-gmbh-hersteller_verlag-vdm-heinz-nickel-33.html
  • Flugzeug Classic (German) - http://www.flugzeugclassic.de/
  • Klassiker (German) - http://shop.flugrevue.de/abo/klassiker-der-luftfahrt
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://boutique.editions-lariviere.fr/site/abonnement-le-fana-de-l-aviation-626-4-6.html
  • Le Fana de L'Aviation (French) - http://www.pdfmagazines.org/tags/Le+Fana+De+L+Aviation/
  • Osprey (English) - http://www.ospreypublishing.com/
  • Revi Magazines (Czech) - http://www.revi.cz/

      Web References: +

  • History of RAF Organisation: http://www.rafweb.org
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F4U Corsair
  • http://warbirdregistry.org/corsairregistry/corsairregistry.html
  • Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/
  • http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/ Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum New York NY
  • http://www.airzoo.org/ Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum Kalamazoo MI
  • http://www.lsfm.org/aircraft/hellcat.htm Lone Star Flight Museum Galveston TX
  • http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/aero/aircraft/grumman_f6f.htmNational Air and Space Museum Washington DC
  • http://www.naval-air.org/ National Museum of Naval Aviation AS Pensacola FL
  • http://www.neam.org/ New England Air Museum Windsor Locks CT
  • http://www.planesoffame.org Planes of Fame Air Museum Eden Prairie MN
  • http://users.ids.net/~qam/qam/ Quonset Air Museum North Kingston RI
  • http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/ San Diego Aerospace Museum North Kingston RI
  • http://www.planesoffame.org/ The Air Museum Planes of Fame Chino CA

 

This webpage was updated 4th June 2021

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