A hammered Hellcat

USN, F6F-5 Hellcat, White 39, VF-94, USS Lexington, 25 February 1945
F6F-5 Hellcat, White 39, VF-94, USS Lexington, 25 February 1945

This Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat was photographed as it was stopped by the USS Lexington’s crash barrier on 25 February 1945. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the photo showing the right wingtip being torn off while cables tear through the left wing and rear fuselage. I was not able to find much more information regarding this aircraft and the impressive photo, especially regarding the pilot’s name and fate. Also note how one of the propeller blades appears to have been bent.

Given the extent of the damage, the Hellcat would most likely have been thrown overboard after the incident.

If you have any extra information on this photo, please let me know in the comments below !

2 thoughts on “A hammered Hellcat

    1. Thank you ! I mostly use Photoshop to create the profiles, although some elements are sometimes created in Illustrator, while others are hand-drawn and then scanned and “integrated” in the profile.

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