Sweeping gracefully above Bougainville, Gregory “Pappy” Boyington cast his gaze through the canopy of his F4U Corsair, surveying the Japanese air base sprawling below. Leading a squadron of 24 Marine Corsairs, known as the esteemed Black Sheep Squadron, their mission was straightforward: entice as many Japanese aviators into aerial combat and neutralize them.
The Black Sheep Squadron, under Boyington’s command, had already proven their mettle in combat. With 23 Japanese aircraft downed in their first fortnight in the Pacific, their reputation preceded them. Boyington himself boasted prior combat experience, having flown missions in China alongside the renowned Flying Tigers. Yet, despite their seasoned proficiency, the Corsair pilots were on the cusp of their most formidable engagement yet. Hovering above Bougainville’s Kahili airfield, they were met with an estimated swarm of 60 Japanese planes ascending to intercept them.
Bolstered by the Corsairs’ superior agility, capable of outmaneuvering the adversary’s Mitsubishi A6M Zeros, and armed with the formidable firepower of six .50-caliber machine guns per aircraft, the Black Sheep swiftly dispatched their foes. Of the 60 enemy aircraft launched into the skies, 20 were swiftly vanquished. Miraculously, not a single Corsair or Marine pilot was lost in the fray.
Though the Black Sheep Squadron’s combat tenure spanned a mere 87 days throughout the war, their impact was profound. They claimed credit for damaging or destroying 203 Japanese aircraft, tallying an impressive 97 confirmed kills. While pilot skill and rigorous training undoubtedly played pivotal roles in their victories, the Corsair’s formidable performance undoubtedly contributed significantly to their aerial supremacy.
A ‘Hose-Nose’ Star Is Born
Nearly a triennium prior to the United States’ entry into World War II, the US Navy embarked on a venture to craft a single-engine fighter aircraft that surpassed the swiftness and armament of adversaries’ counterparts. Additionally, the Navy aspired for these new fighter planes to be optimally suitable for deployment on aircraft carriers. The culmination of this endeavor materialized in the form of the Vought F4U Corsair.
The Corsair boasted foldable wings designed ingeniously with an inverted, gull-shaped configuration. This innovative design not only facilitated accommodating more planes on carrier decks but also minimized aerodynamic resistance, while affording room for retractable landing gear, thereby augmenting the fighter’s velocity.
Upon the completion of the inaugural prototype in 1940, the Corsair proudly flaunted the largest engine, propeller, and wingspan among all Navy fighter planes. It also marked the pioneering US fighter to soar beyond the 400 mph threshold.
To house its colossal Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine, the Corsair’s construction incorporated an enlarged “nose.” However, the augmented space between the solitary cockpit and the propeller posed visibility challenges for pilots, exacerbating the intricacies of carrier landings. Consequently, the maiden Corsair aviators dubbed the robust newcomer “hose nose” in light of this predicament.
The Navy disliked it, hence it was assigned to the Marines.
Much like the V-22 Osprey, F4U Corsairs were intended for carrier operations but initially faced challenges in adapting to service at sea.
During its early test flights, the Corsair encountered issues with its left wing stalling prematurely, causing the aircraft to veer dangerously towards the ocean surface. Moreover, the plane exhibited a propensity for oil leakage, which often obscured the pilot’s visibility through the windshield. Adding to its woes, sudden accelerations sometimes resulted in the aircraft unintentionally flipping over.
In contrast, the F6F Hellcat, another carrier-based fighter utilized by the Navy, demonstrated superior handling characteristics, particularly during takeoffs and landings on carriers, making it the preferred choice for novice pilots. Consequently, the Navy restricted Corsairs to land-based operations initially, leaving them primarily in the capable hands of the Marines.
Embraced by Marine Corps aviators, the Corsair quickly endeared itself to them, earning the affectionate moniker of “whistling death” for the distinctive sound it emitted during dives. With its robust engine and formidable weaponry, the Corsair gradually forged a reputation as one of the premier aircraft of the era. Between 1943 and 1945, Corsairs achieved an impressive kill-to-death ratio of 11:1 and boasted the lowest attrition rate among all fighter planes deployed in the Pacific theater.
Prior to the A-10 Warthog, the F4U Corsair reigned as the supreme ruler of close air support.
Not only did Corsairs establish supremacy in aerial combat, but they also played a pioneering role in the development of close air support tactics.
After the pivotal engagement at Tarawa, where naval aviators lacked effective means to communicate with ground troops, the Marine Corps identified the necessity for establishing direct communication channels between infantrymen and Corsair pilots. To bridge this gap, the Marines initiated the deployment of air liaison parties, integrating dismounted aviators with ground forces. This arrangement enabled direct communication between infantry units and Corsair pilots, facilitating precise targeting of ordnance. This groundbreaking initiative laid the groundwork for the modern concept of joint terminal attack controllers.
Throughout subsequent campaigns, such as Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, Corsairs continued to fulfill this critical role. In the Korean War, they once again demonstrated their indispensable value to ground forces. Notably, during the Inchon landings and the harrowing battle at the Chosin Reservoir, F4U Corsairs provided essential close air support.
Meanwhile, the emergence of jet propulsion technology signaled the gradual obsolescence of propeller-driven aircraft. Despite this shift, Corsairs proved their resilience and effectiveness in combat. In a remarkable encounter in 1952, Marine Captain Jesse Folmar engaged and successfully downed a Soviet MiG jet while piloting his F4U Corsair. Folmar vividly recounted the encounter, describing how he witnessed the MiG trailing fuel vapor before erupting into flames and crashing into the sea.
Although Folmar’s aerial victory against a Soviet jet is noteworthy, it is just one among a series of extraordinary feats accomplished by Corsair pilots.
The Unusual Incident Involving the Initial and Final Victories of the F4U Corsair
On the 14th of February in 1943, amidst what history would later dub the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, a formation of Corsairs found themselves under assault while providing escort to several American bombers soaring over the expanse of the Pacific.
In the ensuing clash, nine American aircraft and one Japanese Zero met their demise. Among them, the Zero succumbed to the skies after a fateful collision with a Corsair under the command of Lieutenant Gordon Lyon Jr. The tragic outcome claimed the lives of both aviators, etching Lieutenant Lyon Jr.’s name into the annals of aviation history as the first Corsair pilot to secure a confirmed kill.
Twenty-six years later, the final confirmed aerial victory attributed to a Corsair would unfold in a narrative of exceptional valor.
Amidst the tumult of the Football War in 1969, a brief but intense conflict between Honduras and El Salvador, Corsairs took to the skies on opposing sides of the fray. In the cockpit of an aging F4U Corsair, Captain Fernando Soto of the Honduran Air Force engaged in a series of aerial duels, ultimately downing three Salvadoran aircraft, among them two Corsairs.
Those fateful encounters marked the swan song of Corsair combat victories. To this day, Captain Soto stands as a solitary figure in the annals of aviation, holding the distinction of being the sole pilot to achieve three confirmed aerial victories over the American continents and the only Corsair aviator to vanquish another of its kind in combat.
Now, over half a century removed from those harrowing days, a mere handful—estimated at 10 to 15—of Corsairs remain operational within the United States. Yet, despite the passage of time, the iconic silhouette of the gull-winged Corsair endures, firmly entrenched as a cherished symbol within the tapestry of American aviation lore.
