Fighter Squadron 18 (VF-18),The Diamondbacks

Fighter Squadron 18 (VF-18), the Diamondbacks, served aboard two of the most storied Essex-class carriers in the Pacific Fleet: USS Intrepid (CV-11), "The Fighting I," and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). Flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat across the Central and Western Pacific, VF-18 fought through the campaigns that drove American power from the Gilberts to the Philippines.

Intrepid: The Fighting I

VF-18 first deployed aboard Intrepid as part of CVG-18 during 1944. Intrepid earned the nickname "The Fighting I" for her determination to stay in the fight despite repeated enemy attacks,she was struck by torpedoes and kamikazes on four separate occasions during the war. VF-18's pilots flew combat air patrol and strike missions from Intrepid's deck, defending the carrier against Japanese air attacks while simultaneously striking enemy targets across the Central Pacific. Today, Intrepid is preserved as the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Pier 86 in Manhattan.

Leyte Gulf: The Largest Naval Battle

VF-18 participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944,the largest naval battle in history. Over four days, the US Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Imperial Japanese Navy clashed in engagements spanning hundreds of miles across the Philippines. The Japanese committed virtually every remaining warship in a desperate attempt to stop MacArthur's return to the Philippines. American carrier aircraft, including CVG-18's Hellcats, sank four Japanese carriers, three battleships, and dozens of other warships. Leyte Gulf ended the Imperial Japanese Navy as an effective fighting force.

The Hellcat's Edge

VF-18 flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat, the fighter that compiled a 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft. Designed as a direct response to the A6M Zero, the Hellcat was built around intelligence from a captured Zero specimen recovered in the Aleutian Islands in June 1942. Its 2,000-hp engine gave it a decisive speed advantage, while self-sealing fuel tanks, 212 pounds of cockpit armor, and six .50-caliber Browning machine guns gave pilots both survivability and devastating firepower. Grumman built 12,275 Hellcats, and the type accounted for 5,223 aerial victories in the World War II Pacific Theater.

The Diamondbacks flew from two legendary carriers across the Pacific's biggest battles. Explore VF-18 t-shirts, hoodies, and naval aviation heritage gifts.