Fighter Squadron 3 (VF-3),Fighting Three

When Lieutenant Edward "Butch" O'Hare single-handedly attacked nine Japanese twin-engine bombers approaching USS Lexington on February 20, 1942, he changed the course of naval aviation history. Flying an F4F Wildcat from Fighter Squadron 3 (VF-3), O'Hare shot down five bombers and damaged a sixth in under four minutes, saving Lexington from a devastating attack. His action earned him the Medal of Honor,the first awarded to a naval aviator in World War II. Today, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport bears his name.

The Thach Weave: Tactics That Changed Air Combat

VF-3's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander John S. "Jimmy" Thach, faced an impossible problem in early 1942: the Japanese A6M Zero could outclimb, out-turn, and outrun his F4F Wildcats. Thach's solution was a defensive formation he tested against Butch O'Hare in training exercises,two Wildcats flying in a weaving, crisscrossing pattern that created interlocking fields of fire. Any Zero that attacked one Wildcat would expose itself to the guns of the other. Thach proved the concept in combat at the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, where he and his wingmen used the weave to survive against overwhelming numbers of Zeros while protecting Yorktown's torpedo bombers. The Thach Weave was formally adopted by the Navy and remained in use through the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Midway: Six Wildcats Against the Japanese Fleet

At the Battle of Midway in June 1942, six VF-3 F4F Wildcats from USS Yorktown (CV-5) provided the sole fighter escort for the carrier's strike package. These were the only American fighters to engage Japanese aircraft over the enemy carrier fleet that morning. Despite being vastly outnumbered, VF-3's pilots,led by Thach himself,fought to protect the dive bombers and torpedo planes that ultimately destroyed three Japanese carriers. Midway was the turning point of the Pacific War: Japan lost carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu, along with their irreplaceable veteran aircrews.

The F4F Wildcat: The Fighter That Held the Line

VF-3 flew the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the rugged fighter that held the line against Japan during 1942. Though outperformed by the Zero in speed and maneuverability, the Wildcat's armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, and devastating .50-caliber armament gave skilled pilots a fighting chance. Powered by a 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine, the Wildcat could reach 318 mph and was armed with six .50-caliber Browning machine guns. Its greatest advantage was survivability,Wildcats brought their pilots home from battles that would have killed them in any other fighter of the era.

Legacy & Notable Alumni

VF-3's iconic Felix the Cat insignia,a black cat carrying a bomb with a lit fuse,became one of the most recognizable emblems in naval aviation history. The squadron's alumni roster reads like a who's who of Pacific War aces: besides O'Hare and Thach, VF-3 alumnus Alex Vraciu went on to become one of the Navy's top aces, shooting down six Japanese aircraft in a single sortie during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 while flying with VF-15 Satan's Playmates.

Carry the history. VF-3 Fighting Three t-shirts, hoodies, and heritage gifts,built for those who remember what Butch O'Hare, Jimmy Thach, and the Wildcat pilots gave at Midway and beyond.