{"title":"Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) WW2","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"collection-content\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFighter Squadron 31 (VF-31),Light Carrier Warriors\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile the big Essex-class carriers grabbed headlines, the Independence-class \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/u-s-navy-aircraft-carriers\"\u003elight carriers\u003c\/a\u003e fought just as hard with fewer resources. Fighter Squadron 31 (VF-31) served aboard two of these compact warships,\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/uss-belleau-wood-cvl-24-merchandise\"\u003eUSS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/uss-cabot-cvl-28-merchandise\"\u003eUSS Cabot (CVL-28)\u003c\/a\u003e,operating F6F Hellcats from flight decks barely half the length of an Essex's.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIndependence-Class Light Carriers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nine Independence-class CVLs were converted from Cleveland-class light cruiser hulls to address the desperate carrier shortage of 1942-1943. At 11,000 tons,less than half the displacement of an Essex-class ship,they carried roughly 30 aircraft compared to the Essex's 90. What they lacked in size they made up in speed: at 31.6 knots, they could keep pace with the fleet carriers and operate as part of the Fast Carrier Task Force. VF-31's pilots launched and recovered from these smaller decks in all conditions, a demanding skill that left little room for error.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBelleau Wood: Devil Dogs at Sea\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUSS Belleau Wood earned 12 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation,more honors than most fleet carriers. Named after the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/world-war-ii-merch\"\u003eWorld War I\u003c\/a\u003e battle where Marines earned the title Devil Dogs, Belleau Wood fought from the Gilberts through Okinawa. On October 30, 1944, a kamikaze struck her flight deck off the Philippines, killing 92 men. VF-31 flew from Belleau Wood during the Central Pacific campaign and the Philippine Sea engagement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCabot: Presidential Unit Citation Carrier\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/uss-cabot-cvl-28-merchandise\"\u003eUSS Cabot\u003c\/a\u003e earned the Presidential Unit Citation and nine battle stars for outstanding combat performance. At the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 25, 1944, Cabot's aircraft helped sink the Japanese battleship Musashi,at 72,000 tons, the largest warship ever sunk by \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/u-s-naval-aviation-merchandise\"\u003ecarrier aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e. VF-31 served aboard Cabot during the late-war campaigns, including the Okinawa operation and strikes against the Japanese home islands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe F6F Hellcat on Light Carriers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOperating Hellcats from a light carrier's shorter flight deck required precise flying. The CVL deck was 552 feet long compared to the Essex's 872 feet, and the hangar could hold only about a dozen fighters. Every launch and recovery demanded exacting airmanship. But the Hellcat's robust landing gear and forgiving handling characteristics made it well-suited for CVL operations, and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/u-s-navy\"\u003eVF-31's\u003c\/a\u003e pilots proved that light carrier squadrons could fight just as effectively as their fleet carrier counterparts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuilt for those who remember. Shop VF-31 merchandise,the light carrier warriors who punched above their weight from Belleau Wood and Cabot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/tacticallyacquired.com\/collections\/fighter-squadron-31-vf-31-ww2.oembed","provider":"Tactically Acquired","version":"1.0","type":"link"}