Fighter Squadron 49 (VF-49) WW2

Fighter Squadron 49 (VF-49) flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat from USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) as part of the unprecedented expansion of US Navy air power during World War II. By 1945, the Navy had over 100 aircraft carriers in the Pacific,the most powerful naval air force ever assembled, and VF-49 was part of that force.

Aboard USS San Jacinto

USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) earned six battle stars and is forever linked to future President George H.W. Bush, who served as an Avenger torpedo bomber pilot aboard her. On September 2, 1944, Bush was shot down over Chichi Jima while attacking a Japanese radio installation. He was rescued by the submarine USS Finback after four hours in the water,two of his crewmates were killed. Bush was 20 years old.

VF-49 served as part of Carrier Air Group 49 from 1945, participating in the Okinawa Campaign from April through June 1945, the last and bloodiest amphibious assault of the Pacific War, where the fleet absorbed nearly 1,900 kamikaze sorties. The squadron provided fighter cover for the fleet and struck Japanese military targets during Okinawa Campaign and Japan homeland strikes.

Aircraft

The Grumman F6F Hellcat compiled a 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft,the highest of any fighter in the Pacific Theater. Between its combat debut over Marcus Island on August 31, 1943, and VJ-Day, Hellcat pilots claimed 5,223 aerial victories, accounting for 56 percent of all Navy and Marine air-to-air kills. Armed with six .50-caliber Browning machine guns and capable of carrying 2,000 pounds of ordnance, the F6F was equally lethal in air combat and ground attack.

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