Does anyone know if the Saratoga carried Corsairs in 1944?

Subhunter

According to the Air Group and Squardon summary in the warship pictorial on Lexington class carrier,

The air grp are as such in 1944:

1. 01-02/1944: Air grp 12 VF-12 (36 F6F), VB-12 (24 SBD), VT-12 (18 TBM). 78 Aircrafts.

2. 12/1944: Air grp 53 (N) VF-53, VT-53, VFN-53. 74 Aircrafts, and

3. 06/1945: Air group 8 VF-8 (57 F6F and F6F-5N), VT-8 (18 TBM (N)). 75 Aircrafts.

I t seems that she does not carry any and the photo shows non on board.

Hope the info is useful to u.

The information in Steven Terzibaschitsch's "Aircraft Carriers of the U. S. Navy has exactly the same data with the additional information that VF-53 flew F6F and F6F-SN, VT-53 flew TBM-1Ds and VFN-53 flew F6F-5Ns.

The only record of any "pre-war" carriers operating the Corsair, show that Enterprise had a small detachment in VFN-101 from February 1944 until October of 1944 with 3-4 F4U-2s, but when Air Group 20 came aboard, they went back to the F6F family and didn't appear to have any more Corsairs after that.

Tom

Thanks guys...I guess I'll have to find some F6Fs. I've got the SBDs and TBF/Ms. Maybe I'll have the one or two F6Fs taking off with the others on the deck.

Subhunter