|
 |
|
|
| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
| Chronology | Locations | Aircraft | Ships | Submit Info | How You Can Help | Donate |
|
| USN |
Aircraft History Built by Grumman as model G-50 in Bethpage, New York. Constructors Number unknown. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as F6F Hellcat bureau number unknown. Mission History This Hellcat took off on a training mission and ditched off Kahe Point on Oahu. Although the identity of this aircraft is unknown, at least three Hellcat losses are possibilities: 1) F6F-5N Hellcat 77615 from NACTU crashed March 19, 1945 a quarter mile off Nanakuli. 2) F6F-3 Hellcat 42259 from VBF-100 crashed April 3, 1945 lost roughly 200 yards off Brown’s Camp. 3) F6F-5 Hellcat 79247 crashed May 3, 1948 a half mile offshore. Wreckage During the early 1970s, discovered by SCUBA divers from the Pearl Divers Club. The Hellcat is upside down on a flat sandy bottom at a depth of 60' roughly a mile off Kahe Point (Electric Beach) on the southwest of Oahu. Nearby is the wreckage of F-4F Wildcat. During 1971, the unbent propeller was recovered and was supposedly displayed at Hickam AFB Museum. The location of this propeller today is unknown. On November 24, 1982 after Hurricane Iwa, sea surge likely moved and damaged the plane and it was lost. During 2020, the cockpit of a Hellcat was rediscovered and is likely all that remains. Blade Shepherd-Jones adds: "Rediscovery in 2020, proved the aircraft to be the remains of a F6F cockpit. Is it possible hurricane Iwa flipped the aircraft, drug it, and rip off the wings, tail, and engine." References Honolulu Star-Bulletin "SCUBA Men Dive into the Past for WWII Fighter Planes" September 2, 1971 page 59 "The Pearl Divers club found a Navy F-6F Hellcat in 60 feet of water off Kahe Point near Barbers Point, not far from the Corsair. The Hellcat is upside down. Sea life has obliterated fuselage markings, and the Pearl Divers, a club consisting of Navy offices, Army enlisted men and others, worry that the pilot may not have got out. It is about a mile offshore and its propeller was recovered though it took divers five hours of wrestling with the 400-pounder to bring it to the surface. The prop will be displayed at a Pearl Harbor museum. [Photo] Upside-down fighter - This Hellcat flopped over before settling to the bottom off Kahe Point. A diver looks into a bay under the wing. Retractable wheels are still in their housing, faintly describable. – Pearl Divers Photo. [Photo] From Davey Jones – The Hellcat propeller was taken from 60 feet of water off Kahe Point. Lt. Cmdr. W. H. Kay Jr., left tells Cmdr. M. J. Macdonald, president of the Pearl Divers, how it was done. – Photo by U.S. Navy." The La Crosse Tribune "Divers Find Warplanes In Waters Near Hawaii" by William Helton (AP) September 29, 1971 page 10 Independent "Warplanes' ocean grave opened" October 1, 1971 page 14 Thanks to Blade Shepherd-Jones for additional information Contribute
Information Last Updated
|
 F6F  60' |
| Discussion Forum | Daily Updates | Reviews | Museums | Interviews & Oral Histories |
|
