Victory at Sea: US Navy Aircraft

After the devastation of Pearl Harbor the Americans relied heavily on the aircraft of their carrier fleets By the Battle of Midway the US Navy had substantial numbers aircraft operating in theatre The age of the battleship had passed air power now dominated Grumman TBFTBM Avenger A blessed relief to Devastator pilots when it finally rolled off the production lines the Avenger was a good torpedo bomber though this duty took its toll even on purposedesigned aircraft With a crew of three it had at least a fighting chance of defending itself and a well-placed torpedo often meant the loss of several aircraft was a worthwhile trade for a sinking enemy warship Grumman F4F Wildcat Gaining Grumman a reputation for building tough aircraft the Wildcat was never given an operational speed restriction Barrel-shaped and with stubby wings it was a natural carrier-based aircraft Popular throughout the US Navy it also saw service with