[skysurfer808]

To answer your question Skybuffalo, since the Hellcat didn't see action until the fall of 1943, it was probable that the Flatley scheme on the right, with the dark blue overspray was the scheme that it was introduced to combat with. VF-6 was one of the first Hellcat units to see action, and as they were aboard ship rather than ashore, they likley had better access to the spray can than a shore based unit. The pics posted above showing Hellcats are the most likely evidence, especially the one showing Flatley's machine spotted in front of the Yorktown's island. Also, note that the formerly red bordered national insignia has been oversprayed in blue. This is strong evidence that for the Yorktown Group at least the overall paint job was applied in a timely manner, as is the contours of the dark blue top, which are not as regular as in later production hellcats, whose tri-color scheme was applied in more uniform manner. Now USMC F4U-1 Corsairs did enter combat in the 1942 early 43 light blue-gray scheme, but they were shore based in the Solomans, and entered combat much earlier in the year. These Corsairs remained in this scheme for many months, indeed pics of Boyington's Blacksheep show few changes, aside from a simple white bar added to the circular insignia, without any red surround. Of course considering the demands of island hopping and the logistical nightmare of the Solomans campaign, is it any wonder that Marine and Navy ground crews had better things to work on than complying with Technical Orders issued thousands of miles away.

When it comes to National Insignia, the many changes between 1941 and 1947 make it possible to date most US aircraft pics simply by their national insignia. This is a good thing for historical researchers and anyone who is looking to pinpoint an airplane to a particular piece of time.

1941 to May 15 1942. The Red Dotted Star Insigia. The famous prewar Star with the Red Dot. Supplemented in late 1941 by Candy Striped Rudder Markings. In the jittery days right after Pearl Harbor, the importance of National Insignia was realized, and in late 41 the candy striped rudder was added, and the Star was often increased in size, especially in Navy Aircraft. However, the color Red in the center dot often was mistaken for the Japanese rising sun, and in early May 1942, the order came from on high to paint out the Red Dot. In an ealier post, I posted pics of Midway era Navy and Marine aircraft which clearly showed this order was complied with, though often hastily, as ground crews had many other priorities to contend with.

May 15 1942 to June 28th 1943. The White Star. The Prewar Marking minus the Red Dot, so a simple White Star in an Insignia Blue field. This marking was carried by US Aircraft through the toughest months of Air Combat of the War, predominantly in the Pacific, as the European Theatre adopted its own version of this marking due to Friendly Fire concerns of its own. See Below. Ironically, this marking later became the National Insignia of the Air Force of Somaila, albiet with a lighter shade of blue, something I first noticed as a child when looking at a book of Soviet Aircraft and seeing a Soviet Antanov Transport in Somali markings.

November 1942 to Mid 1943. The White Star with a Yellow Surround. This was an European Theatre Marking, adopted in part because the simple White Star could in some cases be mistaken for the German Cross (ie low light, overcast skies.) The British Bullseye Roundel National Insignia was surrounded by a Yellow Surround, and adding this to the US Marking was a way of adding uniformity, as well as helping highlight the American Insignia, especially when painted on camoflaged airplanes. The Yellow Surrounded White Star was also adopted by British Royal Navy Aircraft during Operation Torch, as the British Roundel could have easily been confused for the French Roundel, and the French were expected to be a little more reluctant to engage American airplanes, rather than British ones, especially after Dakar and Mers El Kebir. However, the French still managed to shoot down several American aircraft, while a British Hudson from the RAF was also shot down. Land based operations being what they were, these markings lingered for months after, and remained on US Aircraft stationed in the UK till replaced by the next series of Insignia.

June 28th 1943 to September 4th 1943. The shortest lived US National Insignia, the Red Surround Star and Bars. Perhaps in an attempt to make an insignia with Red White and Blue, in a burst of patriotic frenzy, a red surround was added to the Star, and Bars made their first appearance, though one wonders at the probabilty of the bars being mistanken for the Luftwaffe Cross in the ETO, perhaps the reason the red was added. However, in the Pacific the Red was instantly unpopular, due to the aforementioned tendency of gunners to shoot at anything red. In Europe the Red Lasted longer, and was the insignia on the majority of 8th Air Force Bombers during its grim Autumn missions against Nazi Germany.

September 4th 1943 to January 14th 1947. The Blue Bordered Star and Bars. This was the Marking that US military airpower won the war with. Simple, effective, though still sometimes possibly mistaken for a German Cross (a la George Preddy Christmas Day 1944), the Blue Bordered Star and Bars were carried by more airplanes before or since. It had one unique variation in USN-USMC service after the Sea Services adopted the Midnight Blue Livery, the Star and Bars were many times merely painted on the aircraft in white, after all, why bother painting a dark blue disk onto a dark blue airplane.

January 14th 1947 to the Present. The Red Striped Star and Bars. The Blue Bordered Star and Bars with a Red Stripe in the middle of the Bars. Added to put Red back onto the National Insignia, so we could have airplanes with Red White and Blue once again, the Red Striped Star and Bars remain the current National Insignia, though in military airplanes, low vis gray has often resulted in the National Insignia being a mere stencil in gray....but that is another story.

Hope this helps,

Sorry I've been away so long, been flying a lot, but this post set some creative juices flowing.

More to come when possible.

Aloha,
Skysurfer808