HELLCAT - The F6F in World War II

The U.S. Navy's top fighter ace in World War II, Medal of Honor recipient Capt. David McCampbell, called the Grumman F6F Hellcat "a wonderful weapon of war." Largely responsible for crushing Japanese airpower wherever the American fast carrier force sailed, Hellcats were considered the most important Allied aircraft in the Pacific during 1943 and 1944. Designed for speed, range, and climb to compete with Japan's exceptional Mitsubishi A6M Zero, they succeeded not only in engaging the "Zeke" on equal terms but also in dictating the rules of combat.

Fighters in every sense of the word, the Hellcats were credited with destroying more than five thousand Japanese aircraft, gaining outright air supremacy over the invasion beaches, and helping ensure Allied amphibious victories in the Central Pacific. Here is the full story of the Hellcat—the men who built and tested it, the fighter squadrons that flew it, and the heroes it created. Written by the award-winning aviation historian Barrett Tillman and heavily illustrated with photographs from the pilots' own collections, this spirited, carefully documented operational history pays tribute to the F6F and the men who helped win the war in the Pacific.

"The definitive portrait—and also entertaining reading." - Flying Magazine

"Thanks to the author's countless hours researching official records and combat action reports, Hellcat makes a worthwhile contribution to any military library." - Marine Corps Gazette

"The first chapter of this book will long stand as one of the best-written in any aviation book. Hellcat is absolutely a must for anyone interested in aviation history." - Warbirds Magazine

"Hellcat is a book that will do honor to the library of any serious or armchair historian interested in naval air actions of World War II." - Aerospace Historian

Source: Publisher's summary printed on cover