Lieutenant “Swede” Vejtasa smiles from the cockpit of his Wildcat June 22, 1943
FM-2 preparing for launch on board USS Matanikau CVE-101, 27 July 1944
F4F aboard USS Ranger during Operation Torch, 1942
Crashed F4F-3 onboard USS Charger ACV-30, 28 March 1943
FM-2 from USS White Plains (CVE-66), June 24, 1944
Wildcats avoard USS Ranger, Operation Torch
F4F in flight over NAS Norfolk December 1943
F4F-3 1940
Servicing Wildcats for dawn patrol at Territory of Hawaii May 1942
Crash of FM-1 BuNo 46789 code L12 on flight deck of USS Manila Bay (CVE-61), 16 December 1943
FM-2 from USS White Plains (CVE-66), June 24, 1944 2
Donald E. Runyon posing with his Wildcat “Black 13”, 1942 2
Donald E. Runyon in the cockpit of his Wildcat, 1942
FM-2 preparing for launch on board USS Matanikau 27 July 1944 2
Lieutenant Commander “Butch” O’Hare and F4F-4 at Norfolk May 1, 1942
F4F-3 of VMF 211 wrecked on Wake Island
F4F aboard USS Makin Island (CVE-93) 2
VMF-121 Ace Joe Foss and Joe’s Flying Circus pilots on Guadalcanal
U-Boat sinking pilots of VC-13 by General Motors FM aboard USS Core (CVE-13)
F4Fs of the USMC Guadalcanal
Martlet Mk II AJ148 of No. 888 Squadron FAA Oran
F4F-3S 4038 “Wildcatfish”
VMF-221 Ace Lt H.K. Winfield by F4F Wildcat “RINGER” 1943
Wildcats of the VF-11 Guadalcanal
VMF-224 Ace and MOH recipient Robert Galer and F4F named Barbara Jane 1942
British Martlet Mk II AJ104
F4F-4 Wildcat in flight
First General Motors FM-1 1942
Wildcat awaits starters signal to take off from USS Lexington 1942
Martlet Mk II AM997
Crewman inspects Japanese 20mm cannon shell hole in F4F August 1942
F4F-3S Wildcatfish
Crewmen on carrier knocked down by runaway Wildcat 1945 2
USS Enterprise with F4F on elevator
Ace Lt William B. Freeman of VMF-121 by F4F 1943
F4F-3S 4038
XF4F-4 BuNo 1897
F4F of VF-71 takeoff from USS Wasp off Guadalcanal, 1942
XF4F-2 BuNo 0383
RN Reserve Pilot by F4F after cutting top off tree 1944
FM-2 Wildcat N27 USS Bismarck Sea
FM “White 9” of the CV-93
Destroyed F4F Guadalcanal 1942/43
F4F taking off during first carrier takeoff using Jet Units 1943
Crashed Grumman XF4F-3 9 March 1939
FM-2 from VC-4
Wildcat goes off carrier deck after missing barrier
French Grumman G-36A
XF4F-2 0383 2
F4F-3 BuNo 1845
Deck crew refuel and rearm F4F-3 Wildcats 1 February 1942
Crewmen on carrier knocked down by runaway Wildcat 1945 1
USMC F4F at Henderson Field 2
F4F 29-GF-4 of the VGF-29 furing Operation Torch, 1942
USMC F4Fs Henderson Field
USS South Dakota viewed from hanger deck of aircraft carrier
Crew starts F4F using boot and shock cord aboard USS Charger
FM-2 Wildcat N27 crashing aboard USS Bismarck Sea 2
FM-2 Wildcat N27 crashing aboard USS Bismarck Sea 3
F4F-3S 4038
FM-1 launch from USS Nassau 6 September 1943
F4F-4 Wildcat 41-F-8 of the VF-41 early 1942
Crewmen on carrier knocked down by runaway Wildcat 1945 3
General Motors FM-2
XF4F-3 Wildcat
USMC Lt. Winfield and F4F damaged in combat Guadalcanal 1943
Grumman XF4F-4 BuNo 1897 30 August 1941
XF4F-3 BuNo 0383 2
FM-1 trapping aboard USS Nassau 1943
FM USS Makin Island
FM-2 of the VC-79 aboard USS Sargent Bay CVE-83 Okinawa March 1945
F4F on airstrip on Henderson Field on Guadalcanal 1942
Marine Wildcats at Henderson Field Guadalcanal January 1943
Formation of Escort Carriers loaded with Wildcats and Avengers 1945
FM “White 17” of the CV-93
XF4F-2 engine cover
French G-36A NX-G1
F4F over Mojave California
FM “black 20” of the VC-36, USS Core
F4F-3S 4038
Hebard A14 tug haul F4F 9-F-16 into position on carrier USS Ranger 1942
F4F taking off from USS Wolwerine 1942
Grumman F4F during testing of JATO Jacksonville 1944
FM-2 in flight
Wildcat of VF-41
Wildcat taking off from USS Ranger
Grumman XF4F-5
Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter that began service with both the U.S. Navy and the Fleet Air Arm in 1940. Although first used in combat by the British in Europe, the Wildcat would become the primary carrier fighter for the first year and a half of the United States Navy’s involvement in World War II in the Pacific Theater. The FM, an improved version built by General Motors, remained in service throughout the remainder of the war on escort carriers, where larger and heavier fighters could not be used.