The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. It was designed as a carrier-based aircraft. However its difficult carrier landing performance rendered the Corsair unsuitable for Navy use until the carrier landing issues were overcome when used by the British Fleet Air Arm. After the carrier landing issues had been tackled it quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria.
In April, 1951 Lt. Cade Curtis' company was in a bad way when a half dozen T-34/85s attacked his position. His troops managed to delay their advance with mortar fire and bazookas along with gunfire slowing the accompanying infantry. This allowed the U.S. Navy to launch four Corsairs. While obsolete for the European theater, they still made effective ground attack aircraft. They came in low and ripple-fired rockets along with their .50-caliber machine guns. They made four passes, setting three enemy tanks on fire and causing the other three to retreat.[1]
Corsairs were the primary fighter-bombers of the Pacific Theater. During the landing on Kyushu Corsairs would attack strong-points just ahead of the punishment brigade troops with heavy machine-gun fire, dropping napalm bombs or ripple firing rockets to soften up the Japanese defenses for the ground troops.[2]
1=denotes a character who was a POV for one volume or less
2=denotes a character who was a POV for two volumes
3=denotes a character who was a POV for three volumes
† Denotes a deceased POV.
