USAAF Ground Control in the Pacific

Hi everybody


I'm new to this forum, and this is one of my first posts.
I hope somebody can help me with some questions I have:

- How did the uniform of a pilot of a Grumman F4F Wildcat in the Pacific looked like?
- How many people were represented at the Ground Control / Base Command (in the Pacific), and what is the exact chain of command?
- What was the exact procedure when they received a Maydaycall from a fighterplane? How would a conversation go, and what information would the pilot have to sent to Ground Control?

I know these are a lot of questions, but I would be very gratefull if someone can help me with this.


Thank you so much in advance for answering!!

 

pilot uniform Grumman F4F Wildcat Pacific

pilot uniform Grumman F4F Wildcat Pacific - Google Search

 

These guys are all F4F aviators.
Most of the shots are VF-11 either at NAS Maui before deploying to the Solomons in the spring of 1943 or actually at Fighter 1 at Guadalcanal. Guy standing by himself with the clipboard just returned from an engagement over the Russells where he was credited with 2 A6Ms. The other guy, by himself, leaning against an F4F, is an NAS Maui shot of Vern Graham, wingman of the clipboard man, who scored 5 A6Ms in the same action, all confirmed by various witnesses.
Guy in the after Midway shot was in VF-3 off Yorktown during the battle and in VF-42, also off Yorktown from the June 1941 through the shuffle over to VF-3 at the end of May 1942. He's also the clipboard man. He's also the old guy, circa 1998, holding the side panels off the F4F he flew in VF-11.

 

...ground control -- great and interesting question.....maybe it was something like calling for mortars or arty...I was in mortars [ many, many years ago ]
first thing they would specify for mortars was:
... target: troops in open/troops in bunkers/tanks/vehicles/etc etc
...then they would give the map location/reference points
...then the type of shells to be used
....in over 40 years of reading WW2, I don't recall much on detailed ground control instructions....

 

Worth a read. Air Sea Rescue
HyperWar: Army Air Forces in WWII: Volume VII: Services Around the World [Chapter 15]

 

..forgive my unforgivable sin---should be ''rounds'' not ''shells'' ...sure, you can use ''shell''--but not in the USMC