Flying Leathernecks
Movie (1951)
French title : Les diables de Guadalcanal
Starring:
John Wayne (Maj. Daniel Xavier Kirby)
Robert Ryan (Capt. Carl 'Griff' Griffin)
Don Taylor (Lt. Vern 'Cowboy' Blithe)
Janis Carter (Joan Kirby)
Jay C. Flippen (MSgt. Clancy, Line Chief)
William Harrigan (Dr. Lt.Cdr. Joe Curran)
Major Kirby leads The Wildcats squadron into the historic WWII battle of Guadalcanal.
Vought F4U Corsair
Vought F4U-1D Corsair of VF-84, USS Bunker Hill, spring 1945.
Grumman TBF-3 Avenger
Grumman F6F Hellcat
Fake Japanese Air Force airplanes.
Please note that the Japanese pilots are seen in grey Grumman F6F Hellcat always without the gunsight. The VMF-247 pilots are in dark sea blue Hellcats with a gunsight.
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
North American SNJ (acting as Mitsubishi A6M Zero)
US Navy version of the T-6 Texan.
A SNJ chasing a F6F.
Douglas A-20 Havoc
Nakajima B6N Tenzan
Archive footage seen too in other movies; look at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.
Nakajima Ki-44
The same footage is seen too in The War Episode Nine.
Unidentified Aircraft
Perhaps a Yokosuka P1Y ?
Mitsubishi G4M
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.
Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka
This Mitsubishi G4M is the mother ship of a Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka flying bomb (note its left wings between those of the G4M and the tail plane of the bomber).
Various Japanese Aircrafts
As most of them are view from the rear (use of gun camera footages), it's not easy to identify them as most of the documentation represent them from the front or side views. Several have been use in other movies or documentaries.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.
Friendly fire ! Two Hellcats are chasing the same japanese fighter, firing together on it. Next second, the pilot will still firing when his wingman will cross his fire line and be hurt.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.
The next three screenshoots are gun camera footage used again for The War, Episode 8.
Same footage in The War, Episode 13.
Aichi B7A2
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.
Consolidated OA-10 Catalina
OA-10 is designation of PBY-5A operated by USAAF.
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Wright Flyer III
Stamp celebrating the Wright Brothers and "the first free controlled and sustained powered flight by man". Despite the movie action tooks place in 1943, the stamp was issued only the 17th december 1949 !
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
This shot is taken from a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura (note the wingtip in the upper left) flying with these FU4 Corsair.
Grumman F4F Wildcat
Despite the distance, it seems that the landing gear is tight under the fuselage like for the Wildcat. But it could be a F6F still with a belly tank ...
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See also
- Unidentified Aircraft
- Aichi B7A
- Consolidated PBY Catalina
- Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
- Douglas A-20 Havoc
- Douglas C-47 Skytrain
- Douglas C-54 Skymaster
- Grumman F4F Wildcat
- Grumman F6F Hellcat
- Grumman TBF Avenger
- Lockheed Ventura
- Mitsubishi G4M
- Nakajima B6N Tenzan
- Nakajima Ki-44
- North American T-6
- Vought F4U Corsair
- Wright Flyer III
- Yokosuka MXY-7