Word: hellcats
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...Admiralties and New Ireland, combined with bases already established in the Solomons, New Guinea and New Britain, will mean the encirclement of Rabaul. Last week the air-and-sea pincers were pressed from the Solomons, where a 17-months' campaign entered its final, victorious phase. U.S. Liberator bombers, Hellcat and Corsair escorts mauled one of Rabaul's five airfields, shot down 71 to 90 planes, left behind 15 U.S. planes. A U.S. carrier force ranged to Kavieng, sank a Jap destroyer, two cargo ships...
...Navy's crack carrier commanders, Rear Admiral Charles A. Pownall, powerful task forces plowed through the night toward atolls 500 miles north and west of the Gilberts. At least four carriers, perhaps more, readied their winged brood. At day break torpedo and dive bombers and Hellcat escorts swarmed from the flattops. Their objectives: Kwajalein and Wotje atolls, the Marshalls' strongest points...
Lieut, (j.g.) C. K. Hildebrandt dived on one of six Zeros closing in on another Hellcat, gave the enemy ship a burst and saw it roll over on its back, smoking...
Then Hildebrandt used one of the Hellcat's special tricks for getting out of a tough spot-lowering the landing flaps to cut speed abruptly and maneuver on to the tail of an attacking ship...
Ensign Paul C. Durup had another story of Hellcat's nimbleness...