World War II Chronicle: November 12, 1941
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The front page reports that American railroad unions plan to strike on December 7… On page four, World War I flying ace Édouard Corniglion-Molinier has escaped captivity in occupied France and has made his way around the world, to join the Free French Air Forces and command a squadron composed of French air crews. Some members of the newly formed Groupe de Bombardement 1 began flying for the Royal Air Force after the fall of France, and will now fly the Bristol Blenheim light bomber…
Pictured on page five: The British are hoping to salvage enough steel from the ruined House of Commons to produce six tanks. 3,300 Londoners were killed or seriously injured in the May 10/11 Luftwaffe raid that hit the Palace of Westminster, and the resulting fire was so large the glow could be seen from 160 miles away… Spot your plane on page 48.
What’s the “-3” in F4F-3?
The F4F-1 was originally a new-and-improved version of Grumman’s F3F biplane. However, biplane technology had reached the end of its lifespan. To compete with the Brewster Buffalo, Grumman removed the F4F-1 prototype’s top wing, becoming the F4F-2. The Buffalo won, sending Grumman back to the drawing board. But once the Buffalo started serving in the fleet, the Navy wasn’t terribly impressed. In the meantime, Grumman had added a more powerful Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine and a two-stage supercharger: the F4F-3 Wildcat was born.
The Wildcat was one of a very few operational air frames in the 1941 United States arsenal that proved effective during the war. Although the Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” outperformed the F4F, the Wildcat could withstand a lot of damage and still remain airborne. Although Grumman fielded the more advanced F6F Hellcat later in the war, Wildcat production would continue as the smaller and lightweight plane was ideal for escort carriers.
Sports begins on page 50 and the Baseball Writers Association of America have chosen Joe DiMaggio as American League Most Valuable Player, beating Ted Williams and Bob Feller. This is Joltin’ Joe’s second MVP… Sgt. Hank Greenberg is pictured on page 52 during Detroit’s Armistice Day parade.
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 12 November 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-11-12/ed-1/