U.S. NAVY CARRIER AIR GROUP 19 HOME MOVIE 1946 VINDICATORS, AVENGERS, CORSAIRS, BEARCATS GG45055

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1946

Description:

This elaborate amateur made film shows some of the activities of Carrier Air Wing 19, and probably dates to Spring of 1946, and was likely shot in San Diego. At the time the wing was apparently preparing for deployment aboard either CV-12 USS Hornet or CV-36 USS Antietam. (In November 1946 CVG-19 was redesignated CVAG-19, so the film definitely predates that month.) The unit at this time was commanded by A.P. "Scoofer" Coffin aka Albert Peyton Coffin, a WWII hero who was awarded the Navy Cross for “extraordinary heroism” in combat in the Solomon Islands. Scoofer Coffin graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Class of 1934. He retired as a U.S. Navy Rear Admiral.

The aircraft shown in the film include the F8F Bearcat, F4U-4 Corsair, SB2C Vindicator, and TBM Avenger. At the time the film was shot, the commander of the unit was A.P. Scoofer Coffin, Fighting Squadron 19 commander Lt. Cmdr. J.G. Smith (9:49 / Bearcats), Bombing Squadron 19 Lt. W.H. Cravens (20:37 Vindicators), Torpedo Squadron 19 Lt. Commander Dr. F.C. Perry (23:46 / Avengers), Bombing / Fighting Squadron 19 Lt. E.L. Lindsay (26:13 / Corsairs)

Some of the activities shown in the film include orderly doing paperwork (2:00), typing up reports (4:00) and reviewing documents (4:50), airplane maintenance (5:00), Scoofer Coffin in his Bearcat aircraft (6:43) performing various maneuvers, ground crew working on Bearcat, engine of a Bearcat serviced (11:20), Commander Coffin and his Bearcat (12:47), Commander Smith and his aircraft (13:15), Coffin and his Bearcat (13:35), Vindicators in formation flight (22:00), TBM Avengers take off in formation (24:00), Corsairs take off (26:00), Corsair lands without the landing gear down (30:25). At (30:37) the aircraft fly in formation to form the word "Aloha". At (31:35), a man -- possibly Scoofer Coffin -- reads a newspaper with the headline "Japs Seek to Form Cabinet" -- this apparently is from May 3, 1946.