"Wildcat" patch

With the recent discovery of the wreck of USS Lexington (CV-2) in the depths of the Coral Sea in March 2018, a large number of wrecked aircraft from the embarked air group were spotted near the carrier.

Among them was an F4F-3 Wildcat on which the “Felix the Cat” insignia was painted, which at first glance seemed out of place. It is true that Fighting Squadron (VF) 3 had flown from the carrier’s deck earlier in the Second World War, but at the time of the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7–8 May 1942, VF-3 was land-based in Hawaii.

However, a closer examination of historical records reveals that before boarding Lexington on 15 April 1942 for what would be the ship’s final cruise, VF-2 took possession of nineteen of VF-3’s Wildcats for the upcoming campaign.

In addition, twelve pilots from the “Felix the Cat” squadron were transferred to VF-2. As part of organizing the squadron’s aircraft, the maintenance officers assigned them all new side numbers. With the press of events, no effort was made to obscure the markings the VF-3 aircraft already carried, including the squadron insignia, the Japanese “Rising Sun” flags signifying air-to-air kills, and the bomb silhouettes indicating air-to-ground attacks.

One of the former VF-3 aircraft was given the side number F-5 and assigned to Lt. Albert O. Vorse Jr., who had fought with the “Felix the Cat” squadron.