The Aces
The Navys Top 3 scoring fighter squadrons, for air victories in one day ...
| USS ESSEX CV9 | VF83 | 69 |
| USS ESSEX CV9 | VF15 | 67 |
| USS ESSEX CV9 | VF9 | 54 |
That's right, they all flew from ESSEX. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that HORNET CV12 had 72 air victories in one day for her VF/VBF squadrons. Hornet's fighter squadrons destroyed 1410 Japanese aircraft, and only Essex (with 1564) exceeded her record.
The Top Six - F6F squadrons, Okinawa Campaign
1 April to 23 June 1945....
| VF83 | ESSEX |
122 |
| VF9 | YORKTOWN |
93.5 |
| VF17 | HORNET |
89 |
| VF30 | BELLEAU WOOD |
77 |
| VBF17 | HORNET |
76 |
| VBF83 | ESSEX |
60 |
L. to R. Gene Valencia(23), Bill Bonneau(8), Mac McWhorter(12)
The CV9 Aces
The Aces that flew from "The Oldest and Boldest" The USS ESSEX...
| James Bare | 6 | VF15 | KIFA 2/July/1945 |
| James Barnes | 6 | VF83 | |
| Hugh Batten | 7 | VF83 | |
| William Bonneau | 8 | VF9 | |
| Clarence Borley | 5 | VF15 | |
| Charles Brewer | 6.5 | VF15 | MIA 19/June/1945 |
| Samuel Brocato | 7 | VF83 | |
| Matthew Byrnes | 7 | VF9/VF12 | |
| George Carr | 11.5 | VF15 | 5 on 10/24/44 |
| Lawrence Clark | 7 | VF83 | |
| Thaddeus Coleman | 10 | VF83/VF6 | |
| James Duffy | 5 | VF15 | |
| George Duncan | 13.5 | VF15 | |
| Robert Fash | 6 | VF15 | |
| Kenneth Flinn | 5 | VF15 | POW 13/Oct/1944 - Died in captivity 24/July/1945 |
| Ralph Foltz | 5 | VF15 | |
| Richard Fowler | 6.5 | VF15 | |
| Marvin Franger | 9 | VF9 | |
| John Franks | 7 | VF9/VF12 | |
| James French | 11 | VF9 | |
| Lindley Godson | 5 | VF83/VBF83 | |
| Mayo Hadden | 8 | VF9 | |
| Robert Hamilton | 6 | VF83 | |
| William Harris | 5 | VBF83 | |
| Herbert Houck | 5 | VF9 | |
| Howard R. Hudson | 5 | VF9 | |
| Robert Kincaid | 5 | VF83 | |
| William Kingston | 6 | VF83 | |
| Dean Laird | 5.75 | VF4 | |
| Walter Lunin | 6.5 | VF15 | |
| Albert Martin | 5 | VF9 | |
| David McCampbell | 34 | VF15/CAG15 | Top Navy Ace of all time - Twice ace in a day. |
| Donald McPhearson | 5 | VF83 | |
| Hamilton McWhorter III | 12 | VF9/VF12 | First Hellcat ace - First Hellcat double ace. |
| Louis Menard | 9 | VF9/VF12 | |
| Charles Milton | 5 | VF15 | |
| Harris Mitchell | 10 | VF9 | |
| Bert Dewayne Morris | 7 | VF15 | |
| Edward Overton | 5 | VF15 | |
| George Pigman | 8.5 | VF15 | |
| Claude Plant | 8.5 | VF15 | |
| Thomas Reidy | 10 | VF83/VBF83 | |
| James Rigg | 11 | VF15 | 6 on 9/12/44 |
| Roy Rushing | 13 | VF15 | 6 on 10/24/44 |
| Larry Self | 8.5 | VF15 | |
| Arthur Singer | 10 | VF15 | |
| Albert Slack | 6.5 | VF15 | |
| Armistead Smith | 10 | VF9 | |
| James Sutherland | 5 | VF83 | |
| John Strane | 13 | VF15 | |
| Will W. Taylor | 7 | VF4/VF41 | |
| Wilbur 'Gus' Thomas | 18.5 | VMF213 | |
| Myron Truax | 7 | VF83 | |
| Wendall 'Doz' Twelves | 13 | VF15 | |
| Donald Umphries | 6 | VF83 | |
| Eugene Valencia | 23 | VF9 | 6 on 4/17/45 |
| Harold Vita | 6 | VF9/VF12 | |
| Lyttleton Ward | 5 | VF83 |
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