VF-17 ‘Jolly Rogers’
Early US Navy Corsair Units VF-12 and VF-17

by Adam Jarski and Zbigniew Kolacha

AJ Press, Fighting Units in Color 3

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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AJ Press is a Polish company. Established in 1991, it publishes books that appeal to those with an interest in the historical aspect of military machines and weapons as well as the modeller who is looking for reference to assist in creating their latest masterpiece.

Books featuring good quality artwork and first rate decals seem to be an emerging genre amongst publishers of late. AJ Press have acknowledged this trend and have added a new series to their publication list called Fighting Units in Color. The series seems to have been well received as this is now their third title in the series.

This book describes the use of Vought’s F4U1 Corsair by two U.S. Navy squadrons in the early years of World War Two as well as the camouflage and markings it wore in their use. To be truthful, it would be better titled just ‘VF-17’ as VF-12 only operated the Corsair between October 1942 and March 1943 and indeed, the book only devotes a mere two pages out of 48 toVF-12.

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Thumbnail panels:

The book is basically dived into two with the first 24 pages devoted to a description of the operational history of the use of the Corsair by VF-12 and VF-17 between October 1942 and the end of November 1943. The second half of the book describes the camouflage and markings worn by the two unit’s machines. This coverage is very detailed indeed explaining the ANA paint colours, maintenance stencils, national markings including much discussion on the red surround and its painting out by VF-17, the tactical markings, personal markings, victory markings. Practical demonstrations of the above are illustrated by means of excellent images and paintings of several different machines only one of which is a VF-12 aircraft. A note that the interior and wing well colours quoted may be the subject of debate!

The coverage in the markings part of the book is full and complete with superb artwork (profiles views in 1/48 scale, and plan views in 1/72 scale as well as “in action” paintings) backed up with (in the main) with sharp and clear period images of the depicted machine. Text is minimal and confined to captions to the photographs but what there is of it gives you a fairly comprehensive understanding of the depicted machine and its pilot.

Decals are provided for five different machines, all of them from VF-17 in the ‘tri-colour’ scheme of sea blue and intermediate blue over white:

• ‘BIG HOG’ F4U-1A Bureau number 17649 flown by VF-17’s Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander John Thomas ‘Tom’ Blackburn. The markings and artwork depict the machine from November 1943. The six accompanying pieces of artwork show it from late November/early December 1943 with the variations it wore. You get the modex numeral “1 “ as well as victory markings and Bureau Number stencil for this option as you do for each of the five different options on the sheet. You also get a single pair of unit “Jolly Roger” flags, national insignia, and the “F4U-1” forepart of the Bureau Number to share between the other options on the sheet. No maintenance stencil markings are provided at all.
  

• F4U-1 Bureau number 17659 flown by VF-17’s Executive Officer
  Lieutenant Commander Roger R. Hedrick. As well as the markings above, you also get three numeral “17s”, one for the bottom of the front of cowling and one each for the forward landing gear doors and a pair of “Hedrick R.R.” markings to place under the cockpit
  

• “Lonesome Polecat”, F4U-1 Bureau Number 17465 flown by Lieutenant Merl W. “Butch” Davenport. You get a pair of modex numbers in white as well as a pair in black, victory markings, pilot’s name, Bureau number, and the names “Lonesome Polecat”.
  

• “L.A. CITY LIMITS”, F4U-1A Bureau Number 17932 flown by Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Doris C. “’Chico’ Freeman. You get the same as the previous option for this one too, a pair of modex numbers in white as well as a pair in black, victory markings, pilot’s names, Bureau number, and the names
  “L.A. CITY LIMITS”.
  

• F4U-1A Bureau number 17684 flown by Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Ira Cassius ‘Ike’ Kepford. You get a pair of modex numbers in white as well as a pair in black, victory markings, pilot’s names, and Bureau number.
  

The decals are provided in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale. There is no advice as to who has printed the decals but if AJ Press is following their previous two books they are probably from Techmod. Techmod produce excellent decals but are very thin and must be floated onto their resting place carefully using plenty of water. Once in place they settle down beautifully with firm pressure and minimal settling solution.

The book is in landscape format and measures 210mm × 280mm (the same size and format of the Squadron/Signal “In Action” books), comprises of 48 pages in all. There are 122 black and white images and a further 29 in colour. As with the other two titles in the series, the text is entirely in English rather than the dual English/Polish text we have seen from AJ Press before.

A good addition to the reference library as far as I am concerned. Apart from the text and the thumbnail history of VF-17’s Solomon Islands campaign it provides you with some excellent sharp and clear images to assist in producing an accurate model as well as some first rate decals.

Footnote

The decal sheet carries the title FIGHTING UNITS IN COLOUR 3: VF-17 JOLLY ROGERS (Pt 1). I hope that this is not a misprint and we can expect further sheets!

Thanks to Air Connection for the review sample.