![]() ![]() At first it appeared that the aircraft would have to be grounded until a major overhaul could be accomplished in port. The Panther’s tail was badly damaged, although he was able to return to USS Princeton (CV-37) aircraft carrier. In early May 1953 Clinite had been flying a Dash-5′ in an experimental natural metal finish when it was hit hard by flak. They duly took the salvageable parts from two Panthers and came up with an interesting creation that would become known as ‘The Blue Tail Fly’. Panther parts were extremely scarce during the latter stages of the Korean conflict, so VF-153’s maintenance personnel had to get creative when the number of serviceable aircraft in the unit began to drop alarmingly due to attrition. A total of 32 Panther squadron deployments in the US Navy and Marine Corps during the Korean War, along with several special detachments that operated the F9F-2/5P unarmed photo-reconnaissance versions, make the Panther one of the most frequently and gainfully employed aircraft of the conflict.Īs told by Warren Thompson in his book F9F Panther Units of the Korean War, one of the most interesting Panther stories was the legend of ‘The Blue Tail Fly’ and the fate of experienced F9F-5 pilot Lt(jg) Richard ‘Stretch’ Clinite of VF-153. ![]() Panthers, escorting carrier-based AD Skyraiders and F4U Corsairs, penetrated as far north as Pyongyang and the Yalu River, where they bombed and strafed targets that the North Koreans thought were out of range. Operating from aircraft carriers off the Korean coast with Task Force 77, F9Fs helped stop the North Korean invasion within two weeks of the communists crossing the 38th Parallel on Jun. The most successful first generation jet fighter flown by the US Navy, the F9F Panther‘s contributions during the Korean War were initially overlooked. One of the most interesting Panther stories was the legend of ‘The Blue Tail Fly’ and the fate of experienced F9F-5 pilot Lt(jg) Richard ‘Stretch’ Clinite of VF-153. ![]()
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