Become a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMmaBzfCCwZ2KqaBJjkj0fw/join or patron: https://www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals to watch exclusive videos, get early access to all videos, learn our schedule, join our private discord and much more! You can donate through Paypal http://paypal.me/kingsandgenerals as well!
Kings and Generals' historical animated documentary series covering the Pacific War week by week continues. Many US aircraft became iconic during their service in the Pacific War, but one plane was often overshadowed and forgotten - the US Navy’s first monoplane fighter. F2F “Brewster” Buffalo. Although consistently touted as a heavy, cumbersome and obsolete warplane, especially compared to its Japanese counterparts, the service record of the Buffalo is still respectable. While its tenure in the US Navy was short, its dogged service in the air forces of other nations like Finland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands made it a persistent and impactful vehicle across multiple theaters in World War 2.
Podcast: https://thepacificwar.podbean.com
#1 - Pearl Harbor: youtu.be/ZzS1ZAulpoY
#2 - Invasion of Malaya: youtu.be/mpBGUC8OjE4
#3 - Guam, Wake, the Philippines: youtu.be/MZ4d7Qeyivk
#4 - Borneo, Philippines: youtu.be/MhQrv82HHn8
#5 - Wake Island: youtu.be/tgtagewcqKo
#6 - Kampar: youtu.be/AGYaghICqkY
#7 - Slim River: youtu.be/meWALqmsXxs
#8 - Dutch East Indies: youtu.be/lBwjgesFsFU
#9 - New Britain: youtu.be/rUL538i8Oms
#10 - Fall of Malaya: youtu.be/z7KaNtn2sFo
#11 - Makassar: youtu.be/XJMxr7ED8tI
#12 - Fall of Singapore: youtu.be/d_xE4CVG3rY
#13 - Sumatra: youtu.be/DA2HKaeu8w4
#14 - Timor: youtu.be/PID0vt52-vY
#15 - Java: youtu.be/QOOJcr2DQSQ
#16 - Rangoon: youtu.be/oyu7z7wQNqg
#17 - US Response: youtu.be/z-0liSYA60M
#18 - Tojo: youtu.be/7FO4o-N2fKk
#19 - Indian Ocean Raid: youtu.be/E75hxwGbFHE
#20 - Bataan: youtu.be/gZsxpgNwxYc
#21 - Doolittle Raid: youtu.be/TTM2HR3Mtyo
#22 - Burma Road: youtu.be/bdJ_373NyME
#23 - Australia's Pearl Harbor: youtu.be/xXXv18D2wd8
#24 - Coral Sea: youtu.be/kMX7Y6Njc9A
#25 - Fall of the Philippines: youtu.be/AEwH8oQk6H8
#26 - Fall of Burma: youtu.be/LyHqNY_p27Y
#27 - Sei-Go: youtu.be/6Ta_eum5hdU
#28 - Midway: youtu.be/p1qKon2rdzk
#29 - Invasion of Alaska: youtu.be/7ayfLluk-go
#30 - Attack on Sydney: youtu.be/ZnYm7P4Oyis
#31 - MacArthur and the Philippines: youtu.be/XfWAKZdelrk
#32 - New Guinea: youtu.be/D36zkO56bpA
#33 - Biological Warfare in China: youtu.be/M4wc_sz6XHc
#34 - Japan Attacks the Continental US: youtu.be/SxI03tn7V8k
#35 - Invasion of Buna-Gona: youtu.be/42mm2gUjJzQ
#36 - Kokoda: youtu.be/MWan4wEb2Ro
#37 - Solomon Islands: youtu.be/ro7rgxYeK_8
#38 - Savo Island: youtu.be/z_gXrpSCrvM
#39 - Makin Island: https://youtu.be/QJ3YN-QFYbI
#40 - Eastern Solomons: youtu.be/H28H-mRF0A0
#41 - Isurava: youtu.be/AwFkaUBHscY
#42 - Milne Bay: youtu.be/7XCNjhdWYaQ
#43 - Bloody Ridge: youtu.be/YlHi7kSCzYI
#44 - Ioribaiwa: youtu.be/TB4cm_vqWQI
#45 - Matanikau: youtu.be/Xg4hwxtoPM8
#46 - Cape Esperance: youtu.be/mqfNY45xYjQ
#47 - Kokoda Track Counteroffensive: youtu.be/2yteUdJdE_0
#48 - Henderson Field: youtu.be/kPqYKZY6Iac
#49 - Santa Cruz Islands: youtu.be/WUA3OUwacgk
#50 - Oivi-Gorari: youtu.be/xjmHvG8XSP4
#51 - Guadalcanal: youtu.be/VLvsHgE_9Aw
#52 - Buna-Gona: youtu.be/SxSuFhq6df8
#53 - Carlson's Patrol: youtu.be/4NxI9SzOGxY
#54 - Tassafaronga: youtu.be/Mw5Htq_qKKU
#55 - Fall of Gona: youtu.be/PfwQXciz-J4
#56 - Mount Austen: youtu.be/SInTj5y9fGY
#57 - 1st Arakan Campaign: youtu.be/PffAwS5NfPc
#58 - Fall of Buna: youtu.be/zdrT-xXTr1U
#59 - Sanananda: youtu.be/30KPBh9uCNY
#60 - Galloping/Sea Horse: youtu.be/Nr4kL6AZhg4
#61 - End of Buna-Gona: youtu.be/o8po14UzWUc
#62 - Rennell Island: youtu.be/ViQi8YzZm8w
#63 - End of Guadalcanal: youtu.be/D2Jw_AjaF94
#64 - Wau: youtu.be/2cqIED35lbA
#65 - First Chindits: youtu.be/cfmJcETbERM
#66 - Amchitka: youtu.be/J1w7W-uWGM0
#67 - Bismarck Sea: youtu.be/p5_kgcQw5Ms
#68 - Blackett Strait: youtu.be/u5wo_9Acm80
#69 - Operation Longcloth: youtu.be/KJ2YOOsjq-s
#70 - Komandorski Islands: youtu.be/DBdg3xP3La0
#71 - Pacific Conference: youtu.be/CVYXF5270CU
#72 - Japan Counterattacks: youtu.be/rjvbvQBeujE
#73 - Chindits #2: youtu.be/-WVvZrBGZLw
#74 - Operation Vengeance: youtu.be/GKAZ3LFeG4g
#75 - Arakan counterattack: youtu.be/MZBuYu6we9I
#76 - Drive to Salamua: youtu.be/FWNYEboUsys
#77 - Battle of Attu: youtu.be/HEbSBGP__LE
#78 - West Hubei Offensive: youtu.be/U6AtjvH366s
#79 - Fall of Attu: youtu.be/32mtAXi2L-4
#80 - Withdrawal from West Hubei: https://youtu.be/6WQPYSXGFoY
Video: Christian Tankgau
Script: Ivan Moran, Craig Watson http://bit.ly/3UgWAbt
VO: Devin http://bit.ly/3XzSCgV & http://bit.ly/3GUO9iT
Production Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound: http://www.epidemicsound.com
#Documentary #PacificWar #WorldWar
Many US aircraft became iconic during their
service in the Pacific War, but one plane was often overshadowed and forgotten - the
US Navy’s first monoplane fighter. F2F “Brewster” Buffalo. Although consistently touted as a heavy, cumbersome
and obsolete warplane, especially compared to its Japanese counterparts, the service
record of the Buffalo is still respectable. While its tenure in the US Navy was short,
its dogged service in the air forces of other nations like Finland, the United Kingdom a
nd
the Netherlands made it a persistent and impactful vehicle across multiple theatres in World
War 2. This video is brought to you by our youtube
members and patrons. Without their financial support, making these
videos would have been unfeasible. For their kind support, they get many perks,
including access to our exclusive videos - recently we have concluded our 9-episode series on
the Peloponnesian Wars, and the series on Xenophon’s Anabasis, the History of Prussia
and the Risorgimento - the
Italian Wars of Unification - are ongoing. More than 30 previously unseen videos are
available to our supporters! You can join their ranks and access these
exclusive videos, learn our schedule, get early access to all videos, join our supporter-only
discord and more by pressing the Join button under the video or via the links in the description
and pinned comment. Thanks for supporting us! The roar of the 950 hp Wright W 1820-22 Cyclone
engine pushed the Brewster XF2A-1[1] prototype plane off t
he runway as it took part in a
US navy competition to find the replacement for the outdated Grumman F3F biplane. The Brewster was the US. Navy’s first monoplane, featuring retractable
landing gear and an arrestor hook[2] for aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings. This prototype consisted of many modern features
like an all-metal frame[3], a stressed aluminum construction[4], and Split flaps[5]. The XF2A-1 still lacked armour for the pilot
and did not have self-sealing fuel tanks, making them mo
re susceptible to enemy bullets. One of the reasons the F2A (Buffalo) outperformed
its contemporaries was its impressive climb rate of 2750 ft/min and a max speed of 277.5
mph. In 1938, this top speed increased to 304 mph at 16000ft. In 1939, the F2A-1 was deployed into active
duty, with the first unit to receive it being Lt. Cdr. Warren Harvey’s VF-3 on the USS Saratoga[6]. This first version would be the first to show
the faults that plagued all versions of the Buffalos, with weak landing gear
mechanics
and a powertrain that required excessive maintenance. Only 11 of the original F2A-1 were kept by
the navy, with the rest being sold to Finland. The second shipment of 43 new F2A-2[7] had
innovations installed but lacked crucial pilot armour and self-sealing fuel tanks. Still, the F2A-2 was considered a decent fighter,
with flying ace Pappy Boyington[8] saying, “they were pretty sweet little ships. Not real fast, but the little aircraft could
turn and roll in a phone booth.”[9]. The F2
A-2 had a respectable speed of 324 mp/h
at 16,500 ft, but with the added weight, its climb rate dropped to 2500 ft/m. Before long, navy officials started realizing
the obsolete features of the Buffalo fighters and the need for a more modern aircraft to
deal with their more advanced counterparts being produced in Germany and Japan. The F2A-3 was the last variant of the Brewster
Buffalo to be produced for the US Navy and the only variant to see combat with US military
forces. 108 of them were orde
red by the US Navy in
1941, and this new model would come with self-sealing fuel tanks and more pilot armour. However, these improved features would create
new problems, as they added further weight to the plan, while frame restrictions meant
that no larger engine could be installed to compensate for this. Buffalo’s final variant was despised by
the pilots who flew it and the navy who purchased it. By 1941, the US Navy was phasing out its Buffalo
fighters and replacing them with newer, sleeker F
4F wildcats. Nevertheless, the Buffalos were still seeing
significant action at this time, with 20 F2A-3s assigned to the USS Saratoga, which was a
part of the relief force being sent to Wake Island in December 1941. After the cancellation of that relief force,
the Buffalos were diverted to Midway, where they were given to the VMF-221[10] to bolster
the defences in that theatre of the war with Japan theatre. All other Buffalo fighters would be sent to
training schools on the mainland or sold to
Britain, Finland, Belgium, and the Netherlands,
with varying levels of success from each nation. The only direct combat the Buffalos participated
in in the US armed forces was at the battle of Midway between June 4th - 7th, 1942. On June 4th, radar stations at Midway picked
up multiple enemy aircraft approaching the island and scrambled its fighter forces. In under ten minutes, two fighter squads had
launched and assembled. The first squad consisted of seven F2A-3s
and five F4F-3s, while the sec
ond squad had 12 F2A-3s and one F4F-3. They made contact with the enemy planes 30
miles out from Midway, and upon contact with the enemy, would immediately find out how
obsolete their planes were against the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Navy Type Zero Carrier Fighter. The Buffalos could not match Zero’s speed
or maneuverability and suffered huge casualties. Of the two attacking squads, 13 F2A-3s were
shot down alongside two F4F-3s. One pilot who survived the encounter, Captain
Philip R. White, later
wrote, “It is my belief that any commander who orders pilots
out for combat in an F2A should consider the pilot as lost before leaving the ground.”[11]. After Midway, all Buffalos were removed from
frontline service and sent to training schools around the mainland United States. Despite the horrendous performance for the
United States, the Brewster Buffalo found success in service in the armed forces of
other countries. Finland was one such nation and could use
the Buffalo to great success again
st the Soviet Union. By 1939, knowing the Russians were going to
attack soon, the Finnish Government reached out to the US. to purchase combat-ready fighters as fast
as possible. The US. sold their new Brewster F2As on October 17th,
1939. The planes the Finns received came with a
new Wright R-1820-G5 engine, giving them a better power-to-weight ratio. The designation for the new planes was B-239,
which differed from the F2A-1 by being lighter and more maneuverable than the US version
because of
the upgraded engine. However, it still suffered from a lack of
pilot protection and self-sealing fuel tanks. Even with these drawbacks, the B-239s would
see extensive use in Finland up to 1944, collecting an outstanding service record in the process. The first shipments of B-239s only became
operational at the end of the Winter war with Russia[12]. The Finns added an armor-plated backrest to
further protect the pilot, new aiming sights, and new .50 cal machine guns. It became favored by Finnish
pilots for its
easy to use controls, long range, and good maintenance properties[13]. Another contributing factor to the success
of the B-239 was the weather in Finland, with the frigid climes of northern Europe helping
to cool an engine that was prone to overheating[14]. The Finnish air force B-239 would have an
outstanding Kill-to-Death ratio of 26-to-1. While only losing 15 B-239s, Finnish pilots
would shoot down 477 Soviet warplanes, using a four plane tactic called “parvi” which
the Soviets
were never able to counter throughout the war. This tactic consisted of two planes flying
at a lower altitude and two planes flying at a higher one. When enemies engaged the lower flying planes,
the two higher flying planes would swoop down and pick off the attackers. The most successful pilot who flew a B-239
was LT. Hans Wind, with 39 kills. The final combat victory achieved by a B-239
occured on the 17th of June, 1944, over the Karelian Isthmus. By the end of the war, only eight B-239 were
s
till being used, with the last five being retired by 1948. Finland would not be the only other nation
to make use of the Buffalo. By 1940, the United Kingdom had a shortage
of aircraft for the RAF.[15] To fix this, they created the British Purchasing Commission,[16]
which acquired 32 B-339[17] that were originally intended for Belgium, but rediverted to Britain
after the fall of France. RAF personnel who saw the B-339 were unimpressed
by the plane’s average climb rate, lack of pilot armor protec
tion, engine that was
prone to overheat, and multiple maintenance issues. However, other British servicemen were impressed
with its handling, cockpit space, and visibility. It was deemed unfit for the European theater,
but the RAF would fly them in theatres of war further aboard, such as in southeast Asia. Soon, the RAF received a new order of 170
B-339Es: an inferior version of the original B-339, equipped with the less efficient Wright
R-1820-G-105 Cyclone engine. The B-339E had the naval hook
removed along
with the life raft compartment but added in many features to compensate for this, including
the Mk III reflector gun sight, a free rotating fixed tail wheel[18], engine shutters, more
pilot armor plating, and armor plating. These added features would weigh in at a total
of 900 lbs. The added weight from these features would
decrease this variant of the plane’s top speed of 323 mph (520 km/h) to 313 (504 km/h),
which only made the Brewster Buffalo increasingly obsolete. Only a few
B-339E planes in the RAF would
remove the armour plating, gun camera, armoured windshields, and other hindering equipment. These trimmed-down planes would perform better
than their counterparts, but it soon became clear to the RAF that Buffalo was becoming
more obsolete with each new enemy plane they encountered. During the Malayan campaign[19], the B-339E
performed decently against the equally outdated Nakajima Ki-27. However, their success against this plane
could only be achieved if they coul
d be given the time needed to gain maximum altitude. This balance of air power would quickly shift
as more Japanese fighters in the newer Nakajima Ki-43 or “Oscar”[20] would outmatch the
B-339E. The tropical weather of Mayala often caused
the B-339E engine to overheat, which would spray oil over the windshields, forcing the
pilots to return to base. Of the 140 B-339E sent to SouthEast Asia,
60 would be shot down in combat, 40 were destroyed on the ground, 20 crashed due to accidents,
and only 20
would reach India or the East Dutch Indies, with the last one leaving Singapore
on February 10th, 1942. It is unclear how many Japanese planes were
shot down by Buffalos during this campaign, with numbers ranging from 20 to 80. These numbers give the impression that Buffalo
had an equal kill-to-loss ratio, but most of the B-339E kills were against slow-moving
bombers. The last of the B-339E would be phased out
for more modern fighters after the fall of Mayala. During the Japanese invasion of Bu
rma, the
67th Squadron of the RAF was equipped with thirty Buffalos, joined by the Curtiss P-40s
of the American Flying Tigers volunteer group. Members of the flying tigers were initially
impressed with the Buffalo and urged their commander, General Claire Chennault, to trade
a squadron of P-40S for them. In response, Chennault arranged a mock dogfight
between the fighters, with 1st Lt Erik Shilling flying a P-40 and Squadron Leader Jack Brandt
flying a Buffalo. This mock dogfight took place ove
r the training
base in Toungoo and resulted in the P-40 proving to be the superior fighter. Shilling would meet Brandt fifty years later,
and the RAF pilot told him, “how I wish I could have swapped my aircraft for yours.” Nonetheless, the Buffalos and P-40’s carried
out air defenses over Rangoon and Mingaladon. Because of reports from the Malayan campaign,
the Buffalo pilots would employ different tactics, such as coming in from above and
diving away before the enemy pilot could get onto them.
The Buffalos would continue to be used until
only six remained and were withdrawn to Calcutta, whereupon, on March 11th, 1942, they were
replaced with Hurricanes. Another nation to use the Buffalo was the
Netherlands in the colonies in the East Indies when the Military Air Service of the Royal
Netherlands East Indian Army ordered 144 Brewster B-339C and B-339D models. At the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Dutch
East Indies only had 71 buffalos delivered, of which only a few were in service. A
small number served in Singapore but were
then withdrawn for the defence of Borneo and Java. The Dutch found they could engage the Japanese
Nakajima Ki-43 “Oscars” successfully, but the Oscars and Zero fighters were out-climbing
them. The Dutch faced superior numbers in the air
usually outnumbered two to three. The most significant battle the Dutch Buffalos
would face was above Semplak on February 19th, 1942, when eight of them intercepted a formation
of 35 Japanese bombers being escorted by 20
Zeros. The Hollanders were able to destroy eleven
Japanese aircraft while losing only four of their own. By March 7th, 1942, Captain Jacob van Helsdingen
led what would be his final sortie when a Zero shot him down. This made him and Lt. August Deibel the most
successful Dutch pilots on the Buffalos, with three victories each. In total, 17 Dutch pilots were killed, 30
of their aircraft were shot down, and the Netherlands claimed to have destroyed 55 Japanese
aircraft in the Pacific. The last nat
ion to use the Buffalo was Australia,
which received 17 B339’S from the Dutch East Indies after their surrender on March
8th, 1942. The Australians mainly used planes for air
defence, photo-reconnaissance, and gunnery training. Between August 1942 and November 1943, the
Buffalos constituted the air defense force for Perth Westen Australia while assigned
to the 25th and 85th squadron at RAAF Pearce and Guilford. While the F2A Brewster Buffalo undeniably
was inferior to its sister aircraft like th
e F4F Wildcat, it still had a significant role
in the Pacific War and other theatres. The Finnish air force produced 36 Buffalos
aces, with the top three being Captain Hans Wind with 39 victories, WO Eino Ilamri Juutilainen
with 34 and Captain Jorma Karhunen with 25.5. Royal New Zealand air force officer Geoffrey
Fisken had six air victories in a buffalo, RAAF Doug Vanderfield had five individual
kills, and RAAF Alf Clare and Maurice Holder had five victories each. More episodes on the aircraft
of the Pacific
War are on the way. To stay tuned for that, please, consider liking,
commenting, and sharing - it helps immensely. Recently we have started releasing weekly
patron and youtube member exclusive content, consider joining their ranks via the link
in the description or button under the video to watch these weekly videos, learn about
our schedule, get early access to our videos, access our private discord, and much more. This is the Kings and Generals channel, and
we will catch you on
Comments
Become a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMmaBzfCCwZ2KqaBJjkj0fw/join or patron: https://www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals to watch exclusive videos, get early access to all videos, learn our schedule, join our private discord and much more! You can donate through Paypal http://paypal.me/kingsandgenerals as well!
One of Finland's greatest fighter aces referred to the buffalo as a "gentleman's plane" as it was gentle, easy to fly, and apparently very roomy. He told a story of how a single buffalo succesfully transported the plane's pilot, an officer, the officer's luggage, and the officer's dog between airfields.
Fun fact: When Brewster Buffalo was used by the Finnish air force during WWII, the plane was called "lentävä kaljatynnyri" in Finnish, or the "Flying beer barrel" in English.
If your son is called Hans Wind, you know he's gonna be an ace pilot.
The whole thing about no armour and self sealing tanks is a bit of a diversion. Most fighters of the 1937-1939 didn't have it. The very first production models of the Spitfire, Hurricane and Me-109 had no armour. The Spitfire and Hurricane received it as an upgrade mid 1940, and the 109 only on the late E3 models. So, these 3 started 1940 without armour. The Zero had none before 1943, and even then it only got an armoured windscreen. The problem was that the Buffalo simply couldn't absorb the extra weight without massive penalties in performance, nor could it be modified to get a better engine.
Becoming a member was the best decision I did this year. Thank you for this great work.
The Buffalo's in the Dutch East Indies were often partly fueled and with half of the ammo to decrease weight to better flight characteristics
Excellent video! It's great to see lesser known aircraft get their due time in the spotlight. I'd love to see a video highlighting the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk for it's contribution in the early days of America's involvement in WW2.
Cool stuff. My impression of the Brewster Buffalo was always that it was a pre-war plane and mid for most characteristics. It’s dismal performance at Midway was proof of that so it’s interesting to see how long and in some ways successfully it served in the right roles. Finland’s use being great proof of that.
WOW, now this was completely unexpected! This was such a fascinating video, I really knew very little on the Buffalo but it is one cute looking plane ... I painted one for my channel and loved it! Also, it's nice to see RAAF Base Pearce being mentioned ;)
Really interesting new sub-series of videos. It's great to see an in-depth look at some of the aircraft of WWII, and hopefully some of the other iconic planes are on the way. However, I will mention (12:00): surely you of all people know, that's not where Burma is. That's Bangladesh.
I did not expect a rundown on equipment that was in use. However, having seen this video I hope ya'll make this a recurring thing. I would love to learn a little bit about the history of the tools and machines that were used by the countries involved during the war. Keep these coming :D There are so many ways the war could be dissected by ya'll and then churn it back out to us that I cannot wait to consume it all!
Another great work from K&G understands demand. Hidden in shadows of spectacular events but pieces should be known for Allies. Thanks a lot!
A video on the Mitsubishi A6M Zero would be an eye-opener!
SBD Dauntless and F4F Wildcat are the Icons of the Pacific War, they surely deserve a video.
I've been watching you guys for years now. You guys are great! Also nice video.
Always have a special place for the Brewster Buffalo, the Seversky P35 and the Airacobra too ❤️
Yay! I like the main series, so I'm happy for any aspects of this. Thanks K&G.
As always,a splendid video,kings and generals.😊
Thank you , K&G . 🐺