Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:13:42-2:15:52

An early Corsair in the 1940 Mediterranean

Corsairs available for study in 1938 could enter the early war, with a possible Fleet Air Arm deployment in the Mediterranean in 1940.

Air SuperiorityCarrier AviationF4U CorsairFleet Air ArmMediterranean TheatreWorld War II
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Question

Could Corsairs appearing in Florida in 1938 be studied and produced before Pearl Harbor, and how would they affect the war?

Short answer

Theoretically yes; early production could give the United States a fighter capable of defeating the Zero and the Fleet Air Arm a strong Mediterranean fighter in 1940.

Notes

A flight of Corsairs appearing in Florida in 1938 could theoretically give the United States time to study and produce the aircraft before Pearl Harbor. The counterfactual also places the Royal Navy among the earliest users, with Corsairs available in the Mediterranean in 1940. Fleet Air Arm pilots would gain an aircraft suited to their boom-and-zoom tactics against the German and Italian aircraft of that period. What Germany and Italy would develop in response remains an open question.