Usage
Early Delivery
The first 22 were delivered to the VF-4 and VF-7.
United States
The first used of the F4F Wildcat by the United States Navy was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. The Navy had 183 F4F-3s and the Marine Corps had 65 F4F-3As.
The first US Navy ace was Lt. Edward "Butch" O'Hare, who shot down five Japanese bombers in five minutes.
With a score of 19 Japanese warplanes shot down, Major John L. Smith was the top Wildcat ace.
France
The French ordered 81 Wildcats in 1939. These were later transferred to the Royal Navy and called the Martlet.
United Kingdom
Was initially named the Martlet but was later changed to the Wildcat in early 1944. There were 81 Wildcats that went into service with the Royal Navy in the summer of 1940.
Orders of F4Fs by France and Greece were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm. These were received in July 1940.
The Wildcat was the first American fighter in British service to shoot down an enemy plane, a Ju 88 over Scapa Flow in December 1940.
The Fleet Air Arm received 312 FM-1s and around 700 FM-2s.
Royal Canadian Air Force
The RCAF also used the F4F Wildcats.
Escort Carrier Duty
As the F4F Wildcats became obsolete during the last two years of World War II, they were still used on Escort Carriers as they had a small size with the folded wings.
FM-2s were usually paired with TBMs on anti-submarine patrols.