Forked-Tailled Marines - Northrop's 'Blue Widows'
In 1944, the US Marines planned to take on 75 Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighters as the F2T-1N. That intended night-fighting role was later shifted to carrier-capable Grumman F7Fs. [1] The Black Widow contract was accordingly revised for two, revised P-61 derivatives. The first was the Marines' TF2T-2 trainer - a dual control conversion (akin to the Army's TP-61C but based upon reconditioned P-61A-5 airframes). [2] The second variant would ultimately become the F3T-1A Nemesis strike fighter.
Scout Torpedo - Tentative Steps Toward a Strike Fighter
As first envisioned, the Marines' Northrop was to be a diurnal torpedo bomber with a reduced fixed armament. Designated XTST-1 in the USN's new (and short-lived) Scout Torpedo [3] category, the prototype was a conversion of an XP-61-NO Black Widow trials airframe. [4] Unofficially dubbed 'Stingray', the XTST-1 had the 2-seat fuselage pod of Northrop's XP-61E escort fighter. Armament consisted of a single torpedo mount set to the portside and fixed-gun installations. The starboard pair of 20 mm belly cannons would be retained but the nose radome was also replaced with gun mounts. [5] Modifications to XTST-1 standards proceeded slowly and, by the time the prototype was completed, the Marines had decided to drop the torpedo-carrying component from its requirements. The focus now shifted to a dedicated fighter-bomber design.
Bottom Northrop XTST-1 'Stingray' torpedo strike - prototype conversion underway showing 2-seat pod, P-38 nose, and belly torpedo mount. Although painted in the correct USN all-over dark blue scheme, the prototype has been given USAAF-style national insignia and an unofficial 'Marines' marking on each boom.
Like the XTST-1, the production variant was based upon the 2-seat XP-61E fuselage pod. As a strike fighter, the production type was designated as F3T-1A and named Nemesis. There was no F3T-1A Nemesis prototype. The 2-seat pod was simply mated with the otherwise standard airframe of the P-61B-2-NO. The latter was identical to the in-production P-61C but lacked the turbocharged engines - deemed unnecessary for the low-altitude attack role. Compared with the torpedo-toting XTST-1, the production F3T-1A carried an aggressive fixed armament. This restored the P-61's full belly armament of four 20 mm cannons combined with a quartet of heavy machine guns. The XTST-1's P-38-style nose was replaced by a simpler shape based on the original radome.
Attack! - The Operational F3T-1A Nemesis Strike Fighter
A distinct USMC Nemesis formation was established in 1944 - the Marine Aircraft Group 34 - which absorbed two squadrons from MAG-24. MAG-34, under Colonel Keith B. McCutcheon (formerly of MAG-24), consisted of two SBD squadrons - VMSB-241 'Sons of Satan' and VMSB-341 'Torrid Turtles'. Some fresh personnel accompanied the F3T-1A delivery to the Philippines but most MAG-34 converted over to the F3T-1A in Manila. There, these units were redesignated as Marine Attack Squadron (Heavy) - VMA(H)-241 and VMA(H)-341. In the southern Philippines, the MAG-34 squadrons operated alongside Douglas SBDs of the remaining VMSB units and the North American PBJs of VMB-611.
Such was the success of the F3T-1A Nemesis attack fighters of MAG-34 that, by September 1945, few large targets remained among the scattered Japanese hold-outs on Mindanao. Accordingly, VMA(H)-241 and VMA(H)-341 were staged north to prepare for the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands. To simplify supply lines, these Marine aircraft were based together with Army Black Widows - 20th AF P-61B-2s of the 549th NFS - on Iwo Jima. From there, the MAG-34 F3T-1As began attack runs on the Osumi Islands and Kyushu itself. By the time of the attack on Kyushu, MAG-34 was scheduled to receive replacement F3T-2s (with eight nose guns and four wing pylons) but, it is believed, none of these late-model Nemesis saw full operational deployment.
Top An F3T-1A Nemesis of VMA(H)-241 marked with yellow invasion cowling 'rings' (and matching spinners). The 'B' rudder mark is for CVL-30 San Jacinto - VMA(H)-241's notional home since flying Dauntless dive bombers. [6] The VMA(H)-241 crest is worn above the individual aircraft code on the fins. The pilot of this aircraft was 1st Lt G.F. Coleman who had transferred over from VMA(H)-341. On the nose are the personal markings 'Outta the Park' - showing a baseball marked with the Japanese ensign being knocked out of the park ('Jerry' Coleman having been a professional ball player before joining the Marines).
While the F3T-1A Nemesis served the Marines well in wartime, they did not long survive the peace. In the Summer of 1946, all F3T-1A and F3T-2 aircraft were modified and redesignated as KDT-1 and KDT-2 remote-controlled target drones. By the beginning of 1949, all KDT drones had been expended (most simulating attacking bombers).
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[1] The US Navy had borrowed two USAAF P-61s to qualify the aircraft for shipboard catapult launches. Trials were inconclusive and, it seems, the intended F2T-1 designation was never applied to these aircraft.
[2] Sole operator of the F2T-2T trainer was VMAT-201 (Marine Attack Training Squadron 201) which functioned as an operational conversion unit.
[3] The only other 'TS' designation was assigned to the unbuilt 1944 Grumman XTSF-1 - an enlarged F7F.
[4] The first YP-61-NO - 41-18876 c/n 704 - had crashed taking off from Northrop Field in April 1944. Although written-off by the USAAF, Northrop was given permission to rebuild the damaged airframe to XTST-1 standard.
[5] The prototype XTST-1 was fitted with a modified nose from a P-38 fighter. This was armed with four 50-caliber machine guns and a cannon - either another 20 mm or a 37 mm M9.
