While the Hellcat could rely on a higher power and high-speed capabilities to outperform the Zero, the Wildcat had better range and maneuverability at low speeds. Later, the quicker F6F Hellcat was developed using the knowledge gained from the slower Wildcat. According to claims, the Wildcat had an air combat kill-to-loss ratio of 5.9:1 in 1942 and 6.9:1 throughout the conflict. The Wildcat’s subpar performance against the Zero in the engagements of the Coral Sea and Midway profoundly disappointed US Navy pilots, especially John “Jimmy” Thach, a pioneer of fighter tactics to deal with the A6M Zero. The Wildcat was the sole efficient fighter available to the United States Navy and Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater during the early stages of the Second World War, having first been employed by the British in the North Atlantic. American carrier-based fighter aircraft, the Grumman F4F Wildcat, first saw service in 1940 with the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy, where it was first known as the Martlet.
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