The TBMs are well represented in the veterans' photograph collections.  The nose art is creative and not often seen in a TBM squadron.  And thanks to the generosity of the pilots and widows I've been able to copy 7 pilot log books.  Even though there were 12 TBMs and 18 pilots aboard the carrier the Bureau Numbers (BuNos) in the 7 books seem to account for virtually all of the squadron's aircraft.  On the carrier no pilot flew a BuNo reserved for them but rather flew what was available.  However while on land several planes were flown heavily if not exclusively by one pilot as detailed in the section on BuNos.

Studying the time line of the BuNos identifies the 12 aircraft originally flown in the war zone.  By correlating the photos and log books a few nose art schemes can be linked to specific BuNos.

Large 'P' fuselage markings and sequence numbers 
When VMTB-143 was training in 1944 at the Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara their planes had a large 'P' on the fuselage followed by a 2 digit sequence number... see photos of P81 and P90.  I think a letter/number combination may have been standard practice for squadrons that trained in Santa Barbara, see for example the photo of the large 'N' fuselage mark on TBMs of VMTB-134 in 1943.  Corsair photos from squadrons at Santa Barbara show a similar style with of course a different letter.  Unlike the Corsairs of VMF-512 whose large 'EE' markings were painted over, the TBMs retained their 'Pxx' fuselage markings throughout the Pacific War.  The 'Pxx' appeared on both fuselages sides.  Sequence numbers for the 12 TBMs aboard the carrier were 76 - 87 with one exception.

There must have been a brief time when the sequence numbers were different, as seen in these 2 photos showing a 24 and 29 on TBM cowls. Since 24 and 29 were used on VMF-512 planes it may have been the TBMs were numbered to match the F4Us.  In any event the numbering was short lived.  The white recognition stripes were painted on in July so the first picture can be precisely dated from the War Diary of the USS Gilbert Islands which gives Aug 2 and 6 as the dates for AA gunnery practice.  The second photo was most likely done about that time as Capt. Hockaday is not present yet he arrived on board in August.  Photos taken in September show they were were back to using 76 - 87.  

Several slightly different lettering styles show up in the photos.  In the Santa Barbara photo P81 is done in solid white.  This style may have lasted for a while on the carrier (see P84 below) but eventually they had been repainted with a stencil as shown in this August 13 photo of P87.  The stencils seen in the Sept 28 in-flight photos are similar nevertheless if you look closely at the shape of the openings in the 8's and P's you can see small variations.  And in a few undated carrier photos (see photos of P83 and P84 below) the stencils look different in both the position of the cuts and overall shape of the letters and numbers.

Why were there differing styles?  When new TBMs were brought aboard the carrier they had to be painted immediately with the most important tactical markings.  This must have been the large Pxx marks because the task board in the TBM ready room ID'ed the planes by their sequence numbers.  I think the consistency of letter and number styles was not the highest priority.  And perhaps the painters just wanted to create some variety.

The 'P' appeared only on the fuselage sides while the sequence number was on the cowl at the 2 sides and chin.

Data markings
As far a I can tell the TBMs had some of the small data stencils.  The tail had the standard 3 lines consisting of "TBM-3" with "Navy" on top of the 5 digit Bureau Number (last 2 digits are 41) as seen in this enlargement of P81.  Other close ups show informational marks and I can pick out "Enclosure Release" and the usual Hamilton ovals on the prop blades.  There aren't any detailed views of the top or bottom of the wings so I can't say if they were marked.

White recognition stripes
Maj. John Elliott USMC (ret) published a beautifully done series of books The Official Monogram US Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide.  In volume 2 on p.121 he says the technical order directing carrier-specific recognition stripes to be painted on the planes aboard the CVEs was issued June 2, 1945.  On the USS Gilbert Islands they were not painted on right away as in June the planes were pounding targets in the Sakishima Gunto.  During the Balikpapan operation June 30 - July 3 the TBMs don't yet have the stripes.  The earliest dated photo with stripes is this accident photo of P87 dated at the National Archives Aug 13.  Between July 7 and July 29 the carrier's planes were on land at Tacloban where the CVE recognition stripes must have been painted on.  Some of the vets refer to these as invasion stripes.

To establish the stripe sizes for my 1/48th scale TBM model I enlarged the actual photos and scaled them to 1/48th.  The stripes are about 3mm.  Extrapolating to full size I think the 2 narrow stripes were 6 inches wide separated by the same amount.  The pattern on the top of the starboard wing was repeated on the underside of the port wing.  The single large stripe is about 10mm x 68mm, about 19 inches x 128 inches. 

The 2 narrow stripes on the tail section scaled out to the same size as on the wing... 6 inches wide with a 6 inch gap.  The aft stripe aligns with the aft edge of the white in the national insignia.  The bold stripe on the vertical stabilizer is shown dimensioned in 1/48th scale which scales up to be 26 inches tall and 34 inches forward of the rudder hinges.

The dimensions are approximate and if you have a copy of the June 2 order I ask that you please let me know if it dictates the stripe dimensions.

When I built the model I lacked detailed information on the tail markings.  I went with 'MARINES' and bureau number 24737 from Woody's excellent sheet.  If built today I would use 'NAVY' and a bureau number from the list below.

By examining the table a few conclusions can be reached.
1. Keeping in mind the carrier set sail April 12 for the Pacific theater, BuNos with 'SB only' next to them did not sail aboard the carrier.
2. The 12 planes that first went into combat are noted with a '12'.  Eight of them lasted until at least October, well after hostilities were over. 
3. Three BuNos don't appear after June - the 2 shot down and 69036.  Their 3 replacements that came aboard in June are noted by 'R June'.
4. Hard flying or accidents caused some replacements to be needed after the end of hostilities, noted as 'R late'.
5. There were very few flights in November so 23316 and 68190, seen only once in October, may have been on strength in October and November but not flown by more than 1 pilot.
6. BuNos 69171 and 68119 don't make sense to me so I put a question mark next to them indicating in my mind a need of further study.

The 7 log books show that while in combat from the carrier no one pilot flew exclusively one BuNo.  However VMTB-143 CO Capt. Worlund probably got some deference as he flew BuNo 68919 in March at Santa Barbara and while on Hawaii and for many strikes, and then 85591 in Sept-Oct-Nov.  While on Hawaii in April and May Lt. Cromwell's log favors 69023, Lt. Leidecker's 68121, Lt. Liebich's 69058 (Fertile Myrtle), Capt. Webb's 69011 and Capt. Patterson's 69036.  Lt. Githens did not have a favored BuNo.

Paint schemes
The TBMs are usually seen in dark paint, undoubtedly the standard sea blue.  However as we'll see in the photos below some of the planes had the tri-color paint scheme giving rise to photos of planes with the same sequence number but in two finishes.  The tri-colored planes are presumably replacements from depots.  On September 28 six planes participated in aerial formation flying where all are depicted are in sea blue... P77, P78, P80, P81, P84 and P85.  It would seem as though sea blue was applied as time permitted. 

This picture is dated June 16 at an airfield on Okinawa where some of the carrier's planes formed part of a larger ensemble for a strike on Kyushu.  The 3 tri-color planes are P80, P82 and P83 which must be replacements for the three planes lost that month.  If so their BuNos are 68924, 69017, 69446, not assignable to a particular sequence number.  Following the same line of reasoning the 3 lost in June were P80, 82 and 83 whose bureau numbers were 69023, 69026 and 69036, again not assignable.

Photos of the individual planes 
Photos are presented in the order the planes were numbered.  I could find pictures of both the port and starboard in the area of the cowl except for P76(stbd), P82(stbd) and P87(port). 

Eleven of the twelve had nose art.  When a dark painted plane was replaced with a tri-colored one, the photos indicate the nose art panel was removed from the old plane and screwed onto the new one.  See for example photos under P78, 81 and 83 where a dark panel appears on a tri-color plane.

There were 18 pilots for the 12 planes so not everyone got to name a plane by himself.  I've added attribution if known.

Click here to see a slide show of just nose art close ups.

Click here to see all the individual photos shown below in one slideshow.

P76 Lucy Lu
Named by Lt. Jackson after his wife Lucille.  Art on port - I can't find a picture of the starboard side. 

P77
No artwork seen on starboard or port.

P78 AMEN!
Unattributed.  Art on port only.  These 2 planes show vestiges of the last 3 digits of the BuNo... 952 and 316.  From the BuNo table these are 68952 and 23316. 

This close up comparison convinces me the panel was transferred from the dark plane to the tri color one.  Not only are images indistinguishable but the 4 faint smudges on the left thigh and 2 dots of paint are visible in both.

P79 (female figure)
Unattributed. Small figure of a woman on the starboard side. The figure looks like a cowgirl with cowboy boots, hat and a gun in hand.  Capt. Hockaday,rolex replica watches who replaced Lt. Misamore, was a Texan who reputedly emphasized the greatness of his home state to anyone in earshot.  It's a pure guess but perhaps this art is his, modeled after the famous Kilgore Rangerettes.  No art seen on the port side.
 

P80 Laurie Ellen II
Unattributed, with art on the starboard side only.  The pilot in the photo is Lt. Montgomery so perhaps the art has something to do with him.

P81 The Loose Goose
In my mind two pilots are associated with The Loose Goose.  In his photo album Capt.omega replica watches Stalnaker wrote 'my plane' next to its photo.  Capt. Patterson grew up on his family's "Goose Haven" farm and remembers being associated with this artwork.  Art on starboard only.  Here's another example of the panel with artwork having been transferred from one plane to another.  You can even see vestiges of an 8 from the prior 81. 

P82 GiGi
GiGi is attributed to Lt. Lally who named it after Maurice Chevalier's GiGi.  I have not found a photo of the starboard side. The image here is from my TBM model which was painted in accordance with Lt. Lally's recollections.  No art was seen on the port side.

P83 Rebel
My guess is this was named by Virginian Lt. Hay. No art found on the port side.  I think the long cigarette shaped streak to the right of his mouth is an accidental scratch.