The Grumman J2F Duck is a single-engined, amphibious biplane. The aircraft was utilized by all the major branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. It was in service from the mid-1930s until just after World War II. Its primary mission was utility and air-sea rescue although the aircraft proved very versatile. Ducks were also used for light transport duties, as well as mapping, scouting/observation, antisubmarine patrol, photographic surveys, reconnaissance, and as a target tug.
During World War II, the Duck earned a reputation as a savior of stranded pilots. During the Battle of Bataan, an abandoned Duck—later nicknamed the "Candy Clipper"—was repaired with a cylinder removed from a destroyed J2F-4 submerged in Manila Bay and used to carry diplomats and soldiers to safety. The aircraft dropped candy to boost troop morale.
The Duck also played a leading role in the 1970 war film, “Murphy's War” starring Peter O’Toole. That Duck was a Columbia-built J2F-6 variant.
This artwork depicts a J2F-5 Duck in operation with the Fleet Air Photographic Unit Atlantic during 1941. The unit operated mainly along the East Coast and throughout the Caribbean and Bahamas. Ducks patrolled for German U-boats and carried out mapping missions. Due to the Duck's unique single-float biplane design, it was perfectly suited for both open-water landings and land-based runway operations, giving it immense tactical value before the U.S. even entered the war.