 |
| Liberated from Castle Argghhh! |
The musings & rants of 3 retired military (2 USAF, 1 USN), 1 former WSO, and 1 AF brat. Old AF Sarge, Juvat, Tuna, LUSH, and Beans.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
The Corsair
 |
| Chance-Vought F4U Corsair |
Once again I'll state, for the record, that though Kerry does enjoy jumping out of perfectly functioning aircraft, for fun (and profit!), he also knows how to fly those aircraft. And his blog is always a source of incredible aerial photos from his work as a ferry pilot. And the occasional photo of people jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. You really should read his blog, all the time. Hint, hint.
Now this post from Lex, in which the good Captain talks about his pilot's logs, also jumps into talking about the F4U Corsair as used by our maritime services in the Big One, Dubya Dubya Deuce. Most unfortunately the two links that were there are no longer viable. However, as there has been a bit of (ahem) discussion about the relative merits of the P-51 Mustang versus the Spitfire, just thought I'd let you read Lex's take on P-51 versus Corsair.
Point is, we all have our favorite birds. It's a matter of taste innit?
Oh, and here are some sweet Corsair videos I wanted to share. Enjoy.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Will You Still Call Me Superman?
 |
| 3 Doors Down |
Now this first tune I first heard on the radio, in my car, sometime in the kinda way back. In the days when you could actually hear music on the radio. As opposed to 15 minutes of commercials, 10 minutes of babbling on-air "talent", and maybe, just maybe they'd play some freakin' MUSIC in that half hour of (ahem) "entertainment".
At any rate, I stumbled across this first tune tonight. There were a couple versions on the Tube of You-ness, one being the "official" music video, the other being the one I give you here. The former's sound quality was "meh" and the video is slightly creepy/weird. Now the latter, great sound quality (at least on my system) and it has the lyrics. No weird interpretation by someone of what they think the music represents. Nope. Just the music, just the lyrics.
The drums and the guitars in this tune are, to me, superb. They flow, they speak to me. As an amateur bassist I'm almost compelled to plug the old four-string in and play along. But the cats, the cats would object. (Perhaps if I could play the instrument better? They are very harsh critics. At least the kids will say, "Gee Dad, that was pretty close. You even hit some of the same notes as the band." Sigh...)
Well, enough blathering. 3 Doors Down and Kryptonite.
Now this next tune really gets me all nostalgic for Virginia Beach. A place I have declared my love for more than once. Never having been in the Navy and not ever having to deal with LANTFLT (Atlantic Fleet), I don't have the dislike/revulsion some sailors have for the Norfolk area. Oh well.
All three kids
Now the Nuke seemed to enjoy her time in Norfolk. But of course, she's a Nuke. They don't really answer to LANTFLT. No, their holy-of-holies is Naval Reactors (NR to those who know) not based in Norfolk but in DC. Think Hyman Rickover. So LANTFLT didn't bother the Nuke hardly at all. Even when she did her pre-Nuke destroyer tour.
Of course, the Nuke scares people. She's focused, fierce, determined and will not quit. Ever. Think of a combination of the Terminator and a Velociraptor. With a sweet and sunny disposition, most of the time.
Just. Do. Not. Piss. Her. Off.
Ever.
Now the WSO and her husband Big Time are flying types. The world is their oyster so thee hadst best kneel before them, kiss their wings of gold, then stand aside. For they are elevated personages so far above we mere Earth-bound mortals that we can only dimly comprehend their world.
All I know is that the jets go fast and they make things go BOOM.
The flight suits and aviator sunglasses are also pretty cool. (Which by the by, always seem to smell like jet. And other stuff. As an old Phantom Phixer, I dig the jet smell. A lot.)
So anyway, the WSO, the Missus Herself, one of the WSO's best buddies in Virginia Beach, (Shannon) and Yours Truly were returning from an excellent lunch in an awesome waterfront restaurant in the WSO-mobile (Mailbox Killer) when this tune came on the radio.
So the day was beautiful. I was in superb company. In one of my favorite places on the planet. My belly was full. And we were on our way to get iced coffee. My beverage of choice. (Yes, even when it's below zero. Remember, I'm a native Vermonter. From the pre-liberal-goofball-Bernie-Sanders days. When men were men and flatlanders were scared.)
So yes, I was feeling good and this song made me feel better. First time I'd heard it. Oddly enough, these guys were on Letterman that very evening and played this very tune. Synchronicity? Coincidence? Who cares? Great tune.
Oh yeah, awesome drums, nice bass line. Again, no weird video, strange interpretations and what-have-you. Nope. Music. And lyrics. Just sayin'...
 |
| The Foo Fighters |
Learn to fly? Why yes, I'd like that. Yes I would
Fridays, We Likes Them!
One of the best things about Friday, is seeing what kind of beautiful pics c w has got for us. Go there and enjoy. Check out his other stuff as well. The daily timewaster is on my priority reading list, every day. The title of c w's blog, from a corporate suit point of view, is no doubt appropriate. From a human being point of view, it is no waste of time, not now, not ever.
Fridays, yes indeed, we likes them.
The Friday Flyby - 26 July
It's time to take a look at American fighter pilots in the Pacific theater. It's about time Sarge!
 |
| Major Richard I. Bong United States Army Air Forces Medal of Honor 40 Aerial Victories 1920 - 1945 |
 |
| Lockheed P-38 Lightning "The Fork-Tailed Devil" |
 |
| Major Thomas M. McGuire United States Army Air Forces Medal of Honor (posthumous) 38 Aerial Victories 1920 - 1945 |
Thomas Buchanan McGuire Jr. was one of the most decorated American combat pilots of World War II. He was the second highest scoring American ace of the war and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. McGuire was memorialized by the renaming of Fort Dix Army Air Force Base in Burlington County, New Jersey, to McGuire Air Force Base in 1948.
McGuire's skill at maneuvering the large twin-engined P-38 was legendary, and he would become one of the top scoring combat pilots in US Air Force history. Had it not been for periodic illnesses and heavy administrative duties as Commander, 431st Fighter Squadron, he might have become the United States’ leading ace.
McGuire wrote a book on combat tactics for the 5th Air Force. On December 25–26, 1944, He downed at least seven Japanese fighter aircraft in just two days over Luzon, Philippines. With 38 kills to his credit, McGuire was only two victories behind Major Richard I. Bong, the United States Army Air Forces’ all-time top ace.
 |
| P-38 |
 |
| Captain David McCampbell United States Navy Medal of Honor 34 Aerial Victories 1910 - 1996 |
Captain David McCampbell was an American naval aviator, who became the US Navy’s all-time leading ace with 34 aerial victories during World War II. The third-highest scoring US flying ace of World War II, he was the highest-scoring to survive the war.
 |
| F6F Hellcat |
 |
| Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor Navy Cross 28 Aerial Victories 1912 - 1988 |
Gregory "Pappy" Boyington was a United States Marine Corps officer who was an American fighter ace during World War II. For his heroic actions, he was awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. Boyington flew initially with the American Volunteer Group in the Republic of China Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He later commanded the U.S. Marine Corps squadron VMF-214 ("The Black Sheep Squadron") during World War II. Boyington became a prisoner of war later in the war.
 |
| Curtiss P-40 Warhawk |
 |
| Chance-Vought F4U Corsair |
 |
| Colonel Charles H. MacDonald United States Army Air Forces Distinguished Service Cross (twice) 27 Aerial Victories 1914 - 2002 |
 |
| P-38 |
 |
| Major Joseph J. Foss United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor 26 Aerial Victories 1915 - 2003 |
In October 1942, VMF-121 and its aircraft were sent to Guadalcanal as part of Operation Watchtower to relieve VMF-223, which had been fighting for control of the air over the island since their arrival in mid-August. On October 9, Foss and his group were catapult launched off the USS Copahee escort carrier and flew 350 miles north to reach Guadalcanal. The air group, code named "Cactus", based at Henderson Field became known as the Cactus Air Force, and their presence played a pivotal role in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Foss soon gained a reputation for aggressive close-in fighter tactics and uncanny gunnery skills. Foss shot down a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero on his first combat mission on October 13, but his own F4F Wildcat was shot up as well, and with a dead engine and three more Zeros on his tail, he landed at full speed, with no flaps and minimal control on the American-held runway at Guadalcanal, barely missing a grove of palm trees.
As lead pilot in his flight of eight Wildcats, the group soon became known as Foss's Flying Circus, with two sections Foss nicknamed "Farm Boys" and "City Slickers." Conditions in the jungle were extreme, and in December 1942, Foss was stricken with malaria. He was sent to Sydney, Australia for rehabilitation, where he met Australian ace Clive "Killer" Caldwell and delivered some lectures on operational flying to RAF pilots, newly assigned to the theater. On January 1, 1943, Foss returned to Guadalcanal and "his boys," to continue combat operations which lasted until February 9, 1943, although the Japanese attacks had waned from the height of the November 1942 crisis. In three months of sustained combat, Foss's Flying Circus had shot down 72 Japanese aircraft, including 26 credited to him. Upon matching the record of 26 kills held by America's top World War I ace, Eddie Rickenbacker, Foss was accorded the honor of becoming America's first "ace-of-aces" in World War II.
 |
| Grumman F4F Wildcat |
 |
| First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor (posthumous) 25 Aerial Victories 1920 - 1944 |
From Wikipedia:
The next three gentlemen were not as high on the aces list as the gentlemen listed above. However, their contributions to victory in the Pacific were notable.
How could I not mention the inventor of the Thach Weave? A tactic which saved the lives of many an American fighter pilot early in the war.
From Wikipedia:
I think it's noteworthy to mention that the Admiral was laid to rest at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego. So Lex is in good company there.
First Lieutenant Hanson arrived in the South Pacific in June 1943 and his daring tactics and total disregard for death soon became well known. A master of individual air combat, he downed 20 enemy planes in six consecutive flying days. He was commended in the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor for his bold attack against six enemy torpedo bombers, November 1, 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Zeros, the premier Japanese fighter, while fighting them alone over New Britain, January 24, 1944.
A member of VMF-215 flying the F4U Corsair, the ace was shot down twice. The first time, a Zero caught him over Bougainville Island. Bringing his plane down on the ocean, he paddled for six hours in a rubber life raft before being rescued by a destroyer. His second and fatal crash occurred one day before his twenty-fourth birthday. He was last seen on February 3, 1944, when his plane crashed into the sea while he was flying an escort mission over Rabaul, New Britain. He was subsequently declared killed in action.
The Medal of Honor was presented to the lieutenant's mother by Maj. Gen. Lewie G. Merritt on August 19, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts.
 |
| F4U Corsair |
The next three gentlemen were not as high on the aces list as the gentlemen listed above. However, their contributions to victory in the Pacific were notable.
 |
| Admiral John S. Thach United States Navy Navy Cross (twice) 6 Aerial Victories 1905 - 1981 |
How could I not mention the inventor of the Thach Weave? A tactic which saved the lives of many an American fighter pilot early in the war.
From Wikipedia:
John Smith "Jimmy" Thach was a World War II Naval Aviator, air combat tactician, and United States Navy admiral. Thach developed the Thach Weave, a combat flight formation that could counter enemy fighters of superior performance, and later the big blue blanket, an aerial defense against Kamikaze attacks.
In the early 1940s, he was placed in command of Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3). There he met a young Naval Reserve Ensign just out of flight school, Edward O'Hare, later a Medal of Honor recipient. Thach made O'Hare his wingman and taught him everything he knew. At the U.S. Navy fleet gunnery competition at the end of 1940, eight of the 16 VF-3 pilots qualified for the gunnery "E" award ("excellence").
Later Thach developed a fighter combat tactic known as the Thach Weave. This tactic enabled American fighter aircraft to hold their own against the more maneuverable Mitsubishi A6M Zero, the primary fighter of Japan.
Lieutenant Commander Thach and Fighting Squadron Three flew from Lexington (CV-2) in the early part of World War II, and was assigned to Yorktown (CV-5) during the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
On the morning of June 4, 1942, Thach led a six-plane sortie from VF-3, escorting a strike from Yorktown, when they discovered the main Japanese carrier fleet. They were immediately attacked by 15 to 20 Japanese fighters. Thach decided to use his namesake maneuver, marking its first combat usage. Although outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Thach managed to shoot down three Zeros and a wingman accounted for another, at the cost of one Wildcat.
After Midway, Thach was assigned to instruct other pilots in combat tactics. The U.S. Navy pulled its best combat pilots out of action to train newer pilots, while the Japanese kept their best pilots in combat. As the war progressed, the Japanese Navy lost their experienced pilots due to attrition and had no well trained replacements, while the U.S. was able to improve the general fighting ability of their own personnel. When the Japanese resorted to the feared Kamikaze suicide attacks, Thach developed the "big blue blanket" system to provide an adequate defense.
Later in the war Commander Thach became Operations Officer to Vice Admiral John S. McCain, Sr., commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force. Thach was also present at the formal Japanese Surrender aboard USS Missouri (BB-63) on September 2, 1945 in Tokyo Bay.
 |
| F4F Wildcat |
 |
| Grumman F6F Hellcat |
 |
| Major George Welch United States Army Air Forces Distinguished Service Cross 16 Aerial Victories 1918 - 1954 |
From Wikipedia:
George Welch (May 10, 1918–October 12, 1954) was a World War II flying ace, a Medal of Honor nominee, and an experimental aircraft pilot after the war. Welch is best known for being one of the few United States Army Air Forces fighter pilots able to get airborne to engage Japanese forces in the attack on Pearl Harbor and for his work as a test pilot.
Welch retired from the United States Air Force as a major in 1944, and became a test pilot for North American Aviation, receiving some notoriety for reportedly being the first pilot to exceed Mach 1 in the prototype XP-86 Sabre (two weeks before Chuck Yeager's record flight). Controversy exists as to the actual details of the flight and if this flight took place, it is generally not recognized as a record because of a lack of verifiable speed measurement and because the aircraft's highest speeds were attained while diving, whereas Yeager's X-1 completed the feat in level flight. In 1954, Welch died following a crash in a test flight in a North American F-100 Super Sabre.
At dawn on December 7, 1941, 2nd Lt. Welch and another pilot, 2nd Lt. Ken Taylor, were coming back from a Christmas dinner and dance party (with big band orchestra) at a rooftop hotel in Waikiki, that ended in an all-night poker game. They were still wearing mess dress when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Welch telephoned an auxiliary Haleiwa Fighter Strip on Oahu's North Shore to have two Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk fighters prepared for takeoff. He and Taylor immediately drove his Buick at high speed to Haleiwa in order to join the air battle.
Taking off with only 30 cal ammo in the wing guns, Welch claimed two kills of Aichi D3A Val dive bombers over Ewa Mooring Mast Field. The first enemy aircraft was only damaged and it made it back to its carrier while the second was finished off by Ken Taylor, shortly before he landed at Wheeler Field to get 50 cal ammo for his two cowl guns. On his second sortie, Welch shot down a Val (which was behind Ken Taylor) and the Val crashed in the community of Wahiawa, then Welch got one Mitsubishi Zero fighter about five miles west of Barbers Point.
Both Welch and Taylor were nominated for the Medal of Honor by Gen. Henry H. Arnold, but were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the highest USAAF medal, for their actions.
After Pearl Harbor, Welch returned to the continental U.S. to give war bond speeches until being assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group in New Guinea. Despite his aerial victories on December 7, 1941, Welch was dissatisfied with flying the poorly performing Bell P-39 Airacobra. When asked by a journalist what aspect of the P-39 he liked, then seven-victory ace George Welch said, "Well, it's got 12 hundred pounds of Allison armor plate." When Welch inquired as to when his squadron (the 36th FS) would receive P-38s, he was told, "When we run out of P-39s."[1] He repeatedly appealed to be assigned to the 80th Fighter Squadron (which flew the Lockheed P-38 Lightning) until he was granted a transfer. Between June 21 and September 2, 1943, flying a P-38H, Welch shot down nine more Japanese aircraft: two Zeros, three Ki-61 Tonys, three Ki-43 Oscars and one Dinah.[1] Welch flew three combat tours (a total of 348 combat missions with 16 confirmed victories, all achieved in multiples) before malaria retired him from the war.
 |
| Brigadier General Kenneth M. Taylor United States Army Air Forces Distinguished Service Cross 6 Aerial Victories 1919 - 2006 |
From Wikipedia:
Kenneth Marlar Taylor was a new United States Army Air Forces Second Lieutenant pilot stationed at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Along with his fellow pilot and friend George Welch, they got airborne while under fire, and Taylor shot down four Japanese dive bombers. Taylor was injured during the incident and received several awards for his efforts, including the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart.
Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Taylor spent the night before playing poker and dancing at the officers' club at Wheeler with fellow pilot George Welch, and did not go to sleep until 6:30 a.m. local time. Taylor and Welch awoke less than an hour and a half later at 7:55 a.m. to the sounds of low-flying planes, machine-gun fire, and explosions. Lt. Taylor quickly put on his tuxedo pants from the night before and called Haleiwa Auxiliary Air Field, where eighteen P-40B fighters were located.
Without orders, he told the ground crews to get two P-40s armed and ready for takeoff. The new Buick he drove was strafed by Japanese aircraft as the two pilots sped the 10 miles (16 km) to Haleiwa; Taylor at times reached speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h). At the airstrip, they climbed into their Curtiss P-40B Warhawk fighters, which were fueled but armed with only .30 cal Browning ammo.
After they took off, they headed towards Barber's Point at the southwest tip of Oahu, and initially saw an unarmed group of American B-17 Flying Fortress bombers arriving from the mainland United States.
They soon arrived at Ewa Mooring Mast Field, which was being strafed by twelve Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo dive bombers of the second Japanese attack wave. Although the two pilots were outnumbered six-to-one, they immediately began firing on the bombers. Taylor shot down two dive bombers and was able to damage another (the third damaged aircraft was considered Taylor's first probable kill). When both pilots ran out of ammunition, they headed for Wheeler Field to get additional .50 cal ammunition, since Haleiwa did not carry any. As he landed around 8:40 a.m., he had to avoid friendly anti-aircraft and ground fire. Once he was on the ground, several officers told Taylor and Welch to leave the airplanes, but the two pilots were able to convince the officers into allowing them to keep fighting.
While his plane was being reloaded with the .50 cal, a flight of dive bombers began strafing Wheeler. Welch took off again (since he had landed a few minutes before Taylor and was already reloaded). The men who were loading the ammunition on Taylor's plane left the ammunition boxes on his wing as they scattered to get away from the bombers. Taylor quickly took off, jumping over an armament dolly and the ammunition boxes fell off of his plane's wing. Both pilots realized that if they took off away from the incoming aircraft they would become targets once they were airborne, so both headed directly towards the bombers at take-off. Additionally, if the low-flying bombers attempted to fire at the grounded P-40s at their current elevation, they would risk crashing. Taylor used this hindrance to his advantage and began immediately firing on the enemy aircraft as he took off, and performed a chandelle.
Taylor headed for a group of enemy aircraft, and due to a combination of clouds and smoke, he unintentionally entered the middle of the formation of seven or eight A6M Zeros. A Japanese rear-gunner fired at Taylor's aircraft and one of the bullets came within an inch of Taylor's head and exploded in the cockpit. One piece went through his left arm and shrapnel entered his leg. Taylor reflected on the injuries in a 2001 interview, saying "It was of no consequence; it just scared the hell out of me for a minute." A few years after the interview, Taylor received from his crew chief two other slugs that had been found behind his seat. Welch shot down the aircraft that had injured Taylor, and Taylor damaged another aircraft (his second probable kill) before pulling away to assist Welch with an A6M Zero. The Zero and the rest of its formation left to return to their carriers as Taylor neared Welch. Taylor continued to fire on several enemy aircraft until he ran out of ammunition. Both pilots headed back to Haleiwa. After landing and driving back to Wheeler, Taylor and Welch passed by their squadron commander, Major Gordon H. Austin, who noticed that they were wearing their tuxedo attire. Unaware of their earlier dogfights, he shouted at the two men, saying "Get back to Haleiwa! You know there's a war on?"
The two pilots explained what they had done, and the commander thanked them. In a 2003 interview, Taylor reflected on his actions: "I wasn't in the least bit terrified, and let me tell you why: I was too young and too stupid to realize that I was in a lot of danger."
 |
| Taylor and Welch |
 |
| America Strikes Back! |
Where did we get such men?
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Never Gonna Make the Big Bucks...
Uh, sorry Bambi. Not you, this -
 |
| Simoleons, cash money, swag, the green stuff, benjamins, bread, dough, cabbage, moolah, you know, dollars! |
Yes, I realized today that I would probably never be filthy rich. I don't buy lottery tickets, though my theory that just tossing dollar bills into the trash is actually not the same as buying lottery tickets. There is a zero percent chance of the trash can handing me a check for millions of dollars. Of course, actually expecting to get a check for millions of dollars after actually buying a lottery ticket has only a slightly higher chance of happening.
Of course, if I were to throw money into the trash, the guys who pick up our trash every Thursday would be happy. I suppose they would have to actually know the money was in the trash. No doubt the FBI, the NSA, the BMW (huh?) and the DHS would be curious as to why I was dumping money in the trash.
Hhhmm, if I was filthy rich, I might do that just to puzzle them.
Nah, one thing I know about myself is that I'm frugal, thrifty, parsimonious, you know, a bit of a cheap ba$tard. Not to mince words.
But I do have another cunning plan...
Well, it's not actually that cunning...
 |
| Wibble? |
What? Um, no, certainly not that.
My plan is that eventually a fantastically wealthy person, perhaps even a future King of England, will stumble across my blog. And pay me lots of money to do nothing but write the blog.
 |
| Not going to happen old boy... |
Well, maybe these guys?
 |
| We only invest in stuff... ...blogs aren't stuff. |
Uncle Jed?
 |
| Well ain't that Old AF Sarge fella even dumber than Jethro! Pitiful... |
Hey, it could happen, why just the other day I was telling...
Um, okay, err, yes, I mean...
Getting back to work AYE, Rumbear!
See the comments here to explain that last bit. For those of you not paying attention. How you ever expect to pass the final exam is beyond me.
As you can see, if my posts continue like this, I better not quit my day job.
Sigh...
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Nungesser et Coli
Erik, over at ¡No Pasarán!, has a great story about two intrepid French aviators who nearly beat out Charles Lindbergh for the distinction of being the first to fly across the Atlantic.
Another good article on these heroic aviators is here.
The reason this article caught my eye is because Charles Nungesser has always been one of my personal heroes. A great fighter pilot, officially credited with 42 aerial victories, he also had "issues" with military authority. Something I hid rather well for most of my 24 years of service.
The reason this article caught my eye is because Charles Nungesser has always been one of my personal heroes. A great fighter pilot, officially credited with 42 aerial victories, he also had "issues" with military authority. Something I hid rather well for most of my 24 years of service.
François Coli I had not heard of before today, which is unfortunate because he was a fascinating chap. He was a civilian sea captain and when the French Navy could not find a place for him at the start of World War I, he enlisted in the infantry as a private. He eventually gained a commission in the infantry and after being so badly wounded that he could not continue as an infantryman, he became a pilot. Quite a man I would say!
 |
| Ltt Charles Nungesser Né le 15 mars 1892 à Paris |
 |
| Nungesser's Nieuport-28 |
 |
| Cne François Coli – Pilote de l’escadrille N 62 Né le 5 juin 1881 à Marseille |
To a pair of aviators we should know, and remember. Santé!
Repose en paix mes braves!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)