It is scary when your aircraft leaves the end of the carrier deck and the airspeed indicator is registering well below flying speed. Have faith lads there is a lag and it will fly (usually). This is from vast expereince😂 of having made a grand total of 6 solo traps on the Lex in a T-28 over 50 years ago.
I'd have faith, but I'd still be scared. I landed on the Constellation in a C-1A once, and then left in the same airplane, and while it was catapulted off, there was still that bit of a drop at first, and my heart collided with my adam's apple.
Cool is right! That is fantastic footage! And the expressions and actions by crew members as the bombers were launched from the carriers are priceless. I'm going to share this on FB.
Wow! Thanks for posting. My father was an Ensign on the Enterprise from March 1941 to December 1943. He watched the takeoff of the B-25's from his battle station, the forward 1.1" AA battery. He saw a lot of history unfold, and had a few to many close calls. I am trying to collect as much info like this for the family archives.
Thanks, I know the CV-6 site. J.V. Rowney signed the log book on the first day of Santa Cruz (16-18, http://www.cv6.org/ship/logs/log19421026.htm). I think the senior officers were temporarily off the bridge. The next day a Japanese dive bomber, out of control, hit the water a few feet off of his crew's position. They were showered with sparks and then a huge plume of water. He lost many friends in this and other actions in 1942.
Right now I just started your book, 'The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club'. I want to find out more about what my late brother experienced as an A-7 pilot on Oriskany in 1970 and Midway in 1975. The first chapter on the 'Incident' is stunning!
I can dig it. Like Burgess Meredith in the Twilight Zone episode, "All the time in the world".
I love it. History is so fucking cool!😺
Fascinating...! What purpose did the biplanes serve?
scouting and anti-submarine patrols.
cool.
Thanks.
Were the biplanes launched from destroyers and not aircraft carriers? They couldn't land again on that same vessel?
They landed on the water and were lifted back aboard with a crane.
Thanks for the explanation. I had had no idea that planes were launched from destroyers!
Actually cruisers - bigger ships (10,000 tons instead of 2,000).
Thanks TC. It's stuff like that that makes me glad there are historians, especially the ones who just keep digging.
It is scary when your aircraft leaves the end of the carrier deck and the airspeed indicator is registering well below flying speed. Have faith lads there is a lag and it will fly (usually). This is from vast expereince😂 of having made a grand total of 6 solo traps on the Lex in a T-28 over 50 years ago.
I'd have faith, but I'd still be scared. I landed on the Constellation in a C-1A once, and then left in the same airplane, and while it was catapulted off, there was still that bit of a drop at first, and my heart collided with my adam's apple.
Try it without the cat! 🇺🇦
Cool is right! That is fantastic footage! And the expressions and actions by crew members as the bombers were launched from the carriers are priceless. I'm going to share this on FB.
good idea!
Yowsa! Thanks, TC.
Wow! Thanks for posting. My father was an Ensign on the Enterprise from March 1941 to December 1943. He watched the takeoff of the B-25's from his battle station, the forward 1.1" AA battery. He saw a lot of history unfold, and had a few to many close calls. I am trying to collect as much info like this for the family archives.
You can download that file at the archives.
If your dad was on that forward 1.1 at Eastern Solomons or Santa Cruz, he very definitely saw more than his share of action.
Do you know about the Enterprise crew association page? There's tons of material there from people, all of whom are no longer here.
http://www.cv6.org/site/association.htm
The following is a shameless personal plug: Enterprise and her crew are major players in all four volumes of my Pacific War history (as it should be).
Thanks, I know the CV-6 site. J.V. Rowney signed the log book on the first day of Santa Cruz (16-18, http://www.cv6.org/ship/logs/log19421026.htm). I think the senior officers were temporarily off the bridge. The next day a Japanese dive bomber, out of control, hit the water a few feet off of his crew's position. They were showered with sparks and then a huge plume of water. He lost many friends in this and other actions in 1942.
Right now I just started your book, 'The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club'. I want to find out more about what my late brother experienced as an A-7 pilot on Oriskany in 1970 and Midway in 1975. The first chapter on the 'Incident' is stunning!
Thanks much. When I found out about the flying fish, I'm surprised the planet couldn't hear my scream. :-)
For everyone - "Downtown: the US aur Force over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia 1961-75" is officially released tomorrow.
Actually, I think I remember him saying the 1.1" guns were changed to 40mm sometime in 1942. The 1.1" were not very effective.
Fabulous!!! TY, TC. I will send it to my nephew, your fan!!!