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WWII

The story of the T-33 pilot watching a nuclear bomb test without wearing safety glasses

by Till Daisd October 22, 2023

‘One of my friends participated in a nuclear air burst test in Nevada. He was flying an instrumented T-33 jet at about 40,000 feet…,’ Bruce Gordon, former USAF fighter pilot

Between 1946 and 1962, in the years following World War II and during the height of the Cold War, the US detonated more than 200 above- and undersea nuclear bombs. Throughout World War II and the Cold War, hundreds of thousands of American soldiers observed atomic weapon tests.

They were mostly pilots. The majority of them were without safety glasses. How securely can you observe a nuclear explosion from an airplane?

‘I don’t believe there is a safe distance,’ Bruce Gordon, former F-86, F-100, F-102, and F-106 fighter pilot at the US Air Force (1958–1971), said on Quora.

‘One of my friends participated in a nuclear air burst test in Nevada. He was flying an instrumented T-33 jet at about 40,000 feet, some miles away. He wrote: “I was flying the plane… I had put a patch over my left eye and was to be looking down, with my head down, into the cockpit. I can remember that I was holding my breath as I heard 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1! Then everything went white. I mean, it was so bright that you could not see the floor of the plane. Then a very odd thing happened: I could actually see through the floor of the cockpit and see the ground below us! Yes, I could see the ground through the floor of the plane. I could see a bright light even in the eye over which I had put the patch. I find it hard to describe the brightness of the bomb blast. It was not like anything I had ever seen. It was much like how I had envisioned the brightness one would experience if in the presence of God.”

‘He told me that during debriefing, he reported being able to see through the floor of the airplane. They told him that several other people had reported the same phenomena.’

Gordon concludes;

‘I think this may be related to the “Livermore Light” that has been reported, but only in a few cases, because not many people have been looking anywhere near the fireball. In the book “You must be joking, Mr. Fineman,” he was at a nuclear test in the Pacific. He had misplaced his dark glasses, so he just looked away from the blast—at all the other people who were wearing the very dark glasses. He said he could see them as skeletons, with the bones showing. I think there is a lot more to the Livermore Light than we know now…’

Photo by U.S. Air Force and National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office

October 22, 2023 0 comment

History

Bombing Japan cost the lives of 414 B-29s. About two Superfortresses were destroyed in accidents and crashes for each that the enemy destroyed

by Till Daisd October 16, 2023

written by Till Daisd

During World War II, the Pacific theater saw the bulk of the use of B-29s. Up to 1,000 Superfortresses dropped bombs on Tokyo at once, destroying major portions of the city

The B-29 Superfortress was one of the most technologically advanced aircraft of World War II and had several novel innovations, such as remote-controlled weapons. Crewmen could crawl between the two pressurized crew areas—fore and aft—that were joined by a long tube over the bomb bays. Only at altitudes where pressurization was not necessary could the tail gunner enter or exit his separate pressurized space.

Due to its increased range, bomb load, and defensive needs, the B-29 was also the heaviest production plane in the world.

During World War II, the Pacific theater saw the bulk of the use of B-29s. Up to 1,000 Superfortresses dropped bombs on Tokyo at once, destroying significant portions of the city. Ultimately, the B-29 Enola Gay delivered the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. A second B-29 named Bockscar dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days later. After a short while, Japan gave up.

Over Japan, how many B-29s were lost?

‘Four hundred and fourteen (414) B-29s were lost bombing Japan—147 of them to flak and Japanese fighters, 267 to engine fires, mechanical failures, takeoff crashes, and other “operational losses,”’ Pete Feigal, Former Pro Military Artist, explains on Quora.

‘Do the math and you’ll see that for every B-29 lost to the enemy, almost two were lost to accidents and crashes.

‘The grim jest among B-29 crewmen was that they were being killed more by Curtiss-Wright, the makers of the B-29’s big R3350 radial engines, than by the Japanese. Except it wasn’t a joke.

‘The B-29 had 4 × Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone 18-cylinder air-cooled turbosupercharged radial piston engines, making 2,200 hp each, and they were terrible, and the LAST time magnesium was ever used on an engine again.

‘The light-weight crankcase of the R3350 was made out of very flammable magnesium crankcase, and when they went up like shooting stars, they could quickly burn right through a wing spar.’

Feigal concludes;

‘With the unreliability of the incredibly complex remote-aimed guns, the severe engine problems, and the many, many other issues in the very technical (and rushed, IMO) aircraft, give me a B-17 every time.’

B-29-Crash — Returning from an Empire strike where it was “badly shot up, this Boeing B-29 Superfortress made an emergency landing on Iwo Jima’s 7th Fighter Command base. Damage to hydraulic systems caused a locked brake and a crash resulting in this fire. The entire crew escaped, some with minor injuries. The huge plane plowed up some Mustangs and construction equipment

Photo by U.S. Air Force via Cool Old Photos and 7th Fighter.com

October 16, 2023 0 comment

History

The stunning photo of the Flying Fortress with one wing blown off

by Till Daisd October 15, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The B-17G Flying Fortress “Wee Willie” was destroyed after completing 128 missions

The main image in this post is “Wee Willie,” a Boeing B-17G-15-BO Flying Fortress 42-31333, going down after being struck by anti-aircraft artillery over Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on April 8, 1945. It is one of the most spectacular photographs of World War II.

This horrific image was captured by the automatic bomb strike camera of a B-17, as Dan Sharp explains in his book Spitfires over Berlin. The photo sequence captures the last 18 seconds of B-17G 42-31333 “Wee Willie” over Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, after it was struck by an 88mm flak burst. This aircraft was the 302nd Boeing B-17G to roll off the production line at Boeing Plant 2, King County Washington.

In the first image, the port wing of Willie has already sheared off, and it is spinning over its tail while engulfed in flames.

The second image, which, as we’ve already noted, is widely used to illustrate the atrocities that American aircrews had to endure during the daytime bombing campaign over Germany, captures the plane as it enters its final seconds of flight. There were still all nine crew members inside.

The story behind the horrific photo of the B-17 Flying Fortress with one wing blown off, plummeting to its doom

In the last photograph, ‘Wee Willie’ has exploded. The fuselage, wings, and tail are torn apart and fall to the ground, burning.

‘Wee Willie’ was part of a 73-bomber raid on the locomotive repair shops at Stendal and was flown by Lt. Robert E. Fuller for this sortie.

The official report from the 322nd noted that the operation was a remarkable success: “The high squadron was furnished by the 322nd, led by Lt. Johnson. Strike photographs for the high squadron’s bombs show an excellent concentration of hits covering the aiming point.

“Almost the entire concentration lies within a 1000ft circle over the MPI. Meagre to moderate tracking AA fire on the bomb run which was extremely accurate, resulted in minor damage to 13 aircraft and major damage to four in the group. The high and lead squadrons each lost one aircraft in the target area from flak damage.”

Lt. Peter Pastras was the pilot of the B-17G-50-B0 42-102504 Times A-Wastin’, which was lost from the 401st, the lead squadron. A navigator on another B-17, Lt. Mike Fodroci, saw its demise. He observed the four gun batteries on the ground following bursts of flak through the lead formation as they drew ever closer to The A-Wastin’ until the fourth one went straight into the bomb bay of the aircraft, which was still open.

In his report, he states, “The pilot must have been killed instantly, for the ship pulled up and veered to the right, climbing directly over our ship. Captain Shelby put our ship into a dive so steep that I was thrown up against the astro hatch of the ceiling in the nose — seems I hung there for a brief second or two.

“I also observed that a bad fire was burning on the aircraft’s forward bomb bay area and that the co-pilot was trying to climb out of the small window with his backpack on. Somehow, we saw three chutes emerge from #504 as she spun toward the earth.”

The B-17 exploded in midair, killing all of the crew members except for two—engineer Lyle Jones and radio operator Bob A. Smith—who were captured on the ground. Bob Morris, the co-pilot of the Times A-Wastin, was also killed. Wee Willie, 42-31333, was the high squadron’s lost aircraft.

S/Sgt. George Little, a gunner on board a 401st B-17, writes in the Missing Air Crew Report: “I observed 42-31333 receive a direct flak hit approximately between the bomb bay and the number two engine. The aircraft immediately started a vertical dive. The aircraft fuselage was on fire, and when it had dropped approximately 5000ft the left wing fell off.

“It continued down, and when the fuselage was about 3000ft from the ground, it exploded, and then exploded again when it hit the ground. I saw no crew members leave the aircraft or parachutes.”

Another witness who saw what happened at “Wee Willie’s” end was able to provide an even more precise account of what occurred. On any given mission, around a third of the B-17 aircraft were outfitted with bomb-strike cameras. These were fitted under the floor in the radio room, and the lens cone was exposed to the elements.

The cameras were set to run automatically from “bombs away” until the film ran out or until a predefined number of exposures had been made. Every six seconds, they took an exposure, and then the system wound the film onto the camera in preparation for the next picture.

In this manner, it was sometimes possible to assess the images to determine whether a mission was successful or unsuccessful. The three images above were taken during the final 18 seconds of “Wee Willie” by the automated camera on another B-17 that was flying alongside or below it.

Lt. Robert E. Fuller was blown clear out of the cockpit, and Willie was torn apart by an explosion that tore right through the fuselage just before the final of the three. He opened his parachute and made it through the descent somehow. The rest of his crew perished in the incident.

Fuller’s destiny is unknown, despite the fact that it is noted that he was taken prisoner; in some sources, he is simply listed as “killed in action” along with his crew. After completing 127 missions, “Wee Willie” was destroyed on mission 128.

Spitfires over Berlin is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force via American Air Museum in Britain

October 15, 2023 0 comment

History

Bf 109 Ace of the Luftwaffe Werner Mölders recounts how an Armée de l’Air D.520 Ace René Pomier Layrargues shot him down

by Till Daisd October 2, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘I am at about 800m when suddenly there is a bang and the sparks fly across the cockpit. The throttle is shot to pieces, the stick flops forward,’ Werner Mölders, Luftwaffe Bf 109 Ace

Hauptmann Werner Mölders, a prominent member of the Jagdwaffe in the early stages of WWII, played a significant role in the creation of strategies for contemporary aerial combat. In late October or early November 1939, he advanced to the position of Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 and finished the Battle of France as the second-highest scoring Luftwaffe Experten.

Nevertheless, on June 5, 1940, in a dogfight with Armée de l’Air D.520s (which he mistook for MS.406s), he became the fifth victim of Sous lieutenant René Pomier Layrargues from GC II/7, as described by Malcolm V. Lowe in his book Bf 109D/E Blitzkrieg 1939–1940.

Mölders later wrote:

‘Beneath me, two Messerschmitts are still having a go at the last Morane.

‘I watch the fight for a while and then go in to attack a Morane which is being chased – without success – by three other Messerschmitts. I soon have him in my sights – he immediately dives away but clearly hasn’t had enough yet. Suddenly, he pulls up beneath me, I lose sight of him underneath my wing – there he is again, below me off to one side – Donnerwetter! This Morane can shoot too, although he’s well wide of the mark.

‘I bank away and climb up into the sun. He must have lost me, for he banks in the opposite direction and disappears to the south. Beneath me, two Messerschmitts are still having a go at the last Morane.

‘A glance above and behind me – the sky is still full of weaving Me’s. I am at about 800m when suddenly there is a bang and the sparks fly across the cockpit. The throttle is shot to pieces, the stick flops forward. I’m going down vertically. Got to get out, otherwise, it’s all over. I grab the jettison lever and the canopy flies off. My faithful bird points her nose upwards for a second or two and gives me one last chance to undo my harness and clamber out of the seat. Free!’

Mölders duly parachuted to safety, but was quickly captured and spent the final days of the Battle of France as a PoW until he was released as a result of the Armistice which signaled the defeat of France. His victor, Pomier Layrargues, who then reportedly destroyed a second Bf 109, was himself shot down in flames by another ‘Emil’ just moments after despatching Mölders.

Bf 109D/E Blitzkrieg 1939–40 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by QuentinR.deviantart.com on @DeviantArt, German Federal Archive and Unknown

Rene-Pomier-Layrargues — René Pomier Layrargues

October 2, 2023 0 comment

History

The Horten Ho 229 is considered the first stealth aircraft during WWII (although it Never Entered Service)

by Till Daisd September 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

If the Horten Ho 229 was intended to be a low-drag bomber as well as possess stealth capabilities, it would put it roughly 30 years ahead of its time

The invention of low-observable technology, also known as “stealth,” was arguably the most successful breakthrough throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

The element of surprise had been sought by air fighters since the earliest days of aerial combat, when typically the sun was employed to conceal the location of an attacker honing in on an intended victim, as David Baker explains in his book Fifth Generation Fighters. The parameters switched to the electromagnetic spectrum with the development of radar targeting and interception during the Second World War, initially for night-fighting and subsequently generally for air defense.

Radar operates by picking up a return signal that is reflected off of a solid object; the strength of the signal is inversely correlated with the item’s apparent visibility. The amount of signal that is reflected back determines the “observed visibility,” which is a measurement of the object’s radar cross-section (RCS).

At German laboratories during the Second World War, the development of radar and strategies for avoiding detection was shrouded in considerable secrecy. Several concepts were researched and examined using data and results from in-depth investigations and tests undertaken toward the conclusion of the war, as the victorious Allied nations desired to get as much of this work for their own exploitation after the German capitulation. One of these was the fusion of low-observables (LO) technology and flying-wing design principles.

While some of the claims made by German inventors were total lies, certain systems unintentionally did have stealth features. The Horten Ho 229, created by Reimar and Walter Horten, proponents of diminutive “flying-wing” designs, and constructed at the Gotha Works in 1944, is one illustration. The German Air Ministry wanted a bomber capable of carrying a 1000kg (2200lb) bomb at a distance of 1000km (620mls) at 1000km/hr (620mph).

The Horten brothers asserted that these criteria could only be satisfied by lowering the cruise power. The easiest way to do it would be to design a tailless, blended wing-body shape that is propelled by jet engines buried in the wing/fuselage root. The Ho 2299 was constructed and flown on multiple occasions, but due to a variety of causes, the type never saw service.

The Horten brothers had chosen a design approach with minimal drag, and the aircraft was undoubtedly less radar-visible than a typical aircraft of this size would have been. There were no abrupt angles connecting the wing to the fuselage, no large vertical tail to reflect radio waves, and no propellers to project bright discs onto the radar. After the war, Northrop Grumman conducted a thorough investigation of the type and found that, with a wing span of 55 feet (16.8 meters), it had only 80% of the visibility offered by a lightweight fighter like the Messerschmitt Bf 109, which had a wing span of 32 feet (9.8m).

Yet Reimar Horten’s assertions that he had included charcoal with the glue used to bind the wood laminates from which the structure was formed in an effort to create a low reflection were refuted by a chemical examination that revealed there was no proof of such a substance. We might, however, be hasty in rejecting this assertion because there was a discernible shift in the dielectric constant. Horten claimed that the carbon charcoal, which would have greatly absorbed radio waves as they traveled, was intended to be employed in production models, as opposed to the early-build V3 prototype that was brought to the US and used for testing.

This thorough examination of the Ho 229 myth is necessary because, if it were true that the aircraft was designed to be both a low-drag bomber and to possess stealth capabilities, it would have been approximately 30 years ahead of its time. But, the truth is obscured by uncertainty, deceit, lying, and finger-pointing.

German scientists, engineers, technicians, and workers were quick to point the finger at those who had passed away (usually in high political or military positions in the Third Reich) after the war for missed opportunities, decisions that were obviously poor, or intentional mismanagement. These men were also quick to claim they were aware of applications that, in reality, only became apparent when allied brains were matched with those from the German research facilities to point out subtle possibilities such as the variation of a shape to effectively produce a more stealthy design.

Fifth Generation Fighters is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here.

Photo by: Michael.katzmann at English Wikipedia

Ho-229-Smithsonian — Horten Ho 229 at the Smithsonian Institution’s Garber Restoration Facility.nnPhotographed by Michael Katzmann, 2000

September 5, 2023 0 comment

History

The Imperial Japanese Navy’s H6K Mavis pilot recalls how B-17 bombers attacked and almost brought down his flying boat

by Till Daisd September 3, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘The only chance we had was the relatively small turning radius of our slow plane compared to that of the fast B-17, said Lt. Hitsuji, H6K ‘Mavis’ flying boat pilot

One of the most recognizable aircraft ever constructed is the Flying Fortress. July 28, 1935, saw the first flight of the B-17 prototype. When the British Royal Air Force received four B-17s for high-altitude missions in 1941, the first B-17s entered combat. The bombers needed more armor and armament as World War II progressed.

The B-17E, the first Flying Fortress variant to be produced in large quantities, was equipped with nine machine guns and a 4,000-pound bomb load. Compared to the prototypes, it weighed several tons more and was heavily armed. For better control and stability during high-altitude bombing, it was the first Boeing aircraft with a distinctive, huge tail. Each variant was more heavily armed.

As we’ve already mentioned, the Japanese dubbed the aircraft “four-engine fighters” because of their deadly reputation in the Pacific. Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Lt. Hitsuji, Kktai (851 Air Group), who was in charge of a Kawanishi H6K “Mavis” flying boat in November 1942 when it was attacked by a B-17, confirmed this claim.

The following is a translation of his autobiography, “Saigo no Hikotei (The Last Flying Boat),” which is accessible on J-Aircraft.com (Asahi Sonorama, ISBN4-257-17286-X).

‘”Enemy plane! Close! Starboard and to the rear!” the tail gunner reported.

‘”All men on air to air battle station!” I yelled as I put the plane in a full-speed dive to sea level.

‘It was 0700 on November 21, 1942, 150 nautical miles south of Guadalcanal. We were in the midst of a very bloody battle, losing flying boats almost every day to unidentified enemy activities. Our boats would have just enough time to radio a consecutive “hi” signal (consecutive signaling of the Japanese Morse code signal for the character “hi”, the initial for “hikoki” or airplane) before the shoot-out followed by silence. Very few survived air combat. If a boat is able to make detailed reports about the enemy, that boat is sure to make it back.

‘Our commanding officer was in distress about the mounting losses, and just a few days ago, I had assured him that this would not go on for long. So far, 16 of our boats have been lost. I was not about to be number 17. It wasn’t a patrol plane’s duty to engage in air battles, but now I had no choice.

Kawanishi-H6K — Kawanishi H6K in flight.

‘I figured that the fight must be decided quickly. The B-17 positioned itself above and to the starboard rear of our plane and followed us with ease. It must be radioing its base about our position. One of them was bad enough. If there were two or even three fighter planes, we would not have had a chance. I made a tight turn to the port and headed towards the enemy. The only chance we had was the relatively small turning radius of our slow plane compared to that of the fast B-17.

‘The enemy was obviously surprised at our sudden turn. As we passed each other, our tail cannon fire hit the B-17, and its port inside the engine started smoking. The enemy fled, trailing a long streamer of black smoke. The enemy was surprisingly impersistent. We continued our search mission, but I had a feeling that it wasn’t over yet.

‘”Eat your breakfast now before they come back.” I ordered and went to the commander’s seat to open my lunch box. Pretty soon, the co-pilot silently pointed his finger forward and to the port. I took a hard look, and there he was. Another big-tailed B-17 is heading straight toward us. The one we damaged must have called for help. We were all ready to fight, and I stood up from my seat. I sealed the tank chamber and pulled the fire extinguisher lever. This fills the tank chamber with CO2. All gunners manned their stations. I could see the front gunner grinning in his turret.

‘”Okay we’re ready,” someone said.

‘At an altitude of 30 meters and a speed of 150 knots, we headed towards squally skiing in the direction of our base. The enemy didn’t start his attack immediately. It flew alongside us and passed us. I figured that he was avoiding our tail cannon. It would probably be making a frontal attack. The shootout was about to begin.

‘”Here it comes!” someone shouted, and at the same time, the enemy’s front guns and all four of our starboard machine guns started firing. As we passed each other, I could see the enemy’s tail gun fire, but tracers were way behind us. No hits on either side. We didn’t change our course and headed toward the squall.

‘The faster enemy caught up quickly and crisscrossed our path, attacking as it passed us.

‘We were at a very low altitude, and the sea behind us whitened with machine-gun fire. As the shooting went on, this started moving closer and closer. I could not hear anything other than the roar of the machine guns and the engine noise. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the enemy for a moment. The enemy made its fourth pass, and as it crossed our path, a 50-caliber shell jumped into the cockpit.

‘I heard someone yell “Damn!” and smelled smoke at the same time. I turned around, and two men were down on the floor. Our main radioman, PO2 Watanabe’s left arm was hanging limp from his shoulder, and blood was shooting up to the ceiling. Flight engineer Leading Mechanic Nakano was down on the floor, holding his left arm, and shouting, “Gasoline, gasoline!”

‘He was yelling to the radioman because the spark from the telegram key could set the vaporized gasoline on fire. But the injured radioman continued to send the message that we were combating an enemy bomber. The enemy started making yet another pass.

‘I took off my muffler and threw it to Lt. (jg) Ide, who was shooting away, and yelled: “Stop his bleeding!” I could see from the tank chamber window that gas was gushing out of a hit tank. It was a miracle that it wasn’t on fire. The floor was soon covered with gas. I injected additional CO2 gas, and I could see the white gas filling the tank chamber. The injured mechanic was still yelling “Gasoline!”. I could only yell back, “It’s okay! You worry about yourself!”

‘We were able to stop the radioman’s bleeding, but the enemy still kept attacking. Amid the exchange of machine gun roar, I could hear bullets tearing into our plane. The plane shook under the impact. All four engines were driving at full power.

‘On their sixth pass, the moment I saw their tailgun fire, there was an enormous banging noise up front Gunner PO1 Takahashi pointed to the floor beneath the pilot’s seat and I noted a big hole about 30cm, on the keel of our bow. I could see waves from the hole.

‘By this time, I was sure that this enemy had shot down more than one flying boat. “It wasn’t fighters. It was this guy. Another patrol plane! I’m going to get him. He is not going to have any more kill marks!” As I came to this realization, there was a new determination in my mind. If we can’t down him with our guns, we will ram him. I drew and loaded my pistol.

‘”If worse comes to worst, we’ll ram him, okay?” I patted the main pilot Ensign Kobayashi’s shoulder, with my pistol. He nodded lightly. “Okay, we’re ready then”. My mind was set. I was going to shoot myself at the moment of the ramming, so I would die before the crew.

‘I noted that the side panel of the commander’s seat was burning hot. I was shocked to find the bullet that hit the crew crewmen perched on the panel. Had I not been standing, this bullet would have hit my back! (This bullet is still in my possession).

‘I noticed that the enemy’s fire was getting considerably weaker. Either some of their gunners were knocked out, or they were out of ammo. I was getting the feeling that we might be able to make it when the co-pilot suddenly put the plane in a dive. The sea was right in front of us.

‘”Not yet!” I yelled, thinking that he was about to ram the B-17, but soon realized that our co-pilot PO1 Kira evaded a collision with the enemy who came in from the side. The enemy passed about 30 meters behind us. The tail gunner poured an entire drum of 20-mm cannon shells into the B-17.

‘The shells all hit the enemy’s fuselage. The enemy passed us from the right, then banked left and started closing into our plane. I could see the enemy pilot’s face. I couldn’t help but fire my pistol at the enemy.

‘Maybe the enemy was trying to ram us too. I noticed all his guns were pointing in random directions. He must have been out of ammo. He flew alongside us, banking and yawing for a while, but eventually disappeared into the rain towards Guadalcanal, trailing gasoline. “We won!” we said to each other, but we could no longer fight.’

Lt. Hitsuji’s H6K made it back to Shortland, but taxing was a bit of an adventure, according to J-Aircraft.com. The moment the bow touched the water after splashdown, water began pouring in from the hole in the bow. They jammed their life jackets into the gap left by the large hole in the bow because they lacked the materials to cover it. Six men piled up on the life jacket-filled hole to halt the water because it was clear that this was not holding. These men were barely above the water as they reached the beach. Everyone had blood, oil, and liquid on them.

Their plane #36 (could have been O-36, 851-36, or 51-36) had endured ninety-three 50 caliber bullets.

Photo by: Jack Fellows illustration via Weapons and Warfare

September 3, 2023 0 comment

History

Adolf Galland, a German ace, tells the incident in which his Messerschmitt Bf 109 was seriously damaged by a Spitfire

by Till Daisd September 2, 2023

written by Till Daisd

On June 21, 1941, Galland had blasted a Spitfire out of a formation northeast of Boulogne. He watched the flaming Spit spiraling down and began following to accurately register the crash. Galland was flying alone — a serious mistake

Lieutenant General Adolf Galland was by far the most well-known of Germany’s fighter pilots and air leaders during World War Two, as well as a multifaceted personality. He is one of the most outstanding individuals to hold a prominent position during the conflict on either side. Due to Galland’s significant contribution to the ups and downs of Germany’s aerial fortunes, air power historians will surely continue to be interested in him for many years to come. He became one of the legendary aces by excelling as a combat pilot.

As explained by Ray Toliver and Trevor J. Constable in their book Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe, on June 21, 1941, Galland had blasted a Spitfire out of a formation northeast of Boulogne. He watched the flaming Spit spiraling down and began following to accurately register the crash. Galland was flying alone — a serious mistake. He was jumped by a lone Spitfire lagging behind the formation.

According to him:

“Hell broke loose in my crate. Now they’ve got me. Something hard hit my head and arm. My aircraft was in bad shape. The wings were ripped by cannon fire. I was sitting half in the open. The right side of the cockpit had been shot away. Fuel tank and radiator were both leaking heavily. Instinctively, I banked away to the north. Almost calmly, I noticed that my heavily damaged fighter still flew, and responded tolerably well with the engine cut off. My luck had held once more, I was thinking, and I will try to glide home. My altitude was 18,000 feet.

“My arm and head were bleeding. But I didn’t feel any pain. No time for that. Anyhow, nothing precious was hurt. A sharp detonation tore me out of my reverie. The tank, which up to then had been gurgling away quietly, suddenly exploded. The whole fuselage was immediately aflame. Burning petrol ran into the cockpit. It was uncomfortably hot! Only one thought remained: Get out! Get out! Get out!

“The cockpit roof release would not work — must be jammed. Shall I burn alive in here? I tore my belt open. I tried to open the hinged top of the roof. The air pressure on it was too strong. Flames all around me. I must open it! I must not fry to death in here! Terror! Those were the most terrible seconds in my life. With a last effort, I pushed my whole body against the roof. The flap opened and was torn away by the airstream… I had already pulled her nose up. The push against the joystick did not throw me entirely clear of the burning coffin, which a few minutes before was my beloved and faithful Bf 109.

“The parachute on which I had been sitting was caught on the fixed part of the cockpit roof. The entire plane was now in flames and dashing down to earth with me. With my arm around the antenna mast, I tugged, I pushed against anything I could find with my feet. All in vain! Should I be doomed at the last moment although I was already half-freed? I don’t know how I got free in the end. Suddenly I was falling.

“I turned over several times in the air. Thank God! In my excitement, I nearly operated the quick harness release instead of the rip cord handle. At the last moment, I noticed that I was releasing the safety catch. Another shock! The parachute and I would have arrived separately . . slowly and softly I floated down to the earth.

“Below me a column of smoke marked the spot where my Messerschmitt had crashed. By rights, I should have landed in the forest of Boulogne like a monkey on a tree, but the parachute only brushed a poplar and then folded up. Handed rather luckily in a soft, boggy meadow. Up to now I had been under high tension of nerves and energy. I collapsed. I felt as wretched as a dog. Shot and bleeding profusely from head and arm, with a painfully twisted ankle which started to swell immediately, I could neither walk nor stand up.”

The clanking and bleeding Galland was picked up by a car. After attention from Dr. Heim at the naval hospital at Hardingham, and a few jolts of cognac, he was on his way to recovery.

Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: Platinum Fighters and German Federal Archive via Wikipedia

September 2, 2023 0 comment

History

From WWII B-17 pilot Colin P. Kelly to the “Ghost of Kyiv

by Till Daisd August 11, 2023

written by Till Daisd

As the Ghost of Kyiv legend spreads, we are reminded of another wartime tale that also inspired people during a time of war

As the legend of the Ghost of Kyiv grows, we are reminded of another wartime story that also gave a nation hope during a time of war. The story of Colin Kelly is one that clearly shows how specific details about a given combat action can be magnified in a way that can resonate among people living through a dark time.

Here is what Kelly’s Wikipedia page reports:

Kelly was born in Madison, Florida, in 1915 and graduated from high school there in 1932. He went on to West Point in 1933, graduated in the Class of 1937, and was assigned to a B-17 bomber group. He was the first Army officer to fly the Boeing Flying Fortress in the Far East.

Battle and death

On December 10, 1941 (December 9 in the United States), Kelly, with the 14th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, United States Army Air Corps, was in command of a B-17C Flying Fortress heavy bomber, #40-2045, which departed from Clark Field, on the island of Luzon, Commonwealth of the Philippines, alone and without escort, to search for an enemy aircraft carrier that had been reported near the coastal city of Aparri, at the northern end of the island. Kelly’s Flying Fortress had not been fully fueled or armed because of an impending Japanese air raid. It carried only three 600-pound (270 kg) demolition bombs in its bomb bay. While en route to their assigned target area, Kelly and his crew sighted a Japanese amphibious assault task force north of Aparri, including what they believed was a Fusō-class battleship. The crew was unable to locate the reported aircraft carrier, and Kelly decided to return to attack the ships that they had seen earlier.

Kelly made two passes at 20,000 feet (6,100 m) while the bombardier, Sergeant Meyer Levin, set up for a precise drop. On the third run, Sergeant Meyer released the three bombs in the trail and bracketed the IJN light cruiser Natori. It and an escorting destroyer, IJN Harukaze, were damaged during the attack:

…The battleship [actually, the light cruiser IJN Natori] was seen about 4 miles offshore and moving slowly parallel with the coastline… A quartering approach to the longitudinal axis of the ship was being flown. The three bombs were released in the train as rapidly as the bombardier could get them away. The first bomb struck about 50 yards short, the next alongside, and the third squarely amidship… A great cloud of smoke arose from the point of impact. The forward length of the ship was about 10 degrees off center to portside. The battleship began weaving from side to side and headed toward shore. Large trails of oil followed in its wake…

— Narrative Report of Flight of Captain Colin P. Kelly, Air Corps, O-20811 (deceased) on Dec 10, 1941, by Eugene L. Eubank, Colonel, Air Corps, Commanding, Headquarters, 5th Bomber Command, Malang, Java, Feb 19, 1942.

On its return flight, the bomber was then engaged by the Tainan Air Group A6Ms which had been patrolling over Vigan. They attacked it, followed it, and attacked again. Kelly ordered his crew to bail out and though the fire had spread to the flight deck, Kelly remained at the bomber’s controls while he tried to keep the plane straight and level. Staff Sergeant James E. Halkyard, Private First Class Willard L. Money, and Private Robert E. Altman were able to escape from the rear of the B-17. The navigator, Second Lieutenant Joe M. Bean, and the bombardier, Sergeant Levin, went out through the nose escape hatch. As co-pilot Lieutenant Donald Robins tried to open the cockpit’s upper escape hatch, the Flying Fortress exploded. Robins was thrown clear and was able to open his parachute. Boeing B-17C 40-2045 crashed approximately three miles (4.8 km) east of Clark Field. The bodies of Kelly and Technical Sergeant William J. Delehanty were found at the crash site.

The wreckage was found along a rural road two miles (3.2 km) west of Mount Aryat (Mount Aryat is about five miles (8.0 km) east of Clark Field). The tail assembly was missing. Parts … were scattered over an area of 500 yards (460 m). The right wing with two engines still in place remained almost intact although it was burning when the search party arrived. The fuselage and left side of the plane were badly wrecked and burned. T/Sgt Delehanty’s body was lying about 50 yards (46 m) north of the wreckage. Kelly’s body … was found very near the wreckage with his parachute unopened….

The attacking planes did not see this and initially were credited only with a probable “kill”, shared jointly by Toyoda, Yamagami, Kikuchi, Nozawa, and Izumi. Saburō Sakai, who has often been credited with destroying this aircraft, was indeed a flight (諸隊 (shotai)) leader engaged in this fight with the bomber, but he and his two wingmen do not appear to have been given official credit for its dispatch.

Early reports misidentified the ship attacked as the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara, which was present, or as the battleship Haruna, which was not. While initial reports incorrectly stated that the ship was sunk, it was hit but did not sink, although Kelly’s crew did report major damage was inflicted.

Colin-Kelly — his painting of Capt. Colin P. Kelly, Jr., hanging in the Air Power Gallery at the National Museum of the US Air Force, was painted by Deane Keller of Yale University.

Kelly’s exploits were emphasized as he progressed from the straightforward light cruiser Natori to the heavy cruiser Ashigara, and finally to the battleship Haruna. According to the story, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and had his crew bail out so he could crash-dive on the battleship, sinking it and saving the day. Sadly, his brave effort did not affect the Philippines Campaign in the same way in real life. An eager nation for war news received the news of his mission via MacArthur’s Headquarters communique.

Yet, Colin P. Kelly’s narrative served as an example for a generation of American youth who headed for war. Those who were already in the training process intensified their efforts to do their part to aid in the War effort. In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor, those who were still living on Civvie Street had a heroic story to add to the revenge factor, giving them even another motivation to enlist. Every American combatant who served in World War II did their part to erode the Axis Alliance of Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy. Their efforts would pay off when the Axis fell before the strength of the Allies, thanks to a war machine created and motivated by Colin P. Kelly’s epic story.

Regardless of who the “Ghost of Kyiv” is, they have succeeded in inspiring the globe with a story that may or may not be true. It’s possible that the ghost isn’t a specific person; instead, it could be the resistance spirit of Ukraine. On February 25, 2022, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense tweeted:

“Dozens of experienced military pilots from the captain to the general, who had previously been discharged from the reserve, are returning to the Air Force of the Armed Forces. Who knows, maybe one of them is the air avenger on the MiG-29, which is so often seen by Kyivites!”

🛩
До строю авіації Повітряних Сил ЗСУ повертаються десятки досвідчених військових льотчиків від капітана – до генерала, які раніше були звільнені з війська в запас.
Хтозна, може один із них і є той повітряний месник на МіГ-29, якого так часто бачать кияни!
🇺🇦 Все буде Україна! pic.twitter.com/EkEVLk1Tee
— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 25, 2022

With up to twice the armament of a single MiG-29, the Sukhoi Su-35 remains one of the planet’s most effective air-to-air platforms. Similar load-outs are seen on the Sukhoi Su-27. Despite the possibility of a MiG-35, it sounds like another MiG-29. Sukhoi Su-25s do appear to be a target a MiG-29 could take out rather quickly. On Day 1, according to the Ukrainians, seven Russian aircraft were shot down. As we’ve already mentioned, it is unlikely that a deteriorating MiG-29 could have given Ukraine so many victories while a complete air force and air defense system engaged in combat but only managed to sink one aircraft. Consequently, we argue that it is highly implausible that a single pilot could account for 6 out of 7.

Also, it appears that Ukraine’s MiG-29s are heritage aircraft from the collapse of the Soviet Union when Fighter Regiments with MiG-29s were left in what would become Ukraine. Although these aircraft have had some improvements and some even have the modern digital camouflage, their equipment fit is somewhat rudimentary, with cockpits that are still predominantly steam gauges and Soviet Blue interiors.

Check out Facebook Page Pensacola Aerospace Museum for further aviation photos and stories.

Photo by: Deane Keller / U.S. Air Force

August 11, 2023 0 comment

History

The passing of Hauptmann Eduard Tratt, the Zerstörer ace who scored the most during WWII

by Till Daisd August 5, 2023

written by Till Daisd

His death marked the end of the Luftwaffe’s capacity to effectively oppose the growing American bombing campaigns against Germany with the heavily equipped twin-engine Me 110G and Me 410 aircraft

Hauptmann Eduard Tratt, 24, was the highest-scoring Zerstörer pilot in World War II with 35 victories officially recorded. His death marked the end of the Luftwaffe’s ability to effectively use the heavily armed twin-engine Me 110G and Me 410 aircraft against the growing American bombing operations against Germany.

Tratt was credited with shooting down three Hawker Hurricane planes over Dunkirk on June 1, 1940, while flying the Me 110 heavy fighter with I./ZG 1 beginning in 1939. Before being wounded on August 12, he downed ten more RAF aircraft over the course of the subsequent ten weeks of Channel battles.

After the Zerstörer’s failure as an escort fighter in the Battle of Britain, as explained by Douglas C. Dildy in his book “Big Week”, 1944, Operation Argument and the breaking of the Jagdwaffe, it was re-purposed primarily as a ground-attack fighter-bomber, which Tratt successfully piloted in the invasion of Russia. He is credited with downing nine Soviet aircraft, destroying another 17 on the ground, along with 24 tanks and 312 vehicles. On April 12, 1942, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross).

Eduard-Tratt — Hauptmann Eduard Tratt, the highest-scoring Zerstörer ace of the war.

His leadership of Erprobungskommando 25 allowed him to test the new Me 410A-2 Hornisse (Hornet) in the heavy bomber interceptor role and bring down two B-17s in May and June 1943 after he had recovered from his fourth set of wounds. He was consequently given command of the resurrected II./ZG 26, which was operating the Me 410 out of Hildesheim in central Germany.

He was more than ready to take on the P-38, the USAAF’s equivalent heavy fighter, and he was also given credit for downing four Lightnings. On February 20, 1944, the opening day of “Big Week” (Operation Argument), he gained his final victory over a retiring 1st Bomb Division Fortress.

When the 91st BG attempted to bomb Oschersleben on February 22, Tratt and his gunner Oberfeldwebel Gillert were reported to have “single-handedly attacked” them. Their Me 410B-1/U2 may have suffered damage from retaliatory fire from a 401st BS Fortress. However, the main assault was to the south, where 99 B-17s were bombing Halberstadt, Bernburg, and Aschersleben. 46 P-51s from the 354th FG escorted them.

Captain Robert J. Brooks’s 356th FS observed an estimated 16 Me 110Gs (ZG 26) arriving from 11 o’clock at 23,000ft, being escorted by a high cover squadron of Me 109Gs, five minutes after joining the 40th CBW. Once the two formations clashed, a downward-spiraling dogfight started. Four aircrewmen from I. Gruppe, two from III./ZG 26 Zerstörers, all eight of Major Johann Kogler’s Zerstörers, and five other aircrew members were killed or wounded. Four fighters were lost by the Me 109G units, but no pilots.

Tratt’s Me 410B was shot down over the Harz Mountains north of Nordhausen by Captain Jack T. Bradley (CO 353rd FS) and his wingman, Lieutenant Wah Kau Kong, as shown in the following image. Tratt and his gunner were killed. Soon later, a Me 110G cannon fire hit Kong’s P-51B hard, causing it to explode in midair.

“Big Week,” 1944, Operation Argument and the Breaking of the Jagdwaffe is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: Graham Turner via Osprey and Unknown source

August 5, 2023 0 comment

History

Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, a member of the Luftwaffe Experten, flew his final mission while piloting a Focke-Wulf FW 190D-9

by Till Daisd August 3, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, the Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 3, was one extremely skilled Luftwaffe pilot who ended his war flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9

One of Germany’s top fighter aircraft during World War Two, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, flew for the first time on June 1, 1939. It first saw action in September 1941 over northwest France and quickly established its dominance over the Mark V Spitfire, Britain’s greatest fighter at the time.

Most Fw 190s were “A” series models with BMW radial engines. But, towards the end of 1943, the more effective “D” series, propelled by the more powerful Jumo 213 inline, liquid-cooled engine, began to engage US bombers in combat. The Fw 190D-9 had to have a 20-inch portion of its fuselage added slightly ahead of the tail because the larger engine elongated its nose.

The Fw 190D-9 was one of the few fighter types to reach service in World War 2 that had been designed after hostilities began, as Robert Forsyth explains in his book Fw 190D-9 Defence of the Reich 1944-45.

Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, the Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 3, was a highly skilled Luftwaffe pilot who finished his war flying the D-9. His personal victory score by the end of April 1945 was 92, with the most recent one coming on March 21 when he shot down one of several Il-2s that had attacked the Prenzlau base of his Gruppe. During the raid, a few Focke-Wulfs were able to take to the skies, and D-9 pilots Feldwebel Oskar Bösch and Leutnant Karl-Alfred Schulte each claimed two more Shturmoviks as their 16th and 3rd claims.

After this incident, Romm continued to fly missions, but five weeks later he would encounter his match over a frontal region where Soviet forces had recently made a breakthrough, as he recalled (Price, At War, pg. 132-133):

‘My last combat mission was on 24 April 1945, to the south of Stettin, when, with my wingman, I attacked a formation of Russian Shturmovik ground-attack aircraft. I selected full emergency power, and with our superior speed, we went right through the Russian fighter escort without difficulty. I was just about to open fire on one of the Ilyushins when my cooling gills suddenly opened automatically. The oil and coolant temperature gauges showed that the engine was overheating. Either my engine had been hit by enemy fire or it had suffered a failure. I broke off the action by rolling over onto my back and pulling away in a steep dive. The Russian fighters endeavoring to follow were soon left behind and abandoned the chase.’

Oskar-Romm — Oberleutnant Oskar Romm was
awarded the Knight’s Cross on
Feb. 26, 1944, when his
the score stood at 76 and by war’s
end he was credited with 92
aerial victories.

Sparks and exhaust smoke trailed behind Romm’s “Dora” as he steered it southwest, back toward the German frontline. The engine was broken and overheated. ‘As the last of the lubricating oil burned away between the aluminum pistons and the steel cylinder block,’ he recalled, ‘the engine burst into flames.’ Romm had returned to territory controlled by the Germans, but he was too low to bail out. A short while later, the Jumo cut out, and the Fw 190D-9 crashed to the ground 20 kilometers northwest of Prenzlau, close to Brüssow. He remembered how the plane:

‘. . . proceeded to smear its pieces all over the landscape. However, the same rugged construction that had saved my life in earlier emergency landings proved itself once again.’

Romm sustained a broken skull, facial lacerations, a concussion, and other minor injuries despite the D-9’s tough construction. Thankfully, soldiers at a nearby divisional headquarters noticed his landing and radioed his location to the local Luftwaffe leadership. After that, the soldiers dragged the fighter pilot out of his aircraft and transported him to their headquarters, where an army doctor tried his best to take care of him.

Romm was taken from the crash site a short time later by members of IV./JG 3 under the direction of an officer from the Stabskompanie. He was first taken to a Luftwaffe hospital in Wismar, and then four days later he was taken to a hospital on the Timmendorfer-Strand on the Baltic coast close to Travemünde. He had won the war.

Fw 190D-9 Defence of the Reich 1944–45 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by: Gareth Hector via Osprey Publishing and EN Archive

August 3, 2023 0 comment

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