A Few Tidbits From a New Book (1 Viewer)

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MIflyer

1st Lieutenant
6,160
11,728
May 30, 2011
Cape Canaveral
Just started reading "Missions Remembered REcolelctions of the WWII Air War" from the men of the Middle Tennessee WWII Fighter Pilots Assn.

1. P-47 pilots were given a rubber coated hacksaw blade as part of their escape and evasion kits. It was rubber coated to enable hiding it anally.

2. P-47 pilots were told to fire at the Left wing root of BF-109's because that was the location of the fuel pump. If the 109 did not catch fire then at it would still likely go down due to destruction of the fuel pump.

3. On 10 June 1943 the 79th Fighter Group sent a fighter sweep from Cape Bon to Panatellaria and they spotted a large hospital aircraft hugging the waves, with about 10 BF-109's around it. The P-40's dove on the 109's and Lt Col Grogan's wing sliced through that of a 109, sending it tumbling out of the sky. Grogan headed for home with his outer wing missing.
The 79th shot down 15 Mc202 and BF-109's for th loss of one P-40.

4. On one escort mission over Germany the 351st fighter squadron observed 39 Me 262's pass overhead, arranged in 13 Vics of three.
 
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1. P-47 pilots were given a rubber coated hacksaw blade as part of their escape and evasion kits. It was rubber coated to enable hiding it anally.
I have not read the book, first published in 1995, but I suspect the source of that particular information was mis-remembering, or pulling someone's leg. A section of hacksaw blade, about 5" in length, was included in the escape kits provided to fliers, but it was not rubber coated and not intended to be concealed internally. In actuality, these were covered with a clear plastic, similar to clear adhesive tape, for the purpose of waterproofing to prevent the steel blade from rusting. Where the confusion may come in is regarding another item included in the kits, a small escape compass. They came in various sizes of 1", or less. The smallest of these, about 1/2" in diameter, was nicknamed the "A-hole" compass, as it could be concealed in that area of the body, if desired. Much safer than trying to hide a 5" long serrated blade in one's anatomy.
Photo below showing partial contents of an E3a survival kit with saw blade and one of the larger compasses.
survival.jpg
 

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