About cats on Henderson Field…… (1 Viewer)

[Skywalker Jin]

It seems that those wildcats on the Henderson Field used mud as runways for I hadn't found any pictures about "F4F on Marston Mat".
However I still want to place my cat on the Mat because there are ready-made kits for it.
Pictures about "F4F on Marston Mat during 1942.10~1943.7" are needed.
Thank you.

 

[Wurger]

Here ... cicrca 1942 ...

the pic source: Dispersal Area of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, circa 1942 USMC Archives Soule Collection

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Here ... cicrca 1942 ...

View attachment 868567
the pic source: Dispersal Area of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, circa 1942 USMC Archives Soule Collection

Thanks Wurger that's exactly what I need
Before this I had found a bunch of pictures that "Avengers or Dauntless on the Mat" once for a while I suspected Cactus Force just let bombers operate on Marston Mat LOL

 

[Wurger]

Yep ...

the pic source: the net

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Thanks Wurger that's exactly what I need
Before this I had found a bunch of pictures that "Avengers or Dauntless on the Mat" once for a while I suspected Cactus Force just let bombers operate on Marston Mat LOL

Well some high-res photo indicated that was actually some web-like thing
But that's all right

 

[Wurger]

OK. And one more shot ...

the pic source: the net.

 

[Airframes]

The "web-like thing" is either Sommerfeld mat, or Army Track Matting, which was basically steel mesh, rolled out and pegged with lengths of steel strip or cable as reinforcement along the overlap of the rolls.
For modelling this in 1/48th scale, I use nylon mesh as used in dress making etc, as shown below.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

The "web-like thing" is either Sommerfeld mat, or Army Track Matting, which was basically steel mesh, rolled out and pegged with lengths of steel strip or cable as reinforcement along the overlap of the rolls.
For modelling this in 1/48th scale, I use nylon mesh as used in dress making etc, as shown below.



View attachment 868575View attachment 868576

Another useful tip, thanks Airframes

 

[Skywalker Jin]

OK. And one more shot ...

View attachment 868574
the pic source: the net.

Just amazed by the efficiency of Seebees, thanks to their effort US could drain Japs air power to last drop of blood

 

[Wurger]

Just amazed by the efficiency of Seebees, thanks to their effort US could drain Japs air power to last drop of blood

And the next shot ...

the pic source: the net.

 

[elbmc1969]

OK. And one more shot ...

View attachment 868574
the pic source: the net.

"We only have one revetment. What should we put in there?"

TBF suddenly appears.

Lightnings gaze wistfully, their hopes and dreams crushed.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

"We only have one revetment. What should we put in there?"

TBF suddenly appears.

Lightnings gaze wistfully, their hopes and dreams crushed.

Nice words, what are they describing?

 

[pb43]

It seems that those wildcats on the Henderson Field used mud as runways for I hadn't found any pictures about "F4F on Marston Mat".
However I still want to place my cat on the Mat because there are ready-made kits for it.
Pictures about "F4F on Marston Mat during 1942.10~1943.7" are needed.
Thank you.

More commonly known as PSP (Pierced Steel Planking). Still used in the present day. When I was at RAF Stanley it was used extensively, including for the Harrier Tie-down facility. While pushing a Harrier back onto the Tie-down pad, one of the mainwheels ran over one of the lugs which had been bent up, which is not uncommon with PSP apparently.

 

[GrauGeist]

Nice words, what are they describing?

Of all the aircraft stationed on the field, it was a solitary torpedo bomber that was parked inside the protective revetment!

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Of all the aircraft stationed on the field, it was a solitary torpedo bomber that was parked inside the protective revetment!

Oh my……

 

[EwenS]

There were quite a number of forms of track surfacing for airfields used in WW2 beyond those mentioned above. In summary:-

Light weight wire types:-
Sommerfield Track - British development. Came in rolls 10ft 7in wide & 75ft long. Hexagonal pattern mesh with transverse reinforcement bars every 8in.
Square Mesh Track (SMT) - British development from steel used in concrete reinforcement. 3in square mesh. Came in form of panels 12ft x 6ft or rolls 7ft 3in wide by 77ft long. Extensively used in Normandy for the early strips and laid over grass to reduce wear. Needed to be well pinned down or it formed waves as aircraft moved over it!

Panel types:-
Channel Track - Developed in Britain. Consisted of panels 11ft x 6ft
Bar & Rod - US development. Not used on a large scale. Panels were 12ft x 3ft
Irving Grid Track - US development from before their entry into WW2 and produced on a limited scale. Panel size 12ft 6in x 1ft 10in.

Plank type:-
Pierced Steel Plank (PSP) or Marston Mat - most widely used of all types. Panels or planks were 1.25ft x 10ft formed from mild steel. One problem was that water tended to gather under the surface and as traffic moved over it, turned to a muddy slurry that weakened the surface layer. Often solved, in Europe at least, by laying it on a bed of straw.

And finally Prefabricated Bituminous Surfacing (PBS). This was a bituminised jute hessian cloth manufactured in Britain and used by both British and American engineers to provide a waterproof surface. First trialled in June 1943. It came in rolls about 3ft wide and 80 yard lengths rolled onto steel / timber formers. Unlike the steel options above it added no strength to the ground serving only to stabilise the bearing capacity of the underlying ground that had already been graded and smoothed. Eash strip was laid lomgitudinally and overlying the previous one by half its width to give a double layer across the airstrip. It was successful if laid in dry weather. It held several advantages. It was quick to lay once the ground was prepared, could last for up to a year and weighed considerably less than PSP to transport (812 tons v 4,877 tons of PSP) for an average airfield.

Between D-Day and 30 Oct 1944, 30 airfields in NWE (17% of the total constructed) were surfaced with this. After that it stopped being used with the arrival of the wet autumn / winter weather. It was also extensively used in India / Burma.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

There were quite a number of forms of track surfacing for airfields used in WW2 beyond those mentioned above. In summary:-

Light weight wire types:-
Sommerfield Track - British development. Came in rolls 10ft 7in wide & 75ft long. Hexagonal pattern mesh with transverse reinforcement bars every 8in.
Square Mesh Track (SMT) - British development from steel used in concrete reinforcement. 3in square mesh. Came in form of panels 12ft x 6ft or rolls 7ft 3in wide by 77ft long. Extensively used in Normandy for the early strips and laid over grass to reduce wear. Needed to be well pinned down or it formed waves as aircraft moved over it!

Panel types:-
Channel Track - Developed in Britain. Consisted of panels 11ft x 6ft
Bar & Rod - US development. Not used on a large scale. Panels were 12ft x 3ft
Irving Grid Track - US development from before their entry into WW2 and produced on a limited scale. Panel size 12ft 6in x 1ft 10in.

Plank type:-
Pierced Steel Plank (PSP) or Marston Mat - most widely used of all types. Panels or planks were 1.25ft x 10ft formed from mild steel. One problem was that water tended to gather under the surface and as traffic moved over it, turned to a muddy slurry that weakened the surface layer. Often solved, in Europe at least, by laying it on a bed of straw.

And finally Prefabricated Bituminous Surfacing (PBS). This was a bituminised jute hessian cloth manufactured in Britain and used by both British and American engineers to provide a waterproof surface. First trialled in June 1943. It came in rolls about 3ft wide and 80 yard lengths rolled onto steel / timber formers. Unlike the steel options above it added no strength to the ground serving only to stabilise the bearing capacity of the underlying ground that had already been graded and smoothed. Eash strip was laid lomgitudinally and overlying the previous one by half its width to give a double layer across the airstrip. It was successful if laid in dry weather. It held several advantages. It was quick to lay once the ground was prepared, could last for up to a year and weighed considerably less than PSP to transport (812 tons v 4,877 tons of PSP) for an average airfield.

Between D-Day and 30 Oct 1944, 30 airfields in NWE (17% of the total constructed) were surfaced with this. After that it stopped being used with the arrival of the wet autumn / winter weather. It was also extensively used in India / Burma.

Thanks for adding additional info！

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Thread could be called The Cat on the Mat.

I'll get my coat myself, thanks.

 

[Skywalker Jin]

Thread could be called The Cat on the Mat.

I'll get my coat myself, thanks.

 

[Tiger11]

The TBF appears to be being bombed up, (torpedoed?) from the looks of the ordnance beneath the wings. The revetment would be the place for such activity.