History Camp Colorado

[IHRA]

This should be of interest to any of you in Colorado next month.

From the History Camp website:

"History Camp Colorado will be on November 12, 2016 at the Tivoli Student Union on Auraria Campus in this historic building in downtown Denver!

If you're a history lover, History Camp is for you. It's a unique opportunity to spend a day with others from all walks of life who have a passion for history, from authors, teachers, genealogists, and students, to park rangers, museum volunteers, librarians, and individuals from other professions and backgrounds."

We'll be there to discuss Gen. Walker's final mission over Rabaul. This is the first time History Camp is coming to Colorado and we're looking forward to being part of it. Come join us if you can! Additional info and tickets can be purchased here.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Did he really need to hang around ad long as he did?

 

[IHRA]

Did he really need to hang around ad long as he did?

Who, Walker? He wasn't supposed to be on the January 5th mission. General Kenney ordered him to not fly on combat missions because he didn't want to potentially lose a great commander and he knew the Japanese would try to get sensitive info from Walker if his plane was shot down.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Yeah, but didn't he circle back a couple of times to do BDA? I thought I read that in book about B-17's in the Pacific.

 

[GrauGeist]

If I recall, there was several senior officers aboard the B-17 along with Walker.

In addition to Kinney telling Walker not to go on the mission, the time of the mission was supposed to be conducted in the early hours of the morning, but Walker ignored him and conducted the strike at noon. In doing so, he missed the Japanese resupply convoy, as it had steamed out of the harbor about 10 that morning.

 

[IHRA]

Yeah, but didn't he circle back a couple of times to do BDA? I thought I read that in book about B-17's in the Pacific.

The aircraft circled because the pilots were doing evasive maneuvers while an engine was shot out. One of the B-24 co-pilots assumed he was doing BDA because he said he was planning to do so before the mission.

 

[IHRA]

If I recall, there was several senior officers aboard the B-17 along with Walker.

In addition to Kinney telling Walker not to go on the mission, the time of the mission was supposed to be conducted in the early hours of the morning, but Walker ignored him and conducted the strike at noon. In doing so, he missed the Japanese resupply convoy, as it had steamed out of the harbor about 10 that morning.

You are correct.