Just the kind of guy to get the most out of the likes of "Flip" Corchran.He understood it was a different war with different gear and needed a different approach. That flexibility marks him as a really smart guy, in my book.
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Just the kind of guy to get the most out of the likes of "Flip" Corchran.He understood it was a different war with different gear and needed a different approach. That flexibility marks him as a really smart guy, in my book.
When Kenny took over in the Southwest PTO, he discovered Pappy Gunn had been stuffing scrounged .50MGs into the noses of his 3rd BG's A-20s and strafing the hell out of the Japanese.Something I was going to put on my last post, but deleted for brevity's sake, seems a little more appropriate here:
One of my favorite USAAF generals is George Kenney, because he didn't care too much about doctrine or other fancy stuff. He just wanted the job done. So you want to put a B-25 at 100' ASL and skip the bombs into ships? Okay -- does it work? Yes? Well, get after it, Ranchhand.
He wanted bold sonsabitches who'd press home low and fast, and used whatever airplanes at hand. No mewling about how the book said it should be done, no attachment to his favorite schemes. Parafrags? No problem, we'll figure it out. I've got P-40s for half my fighter force? Okay, we'll figure out coverage with -38s flying high.
He had an enlisted man's sense of improvisation and gave it a general's stamp of approval, doctrine be damned. That's a guy I'd happily serve under. None of this bomber-mafia bullshit or fighter-pilot elitism.
It's almost like he didn't trust his comfort-zone. ... unlike so many other general officers from all the branches.
Just the kind of guy to get the most out of the likes of "Flip" Corchran.
When Kenny took over in the Southwest PTO, he discovered Pappy Gunn had been stuffing scrounged .50MGs into the noses of his 3rd BG's A-20s and strafing the hell out of the Japanese.
He was so impressed that he gave Gunn some B-25s to "field upgrade" into strafers, which was an instant success. (both types made a large impact on the Battle of Bismark Sea, btw)
Kenny like Gunn's innovations and go-to attitude so much, he made Gunn a member of his staff. For what it's worth, Pappy was an old Naval aviator (served with VF-1B before retiring) who was commisioned into the AAF during the Philippine evacuation.
Flip and Pappy were birds of a feather, kind of like Chenault, but their timing was better, so they flourished in a more appreciative environment.I hadn't heard of him before this post of yours, reading up right now. Definitely same ballpark, and thanks for the lead.
Flip and Pappy were birds of a feather, kind of like Chenault, but their timing was better, so they flourished in a more appreciative environment.
By 1943 the people who believed a fighter escort were not needed were in a very small minority.
Let's not forget that RAF Spitfires escorted US bombers on missions into France and other targets in early 1943 (where range permitted) until they were replaced by the P-38.
As the sole escort platform for USAAF bombers, they escorted through mid '43 or so. The P-38 took up the task from there.They often participated as the first leg of the escort relay on the outbound journey, and the last leg for the inbound journey.
Not sure when, or if, that stopped.
I vote P-47 as most overrated. Fast, tough and heavily armed. But if you need escort in 1943 and early 1944 the Thunderbolt was not the answer.
Not in 1943.It was miles ahead of the P-39.![]()
I beleive the OP was looking for "over rated" in an overall sense, not on a yearly basis.Not in 1943.
Just read the Flip wiki page. What a guy. Is there a book about him?Flip and Pappy were birds of a feather, kind of like Chenault, but their timing was better, so they flourished in a more appreciative environment.