Transports (3 Viewers)

[GermansRGeniuses]

The construction is in the green zone I circled, Morro Da Gavazza
Or "Hill of the (something)"

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

look's like it shoulb be pretty good.............

 

[cheddar cheese]

i dont like the sea

 

[HealzDevo]

I think the C-47 and also, if WW2 had continued longer, I think we could have seen a bright spark getting the aircraft gunship idea. This was in every theatre of war the Allies fought in and provided sterling service for Paratrooper operations and glider towing.

 

[cheddar cheese]

With the YB-40 and YB-41 the gunship idea was starting to come to fruition, but as bomber escorts. They werent that good though because they couldnt keep up with the bombers

 

[FLYBOYJ]

With the YB-40 and YB-41 the gunship idea was starting to come to fruition, but as bomber escorts. They werent that good though because they couldnt keep up with the bombers

Yep, but they looked deadly!

 

[cheddar cheese]

Damn right 8)

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Here's another.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i don't really think the idea would have worked though.....

 

[FLYBOYJ]

i don't really think the idea would have worked though.....

No, it didn't. The only story I ever heard of the B-40 being used with some notoriety was over Italy where a captured P-38 was being used to shoot down crippled bombers. The B-40 pilot got into a verbal confrontation with the rouge P-38 pilot, claiming he had been with his wife. When the rouge P-38 came around to attack the B-40, everyone opened up on the P-38.

This was from Martin Cadin's book "The Forked Tail Devil," take it for what it's worth

 

[cheddar cheese]

Ive heard that story but I didnt think it was a YB-40, I just thought it was regular B-17

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Ive heard that story but I didnt think it was a YB-40, I just thought it was regular B-17

I think Cadin said it was a YB-40, but I could be wrong.

 

[cheddar cheese]

Youre right, it was a YB-40

One of the more interesting stories in the MTO was of the phantom P-38, which was causing trouble for many crippled bombers. Beginning on June 4, 1943, a crippled bomber was coming back from a mission against the island of Pantelleria. The crew was considering bailing out of their bomber when they spotted a P-38 coming closer. They immediately relaxed knowing it was coming to their aid. The crew continued to dump extra weight from the aircraft, including the guns and ammunition. Before the crew realized what happened, the P-38 erupted in gunfire and destroyed the B-17. The only survivor was the pilot, Lt. Harold Fisher. Fisher was rescued and was the target of fury from the fighter pilots by suggesting it was a friendly P-38 that shot them down.

Several weeks before Lt. Fisher's ordeal, a P-38 pilot was low on fuel and was lost. He actually made an emergency landing just outside of Sardinia. The pilot was captured before he was able to destroy his aircraft. Italian pilot, Lt. Guido Rossi came up with the idea of using this P-38 against the American bombers. Rossi's strategy was to wait until the bombers made their attacks. Rossi would then take off and scout around for stragglers. He actually used this technique to shoot down several bombers. Until Lt. Fisher, no other crews survived to tell of the P-38 shooting them down. The American commanders were under the assumption that these missing bombers just did not make it back just as many before them. Nobody thought a friendly aircraft was the cause.

After Fisher told his story, bombers crews were alerted to look for a lone P-38, which was posing as a friendly. Fisher came up with the idea of using a decoy B-17 to attract Rossi. Fisher's idea was approved and he took off in the experimental YB-40 gunship. This was simply a modified B-17, which had more armor and guns. He flew several missions lagging behind the rest of the formations, but never encountered Rossi. Intelligence was being gathered and the Allies finally learned the identity of the pilot. They also learned that his wife was living in Allied occupied Constantine. An artist actually used a picture of his wife to paint a nose art picture on Fisher's bomber, and included her name, Gina. On August 31, a B-17 raid struck Pisa. Fisher was flying among the bombers, and was actually damaged by enemy fighters. He recovered at a low altitude and had to feather two engines. Before lone, a lone P-38 was approaching and the crew was on high alert. Rossi, using very good English, contacted Fisher, just as he did on previous occasions. Rossi immediately noticed the nose art on the aircraft and spoke with Fisher. Fisher was still uncertain the pilot was Rossi and was chatting with Rossi normally. Fisher decided to bait this pilot to see if it was Rossi or not, and began talking about Gine and her location in Constantine. When Fisher was describing intimate details of their "relationship", Rossi lost his cool. He peeled off and began his attack. Fisher ordered all guns to open up on this P-38, and Rossi had to peel off trailing smoke. Rossi intended to ram the bomber, but began breaking up and could not maintain flight. He was able to ditch in the water and survived. Rossi was later picked up and taken prisoner. Fisher was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross medal for his efforts. Fisher would survive the war, but was killed in a transport accident during the Berlin Airlift. Incidentally, Rossi was one of the mourners at his funeral.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

 

[cheddar cheese]

Its a great story, indeed one of my favourites of the war

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I agree - another movie script! 8)

 

[elmilitaro]

Can't argue with that, the C-47 was the best troop transport before, during, and after WW2.

 

[P38 Pilot]

I think the C-47 and also, if WW2 had continued longer, I think we could have seen a bright spark getting the aircraft gunship idea. This was in every theatre of war the Allies fought in and provided sterling service for Paratrooper operations and glider towing.

Actully the C-47 did become a gunship. During the Vietnam war, the C-47 became the AC-47. The whole aircraft came with nicknames like "Puff the Magic Dragon" along with Ghosty and Flying Gunship. The AC-47 was a great aircraft because it could carry those Mini-guns that were made during the war. The whole AC47 was great for attacking Vietcong at night.

 

[plan_D]

Spooky...it's name was Spooky. Those others are just nicknames.

 

[evangilder]

There was also an EC-47 that was used for electronic reconnaissance. I interviewed a guy that flew them in Vietnam. They were able to capture the radar signatures used by the enemy for targetting American aircraft. The funny part about that gent is that he flew P-38s in the Pacific at the end of WWII and ended up later flying the EC-47 in Vietnam! He is 86 years old now and still flies regularly. He has a Piper Tripacer.