You’ve got the last Tiger Moth in Singapore. Where do you go?

[Admiral Beez]

15 Feb 1942, Percival goes to surrender. If you (an Englishman) and a navigator colleague have the last operational and fuelled Tiger Moth, with a range of 302 mi (486 km, 262 nmi) where would you try to escape to? Japanese forces landed on Sumatra the day before on Feb 14th. The Sarawak and DEI were invaded by the Japanese in Dec and Jan respectively.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I grab a boat to Trincomalee, a fast boat, preferably, and take my chances that way, and grab a squadron assignment there. There ain't much reserve buoyancy in a Tiger Moth.

If I absolutely have to get out in the Moth, I step-stone down to Australia and hope I don't become someone's kill. I think the last leg from Timor to the NW coast of Down Under is still going to give me headaches but at least there'll be more Diggers there and we can figure it out.

 

[Graeme]

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Snautzer01]

Creation of banks.

 

[taly01]

I was just reading an account from NZ 488 squadron where near the last days on Singapore a yellow "Tiger Moth" was seen flying around and dropping hand grenades on them, they think they Japanese found it and "repurposed" it!

Its pg. 169 "Last Stand in Singapore. The story of 488 sqd RNZAF" by Graham Clayton. Great book of Singapore/DEI disaster and some of best pictures of Buffalo showing shape of headrest armor and black undersides.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Creation of banks.

Wrong thread? Maybe meant for the "biggest nonreligious event" thread?

 

[SaparotRob]

Nope. Hide in a bank vault after decoying IJA forces with the Tiger Moth.

 

[Snautzer01]

Wrong thread? Maybe meant for the "biggest nonreligious event" thread?

Indeed. Sorry.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Indeed. Sorry.

No apologies needed, it happens.

 

[tonycat77]

Probably fly until i see a friendly ship and then ditch near it, like what the south vietnamese did in '75.
Front seat would either have a very pretty girl or a stash of "relocated" goverment bank notes or gold.

 

[swampyankee]

15 Feb 1942, Percival goes to surrender. If you (an Englishman) and a navigator colleague have the last operational and fuelled Tiger Moth, with a range of 302 mi (486 km, 262 nmi) where would you try to escape to? Japanese forces landed on Sumatra the day before on Feb 14th. The Sarawak and DEI were invaded by the Japanese in Dec and Jan respectively.

I'd have to agree with Tony: look for a friendly ship (hah!) and ditch nearby. Sumatra was invaded about the same day as Singapore fell and Sarawak was pretty much under Japanese control by this time. Flying to Sumatra would likely be unhealthy, what with all the Japanese activity leading up to the invasion.

Of course, one option would be to overload the aircraft and ditch the passenger. The Tiger Moth only had a fuel capacity of about 85 L. Replacing the passenger with 60 L of fuel would give a significant increase in range, although it's moot if it would actually be a useful increase in range. Better would be to buy/steal a boat.

 

[SaparotRob]

Might get further with a boat than a Tiger Moth if you're lugging some serious gold.

 

[tonycat77]

Might get further with a boat than a Tiger Moth if you're lugging some serious gold.

Not as cinematic though.

 

[SaparotRob]

Did you forget about the chick?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Oh, so now everyone gets aboard a boat. What a difference a few weeks makes!

 

[tonycat77]

Did you forget about the chick?

A pile of gold or a cute girl?
I'd take the gold please

 

[SaparotRob]

Get a pre-nup first.

 

[Glider]

Might get further with a boat than a Tiger Moth if you're lugging some serious gold.

Ditching with gold may not be the best idea

 

[Marcel]

Answer to the thread is of course Sumatra where you try to get one of the evacuation ship to Australia.

Ditching with gold may not be the best idea

Ever heard of klm captain Smirnoff and his diamonds?

Diamonds on the Australian coast