MIDWAY.

[powderman]

 
MIDWAY. 

WE went Mon. GREAT  action move. Covers a lot of the black fliers too. Best we've seen in years. The black pilots cracked a lot of jokes in the movie which I doubt they did in combat.
Not in the movie, but the Tuskeegee black airmen were kept from combat for a long time. Eleanor Roosevelt heard about them and took an interest, even flew with one of them. She went to bat for them and they finally went into combat.
Last movie we saw we left about 1/2 way through it. Not much to choose from anymore. CHARLIE.   

[Tom W.]

Are you sure it wasn't the Tuskegee Airmen?

[Argent 88]

I thought the black flyers were only in Europe. Maybe that was only the red tails   

[goodshot]

That is my understanding as well, Navy carrier based fighters were not integrated at that time from my understanding.

[Argent 88]

That is my understanding as well, Navy carrier based fighters were not integrated at that time from my understanding.

That's the way I understood it. They escorted bombers over Germany in P51 mustangs.
The Navy in the Pacific was using mostly the Corsairs. The wings on a mustang didn't
fold up.

[powderman]

Are you sure it wasn't the Tuskegee Airmen?

Right you are Sir. In the movie the pilots were handed something about a ft and a half square, might have had 2 hangers or something on one end. Never saw what they did with it. Any ideas what it might have been?? CHARLIE. 

[Argent 88]

Are you sure it wasn't the Tuskegee Airmen?

Right you are Sir. In the movie the pilots were handed something about a ft and a half square, might have had 2 hangers or something on one end. Never saw what they did with it. Any ideas what it might have been?? CHARLIE. 

It's possible that the black flyers might have been Army air corps. And not off of a Carrier but an air base somewhere.
Flying P-40 Warhawks. That device your referring to might have been a hernia bar, for quickly loading ordinance.
Not very many mustangs saw service in the Pacific. A lot of P-38 Lightnings saw service in the Pacific.


The Japanese called them screaming Devils. Charlie, if a P-40 had to land just anywhere to rearm, and fuel.
A hernia bar would be needed, Some of those island airfields were nothing but a dirt road at that time.
So it would need to be on the aircraft. And the P-40 was utilized at Midway.

[powderman]

Argent 88 thanks, never knew about the hernia bar. The blacks flew bomber cover and were land based. CHARLIE. 

[Argent 88]

Argent 88 thanks, never knew about the hernia bar. The blacks flew bomber cover and were land based. CHARLIE. 

This would be true, the Army already had integrated pilots. If the ground crews had no way to rearm
the bombs then the aircraft did. Makes sense with all those remote landing sites. The Carriers had the
flight deck loaders, but they had to use the bars also sometimes.


Four strong men hoisting it up and connecting it. That's where the hernia bar got its name.
 

[Argent 88]

Some P-40s were outfitted with a tail hook. But the wings didn't fold so there was no room for them in the
Hanger deck. They wouldn't even fit the elevators. WW2 Carriers were not that big.
The 16 B25 aircraft used in the Doolittle raid had to be stored on the rear of the flight deck.
 

[powderman]

Some P-40s were outfitted with a tail hook. But the wings didn't fold so there was no room for them in the
Hanger deck. They wouldn't even fit the elevators. WW2 Carriers were not that big.
The 16 B25 aircraft used in the Doolittle raid had to be stored on the rear of the flight deck.
 

It also showed part of the Doolittle raid. Darn good movie. CHARLIE. 

[Argent 88]

Some P-40s were outfitted with a tail hook. But the wings didn't fold so there was no room for them in the
Hanger deck. They wouldn't even fit the elevators. WW2 Carriers were not that big.
The 16 B25 aircraft used in the Doolittle raid had to be stored on the rear of the flight deck.
 

It also showed part of the Doolittle raid. Darn good movie. CHARLIE. 

Those brave fight crews had to know that this might be a suicide mission. I read about the Army P-40s landing on a
Carrier, damaged or just a rearm to get back in the fight. It was tricky but they pulled it off, everyone pulled together during Midway. Thank goodness our ordnance was universal.  Not having a tail hook, they devised an ingenious
pop up net to catch them. Heck it worked.