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Post by VeeVee on Jul 1, 2008 21:45:52 GMT -5
Awesome! Any bigger photos? Did anyone take a picture or video of the plane dropping the bombs? That is indeed neat.
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Post by rickthelibrarian on Jul 3, 2008 16:43:11 GMT -5
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Post by rickthelibrarian on Jul 3, 2008 16:46:26 GMT -5
No that I'm through being a smart aleck, I don't have any extra copies of the article, but I do see that issue on eBay once in a while. I also believe that Challenge Publications offers it in back issue.
Worse to worse, I'd be glad to make you a high-quality photocopy. LOTS of previously unpublished photos in the story - I even have a couple showing the Philippine Scouts pre-WWII!!
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Post by oklahoma on Sept 26, 2008 12:38:08 GMT -5
i served with a guy in korea who was a flight engineer/gunner on one of the B-17s that was destroyed at clark field in the first big jap raid on that installation. he was one of the unfortunate ones who lost their planes that was mustered into an ad hoc infantry unit and thrown into the MLR later on bataan. this outfit (called the provisional air corps something or other) was placed on the extreme right of II Corps on bataan. he was taken prisoner when Genl King capitulated in April 1942. he survived the hell ships and was working on the docks somewhere (Osaka???) when the war ended. he said he would never forget the first B-29 raid that he and his fellow dock workers (slaves) witnessed. also said that he knew they were american planes just by the sound of the engines. he, of course suffered the bataan death march and time at o'donnell and cabanatuan before the trip to japan and forced labor. the odd thing about this fellow (a master sergeant when i knew him) was that he was married to a japanese woman that he met when he was serving in japan in the late 1940s in the occupation. i knew him in 1952-53. he did say that this air corps/infantry unit was poorly equipped other than that they did have machine guns/BARs/springfield .03/enfield rifles. many had no steel helmets just as most of the troops of the regular philippine army had none. the uniforms for most of these guys were the same one piece garments like i was issued at lackland AFB in 1951. it was a pretty patchwork operation and unit. of course, they had no infantry training, but in the bataan campaign it was "make do with what you had because help was on the way". yeah, right.
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cco23i
History Student
"But I don't wanna go back to the States"
Posts: 94
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Post by cco23i on Apr 21, 2009 21:30:28 GMT -5
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Post by VeeVee on Apr 22, 2009 11:20:13 GMT -5
Wow! What was the altitude? Did the bomb break up when it hit the ground? Did it hit the target? Did they use a Norden bomb sight? Cool stuff, looks like a lot of fun.
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cco23i
History Student
"But I don't wanna go back to the States"
Posts: 94
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Post by cco23i on Apr 22, 2009 11:50:28 GMT -5
They dropped from 3000 using a Norden, the target was a truck and they missed by 80 feet! Not bad. The bombs were concrete and from what I was told they burrowed into the ground about 10 feet!!!
Scott
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Post by VeeVee on Apr 23, 2009 19:26:00 GMT -5
80 feet? I thought you could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel using one of those things? Just kidding... 80 feet, that's as good a smart bomb as you can get without a dive bomber, nice! My question is... how did they practice the bomb run targeting?
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cco23i
History Student
"But I don't wanna go back to the States"
Posts: 94
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Post by cco23i on Apr 23, 2009 21:01:41 GMT -5
I guess they had been dropping 100 pounders filled with water for years so they had practise. I can't wait to see how the "trainees" do on our next bombing mission.
Scott
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Post by insurrectomad on Apr 24, 2009 22:25:52 GMT -5
I'm in Angeles now until mid July and shop at the MS store next to Clark, every week. Danny Dizon is the chap to ask about your subject I think. E-mail danhdizon@yahoo.com. A bomber crashed into the Holy Angel Uni. after clipping one of the twin tower crosses in 1945. A machine gun from one of the wings was discovered in the 60's? and is on display in their museum.
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cco23i
History Student
"But I don't wanna go back to the States"
Posts: 94
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Post by cco23i on Apr 28, 2009 13:19:30 GMT -5
Oklahoma, Yup, everything I have read or heard from vets just blows my mind, ground crews carrying whatever they could and just wearing their coveralls and A-3 caps or a Daisey Mae. I definitely take my hat off to those brave souls who fought in the Philippines.
Scott
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