Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

This Plane Accidentally Flew Around the World
Medium.com ^

Posted on 11/09/2019 1:22:57 PM PST by ameribbean expat

“What’s up Gene?!” Asked Rod Brown the plane’s Second Officer, who’d been close enough to witness the radioman’s reaction and now moved to his side.

“The Japs have attacked Pearl Harbour!” “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“No! No!” Leach insisted, “Just now… they bombed Pearl Harbour! No joke man!”

Seeing the expression of horror on Leach’s face soon dispelled any doubt in Brown’s mind. And then the reality of what this meant hit him: if the Pacific was no longer a friendly sea then they were cut off. They had no route home.

Brown headed towards the cockpit to warn the Captain. Ford took the news quietly and calmly.

“You’re sure about that? You better confirm it.”

Leach was already attempting to do exactly that and soon he had managed to lock onto the long-range signal from the Pan Am ground station in Noumea, New Caledonia, from whence they had just departed. The station was broadcasting morse code on a constant loop, itself a bad sign, and the translation left no room for doubt.

PEARL HARBOUR ATTACKED. IMPLEMENT PLAN A.

For a moment there was silence on the flight deck. Then Ford reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a sealed brown envelope, breaking the spell. He was the only member of the crew to whom the last part of the coded message made any sense. It meant it was time to break open the envelopes that he, and every other Clipper Captain, had been secretly issued on every flight for a number of weeks now — since Pan Am decided to prepare for a war.

Inside, Ford found he had new orders. To: Captain, PAA Flight 6039 — SFO-LAX-HNL-CIS-SUV-NOU-AUK and return flight 6040. From: Division Manager, Pacific Division Subject: Special instructions to avoid hostile military activity.

Pan American Airways, in cooperation with the Chief of Staff, United States Army, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet Operations, the Secretary of War and the Secretary of State, has agreed to place its fleet of flying boats at the disposal of the military for whatever logistical or tactical purpose they may deem necessary at such time as hostilities break out between the United States forces and the military forces of the Imperial Japanese government.

In the event that you are required to open and read these instructions, you may assume that hostilities have already occurred and that the aircraft under your command represents a strategic military resource which must be protected and secured from falling into enemy hands

Ford read on. Plan A, for the California Clipper, meant continuing on to the nearest friendly Pan American base known to be unoccupied by the Japanese, doing everything possible to avoid any contact with enemy forces. This meant continuing to Auckland. Ford had been a Navy pilot before joining Pan American. He knew exactly what to do. They needed to get away from their regular route — it was the first place any Japanese forces would sweep — and find a new path to Auckland. Rod Brown was dispatched to the map table to do so, and Leach was ordered to shut down the radio. From now they would continue in radio silence.

This done, the rest of the crew were filled in on events, and all lights were extinguished. Finally, Ford unlocked his flight case and pulled out his .38 revolver. He strapped it to his hip.

The California Clipper’s war had begun. And she was a long, long way from home.


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: aviation; boeing; californiaclipper; circumnavigated; congo; flyingboat; panam; panamclippers; pearlharbor; plane; ww2
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

1 posted on 11/09/2019 1:22:57 PM PST by ameribbean expat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

This is an amazing story. “The History Guy” on YouTube has an episode about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0GbkM6n90o


2 posted on 11/09/2019 1:26:53 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (Apoplectic is where we want them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Attention Surplus Disorder

For later.

L


3 posted on 11/09/2019 1:33:37 PM PST by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Attention Surplus Disorder

Thanks for posting this!


4 posted on 11/09/2019 1:34:56 PM PST by TrueFact (Don't hang out with narcissists or dems...but I repeat myself.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Need a movie about this.


5 posted on 11/09/2019 1:45:41 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

Absolutely. Can offset the Chicom “Midway” BS in theaters.


6 posted on 11/09/2019 1:53:16 PM PST by ameribbean expat (Socialism is like a nude beach - - sounds great til you actually get there. -- David Burge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

I knew of this flight, but WOW! thanks for posting this and putting flesh and blood on the story!


7 posted on 11/09/2019 1:54:47 PM PST by null and void (Convicted spies are shot, traitors are hanged, saboteurs are subject to summary execution...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

?????


8 posted on 11/09/2019 2:04:08 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: the OlLine Rebel

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hollywood-revisits-battle-of-midwaywith-backing-from-china-11573214401


9 posted on 11/09/2019 2:15:14 PM PST by ameribbean expat (Socialism is like a nude beach - - sounds great til you actually get there. -- David Burge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Action scenes I was told were pretty good but disjointed, no connectivity as though each one was a separate action. I liked this version on Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd8_vO5zrjo


10 posted on 11/09/2019 2:21:36 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Excellent read.


11 posted on 11/09/2019 2:39:53 PM PST by ealgeone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

On youtube there is an original 1943 recreation of the Clipper’s circuitous route home. It begins with the radioman picking up traffic that Pearl Harbor was bombed, then the captain orders the passengers woken & to assemble in the dining saloon where he gives them the news of war breaking out.

What is amazing even now was Pan Am’s global communications network and how the Clipper was able to find refueling points all the way to New York.


12 posted on 11/09/2019 2:42:04 PM PST by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Ping


13 posted on 11/09/2019 2:57:10 PM PST by minnesota_bound (homeless guy. He just has more money....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Also:

https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3654596/posts


14 posted on 11/09/2019 3:10:50 PM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat
Fantastic story! I’m reading Part 3 now. Thanks for posting this.

I just toured the National Air & Space Museum in Washington and spent a lot of time with the exhibits on the development of aviation from 1903 through today. There’s a great exhibit on the development of navigation together with the aircraft. It was an amazing period of tech progress, bold executive leadership, great airmen (and women) and the formation of huge companies. I really enjoyed the exhibit about the Lindberghs and especially learning about Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

I had no idea that the Pan Am created “Plan A” to prevent their Clippers from falling into enemy hands. What this crew did to bring their aircraft home WESTWARD from Caledonia is astonishing.

15 posted on 11/09/2019 3:14:34 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970

Thanks, will check that out.


16 posted on 11/09/2019 3:41:37 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Good story, but New York is is 3,000 short of around the world.

And why did they need to go all the way to NYC if corporate headquarters were in Miami?


17 posted on 11/09/2019 4:14:56 PM PST by Steven Scharf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ProtectOurFreedom

Would you know? Did the plane continue on to Khartoum and then to Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo? That flight also went around the world, and had a terrifying takeoff on both the Nile and Congo rivers.


18 posted on 11/09/2019 4:52:14 PM PST by Bookshelf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

Great story to read again.


19 posted on 11/09/2019 5:24:13 PM PST by Sequoyah101 (We are governed by the consent of the governed and we are fools for allowing it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ameribbean expat

That was an amazing story that I had to read to the very end.

That was one hell of a nail biting journey that even today would be a hell of an experience to take.

My thanks to the Crew who flew the plane and the author of the article. Without the article I probably would have never known about that astounding flight.


20 posted on 11/09/2019 6:21:22 PM PST by puppypusher ( The world is going to the dogs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson