The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Operation Pointblank (1943-1944) - May 23rd, 2005

World War II Magazine | November 1998 | Brian Todd Carey

[Professional Engineer]

Hi miss Feather

[Professional Engineer]

Hiya Sam

[Professional Engineer]

Howdy ma'am

[colorado tanker]

Hiya, Sam and Snip. Today's post reminds me of the line in 12 O'Clock High where the commander tells the squadron to "assume you are dead." Given the odds against completing 25 missions, it was pretty good advice.

[Iris7]

These Douhet analysese are horrible thoughts. Really, it is best to try to keep war from getting too awful. It is bad enough no matter what.

Looking at those broken bombers made me think of the hurt and dead Americans who were flying them. So, so, sad. Two tons of bombs into occupied Europe costing a young American life.

[w_over_w]

Evening Grace Folks~

Great read! The "stats" showing the losses due to both the Luftwaffe and flak were only exceeded by the "pics" you provided illustrating it. Mercy! Those birds getting cut in half or a wing blown off . . . I wonder if our boys were able to parachute.

I didn't realize Doolittle took over for Eaker . . . thank God. Fighter air cover! Git 'r Done!

[PhilDragoo]

Combined Bomber Offensive (1943-1945) Bibliography

~~~

The P-51B of this period was not the Mustang that has come down in history. It was not fully-developed and was mechanically unreliable. Most important, the four guns were set in the wings at an acute angle, which made them prone to jamming under any level of g-force in maneuvering; often a pilot was reduced to only one weapon within moments of opening fire. Additionally, the extreme cold at high altitude froze the oil in the weapons. So far as the Merlin engine was concerned, the U.S.-produced version - the Packard-Merlin - had problems operating with the poor-quality British aviation gasoline until the groups managed to scrounge British spark plugs. In fact, during the great battles of March and April, 1944, more P-51s were lost to mechanical failure than to enemy action. Despite this, the Mustang changed the tide of the air battle. Luftwaffe commander Hermann Goering, interviewed after the war, related that when he looked up on March 6, 1944, and saw Mustangs escorting the B-17s and B-24s in the first daylight raid on Berlin, "I knew the jig was up."

Donald J.M. Blakeslee and the Battle of Germany, 1944

~~~

In March 1944 this B-17G was assigned to the 91st Bomb Group--"The Ragged Irregulars"--and based at Bassingbourn, England. There it was named Shoo Shoo Baby by its crew, after a popular song. It was later renamed "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" after another pilot replaced the original aircraft commander. It flew 24 combat missions in WW II, receiving flak damage seven times. Its first mission (Frankfurt, Germany) was on March 24, 1944, and last mission (Posen, Poland) on May 29, 1944, when engine problems forced a landing in neutral Sweden where the airplane and crew were interned. In 1968, Shoo Shoo Baby was found abandoned in France; the French government presented the airplane to the USAF. In July 1978, the 512th Military Airlift Wing moved it to Dover AFB, Delaware, for restoration by the volunteers of the 512th Antique Restoration Group. The massive 10-year job of restoration to flying condition was completed in 1988 and the aircraft was flown to the Museum in October 1988.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

P-38 Lightning

The jig is up, Herr Goering. Take a pill.

[Valin]

Thanks for the links Got em bookmarked

[SAMWolf]

I got released!

:-)

[SAMWolf]

Evening Victoria.

Cute bear. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Evening CT.

A crew had one chance in five of completing its 25-mission tour. Not real good odds.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi Sam, thanks. All my bears are cute. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Evening w_over_w.

It tears me up to see gun film footage of our bombers gettting torn up by German fighters or a bomber going down.

[SAMWolf]

Evening Phil Dragoo.

Thanks for pointin out the "teething problems " of the Mustang before she became the classic fighter she did.

The final production model of the B-17 was also a lot different than the first one shown to the public.

[Wneighbor]

~whistling~

just dropping by... back in Texas... i think i left an awful lot of my heart in Alabama though. ~sigh~

It's nice there. I put in some job applications, talked to a couple of folks about working there. Sure wouldn't mind one of them deciding they wanted to hire me!

However, am planning to leave Texas again in a few days to spend some time with family in Arizona. Haven't seen them since my Grama's funeral almost 2 years ago. Miss them and one of the cousins is coming through here later this week and asked me to come on over and visit 'em all for a while. So, I'm riding over with him.

Yes, I am out of work and I need a job. But, it is nice to be of the conservative bent where one can at least have a little padding-in-the-pocketbook to enjoy the time between gainful employment.

I love Arizona! heh. Even in record breaking heat times. :-)

[Samwise]

where one can at least have a little padding-in-the-pocketbook

I think that means the kids are grown and you don't have to support them any more. Hobbit Lass keeps our pockets picked. LOL

[Valin]

i think i left an awful lot of my heart in Alabama though

That must be painful. Do you know where you left it? Maybe someone could mail it to you.





Now it's time for my beauty sleep.

[PhilDragoo]

I heard an officer talking up the Osprey MV-22 on the radio recently--so it's continuing in deployment after several catastrophes?

I understood it to be part of the new rapid amphibious force.

I hope with all the Medicaid funding of Viagra for sexual predators we still can afford the F-22--the Chinese vis a vis Taiwan is manageable with our customary edge in technology and training.

[Wneighbor]

I think that means the kids are grown and you don't have to support them any more. Hobbit Lass keeps our pockets picked.

Yes, you are correct there! I am just glad that God didn't put me to this unemployment test at some earlier point in my life!!

I am also thankful that my precious grandparents taught me a work and save money ethic!

[Wneighbor]

Do you know where you left it? Maybe someone could mail it to you.

Yeah, I know where it's at. Two daughters and three grandbabies there. ~sigh~ Wish they could mail themselves here! ha! That's why I need those nice companies in Alabama to decide they'd like me to work for them!!!