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August 25, 1944 – Black Friday and the 474th FG
Sixty-five years ago today, over the fields of France, 23 P-38s of the 474th Fighter Group engaged what could loosely be described as a gaggle of German Bf-109’s and FW-190’s in a frenetic, hard fought, swirling dogfight. Initially engaged in a fight were the odds were 2:1 against them, the 12 427th Fighter Squadron and…
“When in the Course of Human Events…”
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the…
Programming Note: “Angle of Attack: How Naval Aviation Changed the Face of War”
In the mail today from ANA: 99 ANAers, Friends of ANA and Naval Aviation, A number of members have asked for more information about The Boeing Company’s great Public Television program, “Angle of Attackâ€. In case you missed it before, the schedule is in the attachment. It is a bit long but you should find…
Flightdeck Friday Special — Midway & Marauders: A Shore-Based Strike POV
While Midway was not the combat debut of the B-26 Marauder (that was left to B-26’s of the 22nd Bombardment Group launching attacks against Rabaul two months earlier), Midway was nonetheless the most auspicious of the Marauder’s early actions. Originating from a 1939 Army Air Corps specification for a twin-engined medium bomber (Circular Proposal 39-640),…
Battle of Coral Sea: Day 2
Events of 8 May 1942 Before dawn on 8 May, both the Japanese and the American carriers sent out scouts to locate their opponents. These made contact a few hours later, by which time the Japanese already had their strike planes in the air. The U.S. carriers launched theirs’ soon after 9AM,…
Flightdeck Friday: Desperate Times = Desperate Measures
(h/t to Southern Air Pirate for the topic suggestion) 29 April 1975. South Vietnam is ceasing to exist as a geopolitical entity – Saigon is falling. Under leaden skies, the assembled ships and aircraft of TF 76, headed by carriers Hancock and Midway begin executing Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of US personnel along with Vietnamese…