Turn over another silver cup

Wow! I didn't see anything in the news about that. Have you got a link?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/us/david-thatcher-part-of-42-doolittle-raid-on-japan-dies-at-94.html

and then there was just one left... I always liked how it was the Thatcher, the sole NCO in the crew, who came out of their crash landing in the best shape and took care of all the Officers in the aftermath.

I'm sorry I forgot to post the man's name and rank in the OP.

Corporal David Thatcher.

Thanks for the link GM.

Lets get this back on course... the crew of the "Ruptured Duck", now all passed into history...

L to R: Lt. Charles McClure - Navigator; Lt. Ted Lawson - Pilot; Lt. Robert Clever - Bombardier; Lt. Dean Davenport - Co-Pilot; Sgt. David Thatcher - Flight Engineer/Gunner

You know, I think it was on everyone's mind whether or not these B-25 can take off on a carrier. Surely, they had them going full power before getting the green light on take-off. I'm still amazed they can do it considering the flight deck was filled with other B-25s and a short strip to take off on the deck.

Yes, max power, about to shake the engines off the mounts.  Hornet making as much speed as she could into heavy seas and wind.  Cat officer waved them off so that they would go off the end of the deck as Hornet's bow reached her highest point in the seas.  Gave them and extra 10-12 feet, maybe a little more.  And still almost splashed some of them.  Got a little easier toward the last, as more deck was available

There was about 500 feet at the start of the take offs. That was enough, and they had practiced.

B-25 was a powerful aircraft, even the B. The R-2600 was a 14 cylinder, 1,600 hp beast.

Compare that to the R-1820 9 cylinder 1,000 hp engine of the B-17.

If you have a chance to watch "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo", the film really gets into the rehearsal aspect of the take offs for the raid as well as the raid, then escape & evasion aftermath. Very well done for a wartime film compared to many of its' contemporaries. Although looking at the photo of the crew Van Johnson does not look a thing like Ted Lawson.

Oh come on. Alec Baldwin and Affleck and, hmm forgot his name...

I had the opportunity to climb around inside a B-25 and later watch her take off.

North American made some hot rod aircraft, and that was one of them. Otherwise the USAAF twin engined bomber at the time was what, the B-18?

The B-18 and another hot rod, the B-26.

True that, the Marauder. My old boss John Merrill was a pilot on that, got shot down and spent the last year in captivity.

But I was thinking that those didn't enter the war until 1942. Remember the 1/72 Revell model, and the Monogram "Flak Bait"?.

Classics.

You have family history there.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe "Flak Bait" is currently undergoing restoration for the Air & Space museum in D.C.

GMorrison

True that, the Marauder. My old boss John Merrill was a pilot on that, got shot down and spent the last year in captivity.

But I was thinking that those didn't enter the war until 1942. Remember the 1/72 Revell model, and the Monogram "Flak Bait"?.

Classics.

You have family history there.

 

Marauders were just entering operational service at the time of Pearl Harbor. Their first combat missions, IIRC, were at Midway and the Aleutians in June 1942. Less than two months after the Tokyo Raid. I dont recall offhand if they were flying ASW patrols like B-25s were beforehand.

And yes, I do remember the old Revell 1/72 and Monogram 1/48 kits of "Flak Bait". I dont think I ever built the 1/72 Revell kit, but I built the Monogram kit twice. Once when first released, and then again two years ago. That one is one of my best builds to date.

stikpusher

 

GMorrison

True that, the Marauder. My old boss John Merrill was a pilot on that, got shot down and spent the last year in captivity.

But I was thinking that those didn't enter the war until 1942. Remember the 1/72 Revell model, and the Monogram "Flak Bait"?.

Classics.

You have family history there.

 

 

 

 

Marauders were just entering operational service at the time of Pearl Harbor. Their first combat missions, IIRC, were at Midway and the Aleutians in June 1942. Less than two months after the Tokyo Raid. I dont recall offhand if they were flying ASW patrols like B-25s were beforehand.

And yes, I do remember the old Revell 1/72 and Monogram 1/48 kits of "Flak Bait". I dont think I ever built the 1/72 Revell kit, but I built the Monogram kit twice. Once when first released, and then again two years ago. That one is one of my best builds to date.

 

Yeah... I love that kit stik did.