Editorial

One of the world's neglected aerial oddities gets a reprieve.

I HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED up when any-

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thing flies overhead (and often wonder why everyone else doesn't), a habit that sometimes gets me in trouble when it interrupts a conversation with someone who expects my undivided attention. This occurred all too frequently when I was enjoying the "pleasures" of Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texasonce in 1955 and again a year later. (Taking basic twice?Yes, only the second session had a fancier name, "preflight training," but turned out to be no more fun.) The latest, hottest fighter, the North American F-lOO Super Sabre, was going through operational introductions at the time, and I would frequently find myself with a stiff neck from stealing glances upward when I should have been paying strict attention to my training curriculum. Another result was loud rebukes for airplane gawking that was considered irreverent inattention to the training by my tech instructor (drill instructor elsewhere), who seemed to enjoy any excuse to bark at us scum-of-the-earth recruits in our unsnazzy, sweat-stained fatigues. The overhead distraction that made the biggest impression on me during those long-ago days, however, was not a sleek, deadlyfighter,but the ConvairXC-99, an aerial behemoth of a cargo plane created by adding a fat fuselage to B-36 wings and tail. It looked like a B-36 on steroids. Its six engines, when they were all running, made a distinctive throb in the sky, and it was large enough that it was easy to spot without looking all over for the source of the sound. I used to wonder what it would be like to fly that big, lumbering tbing. But it flew well, apparently, because I saw it pass overhead frequently, going to and from its base at nearby Kelly airfield. Only one XC-99 was ever built, and the manufacturer's hopes for a fleet of military or airline super cargo carriers never really materialized beyond polite interest on the part of the U.S. government and military services. I would eventually fly die Douglas C-124a shorter, four-engine cargo airplane that had a similar fat fuselage and a cargo elevator behind the
6 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

wing, just like the XC-99's. That experience gave me a taste for what it would have been like to pilot the lumbering giant I had often gazed up at while I was sweating out basic training programs. The beautifulin its own wayXC-99 would soon be put out to pasture and left to languish for years. As time passed, there were some aborted plans to revive it for its intended purpose, to clean it up for display or to consign it to the scrap heap. More or less abandoned, it became the home of flying things with feathered wings, and the bird droppings it eventually collected probably outweighed some of the airplanes I flew. The bulky XC-99 was soon well on the way to the junk heap. What many of us who had seen that leviathan in action hoped for was a benefactor, a knight in shining armor that would rescue this aging, ratherplump, one-of-a-kind dowager from extinction. In recent years I have been delighted to hear that there was some interest in acquiring the XC-99 by the world's oldest and largest military aviation museum, the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. However, just moving such a behemoth, to say nothing of restoring this largescale derelict, posed formidable challenges. But a recent issue of Friends Journal, the house organ of the Air Force Museum Foundation Inc., published several photos proving that wonderful project had not only begun but was already well underway, with careful dismantling in progress for shipment to the museum, where a lengthy and arduous restoration will someday allow one of aviation's major artifacts to be put on permanent display for us all to gawk atwithout getting in trouble for it and without getting a stiff neck in the bargain. We tip our Aviation History hat to retired Maj. Gen. Charles D. Metcalf, the director of the U.S. Air Force Museum, as weO as to the many other forward-looking individuals who are working hard to make possible the rescue and preservation of one of the world's greatest aerial oddities. A.H.S.

The

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DiscussiomThis issue's "Art of Flight" department focuses on an unusual art form: airplane trading cards. Can you think of similar types of aviation memorabilia tbat document and illustrate aircraft and aviators but are not commonly regarded as aviation art?

Goto
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B-24 Raid on MagdeburgThe curtains are pulled back, revealing a big map of Europe with red ribbons leading to our targetthe synthetic oil refineries near Magdeburg. Germany. There is a low murmur among the crew members as the target is announced.... Extraordinary Career of RAF ace StanfordTUckluc^s hard-won flying skills and a remarkable run of good fortune contributed to victory in the Battle of Britain. Friendly Rivals: Spitfires and HurricanfisAlthough the relative merits of these two World War II aircraft continue to be debated, the dissimilar stablemates complemented one another in combat and together saved a country. Eagle of the Aegean Sea-Rudolf von Eschwege was the only German fighter pUot on World War I's Macedonian Front, but in a little more than a year the intrepid and resourceful flier achieved 20 victories.

NO ROUND-THE-WORLD AUTOGIRO I enjoyed "Around the World in the Flying Carpet," Ron Gilliam's article in the May issue on Richard Hailiburton's 1931 aerial tour. It is not generally known that early on, Halliburton contemplated making that tour in a Pitcairn Autogiro. He telegraphed Harold Pitcairn on November 1,1930. proposing that a PCA-2 Autogiro be made available for a "vagabond flight around the world by aeroplane." His appeal to Pitcaim was straightforward: The Journal has a circulation of three million and goes into three million high class American homes. Kach article will be read by seven to ten million people. My three previous books have been in turn read in ten other countries. As they cost $5.00, they are bought by people with money..,. lthe| Autogiro ship wouldfixthe attention on my flight, and cause a sensation wherever I landed. Pitcairn politely declined the offer, recognizing that the thenunderway certification process for the PCA-2 Autogiro would take considerable time (the PCA-2 would receive ATC 410 on July 2, 1931, the first rotary aircraft in America to be certified). He may also have been hesitant to provide an aircraft for Hailiburton's use, given the relatively high cost of the PCA-2 ($15,000) and, of greater importance, the fact that a .support network did not exist for it. The Autogiro's future could only be advanced when aviators could rely on its safety, backed by a support system for service maintenance and repairs, and Pitcairn immediately telegraphed Halliburton stating that the Autogiro was not ready for a roundthe-world trip. Halliburton replied on November 4, offering to come to the Pitcairn factory witli his pilot to "take a thorough schooling in the servicing and operation of your new device." Even though the possibility of publicity was certainly appealing, it was not to be. The journey took place as described in Gilliam's excellent article. Bruce H. Charnov Hempstead, N. Y. Editor's Note: Bruce Charnov is the author of "From Autogiro to Gyroplane" in the September 2004 issue o/Aviation History. B-45 GROUND CREWMAN Well, it's about time. After 50 years of reading articles on aviation, your May issue was the first time I was able to see a little effort put forth toward an aircraft I worked uith during the Korean War ("Operation Backbreaker," by E.R. Johnson). A lot was accomplished with those aircraft that was never heard of in the press. Our 3rd Squadron received all the RB-45Cs from the manufacturer, practiced high and low altitude photorecon and developed in-fiight refueling techniques with the "flying boom" from KB-29s while we were at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. We were assigned to the 91st Stragetic Reconnaissance Wing. After about a year, we relocated four RB-45Cs to England with four KB-29s to support us there. The same number also went to lapan. I was a ground crewman while they were at Manston Royal Air Force Base, right above the White Cliffs of Dover. Our group then relocated to Schulthorpe Royal Air Force Base, up the coast. I really enjoyed Mr, Johnson's article. One thing I was surprised to read was that there were so many B-45s rigged up as atomic bombers. After tbe 91st relocated to Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus, Ohio, I became a crew chief and flight mechanic on a
8 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

B-45A-5 that was used for flight training and couriering film to different Strategic Air Command bases where B-36s were stationed throughout the country. Tech. Sgt. Richard Reighter U.S. Air Force (ret.) Hunlington Beach, Calif FOND C-47 MEMORIES I very much enjoyed the article on the Douglas C-47 that appeared in the July issue ("Enduring Heritage," by Dick Smith), It brought to mind some things that might be of interest to readers. In 19441 checked out asfirstpilot in C-47s while stadoned at Gore Field in Great Falls, Mont. On my final check flight, the check pilot told me that he would pull an engine as soon as I got the tail up and I was to complete the takeoff and come around and land. Completing this successfully certainly gave me confidence in the C-47. The article mentioned that the maximum takeoff weight was 26,000 pounds. I was assigned to take new C-47s from Creat Falls to Fairbanks, Alaska, where they were turned over to the Russians under the Lend-Lease program. These were always loaded with supplies for Ladd Field in Fairbanks. We often fiew tbem at 31,000 pounds with no problem, and the Canadian airfields we used on the way up were quite short. Ray C. Frodey Fremont, Mich. DC-5 NOT FORGOTTEN Regarding E.R. Johnson's "Aerial Oddities" department in the July issue, for me, the Douglas DC-5 is not a forgotten airplane. As a young graduate aeronautical engineer, my first job in March 1939 at the Douglas F.1 Segimdo division was checking stress analysis of major components of that aircraft. I can assure you it was a new design and not a derivative of the DB7/A-20 series. This airplane featured full-length wing flaps and leading-edge wing slots that enabled a phenomenal rate of climb and a very short takeoff and landing run. Further, it was designed to precise commercial (then CAA) requirements, not military. The first customer was the Dutch airline KLM, for 24 aircraft. Several aircraft were delivered, but the start of WWII precluded contract fulfillment. The balance of the aircraft under construction were purchased by the U.S. government and dispersed to the Navy as R3D- Is and R3D-2S. For military service, a large cargo door was cut into the left side of the fuselage, requiring major structural reinforcement. The DB-7/A-20 was originally designed by Jack Northrop as an attack bomber for the French government and designated the N-7, The company was then the Northrop Aircraft Company, a division of Douglas Aircraft Company After Northrop left to form his new company in Hawthorne, Calif., the aircraft was further modified, becoming the DB-7, and a large quantity were built and delivered to the French. Approximately 50 of the French DB-7s were delivered and wasted away on the French aircraft carrier Beam at Martinique, held there by the Vichy French government. The British then contracted for the balance of the French order, plus additions, and the DB-7 Boston was born. The success of the British version resulted in the U.S. government's purchasing the aircraft, later designated as the A-20 Havoc series. The U.S. version was almost identical to tlie Boston, except Continued on page 57

Aerial Oddities
Saab's J21 was among the few aircraft produced in both piston engine and turbojet versions.
BY E.R. JOHNSON
TheSaabJ21R,a Goblin II turbojetpowered prototype, first flew in March 1947.

TO MOST AMERICANS. THE NAME SAAB brings to mind a line of modish and distinctively Swedish automobiles. It migbt come as a surprise tbat Saab is actually an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget, or "Swedisb Airplane Company." Althougb tbe company bas been in tbe car business since 1947, it got its start in aviation 10 years earlier and remains one of Europe's leading manufacturers of military and commercial aircraft and related systems. Saab also began as a state-owned industry but is now a publicly held corporation with about 40 percent of its ownership outside of Sweden. The circumstances tbat led to tbe development of tbe unorthodox )21 (1 fovjakt, or figbter), tbe first figbter designed by Saab to be built and flown, are connected to the origins of tbe company itself. Despite being traditionally neutral, tbe Swedish government by tbe mid-iy30s was becoming increasingly alarmed by tbe rising political and military tensions in Europe, and in particular, tbe growing power of nearby Nazi Germany. Tbougb Sweden was a relatively advanced industrial power at the time, it possessed practically no domestic industrial base for manufacturing aircraft. In fact, its small air force, the Flygvapnet. was entirely equipped with aircraft imported from Great Britain, Germany, tbe United States and Italy. In the event of
10 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

a general European war between Germany and tbe Allied nations, Sweden was understandably concerned that it would be cut off from its traditional trading partners. Against that backdrop, in April 1937 Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Boiaget came to be. Saab's earliest aircraft manufacturing experience was gained by license-producing foreign aircraft designs (e.g., junkers ju-86K bombers |B3s], Nortbrop 8A-1 /A-17 attack/ dive-bombers lB5s] and North American NA16/BT-9 trainers |Skl4s|). With tbe help of American consultants, tbe Saab engineering team led by Erid Wanstrom was by 1939 already developing completely original designs for a dive bomber, tbe B17, a twin-engine ligbt bomber, tbe B18, and two figbters, the J19 and 121. The J19 was a conventional all-metal monoplane designed for a radial engine, but tbe 121 had an unusual twin-boom pusher configuration. After tbe outbreak of hostilities between Germany and the Allies in September 1939, bowever, tbe boped-for supply of aircraft engines from the United States and Britain dried up, and Saab was forced to place botb of its fighter projects on hold. In 1940 Svenska Flygmotor (Swedish Aero Motors) began tooling up to produce a copy of tbe Pratt & Wbitney R-1830 (a nonlicensed-built example also known as the STW, or

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"Swedish Twin Wasp"), but initial production was already earmarked for Saab's B17 dive bomber, whicb was in thefinaldesign stages, and possibly after that,tiieJ22 fighter, which was being designed and planned by FFVS (an aircraft factory run by the Flygvapnet). The STW-powered 122 had been conceived as a conventional monoplane design, but unlike Saab's earlier J19, was designed to be constructed primarily of wood, since it was feared that strategic metals would be in short supply. In 1941 the cotnpany was advised that an arrangement was being reached with the German government to procure and eventually license-build Daimler-Benz inline engines (i.e., the DB 601,603 and 605), and that future aircraft should incorporate those power plants. Saab at that point revived the idea of the twin-boom J21, but added a second proposal for a more conventional fighter designated the J23, both to be powered by Daimler-Benz in-line engines. The so-called trading relationship with the Nazis was essentially a one-way proposition under which the Swedes were expected to supply steel and allow troop movements across their soil in return for not being absorbed into the Reich. Only a small number of Germanmade engines actually made it to Sweden, the bulk coming later as license-built versions produced by Suenska Flygmotor. The exact chain of events thai led to the decision to develop the 121 isn't entirely clear, but sometime in the fall of 1941 the Swedish government apparently told the company to discontinue work on the twinboom J21 and to proceed with the 123. Then, in December 1941, the government completely reversed itself. A possible explanation might be that the J23 and the FFVS's J22 were too similar to be placed in production at the same time. In any case, detailed design work began in earnest on the 121 and continued throughout 1942 and into 1943. Frid Wanstrom had originally proposed the unusual twin-boom pusher layout because he believed it would offer a better gun platform. Planned armament would consist of a 20mm cannon and two 13.2mm (51.97caliber) machine guns mounted in the nose, plus a 13.2mm machine gun mounted in each boom (comparable firepower to the Lockheed P-38). On the other hand, the centerline pusher arrangement would obviously present a grave hazard in the event the pilot was forced to hail out, A parallel project at Saab was already testing the ejection seat, meaning to make it a standard feature on all of its combat aircraft. A compressedair system was tried first but was later replaced by two Bofors gunpowder cartridges, which, in ground testing, propelled a specially designed seat straight upward. The final design of the J21, as it emerged in 1943. was an all-metal, low-wing monoplane featuring tricycle landing gear and a Continued on page 17

1903

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Enduring Heritage
A small town in Maine cherishes an unlikely artifact from Lindbergh's historic transatlantic flight.
BY RICHARD W. O'DONNELL

WHEN CHARLES LINDBERGH MADE his solo flight

across the Atlantic in May 1927, he earned instant fame. His plane, Spirit of St. Louis, is today one of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's leading attractions. But what happened to the huge wooden containers used to transport the airplane hack home from Europe aboard USS Memphis'? Believe it or not, one of those crates has also received a modicum of acclaim. While the container that held the wings seems to have disappeared, the giant box that held the fuselage is currently serving as a museum on Easy Street in the community of Canaan, Maine. Canaan resident Larry Ross paid $3,000 for the crate in 1990 and moved it from New Hampshire, where it had been sitting, to a lot next to his home. He also transformed it, after a lot of repair of work, turning it into what is now known as the Lindbergh Crate Museum. "It's open year-round," said Lindbergh buff Ross. "Hundreds of people, mostly schoolchildren, visit it annually. Every June, about the time summer vacation begins, we hold a 'Lindbergh Crate Day' for the youngsters. It has become quite an event since we started it back in 1992. The young people learn a lot about Lindbergh and the importance of having a vision of what they want to achieve in their lives. We do a variety of activities and also sponsor an airshow. The kids have a great time." Ross recalled that when he bought the historic crate from former owner David Price Sr., he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to do with it, but he did know that he
14 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

wanted to share it and his Lindbergb collection with people: "I have photos, clippings, publications, andmost important to meletters from people with their recollections of the impact that Lindbergb and his flight had on them. Every year, the collection gets larger." He decided to buy the wooden box after learning that it was hidden in the woodlands of Contoocook, N.H. "It was a slice of history, and I didn't want it to rot away," he said. Lindbergh's crate has a storied past. For several years, it was owned by Californian Harry Holt. He was the one who sold the big box, as well as the land on which it was located, to David Price Sr., who eventually sold the giant container to Ross. "A new roof had been put on the crate, and we put some windows into the ramshackle old thing," recalled Holt. "The idea was to make a guest house out of it, but if you must know, not many guests were interested in staying in the place. We had a few tenants, but not very many of them. "I had been hoping it would end up in a museum, or that some airplane club might buy it," said Holt. "When I owned it, souvenir hunters would search the woods lookContinued on page 58
Visitors today flock to the Lindbergh Crate Museum (above left) to celebrate the life and lore of "Lucky Lindy," shown (above) with his crated aircraft aboard USS/Wemp/7/sin1927.

Oddities
Continued from page 12

Taking Flight

laminar flow vAn% with approximately 15 degrees sweepback in the panels outboard the booms, and vertical fins located at the end of each boom, connected by the horizontal tailplane. The plane's general dimensions included a wingspan of 38 feet and a length of 24 feet 2 inches, and loaded weight totaled 11,466 pounds. Three landing gear legs of unusual length gave the pusher propeller adequate ground clearance. The 121 was powered by a German-made DB 605B engine rated at 1,475 hp, driving a fully controllahle-pitch, three-bladed pusher propeller. The coolant radiators were huried in the wing roots, giving the J21 a fairly clean overall appearance. The first prototype 121 flew on luly 30, 1943. Flight trials demonstrated a maximum speed of 403 mph, a cruising speed of 304 mpb, a service ceiling of 33,450 feet and a range of 1,920 miles. Though 45 mph faster than the FFVS |22. the J2l was still 30 to 50 mph slower than the Focke Wulf Fw190D, Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XTV and North American P-51B, which all flew about the same time, and was not nearly as maneuverable. Nonetheless, the Flygvapnetno doubt hard pressed lor new fightersordered 484 of the type into production as the J21 A-1, with deliveries starting in June 1945. Fven as J21A-ls hegan reaching operational units, the Plyguapnet expressed disappointment with the plane's performance as an air-to-air fighter, and hegan replacing it in the immediate postwar period with North American P-51 Ds. By the end of 1949, the type had heen completely withdrawn from frontline fighter units. Yet, as early as 1945, Saab had started developing a follow-on version designed for an air-to-ground attack role. The resulting J21A-2s and A21A-3s retained the fighter's gun armament but were specifically modified to carry hombs and rockets and use RATO (rocket-assisted takeoff) to improve takeoff performance. In 1945 Saab proposed an improved J2IB with heavier armament, radar and a more powerful DB 605E engine, but the project never went beyond the proposal stage. Later still, Saah suggested yet another version with a 2,050-hp Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, but by this time the Flygvapnelwas seeking new designs urith jet propulsion. When the last A21A-3 was delivered in 1949, a total of 298 of all versions had been built. J21A-2S and A21A-3s continued to serve with Flygvapnet attack units until 1954. As World War II drew to a close, Sweden found itself years behind Britain and the United States in the development of jet propulsion. In an effort to gain experience quickly, Saab investigated the feasibility of wedding turbojet power to a 121 airframe

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and purchased British-made de Havilland Goblin engines, rated at 3,100 pounds static thrust. Three incomplete J21 A- Is were taken from Saah's assembly lines to undergo the conversion, which turned out to be more complex than originally expected: The entire fuselage section aft of the cockpit was replaced in order to house the larger diameter turbojet; the empennage was redesigned to move the horizontal stabilizer above the thrust line; and the stance of the landing gear was modified to compensate for the change in thrust angle. The first Goblin Il-powered prototype, designated the J21R, flew on March 10,1947. Flight testing revealed a maximum speed of 496 mph, a cruising speed of 378 mph, a service ceiling of 39,350 feet and a range of 558 miles. It was ordered into production as the A21RA, to be used in a ground attack role, with the last examples delivered to the Ffygvapnet in 1952. Production versions were adapted to carry a belly-mounted pod containing an additional eight 13.2mm machine guns. The last 30 produced as the A21RB were powered by the Swedish-huilt Goblin III, which boosted them to 3,300 pounds static thrust and a top speed of 520 mph. The greatest drawback of the aircraft was range: When fully loaded, the A2 IR's combat radius was only 118 miles. All A21Rs were withdrawn from service by the end of 1956. IftheA21R had fallen short of success, it gave Saab's engineers a wealth of experience. Even before the last A 21R was retired, Saab was rapidly moving up the ladder as one of the world's leading designers of military jet aircraft. The sweptwing J29 Tunnan, which flew in 1948, began equipping Flyguapnet fighter units in 1951; the two-seat, allweather 132 Lansen flew in 1952 and served in fighter-interceptor units until the mid1970s; and the strikingly innovative doubledelta J35 Draken, when it flew in 1955, was perhaps the most advanced second-generation supersonic fighter aircraft in the world. Saab was developing a controversially large, expensive multirole fighter when it began partially privatizing and merged with Aktie Bolaget Scania-Vabis in 1970. In 1972 the IA37 Viggen (Thunderbolt) fighter entered service, subsequently joined by attack, conversion trainer and other variants. The 1980s saw the development of a singleengine multirole successor to the Viggen, the JAS 39 Gripen (Griffin), a close-coupled delta canard designed to satisfy a Swedish military that, as one parliamentarian put it, "wants a Mercedes, but can only afford aVolkswagen." Passing its flight tests in December 1996, the Gripen offers a fourth-generation jet fighter that can change directly to the attack and reconnaissance role by means of its upgradable computer software. What is now called the Saab Aircraft Division of Saab-Scania has gone a long way since its failed direct transition from the piston to the jet age, the ]21. "t"

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People & Planes

Douglas Mawson and his 'Wingless Wonder' headed for the Antarctic in 1911.
BY BETHANY ROBINSON
Modified to serve as an "air tractor sledge," the Vickers monoplaneminus wingsis tested while held stationary via a barrel roped to one ski.

am
THE THREE MEN WERE YOKED like pack animals to a sled carting their supplies. They suffered from unrelenting frostbite, trudging along through the ice and snow, carrying with them only enougli food to barely sustain life. Along the perilous route, hidden crevasses threatened to swallow them, and their objective was elusive. Exhausted by hunger and cold, the youngest man confided in his diary: "The Prof had talked of returning down coast in Jan, when much ice out, at average rate of 20m[iles| per day. I guess I would like to see [us| fly" It was 1908, and the writer was Douglas Mawson, a 26year-old Australian professor at the University of Adelaide, in Antarctica as part of the 1907-09 British Antarctic Expedition (BAE) led by Sir Ernest Shackleton. Together with Edgeworth David ("the Prof") and A. Forbes Mackay, Mawson journeyed 1,260 miles in 122 days to ascertain the position and directional movement of tbe south magnetic pole. Mawson's wry comment about flying was not just fatigue-induced sarcasm. An engineer and geologist, Mawson was fascinated with emerging technology and scientific advances. Always an innovator, throughout his life (1882-1958) he displayed a breadth of technical skills, including engineering, industrial and architectural design. He patented advances in ore processing, and pioneered techniques in forestry and erosion control. After
20 AVIATION HISTOHV NOVEMBER 2004

gaining international acclaim for his role in the BAE, be became one of the foremost scientific figures in Australia, well known for leading two subsequent expeditions to Antarctica, championing environmental conservation and powering national-level Australian scientific research, education and policy. He was knighted in 1914, and today his likeness can still be seen on Australian currency. In 1911 Mawson began planning his cwn expedition, tJie Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), to map the AntarcI tic coastline directly south of Australia. g The AAE would depart from Australia in i December 1911 in the expedition ship Aurora. Under the command of Captain John King "Gloomy" Davis, the ship would return to retrieve the expedition in early 1913. Tbe AAE was primarily supported by the Australian scientific community, a group long on enthusiasm but sbort on funds. Tbis did not stop Mawson from ambitiously planning to be tbe first to take an airplane to the Antarctic. But the fates were against himhis plane would never fly in Antarctica. In fact, 18 years would go by before anyone actually fulfilled that dream. Mawson's plane did not even arrive in Antarctica intact. It did, bowever, help to save his life. Mawson's plans called for an aircraft that was durable and reliable enougb to witbstand the harsh Antarctic conditions. In May 1911, he had made an unsuccessful bid on a Breguet biplane. 1 lis unidentified agent sent him this message: "Here is the Breguetthis is a veryfinemachine, I think about as good as any biplanebut I know no one in connection with it and therefore could get no reduction in price....I greatly recommend a monoplane but not a Bleriot, their only advantage is that they are fast and you don't require that. There's a lot of jobbery in tbe aeroplane market, tbat it is scarcely safe to take anyone's advice. One should really rather fly lit]." Later, assisted by noted British aviator Claude GrabamWbite, Mawson purchased a Vickers 1 monoplane, one of Continued on page 71

ritish Squadron Leader Lance C. Wade, leading a group of eight Supermarine Spitfire MarkVIIIs, was not expecting to encounter enemy aircraft as his Royal Air Force patrol neared the Italian coast near Termoli on October 3,1943. Suddenly the RAFfiierssighted FockeWulf Fw-19OAs at 12,000 feet. Wade led his fighters from 6,000 feet in a climbing turn in hopes of approaching the enemy planes from their blind spot in the rear and below. After gaining tbis position and approaching unseen to within 200 yards. Wade destroyed the rearmost Fw-190 witb a burst of cannon fire. He then moved behind the next fighter, and with another hurst sent the enemy plunging earthward. The remaining German pilots broke in all directions, trying to escape. Diving after a fieeing Fw-190, Wade heavily damaged it, but he did not see it crash. German records subsequently revealed that III Gruppe of Schlachtgeschwader (battle wing) 4, or III/SG.4, had lost at least one of its Fw-190fighter-hombersin thatfight,and the pilot. Sergeant 1st Class Peter Pellander, had been killed. With the confirmadon of those two victories. Wade ended his second comhat tour. His score had p^., risen to 25, making him the leading Allied fighter ace of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations at that point, I first encountered Lance Wade by accident several years ago, when I was searching for World War II history books and visited a used book store owned by Henry Johnson. That day turned out to be lucky for me in more than one way. 1 found several new hooks for my library, and I also learned ahout an American-born ace who had slipped through the cracks in hooks ahout World War II. As I was rummaging through works on the European air war, Johnson said to tne: "My Uncle Bill Wade's son was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot in World War 11. His name was Lance Wade, and he shot down over 40 Axis aircraft." I listened politely but initially attached little credibility to his claim, for I had already been studying the air war for many years and thought I could readily recognize the names of high-scoring Allied fighter aces. Johnson went on to tell me that the 40-pius kills were in Wade's logbook, hut not his official record. He also explained that these were not confirmed, as Wade had flown in the desert war of North Africa, and many of his kills had lacked wit-

ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST DECORATED AND HIGHEST SCORING FIGHTER PILOTS WAS A FORMER MULE SKINNER FROM EAST TEXAS.

By Michael D, Montgomery

nesses. But Johnson claimed that the RAF had credited Wade with 25 confirmed victories. 1 listened to the bookstore owner's story, still in doubt, then told lohnson I was not familiar with any pilot named Wade and asked if he knew of any books about him. Johnson explained that because Wade remained in the RAF after the United States joined the war, and be died in a fiying accident before the conflict ended, the young pilot's achievements had not been widely puhlicized after his death. When I returned home, I could not get Johnson's tale off my mind. Going to my booksbelves, I picked up Edward H, Sims' The Greatest Aces, which contains the semiofficial records of air warfare, As expected, I did not find Lance C. Wade listed in the American aces ofWorld War II, nor in the listing of RAF aces. But then I spotted a footnote at the bottom of a page; "This list does not contain one of the Royal Air Force's greatest fighter aces. Lance C. Wade, an American who volunteered in 1940 to fly andfightfor England."

Above: Royal Air Force ace Lance C. Wade was photographed in the fall of 1943, while serving as commander of No. 145 Squadron. Opposite: In Mark Postlethwaite's painting, Wade downs a Messerschmitt Me-109likely piloted by a Sergeant ErtI of 3 Staffel, JagdgeschwaderSZ over Medenine, Tunisia, while flying a Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vbon March 1,1943.

Sims added that Wade was one of the highest-scoring Americans in the air war, witb 25 confirmed kills, also noting that he died in an accident in 1944. A product of the east Texas hill country who came of age during tbe Depression, Lance was born in 1915 in Broadus, a small farming community near the Texas-Louisiana border. Tbe second son of Bill and Susan Wade, he was actually given the name L.C. at birth. In fact, he became Lance C. Wade only after the RAF demanded that he list a name rather than initialshe called himself Lance Cleo Wade just to satisfy regulations. In 1922 the family moved to a small farm near Reklaw, Texas, where he went to school and helped v^ath the farm work. Family members recalled
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORY 23

that whenever an airplaneflewover, Wade would stop whatever he was doing and say, "Someday I will fly." in 1934 at age 19, Wade traveled to Tucson, Ariz., to take advantage of a New Deal program, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided johs for young men. For Wade, however, the CCC work turned out to he much like the farm work he thought he had left hehinddriving a team of mules, huilding roads and planting trees in a national forest. With war clouds looming. Wade earned a pilot's license and acquired 80 hours of flying time. License in hand, he tried to join the U.S. Army Air Corps, only to be turned down because of his lack of education. Undeterred, he was soon plotting to join the RAF. Due to heavy losses during the Battle of Britain, the RAF had started recruiting American pilots for its war effort. Fearful that he might he rejected again. Wade suhmitted a flctitious resume in which he claimed that he had learned to fly at age 16, when he and three friends had purchased a plane and a World War Iflyingbuddy

FAMILY MEMBERS RECALLED THAT WHENEVER AN AIRPLANE FLEW OVER, WADE WOULD STOP WHATEVER HE WAS DOING AND SAY, 'SOMEDAY I WILL FLY.'

of American volunteers. In the course of their service, members of the Eagles destroyed 73I/' Axis aircraft and earned 12 Distinguished Flying Crosses (DFCs) and one Distinguished Service Order (DSO). The battle-tested Eagles also provided the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) vdth valuable combat experience after the United States joined the war. Wade, however, did not serve with the Eagle squadrons but witb the regular RAF squadrons, and as a result his awards and victories are not included in the Eagle tally Soon after being accepted in the RAF, Wade was sent to No. 52 Operational Training Unit (OTU). Units such as these provided pilots a few weeks' training in the aircraft that they would fly in combatin Wade's case, the Hawker Hurricane. After completing his OTU training. Wade flew a land-based Hurricane Mark I ofl'flie British aircraft carrier Ark Royal to the beleaguered island of Malta. His was one of 46 Hurricanes sent as reinforcements to the island. Because of the need for flghters in North Africa, 23 Hurricanes wereflownto Egypt, where Wade joined No. 33 Squadron in September 1941 as a pilot officer. After the unit received replacement pilots and aircraft, it was deployed to Giarahuh airfleld, located in the Libyan desert, afly-infestedwasteland of sand, rocks and hrush. The mission of No. 33 Squadron was to provide close air support for the upcoming British offensive, duhhed Operation Crusader, scheduled to he launched on Novemher 18, 1941, against the Cerman Afrika Korps. Numher 33 Squadron was equipped with the Hurricane Mark I and later the Mark II. Hurricanes were the workhorses of the RAF during the Batfle of Britain, responsible for attacking German bomher forces while the more advanced Spitflres took on the enemy fighters. The Hurricane was a transitional flghter, vifitb thick wings and a steel-and-wood frame covered with fabric. The lack of streamlining resulted in a design that had little room for improvement; even equipped with more powerful engines the Hurricanes did not show a dramatic improvement in their performance. In fact, the Hurricane of the desert war was nearly 100 mph slower than the Luftwajfe's Messerschmitt Me-109E The "Hurri" was not without good points, however. Many pilots believed a Hurricane could outturn the Me-109, and it was a stable gun platformwhicb made it easier for Hurricanefliersto achieve hits on opposing aircraft.

of his father's had taught them tofly.Wade also said that his father had heen an ace in World War 1. Years later, on hearing that story. Wade's cousin Henry Johnson laughed and said that the highest Uncle Bill (Wade's father) had ever been was the top rail of his fences, and that the family was unaware of Wade's ever owning an airplane. Whatever the facts, in December 1940 Wade was accepted by the RAF. Britain's recruitment program resulted in 240 American pilots who flew and fought for Fngland. Most of those men served with Nos. 71,121 and 133 "Fagle" squadrons, which were made up
24 AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 2004

A consignment of Hawker Hurricanes undergoes flighttesting before being sent to the Middle East. Wade used the "Hurri" to score his first victories two Italian Fiat C.R.42s over the Libyan desert on November 18, 1941and became an ace the following week.

The Hurricane's wide-tracked landing gear also made takeoffs and landings on unimproved desert fields safer. The key to success in the war in North Africa was controlling the airspace. The RAF faced two experienced and well-equipped foes: Italy's Regia Aeronautica and the German Luftwaffe. Many Italian pilots had been flying combat since the Spanish Civil War, and their equipment was equal to that of the RAF. Luftwaffe aircrews were considered the best in the world; they included many veterans of the Spanish Civil War and earlier campaigns of World War II. One of No. 33 Squadron's principal opponents was the Luftwaffe's Jagdgeschwader 27, a fighter wing commanded by Captain Fduard Neumann, one of Germany's outstanding air combat leaders. Furthermore, the pilot many Luftwaffe leaders considered the best fighter pilot of the war, Hans Joachim Marseille, flew with I/IG.27. Marseille destroyed 158 British and American aircraft. Commanded by Squadron Leader I.W. Marsden, No. 33 Squadron had been brought up to strength with replacement planes and pilots to support Operation Crusader. The offensive's purpose was to relieve the British Tohruk garrison and to destroy Axis armored forces commanded by German Maj. Gen. Erwin Rommel, the famed "Desert Fox." Crusader was scheduled to begin early in the morning of November 18, and No. 33 Squadron's assignment was to attack El Frg airfield, located deep in the Libyan desert. As the Hurricanes approached the enemy airfield, three Italian Fiat C.R.42S jumped them. Despite the fact that the C.R.42 was one of the most advanced and maneuverable biplane fighters ever produced, with a top speed of 270 mph. Wade managed to shoot down two of the Italian planes, while the other C.R.42 was downed by his squadron mates.

FIGHTING TO KEEP HIS PLANE IN THE AIR, WADE STRUGGLED ON FOR ABOUT 20 MILES BEFORE SETTING DOWN IN THE DESERT.

the nickname "Wildcat Wade," He destroyed one S.M.79 and teamed up with another pilot to bring down a second. On November 24, Wade and his wingman intercepted a flight of S.M.79s with C.R.42 escorts and, in a low-level fight over the desert. Wade notched up another S.M.79. That afternoon he shot down another C.R.42, thus achieving ace status in his first week of combat. On the morning of December 5, 1941, No. 33 Squadron was ordered to make an early morning attack on the Axis landingfieldat Agedabia. The squadron mounted its attack from the east so that the glare of the morning sun offered some protection fi:om groundfire. As Wade approached the enemy landingfield,he concentrated his fire on an S.M.79 parked near thefiightline. When he roared over the damaged enemy bomber, it exploded and heavily damaged his Hurricane. Fighting to keep his plane in the air, Wade struggled on for about 20 miles before setting down in the desert. In an attempt to help. Sergeant H.R Wooler landed his own aircraft nearby, but Wooler's Hurricane was damaged during the

British airmen examine the wreckage of a Junkers Ju-87B Four days later, on November 22, nine Junkers in Italian markings, shot down JU-88A bombers of I Gruppe, Lehrgeschwader by a Hurricane pilot on the (training wing) 1, with supporting Me-109s, at- Libyan battlefront.

tacked Allied airfields in the area. Given warning of that attack. No. 33 Squadron managed to scramble six Hunicanes to intercept the enemy formation. The squadron destroyed two Ju-88s, while Wade heavily damaged another Ju-88 in that same fight. After landing and servicing its fighters. No. 33 was ordered to intercept another enemy formation, this time made up of Italian Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 trimotor bombers. Displaying the aggressiveness that soon earned him

landing, and he was unable to take off afterward. Now there were two British pilots stuck in the desert without food or water. Fortunately, the Desert Air Force was prepared for such an emergency. If stranded airmen could be located, they were supplied with essential rations by air. The fliers were given directions on where to head, and if the men could find firm sand to facilitate a landing by another aircraft, a plane would be sent in to rescue them. Wade and Wooler were among the lucky ones, as they were quickly spotted and supplies were airdropped to them. After walking hack to base, Wade and Wooler officially became members of the "Late Arrivals Club," which meant they could wear a special
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 25

patch on the left breast of their flying suits. During Wade's first tour of duty from September 1941 to September 1942, the Desert Air Force took heavy losses due to the limitations of its outdated Hurricanes. But despite his plane's obvious shortcomings, Wade's victory total continued to rise. He also hecame the unofficial deputy commander of No. 33 Squadron. Wade's last week of his tour came during a period of intense air comhat. That action started on September 11,1942, with a large dogfight between Hurricanes of Nos. 33 and 213 squadrons and the Me- 109s of I/JG.27 and n/JG.27 that were escorting Junkers Ju-87s on a dive-bombing mission. The Hurricanes were supported by the two new Spitfire squadrons, Nos. 145 and 610. In a swirling fight, Wade destroyed a Ju-87 on the 11th. Five days later, he tangled with a highly

DURING WADE'S FIRST TOUR OF DUTY, THE DESERT AIR FORCE TOOK HEAVY LOSSES DUE TO THE LIMITATIONS OF ITS OUTDATED HURRICANES.

touring the big city. Wade returned to east Texas to a hero's welcome. An auto dealership offered him the use of a new car during his leave, which he politely refused, and be also received invitations to speak throughout the region. During his time at home. Wade spoke to his brother Oran ahout some of bis experiences in the desert war. Oran later recalled hearing how on one mission Lance had become separated from bis flight hy three Me- 109s and in a swirling low-level dogfight had shot one down and damaged another. He reportedly lost the third by flying down a desert gully Tbere had apparently been no witnesses to confirm what had happened, however. He also told Oran that enemy pilots seemed to have recognized his aircraft during the last half of his tour and started avoiding him. Tbat may have heen thanks to the fact

skilled Italian pilot flying a Maccbi M.C.202, who damaged bis Hurricane. This was the first time an enemy pilot bad hit Wade's fighter in a year of air combat, and he conceded that the enemy pilot was good. As his tour came to an end. Wade was sent home for a well-deserved rest. His score then stood at 15 confirmed kills. The Texan RAF pilot's exploits had heen widely reported in U.S. newspapers, and now the American press corps clamored to meet the man who bad become a bigh-scoring ace and also been invited to tea with Britain's royal family Upon his arrival in New York, be held a press conference at Rockefeller Center and was featured in the Octoher 14, 1942, issue of The New York Times. After
26 AVIATION HISTOHY NOVEMBER 2004

Wade had borrowed this Spitfire Mark Vb from his wing leader, Wing Commander Ian R. Gleed, on February 26,1943, the day he damaged an Me-109and then crash-landed after being hit by British anti-aircraft fire.

tbat Wade's Hurricane was distinctivedecorated with bis ovm design, a fighting cock, or rooster, standing in front of an American flag. Tbat same aggressive-looking hird would later be adopted as tbe emblem of the U.S. Army Air Forces' 4th Fighter Group, which included many former Eagles in its ranks. Wade was next sent to Wright Field to test new American fighters. He later reported to tbe RAF delegation in Washington and was introduced to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. Wade eventually returned to North Africa to take command of No. 145 Squadron, which was equipped with Spitfire Mark Vbs. By the time he

joined the squadron in January 1943, he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and a bar [representinga second DFC). The squadron's assignment was to keep enemy fighters from attacking the Hurricanes and Curtiss P-40 fighter-bombers. His new unit was made up of pilots of many nationalities: Britons, New Zealanders, Argentines, Trinidadians, Canadians, South Africans and Australians. Also attached to the unit was the Polish Fighting Team, made up of 15 expert pilots who had been fighting the Cermans since the beginning of World War II. Led by Stanislaw Skalski, Poland's leading ace of the war, that group had a reputation for being difficult to manage, But under Wade's leadership, the squadron developed into a highly successful combat unit. Throughout the Nordi Afiican campaign, fighter units were commonly based near the front lines so that they could respond to ground units' requests quickly Sometimes enemy ground units broke through Allied lines and overran the landing fields where the fighters were assigned. On February 25, 1943, German artillery'firebegan hitting the airfield where No. 145 Squadron was stationed. In a hasty scramhle to save aircraft and personnel. Spitfires, jeeps and trucks raced from the field. The squadron managed to escape with all its aircraft except for one that had been under repair. Even so, Wade's ownfighterhad its starboard wing damaged by an exploding shell, but he flew the damaged plane to El Assa and somehow came down safely. As March 1943 ended. No. 145 Squadron had developed into an effective fighter unit, credited with 20 enemy aircraft destroyed for the month. (In comparison, all the RAF units in the Mediterranean theater were credited with 59.) The month also marked a turning point in the air war, with enemy aircraft becoming increasingly difficult tofind.Wade had started the month off by downing an Me-109 over Medenine that was confirmed laterprobably killing a Sergeant Ertl of 3/IG.53. He went on to take out another Me-109 north of Mareth on the 22nd and two south of Sfax on the 23rd. During that same period he also received news that he had been awarded a second

Top: Wade {second from right) poses with other leaders of No. 244 Wing after Desert Air Force Spitfires destroyed 30 enemy vehicles in one day's operations. Above: During the Italian campaign in the fall of 1943, Wade was photographed with 145 Squadron adjutant Flight Lt. Norman Brown (left).

bar to his DFC. In September 1943, No. 145 Squadron provided support for the invasion of Italy. It was during the Italian campaign that Wade took part in what may have heen his most notable aerial combat. That battle occurred on November 3, 1943, while he and a wingman were patrolling the front lines and encountered a large flight of Fw-190s of II/SG.4 attacking a target. Wade radioed for help but did not receive a response. Nevertheless, he and his wingman decided to attack the enemy formation. In the dogfight that followed, an Fw-190 crossed in Wade's front, offering him a brief opening, and with a burst of cannonfireWade shredded the German plane.
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORY 27

As tbe engagement continued. Wade damaged two more Fw-190s before making a low-level escape. Both he and his wingman survived the fight. Wade bad been too hard pressed to really determine what became of the enemy planes he hif, so they were credited to him as "three damaged," but II/SG.4 subsequently reported that Sergeant Georg Walz had been killed by Spitfires nearTermoli. As Wade's second tour drew to a close, a ceremony was held in his honor. Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst, air commander for the RAF's Mediterranean theater and himself a high-scoring Hurricane ace from the Battle of Britain, reviewed No. 145 Squadron on that occasion. In his remarks, Broadhurst pointed out that Squadron Leader Wade was the most successful commander of No. 145 Squadron from both World War I and World War II. Wade was subsequently promoted to wing commander, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and posted to Broadhurst's staff.

WHATEVER CAUSED THE CRASH MAY NEVER BE KNOWN, SINCE SOME RAF CRASH RECORDS OF WORLD WAR II ARE STILL CLASSIFIED.

After the war, one of Wade's friends visited his family and expressed his belief that Wade's plane had been sabotaged, Whatever caused the crash may never be known, since some RAF crash records of World War II are still classified. Shortly after Wade's death, news was received that he had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order. In less than three years. Lance Wade, a former mule skinner from Texas, rose like a meteor to become the leading ace of his theater. After his first tour. Wade bad been offered higher rank and more pay to transfer to the USAAF. But he had declined at the time, saying, "Thanks, that's mighty fine, but I'd rather keep stringing along with the guys I have been with so long now." As The New York Times wrote, "He strung along with them to the end"the end of his life.

Wade's future looked bright at that point, given his new rank and assignment. His private life was also prospering, as he had become engaged to marry a young British woman. Sadly, all that bright promise was about to come to a tragic and premature end. Missing his old squadron mates. Wade decided to pay diem a visit. On January 12,1944, he flew a twin-engine Austerlightbomberfrom the theater headquarters to No. 145's base at Foggia, Italy. At the end of his visit. Wade climbed into the Auster and took off again. But as bis plane climbed from the runway, it suddenly went into a spin and crashed. Wade was killed instantly.
28 AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 2004

Wade's funeral procession at Foggia, Italy, after he crashed on takeoff. The recipient of a Distinguished Flying Cross and two bars, the Texan RAF pilot was the top-scoring Allied fighter pilot in the Mediterranean theater at the time of his death.

I^nce Cleo Wade was buried in a quiet country cburcbyard just down tbe road from bis boyhood farm near Reklaw. Even in bis bometown, there are no markers to honor his remarkable accomplishments, and that seems a terrible shame, given his immense contribution to the Allied air war. "t" First-time contributor Michael D. Montgomery writes from Haughton, La. For additional reading: Aces High; A Tribute to tbe Most Notable Figbter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth i^orcesofWlor\(i\NArU, by Christopher Shores and Clive Williams.

Build Your Own Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb

s the Battle of Britain raged, Reichsmarchall Hermann Goring reportedly asked Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland if there was anything he needed to make the Nazi campaign go more smoothly. Major Galland is said to have responded, "Give me a squadron of Spitfires." Galland's response was only one indication of the reputation that Supermarine Spitfires attained on both sides of the war. When they were sent as replacements for Hawker Hurricanes as the frontline fighter, the contrihution of "Spits" reached iegendar>' proportions in the defense of Malta and the desert war in North Africa. American wing commander Lance Wade, who joined the RAF in 1940 and soon became an ace, flew a Mk.Vh Spitfire in North Africa, and his aircraft is our model project for this issue, The Mk.V Spitfire was a Mk. I or II airframe fitted with an upgraded Merlin 45 engine. The "h" suffix indicated that the aircraft was armed with two 20mm cannons and four Browning .303-caliher machine guns. Tamiya produces an excellent Mk.Vh Spitfire in l/72nd scale. The cockpit consists of seven pieces, and should he painted Model Master "RAF Interior Green." The instrument panel, which has a decal provided for 3 the faces, is semigloss black. The I Spitfire's seat, according to several sources, was made from Bakelite and when left unpainted was a deep reddish color. I painted mine Gunze Sangyo's "red brown," No. 47. Another decal, depicting the pilot's harness, can be applied at this time. Cement the fuselage pieces together and slip the completed cockpit into place through the space in the bottom. The instructions next call for the placement of the exhaust stuhs. Hold off on this step until youVe completed the painting. They can, however, be painted "rust" and set aside to dry Glue the wings together and attach them to the fuselage. Since this kit will allow you to build either a standard Mk.Vh or a Mk.Vh tropical version, you'll have to select the standard or clipped wingtip parts at this time. Squadron

commander Wade's Spitfire did not have the clipped wings common to some Spitfires used in the desert for low-level attacks, There are two types of air-and-sand filters provided in the kit. Since Wade's aircraft arrived in North Africa by way of the British air base at Aboukir, Egypt, I chose the "Ahoukir" air-and-sand enginefilterdeveloped by the 103rd Maintenance Unit at that base. (The kit also contains the larger Vokesfilter,used on some desert Spitfires and Hurricanes.)

org/SqnMarkl45-150.htm. I sprayed a coat of Testor's Glosscoat over the entire aircraft to provide a smooth finish for the decals. The kit decals were used for the roundels andfinflashes. The "ZX E" aircraft codes and "ES-252" aircraft serial number came from an old decal sheet of British squadron markings from HisAirDec, Inc. (1 found this 6 x 9-inch sheet of letters and numbers at a recent model swap meet for 25 cents.) Since these decals were quite

Finish the basic mode! construction by attaching the horizontal stabilizers and cementing the radiator cover and oil cooler shroud to the bottom of the wings. Check all the seams, then sand and fill where necessary. The undersides of British desert Spitfires were painted "Mediterranean blue" or "Azure htue." I airbrushed the topsides with Gunze Sangyo's "middle stone," No. 71, and "dark earth," No. 72, in the standard British camouflage pattern. Wade's No, 145 Squadron painted the spinners of their propellers hright red. The prop blades are Model Master "aircraft interior black" with yellow tips. The paint schemes and markings for No. 145 Squadron from Novemher 1941 to February 1942 can be found at the Web site www.rafweb.

old, I brushed on a coat of MicroScale's liquid decalfilmbefore using them, (liquid decal film coats the printed images and keeps them from "shattering" when placed in water.) The wheels should be painted "tire black" and then attached to the landing gear legs and undercarriage doors. The canopy and windscreen in this kit are very small. A steady hand and a triple zero artists' brush will work well for painting the frames. Use a light coat of dulling spray to simulate the weathering that commonly took place in the desert. When all is dry, attach the clear pieces with white glue, and your Spitfire is ready for action against the Afrika Korps and the Luftwaffe. Dick Smith
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTOnV 29

IN THE
Hard-pressed aircrews of the 11th Aero Squadron who flew Liberty D.H.4s in America's first hombing campaign during World War I learned most of their skills from combat experienceif they survived. BY JON GUTTMAN

30 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

'he great bomber armadas of World War II saw tbeir precursors in WorldWar I. By 1918, German, Frencb, British and Italian bomber groups were disrupting enemy supply lines and staging areas, while multiengine strategic bombers struck at enemy cities and industrial centers, although the damage they did was generally more to morale than material. The U.S. Army Air Service (USAS) sent its own bomber force into the fray in September 1918--only to discover that it had a lot of catching up to do. One of the four squadrons making up that pioneer bombing group was the 11th Aero Squadron, and its short but costly combat career typified the difficult learning process that all the first American bomber units had to undergo. The optimism with which the United States entered World War I on April 6,1917, soon subsided in the USAS. For one thing, it had nothing comparable to the fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft that the European powers had developed in the crucihle of three years of war. While designers and manufacturers struggled to create competitive military aircraft. Colonel Raynal C. Boiling led a technical com-

Far left: First Lieutenant Clifford W. Allsopp stands third from left among pilots and observers of the 11th Aero Squadron (Courtesy of Jon Guttman). Top: An American-built Libeily engine de Havilland D.H.4 carries two 155pound bombs on each underwing rack. The cutaway fabric beside the fuselage gave the crew a measure of downward visibility (National Archives). Above left: The "lucky swastika" on 2nd Lts. John L Garlough and Robert C. Payton's 0.H.4 must have workedthe plane miraculously got through 16 missions undamaged (Lafayette Foundation).

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mission to evaluate the latest European designs for license production as an interim measure. Of the four types he selectedthe Bristol F.2B, S.E.5 and Spad 13fighters,and the de Havilland D.H.4 homberreconnaissance planeonly the D.H.4 went into production in time to serve over the front. The first D.H.4 arrived in the United States on July 27,1917. The airframe was delivered without its 250hp Rolls-Royce Eagle engine, but the Americans already knew that the plane was compatible with their new 400-hp Liberty V-1650. The Liberty engine version underwent its first test flight on October 29 and then was quickly contracted out to three manufacturers. The Dayton-Wright Company of Dayton, Obio, built 3,106 D.H.4s, the Fisher Body Division of General Motors in Cleveland huilt 1,600 and the Standard Aircraft Corporation of Patterson, N.J., built 140. Of that total of 4,846 planes, 1,213 were eventually shipped to France and 696 reached the Zone of Advance, but only 196 actually saw frontline combat with the USAS, as well as with the combined U.S. Navy and Marine Northern Bombing Group, based on the Belgian coast.

The first "Liberty' D.H.4s," as they came to be called, reached the U.S. Army depot at Romorantin, France, on May 11,1918, but they were in such poor condition that they had to be reworked by the ground crews. The plane's normal armament was two forward-firing synchronized .303-caliher Marlin machine guns and twin Levds machine guns on a British Scarff ring for the observer. Some Liberties had an additional Lewis or Marlin mounted in a "tunnel gun" position under the fuselage by the ground crewmen, fired by means of a Bowden cable. Cameras, fiares and a wireless radio could be carried in the cockpit, while wing racks could cany up to 12 bombs, weighing a total of 322 pounds. Twelve of the new planes, attached to the 135th Aero Squadron, flew their first reconnaissance mission on August 9, 1918. More D.H.4S were rapidly allocated to corps observation squadrons and later to bombing units, the Uth and 20th Aero squadrons. The observation outfits seemed relatively happy with their D.H.4S, but the bomber crews soon had the demoralizing impression that they were not being sent into battle with the best equipment. That fact became apparent after September 10, 1918, when the lltb and 20th joined the 96tb Aero Squadron at Amanty and the three units were formally amalgamated into the 1st Day Bombardment Group, under the command of Major lohn L Dunsworth. The 96tb, which had been operational since mid-June, was equipped with the French-buCt Breguet 14B.2. The Breguet, powered by a 300hp Renault EE.V engine, was superior to the D.H.4 in overall performance, bomb capacity, handling qualities and communication between crewmen. The Breguet's airframe, made of oxy-welded aluminum alloy tubing, could also take more punishment than could the wood-framed D.H.4's. he 1st Day Bomhardment Group had been hastily organized to support the first American-commanded offensive of the war. General John J. Pershing's drive to eliminate the German salient around St. Mihiel. The group's primary mission was to strike at rail centers, staging areas and other key positions in the German transportation system. In addition to having less than the best in aircraft, however, the group was so incompetently led in its first weeks that crewmen came to refer to it as "The Bewilderment Group." Those factors had to be balanced against the deadly opposition that awaited the bombers. By the time the St. Mihiel offensive com32 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

Major John L. Dunsworth (right) supervises the loading of a Breguet 14B.2 of the 96th Aero Squadron on July 29,1918. In September the D.H.4-equipped 11 th and 20th Aero squadrons joined the 9eth to form the 1 st Day Bombardment Group under Dunsworth's command.

menced, the Germans had moved one of their most seasoned fighter vdngs, Jagdgeschwader II, to help defend the sector from airfields at Tichemont and Giraumont. Commanded by 1st Lt. Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk, JG.II was equipped with the superb Fokker D.VII, supplemented by a handful of fast-climbing Siemens-Schuckert D.III and D.IV interceptors. All of the wing's aircraft had blue fuselages and tails, vdth each of its four Jagdstajfeln or Jastas (squadrons) identified by a different color on the nosewhite for Jasta 12, green for Jasta 13, red for Jasta 15 and yellow for Jasta 19. The 11th and 20th Aero squadrons only fought for21^ months, but their combat tours made up for the short time span with intensity in what a surviving pilot of the 11th, Clifford W.Allsopp, described as "the dirtiest aerial missions of the war." Born in Newark, N.J., on March 18,1896, Alisopp joined the New Jersey National Guard in 1916 and patrolled the Mexican border later that year. He transferred to aviation in 1917 and graduated from the Princeton University School of Military Aeronautics on September 15. Alisopp went on to primary fiight training at the 8th Aviation Instruction Center (AJC) at Foggia, Italy, and advanced training with the 3rd AIC in France. He was then assigned to the 11th Aero Squadron, commanded by 1st Lt. Thornton D. Hooper. The USAS decreed that its squadrons could not apply unit insignias until they had at least a month of frontline service, so the llth's D.H.4S were initially marked only with white individual identification numbers on the fuselage sides. A few pilots added personal markings, usually on the engine cowling. Eor example, the right cowl of D.H.4 No. 17, crewed by 2nd Lts. John L. Garlough and Robert C. Payton, bore a small white swastika for luckwhich must have worked, because No. 17 was the only D.H.4 to get through the llth's entire combat tour without any battle damage. The first frontline missions fiown by the 11th and 20th Aero squadrons were probably the brainchild of an officer who was carried away by propaganda regarding the Liberty D.H.4's versatility. Both units were ordered to fly "barrage patrols" when the St. Mihiel offensive began on September 12in essence, providing bigb-altitude fighter escort for the single-seat Spad 13s of the 1st Pursuit

able Breguets of the 96th pressing on to their target more often than the D.H.4s. The third, a raid on Gonfians, ran into the yellow-nosed Fokkers of 2nd Lt. Oliver Frd/ierrvonBeaulieu-Marconnay'sMra 19, resulting in the loss of four aircraft, with six crewmen killed and two taken prisoner. At that point the 96th, which between combat and operational losses had lost 14 aircraft and 16 aircrews in four days, had to be withdrawn. No flying took place on September 17. Then on the 18th, the Uth and 20th Aero squadrons were ordered to bomb La Ghaussee. Seventeen D.H.4s took off, but one crashed soon after takeoff, and 10 did not reach the objective. Of the six Liberties of the 11th that made it to La Chaussee, only one came back. "This was the day I had been sent to pick up a new plane," Allsopp recalled, "and returned to hear the had news that our Reserve 2ncl Lt. Hans Besser's Fokker D.Vil sports the Prussian blue fuselage of major had ordered the raid at 5,000 feet!! JagdgeschwaderW and the white nose of JagdstaffelM, along with his personal marking What a bastard!!" a broom to "sweep the sky" of enemy planes. Besser shot down a D.H.4 of the 11th Aero Squadron on September 18,1918, and one from the 20th on September 26. The 11th had been ambushed by the white-nosed Fokkers oijasta 12, commanded by Reserve 2nd Lt. Hermann Becker. One of his pilots, Reserve 2nd Lt. Group. The absurdity of that experiment was best summed up by Hans Besser, described what ensued: an observer of the Uth:" Wben it was demonstrated that the D.H.4s The earth was almost completely covered by balls of clouds and could not keep up to pursuit planes, let alone protect them, the the holes in between were very hazy. We were high above it, at 4,000 squadron was sent back to its proper work of day bombing." meters, and searched the sky for enemies. The weather looked to All three squadrons of the 1st Day Bombardment Group flew us as if it had been made for bombing attacks, for it allowed a covbombing missions on September 14. Striking at the rail yard at Gonered approach between the clouds. And really, we had not been flans, the 11th ran into its first aerial opposition in the form of red-nosed mistaken. Cleverly they flew around ever>' mountain of cloud and Fokker D.VIIs. The bomber crews claimed to have downed one enemy stayed in the valleys, thereby using the change of light and shadow fighter in flamesthe pilot of which nevertheless seems to have suras camouflage. The colorful cockades, however, had betrayed them vivedbut two D.H.4S were lost. First Lieutenant FredX Shoemaker, to us and we dove vertically down onto them. What happened was 2nd Lt. Robert N. Groner and 2nd Lt. Horace Shidler were brought within a matter of seconds. We fell onto the formation like a haildown, all wounded and taken prisoner, while Shidler's observer, 2nd storm and the observers hardly had time to fire at us. We used the Lt. Harold Sayre, was killed. The D.H.4s were credited to 2nd Lt. Fokker's speed to hang immediately at their tails. Almost all of us Georg von Hantelmann and Staff Sgt. Theodor Weischer ofjasta 15. had an enemy in front of us. Becker and myself fire almost simulThe Uth and 20th were detailed to bomb Bayonville on the foltaneously at two Americans. But mine waits to take fire while lowing day, during which each of the D.H.4s carried 400 pounds of Becker is so fast he has already produced the first torch in the sky. bombs. That proved to be a mistakealthough no aircraft were lost Almost at the same moment Becker's second victim is also on fire, in combat, only six of the 20 bombers that startedfour from the as is my American. 20th, and Hooper's and 1st Lt. Gyrus J. Gatton's from the Uthmanaged to complete it. One plane of the 20th crashed on takeoff, injuring the observer and killing the pilot, 1st Lt. G.B. Stephens Jr., in cker and his flight landed to a jubilant reception at Giraumont, a manner that highlighted another reason for the D.H.4's unpoputhen drove to Gonfians to examine their victims. Becker's were larity. The 67-gallon main fuel tank was vulnerable-earning the 1st Lts. Lester S. Harter, McGrea Stephenson, John G. Tyler and Uany D.H.4 its nickname of "Flaming Coffin"and its location between H. Strauch, all dead. Besser had downed D.H.4 No. 14, killing its crew, pilot and observer distanced them from one another, making com- 1st Lt. Edward B. Gomegys and 2nd Lt. Arthur B. Garter. A German munication difficult. The landing gear had been set too far back on flier named Wilke brought down 1st Lts. Roger F Chapin and Glair the original British plane, and the heavier American engine only B. Laird, who were captured. The Germans found one more D.H.4 served to make noseovers upon landing all the more frequenton forced down at St. Jean by Reserve 2nd Lt. Alfred Greven, the crew which occasions the fuel tank was prone to break loose and fall for- of which1st Lts. Hooper and Ralph Rootwere wounded and ward, crushing the pilot, as was the case vrith Stephens. taken prisoner. The only D.H.4 to return was No. 12, crewed by 1st Lt. Vincent P. Hooper, for one, had learned the folly of overloading D.H.4s, and when nine of his D.H.4s set out on a second raid against Longuyon Oatis and 2nd Lt. Ramon Guthrie. The pair managed to shake off that day, they carried only two UO-pound bombs each. Eventben, their pursuers by skillful dodging through the clouds and employfive planes dropped out and made forced landings in the French ing some desperate gunnery. They got lost, were shot at by anti-aircraft batteries and were hounded across the lines by one more countryside. Three missions were flown on September 16, with the more reli- German fighter, but they crash-landed in Allied territory and evenNOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 33

Above: D.H.4 crewmen of the 166th Aero Squadron, which under the experienced leadership of Captain Victor Parks Jr. had a remarkably successful combat debut on October 18,1918 {Lafayette Foundation). Right: Bombs from 96th Aero Squadron Breguets rain on an already burning Montmedy during the 1st Day Bombardment Group's last raid, on November 4.

tually made it bacic to Amanty. The 11 th dropped a message streamer in the German lines sometime later, asking. "What happened to our squadionl" Jasta 12 soon sent a reply, "Come and look for it!" The Geschwader log remarked, "It surely gave/asta 12 grim satisfaction to have achieved such a considerable success, for although one couldn't deny the Americans' dash, these insolent characters had daily hombed the German trains packed with men going on furlough." he loss of five planes and 10 men in one day sank morale in the Uth to an ail-time low. Individual markings were no longer applied to aircraftnobody expected them to last long, anyway And, as Alisopp expressed it, "September 18th was also the day I stopped writing in my diary and many of us made out our wills!!" Such was the situation when 1st Lt. Charles L Heater arrived to take command of the squadron on September 21. Heater went to Britain in October 1917 and flew D.H.4s with No. 55 Squadron of the Royal Air Force's Independent Force. He had been awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross before transferring to the USAS. "Coming to the American forces from ten months of very active participation in long-distance bombing with No. 55 Squadron, RAI; I found that American formation flying was most haphazard," Heater wrote. "I tried to impress upon the pilots of the 11th that tight formations warded off attacking fighters and saved lives. On the first raid after I took command, I elected to fly the rearmost position, but warned that I would move forward any time there was an opening ahead of me that would permit it. Before we started back from the target, 1 had moved all the way up to the leader! On the next raid, I came home in the tail position!" After St. Mihiel, the 1st Day Bombardment Group moved to Maulan, a smaller airfield on a narrow ridge, surrounded by wooded glenshardly a reassuring location for aircrews flying aircraft with34 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

out brakes. Chastened by his losses. Major Dunsworth called a conference with all flight leaders to improve the group's tactical doctrine. Larger formations were the obvious answer, but numbers alone, even when backed by escortingfighters,could not prevent heavy casualties at the hands of the crack German Jastas. "Lack of radio and teamwork had accounted for much of this," remarked Alisopp, who added: "The fighters could turn hack if the odds were against 'em, but we had to continue over the lines to our objectives No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3." Tbe 96th had replaced most of its lost aircraft, but had not yet replaced its experienced aircrews. Dunswortb therefore farmed out pilots and observers of the 11 th and 20th Aero squadrons to the 96th. Tbe two depleted D.H.4 units also flew their remaining aircraft together. Alisopp and his gunner made up one of 22 teams from the Uth Aero Squadron that were temporarily assigned to the 96th, flying two of bis 12 wartime missions in that unit's Breguets. The Americans launched their offensive into the Argonne Forest on September 26, and eight Breguets of the 96th started the bombing campaign with a sortie to Dun-sur-Meuse. Only six planes made it to the target and came back, with one observer, 1st Lt. Paul J. O'Donnell, dead. The Uth, on itsfirstcombat mission since September 18, joined tbe 20th on a second strike, but 1st Lt. Gatton, unable to keep his formation together, aborted the mission. One D.H.4 pilot who did not come back with him was 1st Lt. William W. Waring, whovrith the squadron operations officer, 1st Lt. Sigbert A.G. Norris, as his observerpressed on to join up with the 20th's formation, Its numbers raised to seven, the flight dropped 8,864 pounds of bombs on tbe road and railroad junction west of Dun-sur-Meuse, but then it ran into the same Jasta 12 pilots who had mauled the 11th eight days earlier. One of the D.H.4s was hit and began straggling, butWaring dropped out of formation, positioned himself over

the cripple and escorted it home, while Norris brought down a Fokker. For their selfless act of heroism, Waring and Norris were hoth awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Ironically, the rest of the 20th Aero Squadron suffered a fate similar to that meted out to the U th. Two D.H.4s were shot down by Becker, another by Besser and a fourth by Staff Sgt. Otto Klaiber, resulting in the deaths of six crewmen and the capture of two others, 1st Lts. Merian C. Cooper and Edmund C. Leonard. Lieutenant Creven forced a fifth D.H.4 to land with a punctured fuel tank, bringing about the capture of 2nd Lt. Guy Brown Wiser and 1st Lt. Glenn Richardson. Golonel Thomas DeW. Milling, chief of Air Service, First Army, arrived at Maulan and conferred that evening with the 1st Day Bombardment Group's squadron commanders regarding Major Dunsworth's leadership. Aside from some officers of the 96th, with whom Dunsworth had flown combat missions prior to his promotion, the general appraisal was negative. Milling and Dunsworth had been classmates at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., but as a consequence of his visit. Milling relieved Dunsworth of command on October 2. He replaced him with another West Point classmate. Major Thomas S. Bowen, whose experience harkened back to the 1st Aero Squadron's earliest reconnaissance missions against PanchoVilla in Mexico in 1916. On that same day. Cliff Allsopp had his closest brush with death or capturenot in a D.H.4, but in a 96th Aero Squadron Breguet. "1 can assure you that 1st Lt. Lawrence Ward was a very modest and lionest 'old man,'" Allsopp said of his observer on the mission. "Ward was called the 'old man' because he was 29 at the time, and because he had seen previous service with the French, in Escadrille Br.l29. My regular gunner or observer, George Perry, had his face badly frozen on a previous flight with me. So Lieutenant Ward was assigned to me... .1 had made one previous raid with the 96th with Lieutenant Morton F Bird, who was a lousy gunner. Turned out

lucky, as Ward really knew the sector." The 96th's target was St. Juvin, which it bombed from an altitude of 14,000 feet. "We went over in formation of course," wrote Allsopp, "and carried only 125 pound bombs, as we flew in a 'protective position.' We were directly over our objective and dropped our load as other machines let theirs go, and then suddenly the motor went dead." At that moment, eight Fokker D.VIIs pounced on the lone straggler. Five Germans held back to give the other three room to maneuver, and the chase was on. "I sure got a good look at the two E.A. [enemy aircraftl on my right, as our wings almost touched several times and 1 clearly saw their faceshelmets, goggles, etc.," Allsopp continued. "But it was no time to salute! I was calling 'em every name unmentionable and ducking their tracers. I'll swear to this day I saw my wings start to bend as I'd come out of a steep dive and then pull up and turn right into them. With no motor it was quite a trick, but all 1 could do to give Ward a chance for a good shot at them. I only saw the one on our tail onceas 1 glanced back." The German on Allsopp's tail was Jasta 19's 20-yearold commander, 1st Lt. Oliver von Beaulieu-Marconnay, who eventually sent the Breguet crashing into Allied lines. Had it not been for Wardand the back-to-back proximity of the Breguet's cockpits the two Americans might have ended up in enemy hands instead. "My compass was spinning and useless," Allsopp recalled. "At last Ward got a fine burst into the remaining Boche and he turned off^'out of control' Ward then shouted to me, 'Turn south, boy! For God's sake, go south!' and indicated to my right with his arm. We landed over a road and turned up on our nose in a shellhole. I looked back at Ward and thought he was woundedthere was blood on his facehut it was only a scratch from the jar of landing. I then took out my 'pride and joy' and pissed all over the compass, etc. The Breguet was riddled with holes and I am convinced I would not be here today if I had been shot down in a D.H.4. "We requested an Army captain to put a guard on our crashed Breguet, but he refused and said the Germans were in control where we landed and he was 'moving up' after them. We located a huge dugout headquarters and phoned the First Army and told 'em where we had crashed, etc. The damn fool never relayed our message to our 1st Day Group. Hence, we were reported 'missing in action' for two weeks in my home papers. This was why our lousy major claimed we were AWOL, etc." Allsopp paid a visit to his infantryman brother, Edward E. Allsopp, on the way back to rejoin the 11th at Maulan. Ward joined a new D.H,4 outfit, the 166th Aero Squadron, commanded by Captain Victor Parks Ir. Parks had previously flown Breguet 14B.2s in French Escadrille Br. 123, and like Heater of the 11th, he did a good job of instilling a sense of teamwork in his pilots and observers. The 11th took part in a strike on Grandpre on October 3. Ten Breguets of the 96thfive of which carried crews from the 11th struck at Dun-sur-Meuse the next day and fought their way home through 15 Fokkers. A pilot from the Uth, 1st Lt. loseph R. Pearson, was hit in the leg, and his enlisted observer. Private Cedric J. Newby, was seriously wounded, but Pearson managed to crash-land within Allied lines. Bad weather brought on a few days of inactivity after October 6. The 11th marked more than 30 days at the front during that rest period, which qualified it to apply a squadron insignia to its aircraff. Its chosen
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 35

leading to claims by both sides. The 166tb's Captain Parks, with Lawrence Ward as his gunner, shared credit for a Fokker with 1st Lts. Russell H. Pedler and John H. McKeon, although7fl5/a 15 lost no planes that day. Lieutenants Josef Veltjens and Georg von Hantelmann claimed two D.H.4s; in fact, three of the 166th's planes were forced to land in Allied lines, but no crewmen were wounded, and all three planes were soon repaired. The 20th Aero Squadron may have encountered JG.I over Buzancy on the morning of October 23, with the D.H.4 of 1st Lts. J.H. Weimer and H.E. Turner probably falling in flames to Reserve 2nd Lt. Uirich Neckel, commander of Jasta 6. During a second raid that afternoon, German fighters attacked all four squadrons. The Germans concentrated on the still-green 166th's shaky-looking formation, but the 11th moved into position above it Allsopp's Liberty Bell marking is visible on the cowling of his Dayton Wright-built to provide extra protection, and the team of 1 st Lt. D.H.4 No. 23 after 1 st Lt. Harlan L. Shrader landed it on top of a D.H.4 that was Walter A. Stahl and 2nd Lt. Hassell D. Archer was taking off on November 23,1918. The other plane's observer, 2nd Lt. Lawrence J. credited with a Fokker. The 96th accounted for two Bauer, was killed in the accidenL more, while 1st Lts. Karl G. West and William F Frank of the 20th were credited vrith another. Several aircraft were badly shot up, and Frank was symbol was the long-suffering husband in the popular comic strip wounded, but all the Americans made it backa tribute to their imabout "Maggie and liggs." "While we were at Maulan," Allsopp recalled, proved teamwork, not only within each squadron, but also as a group. The 11th led a four-squadron raid against German facilities at "a contest for a unit emblem was won by two enlisted men, Hal L. Briquenay on October 27. All six of the llth's D.H.4s reached the Green and Lawrence D. Larsen. These produced a white disc bearing 'Jiggs' with a bomb tucked under his arm (going home to Maggie?}." target, then had a running fight with 12 Jasta 19 Fokkers, one of which Personal markings began to reappear, a sign of improving morale. was driven down out of control by 1st Lt. Dana E. Coates and 2nd Lt. Regarding his own plane. No. 23, Allsopp said: "I had my mechanic Loren R. Thrall. First Lieutenant Donald C. Malcom's riddled D.H.4 paint the 'Liberty Bell' fin Philadelphia) in a light blue circle ap- dropped out of formation with his observer, 2nd Lt. LewW. Springer, proximately 12 inches, with a dark blue-gray bell, approximately 10 wounded in the shoulder. Reserve 2nd Lt. Max Kliefoth was trying inches, with a black crack in the bell....six inches ahead of Jiggs." to force Malcom to land in German territory when he was attacked D.H.4 No. 12, crewed by Oatis and Guthrie, had a marking on the leff by a Spad 13 flown by Captain Edward V Rickenbacker, commander side of the cowling depicting the upper part of a seductive cigarette- of the 94th Aero Squadron. Malcom crash-landed near the Amerismoking French "femme fatale" in a red dress. "Another was a beau- can hospital at Froidos, while Kliefoth ended up being forced to land tiful 'Parisian' girl," Allsopp recalled, "practically nakedstanding behind Allied lines by the American ace of aces. Cliff Allsopp recalled in a large wash basin (or bowl) taking a spongebathor whatever." this as one of only two cases when be saw fighters help the II th. Yet another was a green four-leaf clover on the nose of D.H.4 No. 2, crewed by 1st Lt. George Spear and 2nd Lt. lohn |. Curtin. Meanwhile, on October 8, new German fighter reinforcements arrived at Marville airfield. Jagdgeschwader I, comprised oijastas4, 6,10 and 11, and under the command of 1st Lt. Hermann Goring, was already well-knownand fearedas the "Flying Circus" of the late "Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen. The 11 th's final losses occurred on November 4,1918, when Stahl and Archer led five aircraff to bomb Montmedyand encountered the Flying Circus. The D.H.4 of 1st Lts. Cyrus Gatton and George E. Burres fell behind and amid anti-aircraft firewhich their squadron mates thought caused their deaths. They were attacked by three Fokker D.VIIs of JG.I's Jasta 11, flown by Reserve 2nd Lts. Friedrich Noltenius, Julius Schulte-Frohlinde and Friedrich August Freiherr von Kockeritz. Noltetiius described what happened: ... I saw bursts at the Maas [Meuse]. A bomber formation! I hurried in its direction, saw a two-seater returning and cut off its retreat by diving in front of it. He shot desperately with the gun protruding through the bottom of the fuselage, but without taking aim, of course (Because of the speed, he was iinahle to aim properly at me). 1 scored a hit in his fuel tank. Meanwhile, Schulte had approached from the other side and was now closer than I as be did not have to evade the enemy's fire. The D.H. 12 \sic\ went dovrain flames. As soon as I saw it burning, I turned off in the direction of the main formation, where we met head-on over Carignan. Weaving heavily, I passed by the ten D.H.s and with a smart turn positioned myself behind the rearmost one. In a longer battle I first shot him smoking, and then shot his engine to pieces. This slowed him down: then 1 got nearer and shot him down in flames [21st confirmed victory]. Thereupon I immediately attacked the next Continued on page 60

he 1st Day Bombardment Group resumed operations on October 9, with growing success. First Lieutenants Bruce C. Hopper and Arthur H. Kelly of the 96th led a raid on Bayonville on October 18 that involved an unprecedented total of 42 aircraff from all four squadrons. Even Major Bowen took part, as an observer in 1st Lt. David H. Young's Breguet. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the ground crews, most of the D.H.4s flew to the target and back; even in the 166th, flying its first combat mission, eight out of 10 of its planes made it over the lines. The 96th encountered about 20 Fokkers of IG.II, but the Americans' tight formation prevented the enemy from pressing home their attack. Five Germans milled around the llth's flight, led by Oatis and Guthrie, but the Americans held them off until a flight of 93rd Aero Squadron Spad 13s pounced on the Fokkers, shooting down two, The entire group dropped its bombs square on target, and French intelligence later claimed that they killed or wounded 900 German troops. Jasta 15 attacked the 166th on the way back,

36 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

he time, 1002 hours. The date, August 16, 1944. 'Riirty-five Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 91st Bomb Group, flying out of"their home base at Bassingbourn, England, were approaching Eisenach on the way to the Siebel aircraft factory at Halle, Germany. The ta^et was one hour and eight minutes avray. The American fighters that escorted the group to this point had turned back two minutes earlier, but the fighter group assigned to take over as escort was late. Lacking fighter cover, the 91st's Fortresses were vulnerable targets in enemy airspace. Just how vulnerable would be made clear within the next few minutes. The 324th Bomb Squadron of the 91st Group was flying as high squadron, to the right of and slightly above the lead 323rd Squadron. The 324th was led by No. 890, Fearless Fosdick, with lst Lt. Robert E. Crans as pilot and squadron lead, flying at the apex of the three-plane V-shaped lead element. On the right wing, in the No. 2 position, was 2rid Lt. Edward L. WTitty and his crew in No. 515, The Wild Hare. On the left wing, in the No. 3 position, was No. 000 witii 2nd Lt. Reese W. Lindsay Jr. and his crew. Tlie three-plane second element, flying above and to the r i ^ t of the lead element, was led by No. 126, with 2nd Lt. John "Jack" L. LesUe serving as the deputy squadron lead. On his right wing. Flight Officer Louis C. Marpil and his crew were in No. 613. The No. 3 position was filled by No. 085, Yankee Belle, piloted by lst Lt. John R. McCombs. The third element, flying below and to the left of the lead element, was led by No. 012and2ndLt.VincentA. Fonke. There was no plane in the No. 2 position. Second Lieutenant Royal E. Manville and No. 088, Redwing, had been assigned this slot. But when Manville became lost in the overcast and could not find the 91st formation, he spotted the 457th Group coming together andfollowing standing ordersjoined up with it to fly on to the target at Schkeuditz. The No. 3 position in the third element was filled by No. 673, Lassie Come Home, with 2nd Lt. Leonard E Figie and his crew. The fourth element, flying directly behind and below the lead element, was led by 1st Lt. Freeman C. Beasley in No. 128, Dear Becky. Second Lieutenant Lawrence N. Gaddis in No. 333, Wee Willie, had started out in the No. 2 position, but he became ill and had to return to base. A spare. No. 634, Texas ChubbyThe f'villejolter, piloted by 2nd Lt. Halsted Sherrill, moved into his slot in the formation. In the No. 3 position, known as the "coffin comer" because it was the most exposed in the squadron, was No. 996, Boston Bombshell, with 2nd Lt. John E Dunlap and his crew. For most of tbe mission the 324th Squadron had been running into beavy prop wasb from the 381st Group flying directly in front of tbe 91st. The squadron loosened up and fell behind. As the bombers approached Eisenach, flak bursts began appearing near Fearless Fosdick. Lieutenant Crans glanced down at the map taped to his leg to confirm the location. As he did so, tbe navigator, 2nd Lt. Carl R. Phifer, yelled over tbe intercom, "Lead, lead!" Crans looked up and saw that the group lead aircraft wras making a turn to tbe left. Crans began bis own turn, with tbe rest of the high squadron following, but the delay in response threw them farther behind. Tbe 324tb was also on the outside of tbe tum and had a longer route to fiy, causing tbe squadron to fall even more out of position. Forty Seconds of Terror Before the turn, a gaggle of German fighters, mostly heavily armed and armored Focke Wulf Fw-190A-8 Sturmbock ("storm-rams") of the IV [Sturm) Cruppe of Jagdgeschwader (fighter wing) 3, or IV (Smrm)/JG.3,alongwithMesserschmittMe-109GsofI/JG.302,had drifted back down alongside tbe bomber stream. As tbey moved past the formation, the German pilots saw tbere was no fighter escort covering the 91st and that the high squadron was lagging behind. Shortly thereafter tbe 324th Squadron's tail gunners saw
38 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 20D4

Forty Seconds Over

During a disastrous mission to a German aircraft factory, the 91st Bomb Group lost six B -17s in less than a minute.
: " BY LOWELL L GETZ :,

what tbey took to be the overdue American fighter escort approaching ftom out of tbe sun at 6 o'clock. It was actually the Germanfighters.Wbile still out of range of the bombers' machine guns, the fighters began lobbing 20mm and 30mm cannon shells with timed fuses into the formation. Puffs of grayish-white smoke from exploding shells suddenly appeared, and shells began hitting tbe bombers. Thefigbtersbarreled at full throtlJe right into the 324th Squadron in flights of two, three andfiveabreast. The ensuing gun duel would last only 40 seconds, but to tlae participants, it would seem like 40 lifetimes. In Fearless Fosdick, tbe tail gunner. Staff Sgt. Patrick!. Walsh, fired at tbe oncomingfightersfor such a long time that he burned out his guns. The flight engineer, Staff Sgt. Russell W. Wilson, managed to fire off a few rounds from the top turret at fighters attacking tbe bigber No. 2 element before they passed under bis plane. Next an Fw-190 came in on The Wild Hare, riddling the tail. A piece of rudder fabric beganfiappingover tbe vwindows of die tail gunner. Sergeant Joseph M. Albury, who reached out and tore away tbe canvas so he could see. WhenanFw-]90camedirectlyinontbe tailofNo. 000, tbetail gunner. Sergeant Lewis C. Morgan,firedat thefighter,causing it to flare up and away, with its belly toward his turret. No. 000 was raked by cannon fire all along tbe right wing from the tip to up next to the fuselage. The gas tank between the No. 3 and 4 engines caught fire, sending flames streaming 30 feet to the rear. No. 000 pulled up almost vertically and exploded about four seconds later. Only tbe tail section remained intact, floating dovmward in a flat spin. Morgan tried to go out through the opening where the tail was cut off but became entangled in the shredded metal. He finally managed to pull free, kick the tail batch open and drop out, pulling his ripcord at 600 feet. Tbe cbute opened so late that Morgan hit the ground bard, breaking his left heel and leg. An old man gathering vegetables put Morgan in a cart and took him to a nearby town, where he placed tbe American in tbe care of some Catboiic nuns. Tbe next day, bowever, Morgan became a POW. The remaining eight crew members had been killed when No. 000 exploded. Number 126 took several cannon hits, setting its No. 4 engine on fire and starting a fire in the bomb bay The waist gunner. Staff Sgt. Douglas Btintin, was badly wounded in the cbest and face. Tbe tail gunner. Staff Sgt. Louis Kos, was also hit by cannonfire,which tore a gaping wound in his chest and injured bis face. Lieutenant Leslie called over tbe Intercom for tbe radioman. Tech Sgt. James I. Middleton, to get back in tbe waist and man a gun. By tbe time be unhooked his oxygen system, plugged in a "walk-around" oxygen bottle, discormected the intercom system and got back to a waist gun, Middleton had time to fire off only a few ineffective rounds at the Germans. * Number 126 was going down. Kos tried to crawl from his tail position back into tbe fijselage. Although badly wounded himself, Buntin went back to aid-Kos. Neither had on bis chute. At tbe same time thefiightengineer. Tech Sgt. Joseph H. Godfrey, jumped down from tbe top turret and wenj:int6 ,the cockpit. Leslie yelled to tbe co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Jobn E. Savage, "It looks bad." Savage answered, "Yes." Lieutenant Leslie ordered tbe crew to get ready to jump. He tben said he was going to crash-land, since the wounded men could not jump. Godfrey said tbat he would "ride it down," ^ The navigator, 2nd Lt. Stanley Koss, had just dropped through tbe s nose escape batch. Leslie called the bombardier. Flight Officer Karl W
The crew of Boeing B-17G Lassie Come Home, of ttie 324th Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, including pilot 2nd Lt Leonard F. Figie (kneeling at left). Figie and three others would end up POWs, while another three would be killed.
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORY 39

Donley, over the intercom and told him, "Come up and get Godfrey and push him out." Donley came up to the cockpit and took Godfrey down into the nose, shoved him through the escape hatch and bailed out after him, followed hy Savage. Leslie remained at the controls. Almost as soon as Savage jumped, the plane exploded and broke in two, killing Leslie, Buntin and Kos. Middleton, who was still in the waist of the aircraft, was knocked out by the explosion, but when he regained consciousness he was floating in the air_ with his chute open. He landed in afield,where several civilians held him until he was taken prisoner. Koss was shot and killed by an elderly civilian after the landing. Savage was not injured before he bailed out, but he did not survive. It is not known how be died. The flight engineer of No. 613, Sergeant loseph B. Nealon, saw fighters approaching the squadronfromthe rear and called over the intercom, "Look at the P-47s." The tail gunner, Sei^eant Clem J. Pine, yelled back, "Hell, those are Fws!" Almost immediately cannon fire from the Germanfightersstarted raking the plane, knocking out the No. 2 engine. The waist gunner, Sergeant Clayton 0. Tyson, was bit in the head and throat and killed by tbe first rounds slamming into tbe plane. The radio operator, Sergeant Gerald ]. Peters, was hit in tbe ankle and knocked to the floor of the radio room. Pine, in the tail, wasfiringat the oncomingfighterswben a shell exploded in the tail compartment, shredding bis chute, wounding him in the left thigh and throwing bim back onto the tail wheel cover. At the sound of exploding shells, the navigator, 2nd Lt. Elliot H. Winston, bad started to get up to man his gun when the nose was hit. Tbe Plexiglas above the bombardier's position blew out, and sev-

eral of the navigation maps were sucked out of tbe aircraft. Number 613 started losing altitude rapidly. The oxygen system had heen ptinctured and drained. Flight Officer Marpil knew he needed to get the plane down to where the crew could hreathe. As the aircraft started dropping. Pine, wbo had seen other B-17s in the formation exploding in tbe air, crawled into the rear of tbe fuselage, where he saw that Tyson bad been killed and Peters was lying wounded on the floor of his compartment. When he sensed tbe plane was dropping rapidly and saw that tbe No. 2 engine was out. Pine assumed they were going down. He snapped on the spare chest chute tbe crew kept by tbe rear escape batch, kicked open the door and bailed out. Marpil finally leveled off No. 613 at 14,000 feet, feathering tbe windmilling No. 2 engine. Tbe main gas tank to No. 4 engine had heen bit, and tbat engine also stopped. Nealon pumped gas into the No. 4 tank and got the engine going again, although it was running rough. Marpil then went back into the fuselage to check out the damage and to give aid to Peters. At about tbe same time. Staff Sgt. Truely S. Ponder tried to come up out of the ball turret, but he bad difficulty because Tyson's body was lying on top of the batch. When he finally got out, Ponder went forward to the radio compartment and gave Peters a morphine shot, then poLired sulfa powder into the radio operator's ankle wound. Marpil turned No. 613 for home. Large puffs of whitish smoke from exploding 20mm and 30nim shells erupted all around Yankee Belle. Approximately 20 boles appeared in the aircraft, and the hydraulic system was shot out. Amazingly, there was no major structural damage to the bomber, and none of the crew was hit. Yankee Belle remained on course and at altitude.

40 AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 200-1

Earlier, as No. 012 had reached 10,000 feet headed for the coast, the crewmen went on oxygen and manned their positions. In his haste to get into position in the ball turret, Sergeant Charles F. Brudo forgot his chute. The radio operator. Sergeant Wendeil Meenach, noticed it was missing. "Chariie, your chute," he yelled as he tapped his chest. Brudo reached hack for the parachute and snapped it on as he took up his position;The first indication the cockpit crew had that they were under attack was the sudden appearance of grayish-white smoke all around the front of their plane. At the same time, the tail gunner. Sergeant Willard M. Hoiden, calied over the intercom that fighters' were "coming in on the tail" and that he was "firing at them." Hoiden yelled out: "Shoot at him! Shoot at him!"his last words. Almost immediately, 20mm cannon shells struck the No. 2 engine, knocking it out, as well as the right wing, between the No. 3 and 4 engines and in, the inboard wing tank. The right wing, along with the No. 4 engine, liecame engtilfed in fire. Part of the elevator was shot off at the same time. Number 012 nosed over, Thanks to the combined efforts of Fonke and the co-pilot, 2nd Lt. FredW. Van Sant, the plane started leveling out after dropping about 5,000 feet. Hoiden had been killed by the first rounds of cannon fire. Brudo, in the bail turret, was wounded in the lower right leg, just above the ankle, in the crotch and in the ieft huttock. Another carmon shell hit the turret, knocking Brudo unconscious. When he came to, he was floating free; his chute had aheady opened on its own. Meenach's reminder about the parachute had saved Brudo's life. Exploding cannon shells hit the waist gunner. Sergeant William J. Weaver, in the face, blinding him in both eyes and blowing away his intercom mike. When Meenach looked outfromthe radio compartment and saw Weaver lying on the floor with his face bloody, he told Fonke that Weaver was dead. Fonke rang the bail-out bell and yelled over the intercom for everyone to leave the ship. Top turret gunner Staff Sgt. Raymond V Prange, the navigator 2nd Lt. RobertW. Simcock Ir., bombardier 2nd Lt. Herbert Carlson and Lieutenant Van Sant left through the nose hatch. Meenach went out the waist door. As soon as he felt the crew had had time to clear the aircraft, Fonke went into the nose and bailed out. Almost immediately No. 012 exploded. "It sounded like the whole world had blown up when she exploded," recalled Weaver, who was alive but knocked unconscious as No. 012 disintegrated. When he came to, be still could not see because of blood in his eyes, hut he sensed that he was parachuting down. Just before the German fighters started their attack. Lieutenant Sherrill in Texas Chubby decided to try to get out of the prop wash by movingfromthe fourth element into No. 2 position in the third element, which was left open when Redwing got lost. He asked the co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Frank J. Gilligan, to take the controls, since the position was on his side of the plane. As they moved into the new slot, tbe taii gunner, Sergeant Chester W. Mis, called up on the intercom and said, "Our fighter cover is here.. .no, they're not!" Texas Chubby immediately took several hits from German cannon fire. The instrument panel was shot to pieces, and the engines started running away Sberrill flipped on the autopilot. Nothing. SheCs exploded in the top turret, killing the gurmer, Sergeant Vemon E. Bauerline, who slumped down in the turret. The ball turret took several direct 20mm cannon hits, killing Staff Sgt. Enrique T. Perez. Both legs of the waist gunner. Staff Sgt. Joseph R. Morrison, were blown off by exploding shells. He did not have his chute on, and the radio operator, Staff Sgt. Richard J. Munkwitz, went back to
At the 91 st Bomb Group's base at Bassingbourn, England, an operations officer briefs crewmen for their next mission, a raid on Berlin on September 9,1943.

give Morrison aid, put an emergency chute on him and try to help him bail out. Texas Chubby pitched up and then dropped off on its right wing. As the aircraft went down, it just missed another B-17 that was dropping down with fire streaming from the engines. Sherrill said, "I guess it's time to go, we can't do a damn thing about it," and then rang the hail-out bell. The navigator, 2nd Lt. William M. Porter, had been hit in the head by shrapnelfromthe first shells. His oxygen mask filled with blood, and when Sherrill rang the bail-out bell and told the crew to leave the plane. Porter took off his face mask, buckled on his chest pack chute and made his way to the nose. But because of his wounds and lack of oxygen, he became disoriented before reaching the exit. A^ Gilligan moved down between the seats, he saw Porter fumbling at the escape hatch door. Gilligan crawled forward to the door and pulled the emergency handle, then Porter tumbled out. The bombardier, 2nd Lt. Nicholas J. Weber, had his chute on and was turning around to move to the escape hatch. Gilligan went back to the cockpit and stooped down to retrieve his own chutefrombetween the seats. He looked up to see Sherrill standing over him. Sherrill asked, "Are you still here?" Then everything became chaosnoise, flashes, flying debris. The next thing Gilligan knew, it was quiet. He saw blue, green, blue, green, bluethen he realized he was alive and tumbling end-over-end, seeing sky, vegetation, sky, vegetation, sky. Finding that he still had his chute in his hands, he snapped it on and pulled the ripcord. As he floated down over a small village, he saw Volkssturm (home guards) and Hider Youth running toward the spot where he would land in a farmer's field. They held him prisoner at the farm until the authorities arrived. When the order to bail out came over the intercom, the tail gunner. Sergeant ChesterW. Mis, started to go hack into the fuselage to leave through the side hatch. Just then Texas Chubby exploded in a fiery ball, throwing Mis out of the plane. Lieutenants Sherrill and Weber and Sergeant Morrison did not escape. John F Wallaszek, tail gunner, was the first crewman in Lassie Come Home to spot the German fighters coming at the formation from the rear. Almost immediately the tail position was hit by cannon shells, wounding Wallaszek over the right eye and throwing him back into thefiiselage.As be tried to crawl back into his position, tbe next flight offightersfiredinto the tail, wounding him in tbe lefr leg. The B- 17s interior became a fiery inferno, and Wallaszek, though blinded by blood, made it to the escape hatch under the tail and bailed out. He was shot in the right arm by civilians while coming down, but he landed without further injury. Ball turret gurmer Sergeant Frederick D. Baldwin, radio operator Sergeant Edmund J. Mikolaitis and co-pilot 2nd Lt. Dale W. Whitson were all killed when 20mm cannon shells hit Lassie. Baldwin was partially blown from the turret. Whitson was thrown forward onto the control column. Mikoiaitis lay on the floor near the radio compartment, which was a blazing inferno. Thefiamessoon spread to the left wing of Lassie Come Home. The waist gunner. Staff Sgt. Walter Salo, was hit by exploding shrapnel from the cannon shells. Seeing the flames, Salo moved to the waist escape hatch, snapped on his chest pack chute, pushed open the door and tumbled out. In the nose, the bombardier. Sergeant Harlon B. Wiliiams, saw a fighter flash by the plane, grabbed the right nose machine gun and fired at it. Thefighterexpioded in front of Lassie Come Home. Williams' victim was possibiy 1st Lt. Ekkehard Tichy, commander of the 13 [Sturm] Staffel of IG.3, who had run out of ammunition and decided to ram the B-17. Tichy was credited with bringing down his quarry, for his 25th and last victory. Just as Lassie crewmen started shouting, "You got him," the intercom went dead and cannon shells began exploding in the nose compartment. Williams was hit several times in the head and lefr leg by
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORY 41

shellfragments.The navigator, 2nd Lt. Frederick Seihie, was also hit in the legs. He yelled, "They got me!" Almost immediately, before Williams could get thefirstaid kit and move back to help him, more cannon shells exploded in the nose, killing Seihie. Williams, who saw that the oxj'gen system was onfire,realized the plane was doomed. Technical Sergeant Walter L. Carpenter dropped down from the top turret and went into the cockpit. By then the pilot, 2nd Lt. Figie, knew the plane was irretrievably out of control He and Sergeant Carpenter went down through the fiery inferno into tbe nose and fell out of tbe plane, followed hy Williams a few seconds later. Tbe crew had barely left Lassie Come Home when it blew up in an orange-and-blackcloud.Williams was knocked unconscious by the explosion, but suffered no more injuries upon landing. Lieutenant Beasley warned Dear Beck's crew that tbere were bandits in tbe area and the escort had not sbown up. A moment later Staff Sgt. Walter H. Keirsey III, in the tail, spotted a large number of Fw-190s and Me-109s closing in on the squadron from the rear. He yelled out, "Here they come, and they ain't ours!" Sergeant Keirsey and Staff Sgt. Alvin E Desisto, in the baU turret, beganfiringat two attacking planes. Keirsey's target, an Fw-190, blew apart, wbile tbe Me-109 that Desistofiredon also went down, exploding when it hit tbe ground. Figbters continued to flasb past Dear Becky on botb sides. An Fw-190 flew alongside on the right, not more than 70 yards away.
42 AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 2004

The pilot was staring straight ahead, apparently intent on tbe B-17 that was his target. Sergeant Jack M. Alford, manning the right waist gun,fireda long burst into the fighter, which exploded. Alford then began firing on another Fw-190 that also plunged to the ground and exploded. The pilot, 2nd Lt. Karl-Heinz MuUer of 2/JC.302. was wounded but bailed out safely northwest of Eisenacb near Kassel. But for Dear Becky, the damage was done. A right-wing tank bad been bit and began spewing fuel out bebind tbe wing. Tbe exhaust on tbe No. 2 engine was also bit, knocking out tbe supercharger and causing the prop to run away, which slowed tbe plane so mucb that it dropped about 600-800 yards behind the rest of the squadron. Realizing he could not stay in formation with a full payload. Beasley told tbe bombardier, 2nd Lt. Bruce D. Pardue, to jettison the bombs, which be did. Dear BecAy struggled to stay with the formation. The navigator of Boston Bombshell, 2nd Lt. Hubert B. Carpenter, was working on tbe mission log as tbe action began to unfold. Tbe togglier. Sergeant Leslie D. Algee, yelled at bim tbat he thought be saw fighters. At that instant, cannon fire raked Boston Bombshell from one end to tbe otber. The left wing was set ablaze between tbe No. 1 and 2 engines, and the Fortress immediately started spinning downward. Algee raised up out of bis seat to leave tbe aircraft. Carpenter snapped on bis chest pack chute, and held onto the brace above tbe nose hatch to steady himself as be moved to tbe opening. Tbere he saw Lieutenant Dunlap lying on the catwalk. Just then Dunlap came

to and told Carpenter to open the escape hatch. Carpenter kicked it open and jumped, followed by Dunlap. Almost immediately, Boston Bombshell blew up. Only Carpenter and Dunlap survived. The Downward Dive At the end of their 40-second attack runs on the American high squadron, most of the German fighters rolled over and dived. As they roared down through the 323rd Squadron, the fighters made frantic passes at a number of bombers in the first three elements. Only No. 234, Bomber Dear, the lead plane of the second element, flown by 1st Lt. L.C. Basinger, was hit, and the damage was minor. The fourth element was less lucky. Their 20mm cannons blazing, two Me-109s and an Fw-190 dived down on No. 579, Betty Lou's Buggy, in the No. 2 position, with 1st Lt. Walter Reese Mullins and his crew aboard. Both the No. 3 and 4 engines were knocked out, and the No. 2 engine was also hit, and thereafter could only deliver about half power. Tail gunner Staff Sgt. Mabry D. Barker, waist gunner Staff Sgt. Robert D. Loomis and ball tunet gunner Staff Sgt. Kenneth L. Blackburn all got off bursts at the fighters but did not score hits. A 20mm shell hit the tail gun position, knocking Barker off his seat. Fragments went through his right leg, leaving a hole the size of a silver dollar. He quickly pulled himself back onto his seat in case other enemy aircraft came at them. None did. At the same time, splinters from a shell that hit the top turret gun

Background: A ball turret gunner's-eye view of Bomber Dear of the 323rd Squadron. Insets: Fearless Fosdick survived the August 16,1944, fight; Texas ChubbyThe J'vUle Jo/terdid not. The Wild Hare an6 Bomber Dear A\SO came back from the mission but were lost in November (Photos: Courtesy of Joe Harlick).

sight creased Tech Sgt. Carl A. Dickson's face. It was a superficial wound, but blood flovi^ed down over his face. Meanv^ile the radio operator. Tech Sgt. James B. Knaub, hooked on a walk-around oxygen bottle, then went to the tail gun position and dragged Barker back into the fuselage. He applied a bandage to Barker's wounded leg and would have given him a shot of morphine, but there wasn't a morphine syrette in any of the first aid Idts on board the aircraft. Betty Lou's Buggy was now flying on only VA engines. Lieutenant Mullins had the bombardier. Flight Officer Orville G. Chaney, jettison the bombs as they continued on alone, under and north of the 91 st formation. First Lieutenant Arvin 0. Basnight's bomber. No. 298, White Cargo, flying as lead plane of the fourth element, was hit by flak just before the fighters swept through the formation. Although the enemy knocked out two of his engines, Basnight managed to keep White Cargo in formation all the way to the target. Because of evasive action taken as they hurtled through the lead squadron, only a few of the German fighters were able to line up
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 43

a minute, 31 men had been doomed to die, and another 25 were on their way to becoming prisoners of war. The Germans thought they had done even more damage. They credited six B-17s to IV(Smrm)/JG.3 and another four to I/JG.302. On to the Target Since he was piloting Fearless Fosdick, in the very front of the 324th high squadron and facing forward. Lieutenant Crans had seen none of the action taking place behind him. However, his tail gunner. Sergeant Walsh, spoke incoherently over the intercom, trying to describe what he saw. Crans yelled over the radio to the squadron, "Close up, close up!" But hy this time there was no squadron lefr to close up. There were only three 324th planes left at altitude. Fearless Fosdick and The Wild Hare of the lead element and Yankee Belle of the second element. Lieutenant McCombs moved Yankee Belle over into the No. 3 position on the left wing of Fearless Fosdick. Lieutenant Beasley in Dear Becky could not maintain airspeed and dropped down below the three planes remaining at altitude. Beasley continued on to the target, however, since he was carrying the strike camera in his plane. Forty-five minutes after the Me-109 and Fw-190 fighters abandoned their attack, the 91st and an adjacent 305th Bomb Group formation were attacked by five of the newly deployed Messerschmitt Me-163 rocketpowered Komets of 1 Stajfel, 1G.400. The batshaped fighters streaked up through the strike force to about 60,000 feet, trailing white smoke. At that altitude the Komet enBack at Bassingbourn, crewmen of Betty Lou's Buggy examine 20mm shell gines cut out. The fighters banked over and damage after an April 19,1944, mission over Eschwege. swooped down on the bombers. One Komet, fiown by Sergeant Herbert Straznicky, aton bombers in the low squadron. An Fw-190 fired wildly at the lead tacked a B-17G of the 305th Bomb Group, only to be shot down by bomber of the third element. No. 504, Times A-Wastin',mih\siL\.. its tail gunner. Staff Sgt. H.J. Kaysen. Straznicky, the first combat loseph R. Lyons and his crew. His tail gunner. Sergeant Burdette E. casualty in a rocket fighter, bailed out safely but was wounded by Conner, saw the ball turret from a bomber that had exploded in the splinters in his left arm and thigh. high squadron go sailing earthward. He could even see the hapless After it went down through the 91st formation, 2nd Lt. Harimut gunner trapped within. Ryll's Me-163 leveled off behind Betty Lou's Buggy, which was flying Number 851, Qualified Quail, flown by 1st Lt. Gregory E. Good's alone well below the rest of the planes. As he neared the bomber, Ryll crew in the No. 3 position of the third element, had already been hit hegan firing at his quarry's tail, but missed. The Komet then banked hard by flak bursts and had lost its No. 2 engine. An Fw-190 came di- to the right and glided along just out of the range of the bomber's rectly at the tail gun position, its flaps down to slow its speed to that .50-caliber machine guns. Sergeant Blackburn, in the ball turret, of the Fortress, all the while drilling the bomber's wings and fuselage. asked Lieutenant Mullins to dip Betty Lou's Buggy's lefr wing so that The tail gunner. Sergeant Clarence W. Koeller Jr,, started firing at the he might be able to get off a burst at the Me-163 with his twin .50s. enemy aircraft at 300 yards, exhorted by Lieutenant Good to "Stay Just then Flight Officer Chaney, who had moved up from his bomwith liim." Koeller could see his tracers bouncing ineffectively off bardier's position to man the top turret afrer Sergeant Dickson had the Fw-190A-8's armor plate. A 20mm shell hit about two feet from heen wounded, yelled at Blackburn to hold his fire, as he watched a Koeller, knocking out his oxygen connection. He glanced down to North American P-51D Mustang dive on the enemy fighter. The reconnect the oxygen and looked up to see the fighter only 200 yards German nosed over and dived straight down, with the P-51 in puraway Koeller fired off another burst as the Fw-190 went into a ver- suit. The Mustang pilot, Lt. Col. lohn B. Murphy of the 370th Squadtical dive. The sergeant yelled out, "I got himhe's going down." As ron, 359th Fighter Group, hit the Me-163, and Ryll died when his he looked back for more German fighters, Koeller saw a crewman Komet crashed west of Brandis. Although Me- 163s had been in the air since July, this was their first recorded encounter with Eighth Air Force from another bomber hurtle past the tail with his chute on fire. The action was over. Less than 40 seconds had elapsed, but six bombers. Their two casualties were added to the total of 25 fighters bombers, all from the 324th high squadron, were gone. In less than Continued on page 60
44 A^nATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 2004

Lawrence Sperry
GENIUS ON AUTOPILOT

T H E MAVERICK INVENTOR WHO CREATED THE AUTOPILOT HAD 23 PATENTS TO HIS NAME RELATED TO AIRCRAFT SAFETY WHEN HE RAN OUT OF LUCK OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

By William Scheck

HE TWO GRANDSTANDS BETWEEN PONT Bezons and Pont Argenteuil were packed with spectators, on hand to see the Concours de la Securite en Aeroplane (Airplane Safety Competition) being held on the banks of the Seine River. On that glorious sunny June 18, 1914, there were 57 specially equipped planes competing, with Lawrence Sperry listed last on the program. Entries featured such improvements in aircraft technology as magnetos, self-starters, carburetors and other innovations. Sperry's entry was the sole participant equipped with a gyroscopic stabilizer apparatus, designed to improve stability and control. Sperry's device was mounted on a single-engine Curtiss C-2 biplane with a hydroplane fuselage. Flying with Sperry was his newly hired French mechanic and assistant, Emil Cachin. Considering that Sperry spoke almost no French and Cachin was equally ignorant of

Left: Onlookers surround the Curtiss C-2 in which 21-year-old Lawrence Sperry demonstrated his Sperry gyroscopic stabilizer to win the Concours de la Securite en Aeroplane on June 18,1914. Above: Despite language difficulties, Sperry (left) and his French mechanic, Emii Cachin, put on an awe-inspiring show.
NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORY 47

In a family portrait (left), Lawrence stands behind his father, Elmer A. Sperry. To tbe right of Lawrence is younger brother Elmer Jr., who helped him build a glider in the family home in 1910 and dismantle two bay windows (behind Lawrence in the photo below left) to take the fuselage outside.

service. The gyrocompass was immune from deviation and variation problems, which hitherto had been difficult to overcome, particularly in large steel warships. The massive compensating devices required by conventional magnetic compasses were eliminated by Sperry's breakthrough. Since then his son, Lawrence, had developed a lightweight adaptation of the gyroscope that could be coupled to control surfaces to maintain the flight axes of aircraft. The firemen's band of the villages of Bezons and Argenteuil, spotting the aircraft of "I'Americain" approaching, bravely struck up "The Star Spangled Banner." The Curtiss 0-2 flew down the river, and directly in front of tbe judge's stand Sperry engaged his stabilizer device, disentangled himself from the shoulder yoke that controlled the C-2's ailerons and passed in review with both his arms held high. The aircraft continued on a straight and steady course, vdth the pilot obviously not handling the controls. The crowd was on its feet, cheering, and shouting: "Remarquable!" "Extraordinaire!" and "Formidable!" Sperry had stunned tbe skeptics witb his "no hands" flying. But Sperry wanted to show them what else his device was capable of. During the second pass, Cachin climbed out on the starboard wing and moved about 7 feet away from theftiselage.Sperry's hands were still off the controls. As Cachin moved out on the wing, the aircraft momentarily banked due to the shift of weight, but the gyroscope-equipped stabilizer immediately took over and corrected the attitudinal change, after which the Curtiss condnued smoothly down the river This time tbe crowd English, they seemed an unlikely teambut they had hit it off with was unrestrained in its appreciation and the firemen's band delivered its supreme complimenta vigorous rendition of 'La Mareach otherfromthe start. Sperry and Cachin had managed to become sufficiently conver- seillaise." sant with each other's language to bandy about phrases such as staSperry elected to make one more passhis tour de force. As they biUsateurgyroscopique and generator electrique with true GalWc flak. passed the reviewing stand, there was Cacbin on one vidng and Now their opportunity to demonstrate the feasibility of the Sperry Sperry on the other, with the pilot's seat empty. This was a demongyroscopic stabilizer was at hand. stration beyond the already exuberant audience's expectations. Lawrence's father, Elmer A. Sperry, a renowned American inven- There was the aircraft, flying serenely along with both its pilot and tor, accompanied by his wife, Zula, was on hand to see the results, mechanic out on the wings, airily waving to the spectators. Tbe along with the members of the Ligue NationaleAerienne de France. judge, Rene Quinton, was almost speechless. His comment mirrored

SPERRY ENGAGED HIS STABILIZER DEVICE, DISENTANGLED HIMSELF FROM THE SHOULDER YOKE AND PASSED IN REVIEW WITH BOTH HIS ARMS HELD HIGH.
With the rest of tbe hushed crowd, they waited to see if what was generally thought to be an impractical gadget might actually work in an airplane. The elder Sperry had earned a worldwide reputation for his development of the gyrocompass, which had been installed on more than 30 American warships. A massive device that was practical only for marine use at that time, his invention was still gaining in popularity and becoming standard equipment on vessels then entering
4tt AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

the feelings of the crowd: "Mais, c'est inoui!" ("But that's unheard of!"). The military observers on hand were simply stunned by Sperry's performance. And when Commandant Joseph Barres of the French army air corps prevailed upon Lawrence Sperry for a ride, he not only saw a demonstration of the aircraft's stability during straight and level flight but also witnessed Sperry's device performing an unassisted takeoff and landing. Awarded first prize in the competition, Sperry received 50,000

francs ($10,000) and became famous overnight. The handsome both the Chicago Board of Trade and Tribune buildings. As an inyoung American's face adorned the front pages of newspapers in ventor, Elmer Sperry was generally regarded as being almost on a Paris, London and Berlin. The New York Times was more muted in level with Thomas Edison. its reception, however. A report covering the competition appeared The Sperry clan relocated to Brooklyn, N.Y., and bought a house on page 6. In the Times of June 22, Sperry's invention was mentioned in the solid middle-class neighborhood of Elatbush. Lawrence was on the editorial page in these deprecatory terms: "Of stability com- an energetic youth, and by age 10 he had acquired a bicycle and a monly understood, no heavier than air flight vehicles will ever have newspaper route. The events at Kitty Hawk, N.C., that made the even as much as that dreadfully fragile monster, the dirigible." So front pages in December 1903 left a strong impression on him. The much for the technical expertise of TheNewYork Times staff in the ingenuity of the Wright brothers spurred young Lawrence to open summer of 1914. a bicycle, roller skate and doorbell repair shop in the basement of Lawrence B. Sperry was born in Chicago on December 22,1892, Elmer and Zula's third son. That same year the Sperry name was well represented at the Chicago Columbian Exposition. At the time, Elmer was the chief executive officer of tbe Elmer A. Sperry Company, vth more than 70 patents either granted or pending. Among his developments were the Sperry Electric Street Car as well as thefirstarc lights (developed when he was only 19), which graced
Right: Elmer Jr.shown at right witb Lieutenant Marion Higgins bolding gyroscopes used in U.S, Army Air Corps field exercises dropped out of Cornell University at Lawrence's urging. Below: Controlled by Sperry gyroscopes, a pilotless Curtiss B-2 flies over Sacramento, Calif., in May 1930.

M,

NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 49

A view of the Sperry autopilot installed on an early Curtiss biplane at Hammondsport, N.Y., wbere Lawrence received his pilot's license in 1913.

the family house. It was an instant success, and in short order he expanded his operations to include motorcycle repair. Erom an early age, he displayed a natural yen for mechanical devices, despite a lack of formaJ training. The Sperrys usually traveled to Bellport, Long Island, each year for a summer of seaside tranquility. This absence by the rest of the family was the opportunity for Lawrence and his brotber, Elmer Jr., to make tbeir big move in 1909. Lav^rence had studied a Voisin biplane that he bad seen at an airshow at Mineola, on Long Island, and had made meticulous notes on its dimensions and construction. Now, with the town house empty except for servants, the Sperry brothers started building a glider in the basement. First the boys built the steam box they needed to bend wood to the required shapes. They also set up a jig on the floor, where the pliant wood could be clamped until dry, The furnace in the basement furnished steam for the production of the aircraft components. The boys' glider plans went out the window when an interested customer, a Mr. Wilcox, asked Lawrence what he planned to use as an engine. An engine? That sounded intriguing. A 5-cylinder Anzani radial engine was available at a cost of $800. The Anzani could claim demonstrated reliability. It had been the power plant of the aircraft in which Louis Bleriot in 1909 became the first man tofiythe English Channel. The Sperry brothers had only $300 in their till, but

Sperry Sr., upon discovering the alterations, made a reasonable decisiontbat the first earnings from young Lawrence's new flying career would be allocated to pay for repairs to the house. With the engine not yet on hand, Lav^^rence thought it might be prudent to begin flying his plane as a glider so that he could get some practice. After talking his way into using the nearby Sheepshead Bay Race Track, which had fallen on hard times, Lawrence towed the aircraft to the new proving ground with a Panhard automobile he had acquired. After assembly, die glider was hitched to the Panhard, and with Elmer Jr. at the wheel, the maidenfiightbegan. The plane had reached a height of 150 feet when the tow rope broke. Tbe glider, with Lawrence at the controls, proved fairly tractable in the air, although he did have a hard landing and received a few scrapes and bruises. The glider needed only minimal repairs. After that inidal hop, Lawrence was consumed by the flying bug. The Sperry brothers' shiny new engine arrived the following week and was installed without delay. As a protective measure, Lawrence had taken steps to prevent a noseover by installing six bicycle wheels as an enhanced landing gear. Eueled up, the engine started, and then, sensing the moment of truth was at hand, Lawrence opened the throttle. With his recent experience in the glider coupled with apparendy latent talent forfiying,Uwrence reached the respectable altitude of 500 feet. Even more important, he made a decent landing. Realizing that a mostly on-the-joh education in flying was insufficient, Lawrence decided to formalize his conquest of the air. After a few more years of academic study, he enrolled in the aviation school run by Glenn Curtiss at Hammondsport, N.Y. Sperry learned quickly On October 15,1913, he received Eederal Aeronautics Pilot License No. 11 from the Aero Club of America. At this time Curtiss was working under the auspices of tbe U.S. Navy to develop a hydroplane. In the same shop, Sperry, the youngest licensed pilot in the United States, was soon developing

SPERRY HIT UPON THE IDEA THAT IE THE FLIGHT AXES COULD BE HARNESSED TO A GYROSCOPE, AN AUTOMATIC CONTROL SYSTEM MIGHT BE DEVELOPED.
Wilcox was willing to put up the balance so their plane could have an engine. Repayment was to come from the proceeds of a soon-tocome barnstorming career by 16-year-old Lawrencewho had not yet even made it into the air. If nothing else, Lawrence was daring. When the plane's wings turned out to be too large to fit through the doors of his parents' house, he proceeded to remove two large, handsome bay windows from the bouse so they could carry the semi-assembled aircraft out into the yard.
50 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

a new interest, a gyroscopic stabilizer for aircraft. Sperry's goal was to develop an apparatus that would enahle an airplane to maintain its course and attitude under ail circumstances. Sperry had been intrigued by the tendency of a motorcycle or bicycle to remain upright provided it was moving. The Wright brothers, with their experience in bicycles, had also dabbled in the gyroscopic phenomenon but had not explored it very deeply. The principles of the gyroscopic effect were fairly well understood at that time, but

as yet there had been no attempt to utilize the gyroscope's capabili- engine aircraft, though few fighters other than the Lockheed P-38 Lightning retained that system by World War II. The simplicity of ties in an aircraft. Sperry hit upon the idea that if the three flight axes of an aircraft- Deperdussin's control layout made it immediately popularand yaw, pitch and rollcould be barnessed to the stability of a gyroscope, ideally suited for use with Sperry's device. an automatic control system might be developed. Yaw represented The U.S. Navy, which undervwote Sperry's research, had desiglateral deviation from the course heading, pitch was the up and nated Lieutenant Patrick Bellinger to assist him and act as a watchdown divergence from level flight, and roll referred to lengthwise ro- dog during testing. Trials of the gyroscopic stabilizer soon shifted to tation around the axis of flight. The aircraft might wander through San Diego, Calif., to avoid the inclement weather near Lake Keuka the flight axes uithout pilot input on the controls, hut Sperr>' rea- at Hammondsport, where the Curtiss facility' was located. Although soned that a spinning gyroscope could maintain an airplane's origi- the California climate was more benign, Bellinger's confidence in nal orientation. The youthful inventor put it all together by linking Sperry's device had not increased. In flight tests with Sperry, the control surfaces with three gyroscopes, allowing flight correc- Bellinger had a tendency to grab the controls if the gyroscopic options to be introduced based on the angle of deviation between the eration seemed slow or reluctant. flight direction and the original gyroscopic settings. During one test, Bellinger conquered his tendency to go for the The guidance device would perform mechanically what the pilot controls, hut this time he waited too long, and the Curtiss C-2 they performed instinctively. Sperry's control gyroscopes were designed were using as a test-bed flew full tilt into the waters of Spanish Bight. to maintain a zero setting for all control surfaces unless corrective action was required. Tbe transmission of corrective commands to the controls required a mechanical linkage to the control surfaces. The gyroscopes needed electrical power to maintain rotational rotor speed as the actuating medium. Sperry obtained power for the gyroscope motors by mounting a wind-driven generator on the upper wing, in the slipstream. He had an additional problem, however. His stabilizer was mechanically linked to the aircraft control mechanism, but the aircraft industry wasftagmented,and different manufacturers had different methods of operating control surfaces. Sperr>''s stabilizer required four gyroscopes rotating at 7,000 rpm. As one of the gyroscopes moved in opposition to the movement of the aircraft, linkage to valves would actuate pistons operated hy compressed air and Lawrence, who gained notoriety for daring stunts, receives a ticket from a connected by levers to the control surfaces. In addition, New York policeman after landing on a highway in his Sperry Messenger. an anemometer that could sense inadequate airspeed and incipient stall was also linked to the device and would institute corrective action. The entire device, weighing in at 40 Inexplicably, this mishap converted Bellinger into a Sperry adherpounds, was compressed into 18 inches by 18 inches by 12 incbes ent, Sperry managed to rescue the stabilizer, and both men suftered a small package for such a sophisticated and complex apparatus. only a dunking. Sperry had come up with a brilliant solution to the problem of a In subsequent trials, Sperry finally solved most of the problems. practical autopilot. But as always, nature sides vdth the hidden flaw. Rudder position had to be offset to overcome engine torque. Aileron Since aircraft employed unique control systems, pilots had to learn settings had to compensate for the location of tbe center of gravity a completely different cockpit layout for each different type. For ex- in each aircraft. As the work progressed, Sperry finally reached ample, in Curtiss planes the ailerons were attached to a yoke that the ultimate test. With Bellinger sitting nervously in the cockpit, fit over the shoulders of the pilot and were actuated by his moving Sperry clambered out onto the wing. The device worked as designed his upper body to the left or right. Another system in many aircraft and corrected the banking momentarily caused by the transfer of of that day had tbe ailerons linked to the armrests of the pilot's seat. Sperry's weight to the vdng, confirming Bellinger's newfound conIn both the Curtiss and armrest systems, it was difficuft to achieve fidence. the mechanical force necessary for rapid maneuvers. Some planes The Aero Club of France and tbe French War Department anused rudder pedals or a rudder bar; otbers used an automobile nounced an international airplane safety competition, the Concours steering wheel to actuate the rudder. Some aircraft bad multiple de la Securite en Aeroplane, scheduled for |une 1914. Curtiss knew control sticks, and a few employed even more bizarre methods. It a good public relations gambit when be saw it and oftered to send was clearly impractical for Sperry to design a stabilizer for the one of his C-2s, with Sperr>' to provide his stabilizer and flying exunique control actuation methods employed in different aircraft. pertise. The competition was a smashing victory for Sperry. The breakthrough for Sperry came through by dint of common Witb the outbreak of World War I weeks later, Sperry's life sense. Tbe diversity of control apparatus was finally stabilized changed. He offered to serve in a French frontline squadron as an thanks to tbe universal but reluctant adoption of the Deperdussin experienced pilot, but to his dismay officials turned him down besystem, wbich has remained in use to this day. The Societe de Pro- cause he lacked a college degree. Undaunted, he returned to the duction Armand Deperdussin was a financially shaky French air- United States to continue his research. craft producer operating under the acronym of SPAD. later to So far, Sperry had flown hydroplanes almost exclusively, but he achieve fame under a different designationSociete Pour I'Aviation began to think about creating a dual-purpose aircraft. He reasoned et ses Derives. Deperdussin had developed the modern method of that a flying boat could carry a retractable landing gear so that it using a central control stick to manipulate the elevators and could also operate from a land base. The result; The Aerial Age ailerons, with pedals or a rudder bar controlling the vertical rudder. Weekly issue of March 29, 1915, featured an article with Sperry Ailerons linked to a wheel have remained in use for large, multi- demonstrating what was the first wheeled retractable landing gear

f^j^

NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 51

After another high-profile touchdown, Lawrence (left) poses with his Sperry Messenger near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in March 1922. A year and a half later he went down in the English Channel in that same aircraft.

in an amphibian. The Sperry Gyroscope Company, of Brooklynwith Elmer Sr. and Lawrence working in tandemsoon developed an unpiloted aircraft that could fly to a target guided by the Sperry gyroscopic device. But that turned out to be an idea ahead of its time. (The concept would resurface duringWorldWar II.) Lawrence traveled to Britain and returned in 1916 with a briefcase crammed full of orders for what is now famous as the automatic pilot. At age 24, he had become a well-known inventor. In 1916 he was also commissioned a lieutenant junior grade by the U.S. Navy and assigned as a flight instructor. Lawrence Sperry never rested on his laurels. Between 1915 and 1923, he had 23 patents either pending or granted. Among his inventions was instrumentation that permitted aircraft to be piloted when visibility was zero. His bank-and-turn indicator and artificial horizon have remained the basic instmments for every aircraft from the Boeing 747 to the Piper Cub. He also came up with a variety of other instrumentation, including an airspeed indicator, a drift indicator and a significant improvement over the (British) CreaghtonOsborne liquid-filled magnetic compass. After the United States enteredWorldWar I on April 6,1917, Speny continued research on an aerial torpedo that was actually a guided bomb. Working in concert with automotive inventor Charles Kettering, he produced a prototype of a pilotless aircraft rigged to fly a preset course to a designated target. Another member of that research team was 1st Lt. James Doolittle of the U.S. Army, whose name would become a household word in the three decades to come. The project, called the "Bug," was not entirely successful, largely due to the unreliability of the engines used. The Sperry-Kettering research, however, provided the guidance
52 AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 2004

principles utilized in Germany's later development of a flying bomb, the Vergeltungswaffe-1 (V-1 vengeance weapon), in 1944. The Germans solved the problem of unreliable power plants by using a simple and reliable pulse-jet engine, which required an absolute minimum of moving parts. While testing the Bug in March 1918, Sperrywho was serving as pilotcrashed, suffering a broken pelvis that immobilized him for three months. During his recovery he spent time on calculations that would result in a new and improved parachute. By the time he was released from the hospital, he knew he had invented a seemingly foolproof seat, or backpack, parachute. His design would eliminate the problem of a parachute becoming entangled in aircraft empennage. To test his device, he went to the roof of the Garden City Hotel, on Long Island, and let his parachute fill and drag him from the roof. It performed as designed, and he landed safely. The Sperry parachute soon entered production. At WWI's end the entire nation turned to civilian diversions, and Sperry shifted gears as well. As the result of a conversation with Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, assistant chief of the U.S. Air Service, Sperry designed and built an inexpensive sport plane, the Sperry Messenger, which could reach 95 miles per hour. It had a 20-foot wingspan and was powered by a 3-cylinder radial engine that delivered 30 miles to the gallon. Mitchell was so impressed by the design that the Army ordered a dozen for general service. The Messenger was also well received by civilian aviators and appeared at airports around the country. Sperry used a Messenger to commute from his Brooklyn home to the factory on Long Island. He would routinely land and take off from tfie parade grounds on Parkside Avenue, adjacent to Prospect Continued on page 61

Reviews
Focusing on the development of the A-10 Warthog, a new book gives an inside view of Pentagon politics.
BY WALTER J. BOYNE
ment and interdiction. (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2003, $34.95) should be The A-10 debate was required reading for every student of military history for also affected by a man three reasons. Thefirsttwo reasons are alluded to in the who did more harm to the title, for author Douglas E. Campbell, a fan of the fabuUnited States and its lous Faircbild A-10, provides a balanced portrait of the adarmed services than any vantages (many) and disadvantages (relatively few) of the hostile foreign governWartbog as he outlines tbe debate over close air support ment: former Secretary of that has raged since World War 11. The tbird reason is perDefense Robert S. MacNahaps the most important, for The Warthog and the Close mara. A brilliant self-proAir Support Debate also gives an extremely accurate inmoter who could outsider's view of the way tbe Pentagon operates, with all its quantify anyone in the faults (many) and all its virtues (relatively few). Campbell's room, MacNamara had a analysis of the way the Pentagon's advocacy system works genius for insisting on the illustrates the many constituencies that operate in the wrong aircraft at the wrong five-sided building, each with its own agenda, operating time for the wrong reasons. (His genius for getting the methods and interests. The author seems to describe this United States into a ground war in Southeast Asia won't almost inadvertently as he details the background of the be covered here.) MacNamara's forte was not in listening close air support debate and the emergence of the A-10 to the generals and the admirals who had spent their lives as an initially unwanted child of the U.S. Air Force. fighting and who knew which equipment was best for Campbell writes very well, reflecting his extensive back- their services. Instead he relied on his mathematical comground as a Vought A-7E and A-10 pilot and his doctor- putations of which airplane would cost the least, whether ate in history from Texas Tech. It's a good thing that he it was effective or not. does, for the story he tells is immensely complicated and Among MacNamara's brilliant choices was his insisfar more involved than the title indicates. This is a story tence on his TFX program, which was supposedly going that could easily get hogged dovm in the inevitable oh- to outfit the Air Force and the Navy with a common scurity of acronyms and titles of office, as well as the nu- swing-wing, air-superiorityfighter,reconnaissance and merous personalities involved. close-air-support airplane. Another was his forcing the A strong proponent of the A-10, Campbell keeps his procurement of 225 General Dynamics FB-lllAs prejudice for the airplane in check as he dispassionately (stretched and re-engined F-11 Is) as strategic bombers discusses its pros and cons against the background of the instead of the demonstrahly more efficient Rockwell great Army/Air Force debate over close air support. At the B-1 As. And in this book, wefindthe willful secretary deheart of this is the hasic dilemma of the Air Force, lt wants manding a dedicated close-air-support aircraft that ahove all things to assist the U.S. Army, which would like would replace both the Air Force's Republic F-105 and the to have the organic air support enjoyed by the U.S. Marine Navy's Douglas A-4. Corps, where Marine pilots support Marine ground units. MacNamara accepted the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II And while the Air Force helieves that It can do the job of as an interim replacement but pressed for the Vought close air support best hy interdiction, i.e., the suppression A-7 as the premier close-air-support airplane, despite of enemy forces and supplies at distances far beyond the strong Air Force opposition. The opposition was based on front lines. Air Force officials know that Army units want the fact that the A-7 had no air-to-air capability. Air Force to see their close air support "down in the weeds," killing General Gabriel R Disoway, a man viith considerably more the enemy in the immediate front lines. experience in close air support than MacNamara posThe Air Force also knows that if it does not provide such sessed, once likened the A-7 to the German lunkers Iu-87, close air support, the Army will seek to provide it and, which proved a formidable opponent to Allied aircraft so horror of horrors, do it withfixed-wingaircraft as well as long as the Luftwaffe had air superiority. its own rotary-wing force. Under these circumstances, the The author handles the emergence of the A-10, its opAir Force is forced into the position of allocating a portion erational use and its possible future in an engaging, inofits hudget to a mission tfiat it believes inbut believes formative style. Most people have an instinctive liking for in less than some ofits others, including strategic bombard- the A-10, and Gamphell's presentation makes it evident
THE WARTHOG AND THE Close Air Support Debate
54 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

why they do. It is the kidfromthe other side of the tracks who tackles the establishment and makes goodalways a heartwarming story. ECHOES OF EAGLES: A Son's Search for His Father and the Legacy of America's First Fighter Pilots, by Charles Woolley with Bill Crawford, Dutton, New York, 2003, S24.95. in the course of researching facts to back up the stories his father told him as a boy, former U.S. Air Force inteiligence officer Charles Woolley, aided by author Bill Crawford, has crafted a "life and times" account ofWorld War 1 fighter pilot Charies H. Woolley that revives a storied era in military aviation. In order to recount the details of Charles H. Woolley's career, Echoes ofEagles covers the history of the first U.S. Army Air Service fighter units to see combat in the spring of 1918the 95th Aero Squadron, in which Woolley initially served; the neighhoring 94th Fighter Squadron; the 1st Pursuit Group of which they were part; and the 49th Fighter Squadron, which Woolley ended up commanding by the end of the Great War. In the process of telling his own father's story, the younger Charles Woolley writes of the other pilots his father knew, including aces Hamilton Coolidge, lames Knowles, Edwin Curtis and Sumner Sewell, as well as other prominent squadron mates, such as Quentin Roosevelt, son of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who was killed in action on July 14,1918. In addition to learning about his father's experiences, Woolley also had the opportunity to hear firsthand the experiences of his father's surviving squadron mates, among them Knowles, Curtis, William H. Vail and John Mitchell. He gained additional details from the widow of Waldo Heinrichs and the son of Carl Menckhoff, the 39-victory German ace whose career came to a somewhat embarrassing end on July 25,1918, when he was shot down and taken prisoner by a relative neophyte, Walter Avery of the 95th. For readers who are largely unfamiliar with World War I aviation. Echoes of Eagles provides a look at life and death among the Nieuport 28 and Spad Xlll pilots who challenged the German air service over the Western Front. To longtime buffs who are already familiar with the 1st Pursuit Group, Woolley's book can offer a lot of new insights and perspectives on the majiy actions and airmen who contributed to its fame. Echoes ofEagles seems likely to re\'ive interest in an important pioneer period of aerial warfare, when the progenitors of the U.S. Air Force were first finding their way.
Jon Guttman

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AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBER 2004

Letters
Continued from page 8

Stephen H. King's Windkiller - an historical novel

"...vivid description.s oCthe early aviation meets, of Latham and his Anloinette, and other aviators and the planes they flew. 1 like this book. Read it., and watch them flyl" --Leonard Opdycke, Author and Publisher, WWI Aero
This is a novel dealing with the final three years of the life of Hubert Latham, French pioneer aviation great. It is meticulously researched and the author chose to put it in novel format to better showcase Latham's slide from triumph to tragedy as his personality deteriorated. It makes for a wonderful and exciting read. Windkitler is a 382-page paperback book, with eight pages of photographs. Published in 2004 by Word Association Publishers, $16.95. Order the book directly from the writer's website: hiibertlathamwindkiller.com, or through wordassociation.com/windkiller/index.htm, or from Amazon.com (enter Windkiller in your search), or by special order from your local bookstore.

for slightly larger engines (I analyzed the engine mounts, cowling, etc.) and minor cockpit changes. Upon America's entry to WWII, production of the A-20 was transferred to the Santa Monica plant of Douglas. The very first A-20 was supposed to have a spinner-fan; it didn't work out, and the first deliveries were designated A-2OAs. 1 certainly enjoy Aviation History, and hope other readers will enjoy my reminiscences. Please keep up the good work. Edward C. Denzin Eagle River, Wis. GULFHAWK 4TH William Vassallo's article "A Memorable Early Bird" about Major Al Williams, in the July issue, was excellent. I enjoyed reading about this extremely talented man. I would like, however, to correct one reference to the Grumman G-58A Culfhawk 4th. This civilian version of the Navy F8F Bearcat was delivered to Gulf Oil on luly 23, 1947, and after thorough testing by Major Williams was "christened" by Mrs. Williams in Washington. D.C., on October 11,1948. Gulfliawk 4th had much of its military equipment removed, reducing its weight by 1,300 pounds. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 "C" engine with water/ alcohol injection that produced 2,800 hp. At 19,000 feet Culftiawk 4th could do more than 500 mph. The aircraft was also equipped with jet-assisted takeoff bottles, which gave the already fast-climbing Bearcat an incredible climb rate. Major Williams fiew Culfhawk 4th all over the countr>' and delighted airshow crowds with what many credit as the ultimate piston-powered aircraft. Gulfliawk 4th was short-lived, however. While returning from the Miami Air Maneuvers on January 18, 1949, Williams discovered he had landing gear trouble and headed forSimmons-KnottAirport, in New Bem, N.C. The left landing gear collapsed on rollout, and the auxiliary fuel tank wore through in a shower of sparks, igniting a trail of leaking gasoline that soon consumed the aircraft in fire. Williams escaped without injury, but Gulfliawk 4th was destroyed. There is evidence that Gulf Oil planned to replace the aircraft, but for whatever reason. it never happened. Davis Gandees Lutz, Fla. Send letters to Aviation History Editor. Primedia History Group, 741 Miller Drive. Suite D-2, Leesburg,VA20}75, or e-mail to Aviation History@thehistorynet.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited.

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Enduring Heritage

INTROOUCiNG HISTORIC OPPORTUNITIES TO BUY. SELL AND TRADE ONLINE.

Continuedfrompage 14 ing for it. Those who found the crate broke off little pieces. The thing was kept in an outof-the-way spot, but people still found it. You wouldn't think that what was basically a large wooden box would attract so much attention." How did Holt end up the proud owner of the 12-by-26-foot crate, which weighs 2 tons

Local residents and tourists mostly forgot about it. Then, in 1958 the release of a movie about Lindbergh's flightT/ze Spirit of St. Louis, starring Jimmy Stewartrevived interest in Lindbergh's crate, and the souvenir hunters became active again. But it wasn't until the spring of 1960, when two young men, one with an ax and the other with a hacksaw, were chased off the property, that the decision was made to move the crate to a new. secret location. By then. Holt had become the owner. "We used a Land Rover and a hay trailer

The wife of Vice Adm. Guy H. Burrage, joined by a local contractor, was photographed on the front step of the guest cottage created from one of the crates in which Spirit of St. Louis was shipped home from Europe after its historic flight.

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and stands 9 feet high? "I inherited it from my grandfather," he explained. "He was Vice Adm. Guy H. Burrage, who was on board Memphis when Lindbergb made bis return trip to the United States after his flight. The giant crate was also on board with Spirit of St. Louis inside of it. My grandfather asked Undbergh if he could have the crate, and the flier agreed." After the plane was taken out of the crate. Holt's grandfather shipped the box on a flatcar to Contoocook, where he had a 200'acre farm. For a while, he left the crate standing on his property. Word soon got around what the box bad held, however, and souvenir hunters began showing up. "My grandfather decided something bad to be done to save tbe thing," Holt recalled, "so he turned the crate inside out, and made a small summer home out of it on land back of the main house." The crate is constructed of English pine, and even though there was no electricity or indoor plumbing, it provided additional sleeping space wben tbere were guests visiting the farm. The crate remained intact for a while.

to move the crate," recalled Derek Owen, a local farmer who served as its caretaker for several years. "It cost $2,000 and took an entire summer to do the job. We built a foundation and put in electricity. No running water, thougb. There's a stream close by." Concealed amid the trees in the woods, the structure somehow still managed to attract souvenir hunters. "We decided to rent the crate as a summer home," said Owen. "We figured with somebody living there, the souvenir collectors would stay away. We tried, but we couldn't rent the place. That's wben we started inviting people to live there. I suppose you could say the crate became a guest house." Finally the structure was sold again and moved to its present home in Canaan, where Larry Ross initially restored it to the condition that Burrage bad left it in. Its new owner then took steps to turn this unusual artifact into an aviation tourist attraction. Lindbergh's crate has finally found a homefar from tbe Smithsonian, but surrounded by a community that appreciates its quirky charm and unlikely heritage, "t

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destroyed, 14 pilots killed and five wounded that the Luftwaffe recorded that day The remaining 91st Group hombers continued on to the target, dropping their bombs at 1110 hours from 25,000 feet. Flight Officer Marpil, in No. 613, left the 324th Squadron formation to return home alone Noltenius' victim crashed near Stenay, after the German fighters departed. killing Dana Coates and Loren Thrall. NolteBecause his maps were gone. Lieutenant nius, seen leaving the fight with steatn is- Winston, the navigator, was unable to set suing from his riddled radiator, was claimed a precise course back to Bassingbourn. As by tlie 11 th's gunners as "shot down in flames," No. 613 approached the coast, the route Winalong with three other Fokkers. That was ston had selected unfortunately took them small consolation for the loss of Cy Gatton. right over the port city of Bremen al 14,800 Gatton had previously served with French feetalmost atop the anti-aircraft giins. The EscadriUe Br.7, with which unit he had plane was hit in a number of places, knockearned the Croix de Guerre with star. ing out several instruments and wounding Adverse weather on November 5 caused Ponder in the face and bands. Despite all its ail but the 20th to abort a mission to damage. No. 613 remained in the air over the Mouzon and Raucourt. The squadron hit its North Sea, crossing above land near Boretarget, but was attacked by the Circus and ham. There, Marpil saw an emergency landlost three planes to 2nd Lts. Hermann ing strip and headed for itwith no electrical Bahlmannof/flxm 4, Richard Wenzel of ya^to system or hydraulics. As the Fortress ap6 and Wolfram von Richthofen (the Red proached the airfield, its remaining three Barons cousin) ofjasta 11, resulting in three engines all cut out. But Marpil managed to Americans killed and three taken prisoner. make a perfect dead-stick landing on the More bad weather curtailed further mis- grass, narrowly missing a hangar as the airsions before the Armistice, and so ended the craft rolled to a stop. Number 613, however, ordeal of the lst Day Bombardment Group. was by then ready for the salvage yard. i-or its part, the llth Aero Squadron was Although many of the bombers sustained credited with 13 enemy aircraft in the course major battle damage during the raid, the reof 24 missions, and had lost 11 men killed maining 29 91st Group aircraft, including and seven taken prisoner. Redwing, returned to Bassingbourn. Eleven Gharles Heater worked for a railroad supply of those planes were shot down later, and company after the war. He retired in 1960 three others were destroyed when they and died on January 23,1989, at age 94. Clif- crash-landed in England. Of the 13 planes ford Allsopp went into the jewelry business, sent up by the 324th Squadron on August 16, retiring as president of the Allsopp-Stellar only Redwing survived the war. Of the 274 Company of Newark. He died in Ailegany, crewmen who made it back safely 19 were killed in action and 13 became POWs. From N.Y.. on September 21,1993. aged 97. The lst Day Bombardment Group had August 16 through the end of the war, aji adlittle real damage to show for its heavy sac- ditional 140 crewman of the 91st Group rifice in men and machines. Arguably its were killed, and 148 became prisoners. greatest contribution to the American war The surviving crewmen who participated effort was to draw crack German fighter in the Eisenach mission forever carried with units like JG.l and JG.ll away from the front- them those 40 seconds of terror and the horline reconnaissance planes. The bomber rific specter of six deadly orange-and-hlack crews' experience did demonstrate, how- clouds over Eisenach. Forty seconds, 40 ever, how quickly they could learn and weeks or 40 yearswar exacts its toll, "t" adapt, and there was one thing about which the survivors could justly boast: Regardless Lowell L Getz is a frequent contributor to Priof its losses, not one flight that reached its media History Group publications. For addesignated target turned back in the face of ditional reading, try: Bomber Pilot, by Wiiliam enemy opposition, "t" Wheeler; Serenade to the Big Bird, by Burt Stiles; and A Real Good War, by Sam Halfert. Jon Guttman is senior editor ofAviation Uistory and author of the recent AlbatrosDatafile To read about a raid on Magdeburg, No. iO7, American DH4. Further reading:The go to TheHistoryNet at vww.the First Day Bombardment Group, by Thomas historynet.com/ahi and see "B-24 Raid on G'.M///er/j:;flHrfThe First Team: Thornton D. Magdeburg," by Gar\' Rosentrater, as told by Hooper and America's First Bombing Glen M. Hotz, whicti will appear beginning Squadrons, by Gerald C. Thomas Jr the week of September 27, 2004.

one. Under my shots he developed a petrol vapor trail, but then I caught a bullet in the radiator and had to break off because I cottld not see a thing in the steam cloud. I landed on the field of Jagdgeschimderil.

Sperry
Continuedfrompage 52 Park, and leave his aircraft at a convenient police station at the western end of the impromptu landing field. His home on Marlborough Road and the site of his initial aircraft production plant were within easy walking distance. An experienced pilot with more than 4,000 hours of flight time, fully trained to fly by instruments alone, Sperry had no hesitation in taking off in any weather conditions. His personal aircraft was always fully equipped with instrumentation of his design. On December 23, 1923, he took off from Britain for a quick flight to France, undeterred by the fact that the Channel was foghound. Somewhere en route, however, his luck ran out. Whether due to mechanical failure or inability to navigate over the Channel, he never reached his destination. The Messenger he had personally designed was found in the water. Sperry's body was recovered on lanuary 11,1924. The Sperry aircraft manufacturing effort did not survive the loss of Lawrence Sperry. Without his vision and ingenuity, the company could not cope with the increasing competition of inexpensive surplus World War I aircraft then heing sold in enormous numbers hy the government. But the name Sperry lives on todaya revered imprimatur among many aircraft factories that remains part of the nomenclature of aircraft instruments to this day. The autopilot and stabilization system was also adapted for marine use. All major passenger ships plying oceans today employ a Sperry-type stabilizer actuating a winglike device to dampen rolling. A form of the Sperry autopilot linked to a Sperry gyrocompass is in common use today on every ship of any size. The illustrious family name is also maintained today on the nameplates of diverse navigational equipment produced by the Sperry Marine Corporation, a division of Litton Industries Incorporated, as well as the Newport News Shiphuilding Corporation of Virginia. Given Lawrence Sperry's extraordinary productivity and fertile imagination, it seems especially tragic that he died so young. When he went down in the Channel at age 31, he had 23 patents related to aircraft safety in his name. Surely had he lived longer, he would have come up with even more brilliant ideas and inventions to make flying easier, safer and more readily available to the public, "t

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Four new DVD sets created from new digital transfers worthy of some of the greatest aircraft in history. From the incredible story of the F4F Wildcat to the screaming F-86 Sabre over the skies of Korea. From a spectacular 60th anniversary restored edition ^ g t t l h e Army Air Force Memphis Belle film ^ P l l l largest collection of F4U Corsair footage vailabte anywhere, the Aircraft Films lineup of DVDs takes you there as never befq "...one of the hest aircraft DVDs I have yet seen." - Duncan Curtis, author, F-86 Sabre

Retired Lieutenant Coionel William Scheck, who died in 2003, served in the U.S. Army, the Air National Guard and the U.S. Maritime Service. For additional reading, try Gyro! The Life and Times of Lawrence Sperry, by William W. Davenport.

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NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORV 61

Art of Flight
Colorful airplane trading cards provided the public with a wealth of information.
BY D.W. RAJECKl
A sampling of pages from the 1940s-era Album of Modern American Airplanes s\}o\NS a broad range of trading cards originally offered in cigarette packs.

IN THE EARLY 1940s, A SLIM BOOKLET called the Album of Modern American Airplanes was published. 1 don't know bow many otber copies of the Album still exist, but f have one sturdy survivor on my desk. Although it measures about 5 by 7 inches and bas only 17 pages of content, this little cardboard archive is impressive because it amounts to a capsule documentary of an important stage of American aviation. The Album holds a collection of old-fashioned, giveaway airplane trading cards that were once offered in packages of cigarettes. The book and its contents were created as promotional devices, meant to take advantage of the public's avid appetite for information about aviation. But given its detailed and colorful illustrations, the little volume quickly became a valuable source of data and to this day tbe Album remains a useful collectible. Early reports and illustrations of real-world aeronautic accomplishments were available to enthusiasts not too long after the advent of powered flight. A periodical dubbed The Aeroplane first appeared in 1911, The outbreak ofWorld War 1 in 1914 led to impressive advances in the air and mounting public interest on the ground. These parallel developments were reflected, for example, in the profusely illustrated 1919 volume of the annual jane's All theWorld'sAircraft.The magazine Popular Aviation came out in 1927 (renamed Flyingin 1943). Aviation pulp magazines, which purveyed fictional accounts of air adventures, were spawned in the 1920s, These energetic additions to the growing popular aviation literature were plentifitl and colorful. lohn P. Gunnison's book Belarski: Pulp Art Masters allows modern-day aviation buffs to savor some of the most glamorous covers from those publications. The earliest of the aviation pulps
62 AVIATION HISTORV NOVEMBER 2004

was Air Stories (appearing in 1927), whose cover announced it was "The First Air Story Magazine!" Soon after came War Birds (in 1928), which proclaimed itself "Tbe Oldest Air War Magazine," Not to be outdone. Airplane Stories (in 1930) touted its role as "The Biggest Sky Magazine." Gunnison contends, supported by examples sbown in his book, that many publishers of pulps took great pride in tbeir accurate illustrationsyet anotber reason for serious aviation aficionados to take note. Postal cards offered another bandy way to gather aviation lore. During World War I, companies in Gennany produced postcards that depicted noteworthy pilots. Many of tliese personality cards are illustrated in Cbarles Woolley's book World War I German Aviators: The Sanke Cards. The ace Manfred von Richthofen seems to have been the superstar among tbe celebrity flier circle of the day. According to Woolley's estimate, 11 cards depicted the "Red Baron," three of them issued after his death. ThroughoutWorld War 11, the picture-postcard industry continued to thrive in many countries, providing photos and paintings ofamong a variety of other objectsairplanes in acdon. Many of these scenes can be viewed in tbe book /'// Be Seeing You, compiled by Tonie and Valmai Holt. Tbat brings me back to the art form of the giveaway aviation trading card, which has affinities to the postcardas-reference-material medium. Other aviation trading-card sets exist, but bere the focus is on the 1940 Wings Airplanes "A" series, a tidy deck of 50 different pasteboards. Gredit the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Gorporation for this particular pack, with a nod to Popular Aviation magazine for publishing assistance. Tbe A series cards were available to the public as premiums in packages ofWings cigarettes. Wings cards were attractive and fact-filled little documents. Each 1 !i-inch-by-2 i^-inch masterpiece presented a full-color picture of a U.S. aircraft on the front and a commentary with performance figures on tbe back. For example, the blurb for the Gatalina flying boat read: Consolidated PBY. U,S. Navy Patrol Bomber, Two Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engines, each 1050 h,p. Cruising speed 179 m,p,h. Top speed 199 m.p.h. Amphibian type has fully retractable tricycle beaching gear. Has proven particularly successful in long range patrol practice flights to Alaska, Hawaiian Islands and Canal Zone.

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Ardi'll Koiii'<;i'ois 4?2S6 lA-noia ( rescciit. t liilliaik. I t t . (:iii:ul;i \ 2 I ' 7 ( 4 I'h: (604) 7^2-1879 I'-iiiail: artW'll h<Mir<>L'i)iM(/liotiiiailA-oiii 64 AVIATION HISTORY NOVl-MBER 2004

The makers of Wings also produced the Album ofModem American Airplanes, which collectors could glue their cards in. The Album presented open frames, numbered from 1 to 50, as sites for attaching specific cards. And despite any gluing, information from the backs of the minidocuments was not lost. The manufacturers thoughtfully reprinted that technical material next to the frames of respective cards (as shown on page 62). The Wings A series documented three general divisions: military aviation (cards 1 -25), private aviation (cards 26-37) and commercial aviation (cards 38-50). Of commercial types, as many as three different cards depicted the highly successful Douglas DC-3one each with the markings of American Airlines, Trans World Airlines and United Airlines. A card also showed the obscure Douglas DC-5. The Piper Cub Coupe was included in the private aviation grouping, as were the Cessna Airmaster and the stagger-wing Beechcraft D17. Advanced military aircraft of the time included the Brewster F2A-1 Buffalo, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and Grumman F4F Wildcat. Also featured were interesting but rarer designs such as the BellYFM-1 Airacuda and Stearman X-100, both listed as "attack bombers." To my mind, the most modernlooking military plane in the Album was shown on the veryfirstcard in the A collection: the Bell P-39 Airacobra. Something about the Airacobra fired the public's imagination. Maybe it was because the fighter's engine was mounted behind the pilot, or maybe it was the P-39's tricycle landing gear. The remaining military landplanes in the Album were conventional tail-draggers having a tricycle landing gear did not guarantee inclusion in this series. Nose-wheel newsworthies that did not make the "A" list weretheDouglasA-20 Havoc, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, North American B-25 Mitcbell, Martin B-26 Marauder and Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Thosefivedesigns did, however, appear in the subsequent B or C series of cards, which also featured several Royal Air Force planes, including the Hawker Hurricane and the Short Sunderland, The full contents of the 150 cards in the A, B and C series are listed in American Tobacco Cards, compiled by Robert Forbes and Terence Mitchell. Advances in aerodynamic research and construction made 1940 a pivotal year. It is not surprising that planes from the 1930s were depicted in the A series album, with several cards devoted to biplanes such as the Vought-Sikorsky SBU-1 scout bomber and Grumman F3F-2 fighter. To obtain all 50 A series cards, a collector was expected to buy as many as 50 packs of cigarettes. Today this might strike some as a heavy price to pay for an interest in aviation. Be that as it may. Wings cigarettes left us an interesting slice of aviation history, "t"

Airv\/are
IL-2 Sturmovik expansion packs bring new excitement to a 3-year-old sim.
BY BERNARD DY
THIS ISSUE'S "AIRWARE" CONTINUES the last in stallment's look at third-party products that add life to existing simuiations. These two expansion packs to the high-fidelity lL-2 Sturmovik game fill the roster with more aircraft and missions. Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa ($20, requires installed copy oiIL-2 Sturmovik or Forgotten Battles, www.matrixgames.com) maintains the original IL-2 Sturmovik's focus on World War II's Eastern Front. It is primarily a mission pack with new scenarios, but it also adds color in the form of plane insignia. Operation Barbarossa, as one can tell from the title, is inspired hy the German invasion of Russia. The expansion pack offers the piayer a few different paths. The first German campaign follows the simulated career of a Messerschmitt Bf-109 pilot. The second starts the player flying the Bf-109 but later switches the player to the formidable Focke Wulf Fw-190. Both campaigns are lengthy, with more than 200 missions each and an additional battery of 28 stand-alone single missions. Operation Barbarossa's contribution to the Allied side is less substantive, with 34 single missions fiyable as a pilot in the Soviet air forces. Getting through each scripted campaign is a tremendous feat, as the computer adversaries are capable and
The IS Nine, Bombs awgyj T r t s i s J A . Bombs aWraji "^h is Spie, Ta^et rm fiis; i tJB, CffeckVOLIf I,"

challenging opponents. It's a long trip that starts and ends at Berlin, with stops at Moscow, Crimea, Stalingrad and Kursk. Historical information includes a brief story from German pilot Ernst Scheufele in the manual, and most of the missions have briefing notes that relate the mission to key events in the war. If the campaign proves too grueling, the expansion pack's games are also available as single missions, playable at any time and in any order. Tbere's a good variety of mission types, including reconnaissance, strike, escort and interdiction. The pack also comes with several new paint schemes and insignia that your alter ego's mount can don when fiying online in multiplayer mode. The need to purchase Operation Barharossa isn't as compelling as it could be, since enterprising users can use the mission-building tools available in the basic IL~2 Sturmovik package to effectively create the same sorties. The lack of new aircraft or features doesn't help. If you're a busy virtual pilot, however, and lack the time to engage Sturmovik's mission builder, then Operation Barbarossa is a quick way to tour the historical German endeavor. Aces Expansion Pack A formal add-on from II.-2 Sturmovik's developer, the Aces Expansion Pack ($30, requires installed copy of Forgotten Bflft/e5,Windows98/Me/2000/XRPentiumIII 800,128MB

A Polikarpov l-16's bombs strike an anti-aircraft emplacement in Operation Baitarossa.

66 AVIATION HISTORY Nf)VEMBF.R 2004

A cockpit view of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb, courtesy of the Aces Expansion Pack for IL-2 Sturmovik.

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RAM, 3D video card with 32 MB RAM, www.ubi.com) is clearly a recommendabie purchase. New missions, new aircraft and new environments headline the additions to the game, driving even more depth into its representation ofthe Eastern Front and introducing some aircraft and environments ofthe Pacific theater. As is often the case with expansion packs, some esoteric aircraft get a chance to shine. The Germans were known for oddities in their experimental aircraft program, and making an appearance here are late-war models also recently seen in the FirePower pack for Microsoft's Combat Flight Simulator (see last issue's Airware) such as the Horton Ho-229 and the Focke WulfTa-152. The Americans had some funky fliers too, and although players still don't have an opportunity to pilot the heavy American bomhers, the Lockheed YP-80 Shooting Star jet is available, as are several variants ofthe North American P-51 Mustang. The Japanese get the classic Mitsubishi A6M Zero and the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate. The Fiat G.50 is another flyable steed. There are new dynamic campaigns to keep players busy in addition to new single missions and online scenarios. The graphics receive minor improvements with new 3D objects and continue to look excellent, and the artificial intelligence, while not free of gaffes, largely makes for a fine computer opponent. Aces doesn't change the fact that IL-2 Sturmovik requires a powerful machine to get the best out of it. So oniy those with faster machines and video cards will be able to enjoy the highest resolutions and full visual details, still impressive as this simulation reaches three years of age. Another mark ofthe game's quality is that there is still a solid community of flight sim fanatics available online for tutoring and to join when playing the new cooperative missions in the/lce5pack. lL-2 Sturmovik made a name for itself with its historic realism and willingness to highlight rare aircraft, and rare campaigns are also a part of its laudable repertoire. The Finnish battles against the Soviets are a welcome part of the Aces Expansion Pack, yet it's understandable that Aces features more of the common aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire, the P-51 and Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and battlefields like the Ardennes and Normandy. The lure of famous aircraft can only help the future of the franchise, which is looldng very good. The next major simulation projects from the developer target the Battle of Britain and the Pacific theater. Those are exciting games to look forward to, but for now. Aces is an excellent enhancement to an existing installation of Forgotten Battles. And for those who haven't yet tried Forgotten Battles, the Forgotten Battles Gold Edition ($40) bundles Forgotten Battles with the Aces pack, "t"

Events
The EAA's AirVenture Museum hosts a series of weekend Fantasy Flight Camps at Oshkosh.

AVIATiON ENTHUSIASTS ARE iNViTED to take pari in

several upcoming Lxpcriiiu'iital Aircrafl Associalion hmlasy Fiighi (^anipsat \IJ\A headquaiters ifi Oshkosh, Wis. I'acli camp takes place over a weekend, bej^inning on a i-riday evening. The camps are led hy experts, and partici pants Lire allowed privileged access ti) HAA facililies and specialisis-Lach of the weekends culiiiinatos in a unique Ilil^ht experience. Irom October 15 to 17 (he Ford IriMolor is the subjeet. represeniecl bv I'AA's 1929 example, and'Vampers" will gain a new understanding and appreciation of Ihat eiassie aircrall, often referred to as the "Tin (ioose." A two-hour flight during whie}i partieipants can log 0.2 hours at the C()ntn)ls ends thai weekencl. During the December 3-5 camp, ihe Boeing H-17 Hying i-orlress will be the topic. Partieipants will be immersed in (he hi.sti)ry ol'iiie honihci and ean taik willi B-17 \eleians, i hey will also bave the opportunity to take a 43minuteflighi mAluniiiuini Overcast. ()nenfthefe\vH-]7s stilltlying today, AirV'enture's Hrst l-antasy Camp, on Spirit ofSt- l.oiii.'^, was scheduled lo take place f )et(tber I -3. |-LA,'Vs is ihe only two-seat, dual-e{)nlrol Spirit of St. Louis I'eplica in Ihe world and the only version that flies under tiiarles Lindbergh's original registration number. \-X-21l. hor information, rates and booking assibianee on fiUureweekeiHls, rail l-8(H)-23()-48(}0or\isitwww.airventurt'niuseum.org/ fligbtops/laritasycainp lor turtlier details. Oct. 15-t7; Miramar Airshow, Marine C>)rps Air Station Miraniar, San Diego, Calif,, will include performances by the U.S. \ a \ y Blue Angels, There will be three full [lublic day sbdws and a twilight show on the 16th, (io to www. nilriimarairshnw.coin for details, Oct. l5-17:C;reat Mississippi Balloon Haee, \atehez. Miss. Aeiivities include iwo balloon fligbts each day, live musical enieriainineni, carnival rides and a ciiildren's activity area. See ww\v,natehezms,cuni/ba!lo()nrace tor more. Oct. 16-17: Wings Over Houston, iillington Meld, Houston, Texas, features Ihe U,S. Air Ibrce TbunderbJrds and civilian aerobatic denionslrations. Military demos include a B-2 siealtb bomber fly-by and an AM-B'l Apache auack helicopter demo. C^all 7l3-266-'M9:^ or go to wwvv.wingsovei'houston.com for Information. Oct. 16-17: Piimpano Beach Air l-air, at the Pompano Beach, Ha,, Air Park lionors veterans Srom WWIL Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm and the warbirds ibev flew.
7tt AVIATION HISTORV \ n \ i

Proceeds will benefit Ihe Air Ibrce Association and the Broward Chikiren's (iMiier. For information call 954-7827287 or visit wwvv,airfair,arg, Oct.2l-23:A()PA(Aircraft Owners and Pilots A.ssociation) I'xpo 2()t)4, Long Beach, Calif,, (x)n\ention Center, The event will feature an exbiiiit ball, seminars and aircraft on dis|)lay, (^ail i-888-4r>2-397()or\isit www,aopa.org/expo/ 2004 for more. Oct. 23-24: N'awlins Airshow. Naval Air Station, New Orleans, with the Blue Angels. Call 504-678-3710 or go lo vvvvvv.mwrnewoi leans,com for information. Oct. 23-24: AmigoAirsho, i-| Paso, Texas, with the /buiiderbirds. Go to www,amigoairsho.org for details. Ocl. 30-3i: Sertoma (;ajun Air k'stival, Lafayette Regional Airporl, La,, will include performances by tbeThtmderbirds. Visit www.seriomaair.coin for details or call 337B37-9H34. Nov. 6-7: Celebrate iTeedinii Air and tiroiind Sbovv, WWII Woodward Army Airfield, Camden, S.C^. Visit vvww,colel)ratefreed()nitoiindation,org lor information or call 80378H-6837. Nov. 7: Wings Over Wayne, Seymour Jobnson Air Lorce Base, Gtildhboro, X.C. with ibeTbunderbirds, Call 9i9722-2101 or go \o uww.seymourjobnson,af,mil/airsh{)w for information, Nov. \3-14: Aviation Nation Airsbow, Xellis Air Force Base, liisVegas, Nev., will be a saltJte to D-Day veterans and features the Tluiiiderbirds, (^all the airsbow director's office at 702-813-4293 or go to www.neHisairshow.com for schedule and inforniaiion. Nov. 13-14: Visiting Nurses Association Airsbow, Stuart, Ha., Withani Field, Demonstrations will include skydivers, warbirds and aerobatics. Vintage cars will also be on display both days, (^al! 800-260-3280 or visit www,stuartair show.eoni for furtber details, Mary Beck Desmond A\ia!ion History (ceteonies submissions. Please send to: Events Edilor, A\mio\]\\\^U}]y Magtaine. 741 Miller Drive, Suite 0-2. leesburg. VA 20175 or via e-mail to Avialion ! listnrvi" tht'historvnet.conj.

People & Planes

Continued from page 20 only eight such aircraft built by the shipbuilding and arms manufacturer. The Vickers featured a metal-fortified fuselage, making it more substantial than contemporary planes. The Adelaide Register newspaper described it as being "like a large bird of nickel steel. It had a body 34 feet long from nose to tail, was capable of remaining in the air for 5 hours and could cover 300 miles in that time." The power plant, built by French aviation pioneer Robert Esnault-Pelterie, was likely one of his 60-hp, 14-cylinder, fourrow engines. The bill of sale, dated August 17,1911, was itemized for the monoplane, a "special ice undercarriage" and shipping from England to Australia. Mawson hired Frank "Bick" Bickerton as mechanic and a Lieutenant Watkins as pilot, and sent them on to Adelaide with the plane. Before sailing to Antarctica, Mawson planned to boost the AAF's sickly finances with public flying demonstrations in Australia, where civil aviation was still a novelty. With Bickerton, Watkins assembled the Vickers and scheduled the first demonstration for October 5, 1911. A test flight was planned before the main event. Watkins took off with expedition member Frank Wild, but the test ended in disaster when the plane crashed and rolled, damaging both wings and slightly injuring the two men. Mawson's dreams of flying above the merciless Antarctic surface were shattered. There was neither time nor money for complete repairs. Instead he detached the damaged wings, stripped the sheathing from most of the fuselage to conserve weight, fitted the undercarriage with outsize skis and rebaptized the plane an "air tractor sledge," a reference to the cargo sleds used by polar explorers. He said that "the advantages expected from this type of machine were speed, steering control, and comparative safety from crevasses owing to the great length of the runners." By late January 1912, the AAE had established itself in Antarctica, with its main base at Cape Denison, south of Tasmania. The wingless Vickers was installed in a 10-footby-35-foot hangar abutting the living hut. Bickerton spent the polar winter there, reattaching the undercarriage and engine, which had been removed for the voyage, and configuring the machine so it could haul supplies over land during the summer exploration season (October 1912 to February 1913). Mawson would later write of Bickerton's efforts:" |The air tractor sledge] spent almost the whole year 11912] helpless and driftbound in the hangar. During those months, Bickerton had expended a great

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amount of energy upon it, introducing brilliant ideas of his own.. .to adapt it to local requirements." On November 15,1912, the first trial of the air tractor sledge was made, with Bickerton sitting high in the pilot's seat. The fuselage was perched about 5 feet above the ground so that the propeller was well above any projecting ice. The undercarriage consisted of struts connected to long, snowboardJike skis to help it pass safely over crevasses. A team of men had to move it into position. Expedition member Charles Laseron recorded, "on a trial trip [it| roared its way up the first steep slope in great style." Bickerton later fashioned brakes and a steering mechanism from the original landing gear and hand drills used by the geologists. The machine subsequently carried cargo five miles up the ice slope behind Cape Denison to a depot used as a gateway to the Antarctic interior. Laseron wrote: "Bick's aeroplane sledge was...doing yeoman service at this period... .Its advent lightened the labor of all, for on every available occasion it took a load to Aladdin's Cave [the depot], not only of petrol for its own use, but of stores for all the other sledging parties." Mawson wrote happily of its performance: "In the execution of this work a speed of twent)' miles per hour was attained up ice slopes of one in fifteen in the face of a wind of fifteen miles per hour Bickerton has reason to feel highly elated with its success." The air tractor sledge's next responsibility was to haul supplies f'or a team led by Bickerton to explore the coastal highlands immediately west of Cape Denison. The team left Cape Denison on December 3, with the Vickers towing a caravan of four sledges. What happened next is recounted in Mawson's memoir. Home of the Blizzard. About 10 miles out, he recorded: ... the engine developed an internal disorder which Bickerton was at a loss to diagnose or remedy. This necessitated pitching camp for the night...at 4 p.m. next day, after drifting snow had subsided, the engine was started once more. Its behavior, however, indicated that something was the matter with one or more of the cylinders. Bickerton was on the point of deciding to take the engine to pieces, when his thoughts were brought to a sudden close by the engine, without warning, pulling up with such a jerk that the propeller was smashed. A moment's examination showed that even more irremediable damage had occurred inside the engine, so there was nothing left but to abandon the air-tractor and continue the journey manhauling iheir sledge. Months later. Bickerson hauled the air tractor sledge hack to C^ape Denison and found that the pistons had seized and were irreparable. The culprit was the engine oil

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in those low temperatures it congealed, becoming too thick for the pistons' tolerance. Bickerton had tried to preempt this disaster by painting the engine and the oil tank black to absorb the sun's heat, to no avail. The abandoned vehicle became a sort of landmark. The sledgers passed it as they came back to Cape Denison, bringing stories of their discoveries and their battles with the elements. In early 1913, Captain Davis and Aurora returned to bring the M E hack to civilization. But Mawson's three-man party, wbich had traveled by dog team to map the area far west of Cape Denison, was still in the field. Davis waited for Mawson as long as possible, until Aurora was in danger of being iced in, then sailed back to Australia in March. Aurora would return the next year. Five men, including Bickerton, remained at Cape Denison to try and discover what had become of their expedition leader and his companions, EX. Mertz and B.E.S, Ninnis. Mawson was the only one of the tliree who eventually returned to Cape Denison, After six weeks on the trail, on December 14,1912, Ninnis and his dog sled disappeared into a crevasse, never to be seen again. Mawson and Mertz were left witli one dog team, food for a week and a makeshift tent. They immediately turned back toward Cape Denison, Mawson and Mertz resorted to eating their sled dogs as they died, finding the liver to be the most palatable. However, as proved 60 years later, Husky liver contains toxic amounts of vitamin A. Both men became dangerously ill with diarrhea, hair loss, peeling skin, disorientation and crippling head and hody pain. Mertz succumbed to the poisoning on January 7,1913. Staggering, sometimes crawling, Mawson continued alone. His technical skills proved to be his salvation, as he modified bis gear to compensate for his weakening state. He miraculously found a food cache on lanuary 29, allowing him to make it to Aladdin's Cave. There he was trapped by a week-long blizzard, surviving on supplies previously hauled by the air tractor sledge. On February 8 he made his way down the ice slopes to Cape Denison, using ice-sboes fashioned from the remnants of a wooden hox. Bickerton was the first to reach the forlorn figure. He knocked the ice from around the man's hood and saw Mawson's emaciated face, patcby skin and sunken eyes. "My Cod," Bickerton blurted, "which one are you?" Undaunted, Mawson returned to Antarctica in 1929 in the expedition ship Discovery. During that trip, he was finally able to view Antarctica from the air when he flew as a passenger in a de Havilland Moth floatplane. He wrote about his first flight on lanuary 5, 1930: "As we rose, a wider and wider view of the land unfolded. A black rugged Mountain appeared to the east of the rising plateau slopes." Mawson bad finally risen above the white hostility of Antarctica, "t-

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NOVEMBER 2004 AVIATION HISTORY 73

Legacy of Flight
BY NAN SIEGEL
Decked out in invasion stripes, U.S. Army Air Forces Martin B-26 medium bombers prepare to take off in June 1944, headed for airfields and transportation targets in Europe.

NOVEMBER 25,1940, BALTIMORE, MD.-TheB-26Marauder, Glenn L. Martin Company's response to a U.S. Army Air Corps request for a high speed medium bomber, made its maiden flight piloted by chief engineer William K. Ebel. The new bomber featured an unusual cantilever shoulder wing design, and early on in its career B-26 crews suffered what was

deemed a high number of training accidentsthanks to instability at low speeds during landings and takeoffs because of the plane's short wings ajid high wing loading. As a result, the Marauder garnered a handful of unpleasant nicknames, including "Widow-maker," "The Flying Coffin," "B-Dash-Crash" and "The Flying Prostitute" (no visible means of support). Modifications were soon implemented (including a 6foot wingspan increase and a taller tail) to eliminate that problem, and during World War II the B-26 would in fact record the lowest attrition rate of any American aircraft serving in the Ninth Air Force. With an original maximum bombload of 5,800 pounds, a top speed of 315 mph, rangeof 1,000 miles, and a service ceiling of 19.800 feet, the B-26 was widely employed for close tactical grotmd support in the Pacific as well as the Mediterranean. A total of5,157 were huilt in a total of 20 variants, and the Royal Air Force acquired 522 through Lend-Lease. There is reportedly only one B-26 that is still in fiyable condition today, in the collection of tbe Fantasy of Flight Museum at Polk City, Fla. "1"

7 4 Years Ago This Month

DECEMBER 8, 1930, BOLLING FIELD, WASHINGTON, of powered aircraft, legitimate customers forTexacos fuel and D.C.The Franklin PS-2 glider Texaco Eaglet soared aloft one oil. In the course of the transcontinental flight, which began last time before formally being handed over to the Smithson- March 30 at Lindbergh Field and ended on April 6 in New York ian Institution. At its controls that day was Frank M. Hawks, City's Van Cortlandt Park, Hawks and Jernigin landed at airwho earlier that year had piloted tbe unpowered aircraft across fields several times each day, and Hawks put on an aerial demonstration at most every stop. tbe United States. During its last flight as well as in the course of their eightThe PS-2with a wingspan of 45 day, 2,860-mile journey from San Diego feet, 20 feet 11 inches long and weighto New York, the glider was towed by ing 300 poundshad been designed J.D. "Duke" Jernigin Jr. in Texaco No. 7, by University of Michigan mechanical aWaco 10 biplane. engineering professor R.E. Franklin and his brother Wallace. Texaco Eagle fs The idea of making a transatlantic never-exceed speed was set at 125 mph, glider flight had originated with Hawks, with a stall speed calculated at 15 mph. renowned as a World War I pilot, a Thanks in part to tbe publicity generformer barnstormer and speed king ated by tbe transcontinental flight, as turned corporate spokesman. He bad well as their own work to promote tbe managed to talk Texaco executives into towing of gliders by automobile, the authorizing the purchase of tbe PS-2 PS-2 became America's most popular and sponsoring the stunt after he saw Best known for his record-setting flights training glider in the mid-'30s. As of an earlier model Franklin glider, tersely in powered aircraft, Frank Hawks made a this writing, Texaco Eaglet is at tbe Paul dubbed 9491, wowing crowds at the transcontinental glider flight in 1930. E. Garber Preservation, Restoration & Detroit Glider Carnival in 1929. ConStorage Facility in Maryland. sidered today from a strictly profitminded perspective, it seems remarkable that an oil company Hawks went on to set a string of distance records in a Travelwould be willing to invest in an unpowered aircraft to promote air and a Nortbrop Gamma. He also found time to publish an its products; but in 1930 Texaco viewed gliding as a compelling autobiography. Speed, in 1931seven years before he died on means of attracting more of the public to aviation as a sport. August 23, 1938, while piloting a Gwinn Aircar near East They also believed that glider pilots would likely become fliers Aurora, N.Y.
74 AVIATION HISTORY NOVEMBtR 2004