How luck and fate allowed me to survive my missions.
Christophe and Isabelle Laniece live in Grenoble, France, and they are both physicians. They also happen to be world-class sailors. In August 2006, they drove to Marseilles with their son, Cami, and daughters Elsa and Charlotte, and there they embarked on a 10-day cruise on the Mediterranean Sea that would cover 1,200 miles—on a catamaran! Jane, Charlotte’s pen pal from Philadelphia, was with them.
On the first leg of their odyssey, the twin hulls of their sleek vessel carried them east past Toulon to the tip of the island of Corsica and then south along the coast. Charlotte’s friend, Jane, is my granddaughter, and when Jane told me about her adventure, it occurred to me that they had sailed directly over some of our U.S. aircraft that had ditched in the Mediterranean during WW II. Thierry Willaey lives in Provence. He belongs to a SCUBA club and combines his love of diving with his interest in those underwater relics from WW II. One of his group’s discoveries was the remains of a Martin B-26 that had ditched 50 meters off the coast of Corsica in water just 13 meters deep. Initially, they had identified it as a plane from the 17th BG, and their findings, including the N number on the plane’s vertical stabilizer, were published on the Internet. Franz Reisdorf, historian for our 320th Bomb Group, saw the article. “The ‘N’ number was 43-34234,” Franz said, “and it stuck in my mind. I finally looked through my slides, and there it was: N 43-34234, on the tail of Lt. Robert Dinwiddie’s aircraft that got hit on August 22, 1944, over Vergato, Italy.” The French were pleased to get this positive identification. Franz was excited when he called to tell me about the find, and it got me thinking back to those incredible days more than 60 years ago, when I was a 20-year-old pilot flying on that mission.
This story is from the 2019 Special Issue: WWII Air War edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the 2019 Special Issue: WWII Air War edition of Flight Journal.
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Keeping 'em Flying!- The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics
The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, the fighters, bombers, and trainers that defended freedom continue to enthrall and inspire audiences at airshows, thanks to generations of warbird pilots, maintainers, restoration specialists and collectors. In our September, 2022 issue we introduced you to the young warbird pilots, maintainers and restorers who are already beginning to displace more "experienced" warbird fliers and fixers.
The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.
When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations
STARFIRES Over Korea
F-94 pilots tangle with MiGs
Training Mission
BY THE TIME THIS TRAINING SCENE WAS RECORDED in Canne, Italy, in July 1944, Allied Yugoslavian airmen had several years of experience working side by side with the RAF.
KC-46A PEGASUS
Next generation aerial refueler
"SATAN'S ANGELS" ACE - Tales from a P-38 pilot in the South Pacific
\"AS A KID GROWING UP on the bow of my father's tugboat, hauling oil from Seattle to Alaska, I had a lot of time on my hands.
WACO YKC - Stunning and Ultra Rare Golden Age Cabin Flier
BETWEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and December 31, 1948, all U.S. registered flying machines sported an N-number, much as they do today, the \"N\" being an internationally recognized identifier for the United States. During that period, however, an additional letter-identifier followed the \"N.\" Depending on their category, they were registered in the NC (Commercial), NG (Glider), NL (Limited), NR (Restricted, usually meaning race airplanes), NS (State government), and, finally, NX (experimental).
BADER'S HURRICANES
Double amputee fighter ace Douglas Bader and his Battle of Britain Hurricanes
Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
ZERO MYTH, MYSTERY, AND FACT
A test pilot compares the A6M5 Zero to U.S. fighters
