And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
And that's Mt Suribachi in the background. Iwo Jima and a damaged B-29 that made an emergency landing. Another aircrew saved from a wet landing and possible death in a rubber raft.
The tail markings appear to be Circle E which would be the 505th Bombardment Group flying from North Field Tinian. I haven't found a list of plane numbers to confirm that though.
Anon pegged it, Iwo Jima, that 29 would've been crippled over Japan, had to land early, why we invested so much blood on that worthless island. Rest in peace, Marines and Navy, and Army.
A great many B 29s were lost trying to get off that runway with heavy fuel and bomb loads in air so hot it provided little lift to the wings with engines made of magnesium that would run so hot they would catch fire and could not be put out. They were EXTREMELY brave men to try this.
I want to edit this. They were all of them the bravest men you never met. It was Lemay that figured out that the fucking engines did not work above 18000 feet that turned the glide to death into a killer for our enemy.
No, as a pilot I have to say you are incorrect...
ReplyDeleteA good landing is one you walk away from AND you can use the airplane again.
I heard that was a "great" landing.
DeleteIt's this: “Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.”
Deleteno. to walk away, that grasshopper is the key to any successful landing.
DeleteReminds me of that young lady in Michigan recently who's landing wound up looking like that B-17
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jk_ZZ8IMsY
Is that a B-29? The tail looks too large to be a -17.
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteAnd that's Mt Suribachi in the background. Iwo Jima and a damaged B-29 that made an emergency landing. Another aircrew saved from a wet landing and possible death in a rubber raft.
ReplyDeleteThat was my uncle’s fate right after the first fire bombing of Tokyo - he didn’t make it back alive.
DeleteThe tail markings appear to be Circle E which would be the 505th Bombardment Group flying from North Field Tinian. I haven't found a list of plane numbers to confirm that though.
ReplyDeleteAnon pegged it, Iwo Jima, that 29 would've been crippled over Japan, had to land early, why we invested so much blood on that worthless island. Rest in peace, Marines and Navy, and Army.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Not so much worthless as it was essential for saving lives and aircraft. I'd say a fair number of B-29's were repaired and RTB.
DeleteA great many B 29s were lost trying to get off that runway with heavy fuel and bomb loads in air so hot it provided little lift to the wings with engines made of magnesium that would run so hot they would catch fire and could not be put out. They were EXTREMELY brave men to try this.
ReplyDeleteuntil Lemay.
ReplyDeleteI want to edit this. They were all of them the bravest men you never met. It was Lemay that figured out that the fucking engines did not work above 18000 feet that turned the glide to death into a killer for our enemy.
ReplyDeleteI flew to all these islands working for Air Micronesia. It was great seeing all the history. Not much has been changed since the war.
ReplyDeleteYep, tinian island and the runway was always almost to short and they rolled two out with nukes anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat aircrew was damn happy to see Iwo come into view, knowing our Marines had given them a fighting chance at not having to ditch in the open ocean..
ReplyDelete