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.
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
F4U-4 Corsair fighters of US Navy squadron VF-671 in flight over the Mediterranean Sea, December 15th, 1951.
Deed so! In 1944 on Peleliu, once existing airfields were secured, Marine carrier based Corsairs provided close-air support from the island. Missions flown were within 1K yards of takeoff. That worked out to about 15-seconds from lift-off to expending ordinance! On some missions, pilots didn't have time to retract landing gear. In some instances, airfields were within shrapnel range of exploding ordinance. In Korea, Navy & Marine pilots flew Corsairs on CAS and strike missions. USAF had some number of P-51 Mustangs in similar service.
a beautiful, brutal aircraft.
ReplyDeleteDeed so!
DeleteIn 1944 on Peleliu, once existing airfields were secured, Marine carrier based Corsairs provided close-air support from the island. Missions flown were within 1K yards of takeoff. That worked out to about 15-seconds from lift-off to expending ordinance! On some missions, pilots didn't have time to retract landing gear. In some instances, airfields were within shrapnel range of exploding ordinance.
In Korea, Navy & Marine pilots flew Corsairs on CAS and strike missions. USAF had some number of P-51 Mustangs in similar service.
Excuse me! make that Navy & Marine AVIATORS!
DeleteThe Corsair is just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteCorsairs are my favorite WWII plane
ReplyDelete