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.
Friday, May 3, 2024
A B-24 Liberator B Mk VI of No 37 Squadron RAF after being hit by a pair of 1000lb bombs dropped by another B-24 during a mission over Italy, 1945. Remarkably there were no serious injuries to the crew.
ROYAL AIR FORCE: ITALY, THE BALKANS AND SOUTH-EAST EUROPE, 1942-1945.
"A stick of 1,000-lb bombs dropped by Liberator B Mark VI 'R-Roger' of No. 70 Squadron, about to hit another Liberator B Mark VI, KK320 'V-Victor' of No. 37 Squadron flying underneath, during a daylight raid on the shipbuilding yards at Monfalcone, Italy, 16 March 1945. KK320 lost the propeller from its port inner engine and suffered a large hole in the forward fuselage as a result of the strike."
Friend of my father was a tail-gunner on a Liberator out of Italy. He made it out alive, whch in itself was a sort of miracle. Never spoke about his time there, but I suspect the unfiltered Camels were a sign. No nonsense with him.
My dad was in Japan as part of the occupation starting in October 1945. IIRC they were issued smokes. He too smoked Camel straights until he was diagnosed with throat cancer in the early 90s. Diabetes is what killed him in 2011.
A really odd story is that on board WW2 submarines the first thing in your sea locker was about 20 cartons of smokes. Enough to last a full patrol. Inside the boat must have been a bit thick.
Impact damage only. Bombs didn’t explode?
ReplyDeleteThat's my guess. I understand they didn't arm themselves until they reached a certain, pre-set altitude.
DeletePropeller fuse would take some time to arm the bomb once dropped.
DeleteThe B-17's name is "Ambrose B" since it's being cannibalized near Papua, New Guinea
ReplyDelete"Before" https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211548
ReplyDeleteROYAL AIR FORCE: ITALY, THE BALKANS AND SOUTH-EAST EUROPE, 1942-1945.
"A stick of 1,000-lb bombs dropped by Liberator B Mark VI 'R-Roger' of No. 70 Squadron, about to hit another Liberator B Mark VI, KK320 'V-Victor' of No. 37 Squadron flying underneath, during a daylight raid on the shipbuilding yards at Monfalcone, Italy, 16 March 1945. KK320 lost the propeller from its port inner engine and suffered a large hole in the forward fuselage as a result of the strike."
When you look at how many planes are flying so close together it probably happened more than you think.
ReplyDeleteFriend of my father was a tail-gunner on a Liberator out of Italy. He made it out alive, whch in itself was a sort of miracle. Never spoke about his time there, but I suspect the unfiltered Camels were a sign. No nonsense with him.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was in Japan as part of the occupation starting in October 1945. IIRC they were issued smokes. He too smoked Camel straights until he was diagnosed with throat cancer in the early 90s. Diabetes is what killed him in 2011.
DeleteA really odd story is that on board WW2 submarines the first thing in your sea locker was about 20 cartons of smokes. Enough to last a full patrol. Inside the boat must have been a bit thick.
Heads up!
ReplyDelete