ΛΕΙΨΑΝΑ ΤΟΥ Β! ΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ-2 (Μικρή συλλογή 'άρθρων)

Α)Historic Aircraft Wreck Found. Is This The Wildcat Of US Ace James E Swett? By Roderick Eime

On my last trip to the Solomon Islands in October, I was fortunate to make my first dive on some of the historic aircraft wrecks that litter the harbour near Tulagi in the Florida Islands.

 

I was introduced to Bob Norton, an Kiwi ex-serviceman and the new proprietor of the Raiders Hotel in Tulagi, a quaint and peaceful waterfront hotel in the little former British pre-war colonial capital in the Florida Islands, across Iron Bottom Sound from Honiara.

The well-known wrecks of large ‘Mavis’ flying boats sunk on 7 August 1942 at the onset of the Guadalcanal campaign are well documented and frequently dived, but Bob was excited to show me a wreck of a Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat only recently discovered.

 

In remarkably good condition, the Wildcat lies in 40 metres of water and bears hallmarks of Swett’s account of the action including a jettisoned canopy, broken nose and damaged wings.

What is particularly noteworthy of what has been dubbed ‘The Gavutu Wildcat’, is that it is believed to be the aircraft of 1st Lt James E. Swett, one of the US Marine Corps most decorated pilots.
WWII historian and shipwreck researcher, Ewan Stevenson, who was aboard the HMNZSResolution under the command of Lt. Cdr. Matt Wray when the sonar scan revealed the aircraft, told me via email that while the wreck is yet to be absolutely verified, he is confident his theory will be borne out.
The circumstances of the ditching are remarkable in themselves. On 7 April 1943, a massive Japanese air raid took place on US shipping on recaptured Guadalcanal and Tulagi. This was 22-year-old Swett’s first day of service and during the torrid 15-minute air battle, Swett shot down seven attacking planes making him an ‘ace’ and Medal of Honor recipient on day one

 

Aviation artist, Roy Grinnell’s impression of that fateful day.

His ammunition expended and his plane shot up, Swett was forced to ditch but was rescued, recuperated and returned to service, surviving the war and passing away at the ripe old age of 88 in 2009.
I intend to follow up on this and will report any updates. In the meantime you can contact Raiders Hotel to arrange a dive on this exciting new find.

Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fact File:

The Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat was an American carrier- and land-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1941. While not the fastest or most maneuverable aircraft in the sky at the time, the Wildcat could pack a punch. By the end of WWII, most units had been upgraded to Corsairs.
Top speed: 533 km/h
Range: 1,337 km
Armament: 6 x 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns in wings
Crew: 1
Length: 8.76 m
Wingspan: 12 m
Weight: 2,674 kg (empty) 3,617 kg (loaded)
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 Twin Wasp 1,200 hp (895 kW)
Manufacturer: Grumman
By Roderick Eime, wll images courtesy of Roderick Eime
www.warhistoryonlime.com

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B)15 Unbelievable Pictures From P-38 Glacier Girl You’ve Never Seen Before

• FEATURED
• MILITARY VEHICLES

Feb 10, 2016

 

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On 15 July 1942, due to poor weather and limited visibility, six P-38 fighters of 94th Fighter Squadron/1st FG and two B-17 bombers of a bombardment squadron were forced to return to Greenland en route to the British Isles during Operation Bolero, the buildup of American forces in the United Kingdom.

 

The aircraft were forced to make emergency landings on the ice field. All the crew members were subsequently rescued. However, Glacier Girl, along with the unit’s five other fighters and the two B-17s, were eventually buried under 268 feet of snow and ice that had built up over the ensuing decades.
Fifty years later, in 1992, the plane was brought to the surface by members of the Greenland Expedition Society after years of searching and excavation.

 

P-38 Lightning after crash-landing on the Greenland Ice
Hand excavation of snow at the surface to establish the start of the excavation shaft. (Source)
Recovery team members lowering themselves down the melted shaft. (Source)

 

Glacier Girl, head on!
To recover the glacier girl they used a manually-operated hoist, 7,000 pounds, one guy, four cranks to raise it 1/4 inch (Source)
(Source)
Cockpit while still in the ice (Source)
Retrieving the Glacier girl, bit by bit up a long shaft melted in the ice (Source)

OVER VIRGINIA — Steve Hinton flies “Glacier Girl,” a P-38 Lightning dug out from 268 feet of ice in eastern Greenland in 1992. The aircraft was part of a heritage flight during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on May 21. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker)

The aircraft was eventually transported to Middlesboro, Kentucky, where it was restored to flying condition, the Lightning returned to the air in October 2002.

 

On June 22, 2007, Glacier Girl departed Teterboro Airport, New Jersey in an attempt to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Duxford, England to complete the flight it had begun sixty-five years earlier. On 28 June, however, a coolant leak in the right engine grounded the plane in Goose Bay, Labrador.
On July 22, 2007, repairs were completed in Labrador, which included installation of two re-manufactured Allison engines. Glacier Girl returned to the U.S. on July 23, and can now be seen at air shows in the USA.

 

Lockheed P-38E Lightning “Glacier Girl”, Chino, California (Source)
P-38 Lightning “Glacier Girl”  (Source)
Taking off (Source)

 

Up close (Source)
Beautiful picture of the Glacier Girl (Source)
www.warhistoryonline.com