Picture of the day

[donor]

Grelmar - the "kill" emblem on the nose of what looks like a B-25 ("Heavenly Body") .... is that a steam roller logo?

LOL.Yes,it's a steam roller.Someone had a good laugh when painting it.Kinda reminded me of this:

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

Years ago I worked in West Central Alberta. I had cause to go to Fox Creek once in a while, Whitecourt twice a month, etc. At the Whitecourt RCMP detachment, there was a cruiser that was considered unlucky. It had hit two moose and a deer while in service, each time going to the local body shop for repair.

After the third incident, someone - never determined who - painted kill markings on the front fender. Two stick-moose and a stick-deer. I don't know if the Mounties left it or not. I really hope they did.

 

[diopter]

Inside off-limit areas tour of the Iowa.

 

[Kevin M.]

Inside off-limit areas tour of the Iowa.

Just watched this yesterday based off some browsing from this thread.

Wish deeper tours were offered. They are incredible reminders as to how the strength of a nation was determined based as recently as our parents or grandparents generations.

Incredible how much engineering and field fitting must go into the construction of a weapon of war like that.

 

[grelmar]

Grelmar - the "kill" emblem on the nose of what looks like a B-25 ("Heavenly Body") .... is that a steam roller logo?

You know, I don't really know for sure... The Army Air Force (all those planes were AAF - the other branches had strict rules that precluded pin-up girl style nose art) had really, really lax rules when it came to nose art and markings.

The picture is of a restored B-25J that was accepted in Feb 1945 and never made it overseas. (ref: http://www.b25.co/main.html ).

The original "Heavenly Body" (which did serve over the Pacific) had no such marking, as far as I can tell:

 

[grelmar]

Ok, a bit more poking around...

Yes, a steam-roller. It wasn't a "common" kill mark, but there were a few of them. Crews would pick them up for knocking out runway construction/repair heavy equipment, which would be a fairly significant thing in the island hopping campaign.

Poking around trying to find that out, came across this pic. Confident bunch of fellas horsing around next to their B-29. If America had a fleet of B-29's at the start of the war, it would have been a lot shorter in all theatres. Beast of an aircraft capable of delivering massive amounts of ordinance. Firs production bomber to have a fully pressurized crew cabin.

 

[grelmar]

Ok, the last one for tonight. I need to get some sleep:

Wellington Mark X HE239 of No.428 Sqn. RCAF. It completed its bomb run despite losing the rear turret and then flew back home for a successful landing with its bomb bay doors stuck open due to lack of hydraulic power.

Side note:
The Pilot had specially fitted trousers to accommodate his giant clackers.

 

[Cold Warrior]

Wow, I never realized that the conning tower was made up of 2x4's, particle board and fibreglass!
I always assumed they were some high-tech armoured metal structure.

Maybe it was just a mock-up to convince the rest of the world we actually had an operational submarine.
They were OK as long as the stayed on the surface, and didn't catch fire.

I used to assume they were made from 1/4" boiler plate, but there is a floating museum WWII sub tied up in Philly. It's conning
tower is ~2" rolled steel. Probably armor plate since it's not actually part of the pressure hull.

 

[AP]

Just watched this yesterday based off some browsing from this thread.

Wish deeper tours were offered. They are incredible reminders as to how the strength of a nation was determined based as recently as our parents or grandparents generations.

Incredible how much engineering and field fitting must go into the construction of a weapon of war like that.

According to Wiki the USS Iowa was 'laid down" 27 June 1940; Launched 27 August 1942; Commissioned 22 February 1943. 2 yrs 8 months (approx?) you do the math. That is just amazing! Particularly since we cant seem to get a two lane bridge over the French river on Hwy 69 N in Ontario 'refurbished' in three f'ing years!!! God Bless America!

 

[t-star]

difference between war time and peace time- if you're familiar with the Chinese term "gung ho" ( which actually means pull together- ) you know the concept- in peace time everyone is in it for his own benefit- that means 9-5 5 days a week, 2 coffee breaks /day, hour lunch, and u get weekends off- look at all that "lost" time- in war time u eat when u can , no coffee breaks , go like hell and your work day doesn't end at 5

 

[AP]

difference between war time and peace time- if you're familiar with the Chinese term "gung ho" ( which actually means pull together- ) you know the concept- in peace time everyone is in it for his own benefit- that means 9-5 5 days a week, 2 coffee breaks /day, hour lunch, and u get weekends off- look at all that "lost" time- in war time u eat when u can , no coffee breaks , go like hell and your work day doesn't end at 5

not to be to obsessive about this...I dont care that the guys are doing #### all on that bridge...I just object to the 10's (maybe 100's) of millions of dollars of lost productivity while traffic from the most populous part of the country trying to get to the west of Canada has to sit in kilometres long lines to get across the available one lane!

 

[Gibbs505]

U.S. Army technician Alvin Harley of the 9th Armored Division receives a kiss from a liberated little French girl on Saint Valentine’s Day. Abancourt, France. February 14th, 1945.

 

[Gibbs505]

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

James Ward, VC of the RNZAF:

Air Ministry, 5 August 1941

The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the VICTORIA CROSS on the undermentioned non-commissioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery :-

NZ401793 Sergeant Pilot James Allen Ward

On the night of 7 July 1941, Sergeant Ward was second pilot of a Wellington bomber returning from an attack on Munster. While flying over the Zuider Zee at 13,000 feet his aircraft was attacked from beneath by a German ME110, which secured hits with cannon-shell and incendiary bullets. The rear gunner was wounded in the foot but delivered a burst of fire sending the enemy fighter down, apparently out of control. Fire then broke out in the Wellington's near-starboard engine and, fed by petrol from a split pipe, quickly gained an alarming hold and threatened to spread to the entire wing. The crew forced a hole in the fuselage and made strenuous efforts to reduce the fire with extinguishers, and even coffee from their flasks, without success. They were then warned to be ready to abandon the aircraft. As a last resort Sergeant Ward volunteered to make an attempt to smother the fire with an engine cover which happened to be in use as a cushion. At first he proposed discarding his parachute to reduce wind resistance, but was finally persuaded to take it. A rope from the aircraft dingy was tied to him, though this was of little help and might have become a danger had he been blown off the aircraft.

With the help of his navigator he then climbed through the narrow astrodome and put on his parachute. The bomber was flying at a reduced speed but the wind pressure must have been sufficient to render the operation one of extreme difficulty. Breaking the fabric to make hand and foot holds where necessary and also taking advantage of existing holes in the fabric, Sergeant Ward succeeded in descending three feet to the wing and proceeding another three feet to a position behind the engine, despite the slipstream from the airscrew which nearly blew him off the wing. Lying in this precarious position he smothered the fire in the wing fabric and tried to push the engine cover into the hole in the wing and on the leaking pipe from which the fire came. As soon as he had removed his hand, however, a terrific wind blew the cover out and when he tried again it was lost. Tired as he was, he was able, with the navigator's assistance, to make a successful but perilous journey back into the aircraft. There was now no danger of fire spreading from the petrol pipe as there was no fabric left near it and in due course it burned itself out. When the aircraft was nearly home, some petrol which had collected in the wing blazed up furiously but died down quite suddenly. A safe landing was made despite the damage sustained to the aircraft. The flight home had been made possible by the gallantry of Sergeant Ward in extinguishing the fire on the wing in circumstances of the greatest difficulty and at the risk of his life. [3]

Ward was killed the next month on ops. Guess he'd used up all his luck. Brave, brave kid.

 

[Sharps '63]

Another member of the "greatest generation". Will we ever see their like again?

James Ward, VC of the RNZAF:

Ward was killed the next month on ops. Guess he'd used up all his luck. Brave, brave kid.

 

[Kman303]

Another member of the "greatest generation". Will we ever see their like again?

While it is interesting that the background of our ww1 and ww2 veterans made them significantly different than the young people of today, in many ways...as a young person I like to think that if required, members of my generation would do the same thing. Then I spend a day in class at University and my hope wains...

 

[bearhunter]

While it is interesting that the background of our ww1 and ww2 veterans made them significantly different than the young people of today, in many ways...as a young person I like to think that if required, members of my generation would do the same thing. Then I spend a day in class at University and my hope wains...

We are comparing apples to oranges here.

Why would your hope wane??? I realize our educational system is a cesspool of "Socialist/Big Brother ineptitude" but when the SHTF you would be surprised at who steps up to the plate. The meek and mild often turn into Tigers and perform more than admirably when called upon to do so. Most heroes are never recognized as such. The people that do heroic acts are usually in the right place at the right time, depending upon how you look at it.

Canadians have lived the good life for a long time and in some eyes we look weak. The weak ones may actually surprise you more than those that "appear" to be strong. Often strength is nothing more than BS and bravado. Many of the recent immigrants/refugees have been there and done that. Does that make them heroes?? No but some of them may be. Heroes do what has to be done at the time. Sometimes they are forced into action by circumstances but they often do so willingly. All generations are "GREAT." They have different circumstances to confront and prove themselves in many ways every day.

 

[Kman303]

We are comparing apples to oranges here.

Why would your hope wain??? I realize our educational system is a cesspool of "Socialist/Big Brother ineptitude" but when the SHTF you would be surprised at who steps up to the plate. The meek and mild often turn into Tigers and perform more than admirably when called upon to do so. Most heroes are never recognized as such. The people that do heroic acts are usually in the right place at the right time, depending upon how you look at it.

Canadians have lived the good life for a long time and in some eyes we look weak. The weak ones may actually surprise you more than those that "appear" to be strong. Often strength is nothing more than BS and bravado. Many of the recent immigrants/refugees have been there and done that. Does that make them heroes?? No but some of them may be. Heroes do what has to be done at the time. Sometimes they are forced into action by circumstances but they often do so willingly. All generations are "GREAT." They have different circumstances to confront and prove themselves in many ways every day.

I think we've had this conversation before lol... I agree with you 100%, I believe many people aren't aware of what they can do, so aside from the shake my head moments when some SJW opens its mouth, I do have faith in my generation.

 

[Old Ranger]

I might be a sentimental old dude but I'm also the father of an Afghan vet. Our boy was a young soldier at that time . Before he left he told me his greatest fear was not being able to do his job while deployed. In my mind every service person who traveled down the Highway of Heroes to Trenton (and other points of departure) are Heroes.

 

[woodchopper]

Air Ministry, 5 August 1941

The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the VICTORIA CROSS on the undermentioned non-commissioned officer in recognition of most conspicuous bravery :-

NZ401793 Sergeant Pilot James Allen Ward

On the night of 7 July 1941, Sergeant Ward was second pilot of a Wellington bomber returning from an attack on Munster. While flying over the Zuider Zee at 13,000 feet his aircraft was attacked from beneath by a German ME110, which secured hits with cannon-shell and incendiary bullets. The rear gunner was wounded in the foot but delivered a burst of fire sending the enemy fighter down, apparently out of control. Fire then broke out in the Wellington's near-starboard engine and, fed by petrol from a split pipe, quickly gained an alarming hold and threatened to spread to the entire wing. The crew forced a hole in the fuselage and made strenuous efforts to reduce the fire with extinguishers, and even coffee from their flasks, without success. They were then warned to be ready to abandon the aircraft. As a last resort Sergeant Ward volunteered to make an attempt to smother the fire with an engine cover which happened to be in use as a cushion. At first he proposed discarding his parachute to reduce wind resistance, but was finally persuaded to take it. A rope from the aircraft dingy was tied to him, though this was of little help and might have become a danger had he been blown off the aircraft.

With the help of his navigator he then climbed through the narrow astrodome and put on his parachute. The bomber was flying at a reduced speed but the wind pressure must have been sufficient to render the operation one of extreme difficulty. Breaking the fabric to make hand and foot holds where necessary and also taking advantage of existing holes in the fabric, Sergeant Ward succeeded in descending three feet to the wing and proceeding another three feet to a position behind the engine, despite the slipstream from the airscrew which nearly blew him off the wing. Lying in this precarious position he smothered the fire in the wing fabric and tried to push the engine cover into the hole in the wing and on the leaking pipe from which the fire came. As soon as he had removed his hand, however, a terrific wind blew the cover out and when he tried again it was lost. Tired as he was, he was able, with the navigator's assistance, to make a successful but perilous journey back into the aircraft. There was now no danger of fire spreading from the petrol pipe as there was no fabric left near it and in due course it burned itself out. When the aircraft was nearly home, some petrol which had collected in the wing blazed up furiously but died down quite suddenly. A safe landing was made despite the damage sustained to the aircraft. The flight home had been made possible by the gallantry of Sergeant Ward in extinguishing the fire on the wing in circumstances of the greatest difficulty and at the risk of his life. [3]

hell he was worried about his parachute getting in the way.... hell some balls.