they didnt have to land and the mossie was flying in 1941. i often wondered why a bail out and recovery at sea wasnt tried
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- Thread starter jwhc
- Start date
they didnt have to land and the mossie was flying in 1941. i often wondered why a bail out and recovery at sea wasnt tried
Insanity Required
CGN Regular
- Location
- Edmonton ish
More likely a 51A. The A36 had a pair of .50 in the cheeks under the cylinder banks.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Merry Christmas, folks.
I don't believe they had enough fuel to make it back to the carriers - IIRC the launch point was some 650 nautical miles (750 statute miles - 1200 km) from Tokyo and the US didn't want to risk two carriers (out of 4 then in the Pacific) any longer than they absolutely had to. As soon as the bombers launched, the carriers turned around and headed for safer waters at near flank speed as they'd been sighted by a Japanese patrol boat (which was sunk by USS Nashville) that had radioed an attack warning to Japan.
It was meant to be a one way mission, with the survivors landing in China. Some including Doolitle made it.
Grizz
Of the 80 crew members 77 survived but only one B25 survived intact. Most crash landed in China. All-in-all not bad for such an audacious attack that had to be launched even farther than planned.
81 years ago, on Dec 26 1939 the Soviet 168th Division had captured the Pitkäranta area in the northern end of the Lake Ladoga and their 18th Division struggled in the Lemetti area, trying to reach Pitkäranta. If managing to get there the Finnish defense would collapse, allowing the enemy to advance southwards along the western shore of Ladoga.
Finnish IV Corps had there the 13th Division which, together with the Ladoga Coastal Defense Corps, fought fiercely being able to stop the 168th Division on the eastern bank of the Kitilänjoki River.
’Today’ in 1939 the Finnish Detachment Tykki launched a counterattack, heading southwards along the Pyhäjärvi-Kotajärvi Isthmus, main target being the Uomaa-Lemetti main road and cut the Soviet supply route. Meanwhile, the Task Force Valkama was preparing to capture the enemy supply depots located in the Uomaa village.
However, the road wasn’t cut until Dec 28 and the Uomaa village wasn’t captured. Road stayed closed ’til the end of the War, eventually causing the total neutralization of the 18th Division.
Pic shows some intruders after a battle in the Lemetti area.
SA-kuva
Talvisodan historia, osa 3, s. 60-61.
Donny Fenn1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootenays
Delivered by Hawker Typhoon no less.
diopter, the Soviets didn't issue socks, they issued "foot wrappings" Portyanki.
There are a lot of bare feet on the corpses in that photo. Looks like one corps still has its Valenki (felt boot)
I would think that the Finns wouldn't let such precious things go to waste on a corpse. I had a pair of those felt boots, with leather soles on them around 50 years ago. I think they were around a buck at the 3Vets store. I went back a year later and they were all gone. Should have bought half a dozen pair.
The Finns didn't have the resources to maintain prisoners. One of the reasons both sides fought so voraciously. I wonder if that pile of corpses stood in front of a firing squad at that point or if they were dragged there??
There are a lot of bare feet on the corpses in that photo. Looks like one corps still has its Valenki (felt boot)
I would think that the Finns wouldn't let such precious things go to waste on a corpse. I had a pair of those felt boots, with leather soles on them around 50 years ago. I think they were around a buck at the 3Vets store. I went back a year later and they were all gone. Should have bought half a dozen pair.
The Finns didn't have the resources to maintain prisoners. One of the reasons both sides fought so voraciously. I wonder if that pile of corpses stood in front of a firing squad at that point or if they were dragged there??
