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greatworldwar2 · 4 years ago

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• Arthur Chin (CNAF U.S Ace)

Arthur Tien Chin; Cantonese: Chan Sui-Tin; was a pilot from the United States who participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War. Chin was compelled to defend his father's homeland when Japan invaded China. Chin is recognized as the United States' first flying ace in World War II.

Chin was born in Portland, Oregon on October 23rd, 1913 to Fon Chin, who was from Taishan, China, and Eva Wong, who may have been of Peruvian background. Motivated by the Japanese invasion of China, Chin enrolled in flight school (at the Chinese Flying Club of Portland) in 1932, and along with 13 other Chinese Americans including John "Buffalo" Huang Xinrui and Hazel Ying Lee. He left for China and joined the Canton Provincial Air Force under General Chen Jitang as the first and original group of American volunteer combat aviators, and from there was sent to additional aerial-gunnery training with the Luftwaffe at Lagerlechfeld, Germany; returning to China to see the Guangdong Provincial Air Force integrated into the central government's air force under the KMT.

The Japanese Empire was on the march in Asia, and its annexation of Manchuria in 1932 simply confirmed the suspicions of many about Japan’s designs on China. Determined to save their ancestral homeland and buoyed by the best wishes of their neighbors and friends, Chin and eleven other young Chinese-Americans set forth in 1933 to volunteer to fly for the Chinese Air Force. They ran into a brick wall, figuratively speaking. Unfortunately, the central government was not interested in their services. Although details aren’t available, it seems likely that this was a case of the bureaucracy facing a situation without precedent or instructions and being unwilling to make a decision. Although China was seeking help from abroad it hadn’t solicited this particular assistance from these particular people. Added to this was their status as Overseas Chinese, which, to many, implied suspicious links to foreign powers. Japan was just one of several forces vying for power in China at that time. The 1911 Revolution that signaled the end of the Qing Dynasty had not led to the firm establishment of a successor regime and, despite high hopes for Sun Yat-sen’s Republic, China had fragmented into a patchwork of chiefdoms headed by warlords. By 1930, Sun’s party, the Kuomintang (KMT by then under Chiang Kai-shek) had suppressed most of these warlords and established a central government widely recognized internationally, but many provinces offered only token allegiance and groups such as Mao Tse-tung’s Communists still remained to be dealt with. Oddly, this situation gave Chin and most of his colleagues a “back door” into the air force. By the early ’30s there had been something on the order of sixteen separate air forces in China, ranging in size from one or two airplanes to a nominal strength of several hundred.

Perhaps because of their Cantonese ancestry, most of the Americans who were finally accepted started out flying for the Canton Air Corps of Guangdong. This was the largest and best-equipped of the provincial air arms, serving as “top cover” for Chen Chidang, the de-facto warlord of Guangdong. Art was one of these, being accepted as a Warrant Probationary Pilot on December 1st, 1933. In stark contrast to the pilots of the later American Volunteer Group (that was formed eight years later and existed for less than one year), who were paid $500 a month, their pay was equivalent to $25 US per month. Chin “enlisted” in the national air force during the summer of 1936. In a bid for power, Chen Chidang revolted against Chiang Kai-shek that May. Perhaps motivated by the sense that China needed unity in order to face the threat from Japan, in June and July of 1936 the Canton Air Corps defected as a group to the central (KMT) air force (the role in this of American pilots such as Chin is not clear, but they don’t appear to have been the instigators). This was more than simply a shuffle of allegiances: Cantonese pilots actually flew all of their planes to KMT airfields. At a stroke the national air force was substantially augmented, and, as might be expected, the revolt fizzled. After being sent to Germany for advanced training, Chin flew as a flight leader with the 6th Squadron and then from February until June, 1937, as an instructor. That month he was assigned to the 28th Pursuit Squadron, 5th Pursuit Group, as Vice Squadron Commander under another American, Captain Chan Kee-Wong.

Life in China wasn’t all preparation for war. Handsome and outgoing, Art sported a classically pencil-thin mustache and smoked a pipe. Reputedly one of his few social impediments was speaking Cantonese with a pronounced American accent, but he had enough charm to overcome that. He developed a reputation as something of a ladies’ man, one that would follow him the rest of his life. Nevertheless, about this time he met and married a Sumatra-born ethnic Chinese named Eva Wu (Ng Yue-ying in Cantonese). Meanwhile, friction with Japan’s Kwantung Army escalated into open war on July 7th, 1937. On August 10th the 17th and 28th Pursuit Squadrons were stationed at Chuyung Airfield near Nanking, capital of the central government. The 17th was commanded by still another American, John Wong, and was equipped with the export version of the Boeing P-26 “Peashooter,” the Boeing 281. Although it was an all-metal monoplane, the P-26/Model 281 was a transitional design and retained many old-fashioned features. On August 13th Japanese forces attacked Shanghai and began their drive inland to the capital. Chin made his first kill, a Mitsubishi G3M2 twin-engine bomber, on August 16. It was a difficult combat for him for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that his fighter wasn’t much faster than the bomber. Chin recalled that once he was in firing position he was virtually a stationary target for the bomber’s gunners. This combat highlights the rapid pace of aeronautical development during the 1930s. The 28th PS detached a flight to defend the Shaokwan Aircraft Factory in Canton Province, and Chin was selected to command it. On September 27th, 1937 his flight and one from the 29th (they being mounted on retractable-gear Hawk III’s) intercepted three G3M2s. Chin didn’t claim a kill, but Japanese records show that one bomber was forced to ditch on the way back to its base and evidence suggests that he was responsible for the major part of its damage. The following month China obtained 36 Gladiator Mk. I’s from Britain. The 17th, 28th, and 29th Pursuit Squadrons were re-equipped with this type and worked up on it during January and February, 1938. Chin went on to score most of his kills while flying this type of aircraft, but on the flip side crashed three of them. The only loss that can be chalked up as an accident occurred on February 9th, 1938. While leading a flight to Nanchang he ran into a snowstorm. In June Chin was appointed to command the 28th squadron and promoted to Captain.

On August 3rd, Chin is reported to have engaged three Japanese Mitsubishi A5M fighters by himself. Chin “deliberately rammed the Jap leader as he came in for the kill. Both planes burst into flame but Art hit the silk safely. He was wounded and slightly burned, yet when we found him he was directing the salvage of the precious machine guns from his wrecked plane.” Although exaggerated somewhat, the basic outline of this story appears to be accurate. In October, 1938, the surviving Gladiators were withdrawn for overhaul and the 28th Pursuit re-equipped with still another biplane, the Russian Polikarpov I-15Bis (or I-152). Decimated by accidents and enemy action, the Chinese air force had declined to a fraction of its former strength despite an infusion of Russian aircraft and reinforcement by Russian “volunteers” that had begun as early as the autumn of 1937. On December 20th, 1938, Chin was appointed Deputy Commander of the 3rd Pursuit Group.xxvii It appears that, like the rest of his comrades in the 28th, Chin qualified in the Russian fighters but he didn’t claim any victories while flying them. On November 2nd, 1939, Chin and a wingman attacked a Mitsubishi Ki-15 reconnaissance aircraft because of its speed considered by the Japanese to be virtually immune to interception by Chinese fighters but didn’t down it. Chin combat career ended in a suitably climactic fashion on December 27th, 1939. On this date he led a mixed formation consisting of an I-15Bis and another Gladiator escorting three Russian-flown SB bombers on a raid against the Japanese Army in the vicinity of the Kunlun Pass. After a savage fight during which Chin's flight fell one by one but appear to have shot down two Japanese fighters and damaged a third in return (personal credit for the kills is not certain), Chin’s Gladiator was hit in the fuel tank and caught fire. He nursed his flying inferno back over Chinese lines and bailed out, but was terribly burned. The sacrifice was not in vain; all three bombers got through. After the bloody fight, KMT forces regained Kunlun Pass. While recovering from his burns Chin stayed with his family in a small house on Liuchow Airfield and was nursed by Eva. Unfortunately, only two days after Art’s return, the airfield came under attack by Japanese bombers. Eva took the children to the air-raid shelter first and went back for Chin, who was virtually immobilized by the bandages. Too late to run, Eva threw herself on top of Chin and was killed by shrapnel when the next explosion destroyed the house. During an interview many years later Chin said simply “I held her dead body to mine until help came.”

Hong Kong, then a British colony, was neutral at that time. Chin and his children were evacuated there where, in seven operations over two years, doctors at the Hong Kong Sanitarium in Happy Valley tried to repair the damage to his face and hands. In the chaos following the Japanese attack on December 8th, 1941, (still swathed in bandages) Chin got out of his hospital bed, tracked down his boys whose caregivers had either abandoned them or been killed – and managed to escape back across enemy lines to friendly territory. Finally, friends such as Chennault and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek (Soong Mei-Ling, wife of the Nationalist Chinese Generalissimo) persuaded Chin to return to the States for treatment. As commanding officer of the “1st American Volunteer Group,” Chennault drafted a letter dated June 10th, 1942, requesting US air transportation for Chin. At a hospital in New York, Chin suffered a series of twenty operations over a period of twenty months to rebuild his face and hands, leaving him heavily scarred but reasonably whole. Clearly, Chin had “done his bit” and no one could blame him if he had decided to rest on his laurels, retire to a quieter line of work, and hide his scarred face from the world, but that wasn’t Chin's desire. He spoke at war bond rallies and on radio broadcasts with such celebrities as movie star George Raft. A particularly notable event was the “Gung Ho” War Bond rally in New York, which was sponsored by Chinese-American community and attended by dignitaries including Mayor LaGuardia. Finally in 1945, Chin returned to duty as a transport pilot with the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC). He qualified for a Second class medical on March 28th, 1945.

During the final stage of China-Japanese war, he flew supplies over the “Hump” route through the Himalayas from India into China. This was not soft duty. A former commander of USAAF portion of the airlift, Lt. Gen. William Tunner, later wrote that “flying the Hump was considered as hazardous as flying a combat mission over Germany.” At the end of the war Art stayed on in China to fly with CNAC, by then as a fully qualified airline captain. Captain Chin was certified as an Authorized Check Pilot for the airline on October 15th, 1947. In 1949 Art returned to Oregon. He seems to have sought work as a pilot, as suggested by his getting a second-class commercial medical on September 20th, 1950, but was apparently unsuccessful. He did land a job with the postal service, and worked there until retirement. Not long before his death Chin was asked by a newspaper reporter why he had gone. His response was “China called me.” Chin is recognized as America's first ace in World War II. A half-century after the war ended, the U.S. government recognized Chin as an American veteran by awarding him the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal. About a month after Chin died, on October 4th, 1997, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Airpower Heritage Museum in Midland, Texas as the first American ace of World War II. Chin died on September 3rd in 1997, he was 83 years old.

#second world war #world war ii #world war 2 #biography #military history #history #aviation #u.s history #chinese history #asian heritage month #Chinese air force #wwii #long post #u.s aces #airforce history

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pacificeagles · 3 years ago

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https://pacificeagles.net/the-career-of-the-i-25-part-one/

The Career of the I-25 – Part One

Several navies experimented with submarine-launched aircraft, but few embraced the practice as whole-heartedly as the Japanese. Throughout the 1920s several experimental aircraft were developed, and submarines modified with water-tight compartments to carry them, before the Yokosuka E6Y became the first production aircraft to be assigned to the submarine fleet in 1933. Over the next decade Japan launched several dozen submarines equipped with aviation facilities, envisaging that their reconnaissance capabilities would be of great benefit during the anticipated war with the United States. The Japanese lacked bases and large numbers of long-range reconnaissance flying boats with which to reliably detect enemy forces, and it was hoped that using submarine-launched aircraft would allow for the inspection of enemy ports for evidence of activity.

One of these new submarines was the I-25, which would have probably the most noteworthy carrier of any of the aircraft-carrying underwater craft. A Type B1 submarine, she was laid down in February 1939, launched in June 1940, and commissioned on October 15, 1941, just in time for the start of the war. Her first commanding officer was LtCdr Meiji Tagami, an experienced submariner, and she was initially assigned a single Watanabe E9W floatplane to be flown by Chief Petty Officer Nobuo Fujita. She was assigned to Submarine Squadron 1, part of the 6th Fleet, and departed for her first operational patrol on November 21. With the attack on Pearl Harbor scheduled for December 8 (Japan time), I-25 was ordered to patrol north of Hawaii and attack any ships attempting to flee from the area.

Off Hawaii in the wake of the attack which started the war, I-25 was subject to an attack by a patrol plane which strafed and then depth-charged the submarine but caused no damaged. She also participated in a fruitless hunt for an American carrier reported by one of the other submarines in the area, and suffered slight damage due to heavy seas. With the Kido Butai safely withdrawing back to Japan, many of the submarines were released for other duties. Along with I-10 and I-26, also equipped with aviation facilities, I-25 was ordered to patrol the west coast of the United States where she was assigned a patrol area off the mouth of the Columbia River, on the Oregon-Washington border.

On December 18 I-25 spotted a tanker, the St Clair, and launched a torpedo which appeared to set the ship afire. Judging the target to be sinking, LtCdr Tagami elected to leave the tanker to her fate. However, the damage to the St Clair was very slight and she managed to escape. A few days later an intelligence report indicated that three American battleships would soon arrive via the Panama Canal, and so the three submarines were ordered to the California coast in order to intercept them. The report turned out to be false, and so I-25 sailed west to return to vicinity of the Hawaiian islands. On January 8 her lookout spotted what they identified as an aircraft carrier off Johnston Atoll, which was attacked with four torpedoes and claimed as sunk. There is no record of an American ship being damaged in this location and the identity of this target remains a mystery.

A few days later I-25 arrived at the submarine base at Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, where she refuelled and reprovisioned. She also received a brand-new aircraft to replace her E9W, the first of the Yokosuka E14Y Type 0 aircraft to reach the fleet. I-25 suffered minor damage during the American attack on Kwajalein on February 1 when she was strafed by SBDs, but she was nevertheless able to set sail in pursuit of the Enterprise – albeit in vain.

Nobuo Fujita and Shoji Okuda pose with their Yokosuka E14Y

Airborne Reconnaissance

Her second war patrol would prove to be even more eventful than her first. I-25 was sent south, with orders to use her floatplane to carry out reconnaissance flights over several ports in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. She departed Kwajalein on February 8 and began the 2,700 mile cruise to Sydney, Australia. Poor weather delayed the first flight of her floatplane for several days, but finally before dawn on February 17 the skies cleared and Fujita’s Type 0 was prepared for flight before being catapulted over the bow of the I-25. The little plane first overflew Botany Bay, to the south of Sydney, before crossing the city itself and investigating shipping in Sydney harbour and its naval base. North of the harbour, Fujita turned back out to see and headed back to I-25. At first the pilot could not find his mothership, but dye markers were released into the sea to mark her position. Having been safely recovered, Fujita reported sighting 23 ships including several major warships.

Next, I-25 moved south to take a peek at the shipping in Melbourne harbour. Fuijta took to the air again on February 26 but in cloudy conditions strayed rather close to the RAAF base at Laverton. Two fighters scrambled to intercept but failed to find the little plane. A nearby anti-aircraft battery also spotted Fujita, but did not get permission to open fire. Having escaped destrucition, Fujita and his radioman, Petty Officer 2nd Class Okuda Shoji, counted 19 merchantmen and several warships before returning to I-25. Four days later, the E14Y was in the air over Hobart, capital of Tasmania, where 5 ships were spotted.

LtCdr Tagami then took I-25 east to reconnoitre the major ports of New Zealand. Bad weather and rough seas prevented the first attempt, but on March 8 Fujita and Okuda flew over Wellington. As I-25 withdrew from the Cook Strait she spotted a steamer but Tagami refrained from attacking, preferring to make a clean escape. Four days later off North Island the submarine was spotted by two patrol craft, but survived the subsequent depth-charging without taking any damage. The following day, March 13, Fujita’s E14Y was once more airborne to overfly Auckland harbour, where he sotted four merchantmen. Whilst he was airborne I-25’s crew spotted another merchantman, and as soon as the floatplane returned Tagami elected to attack it with torpedoes. The target was reported as sunk, but no Allied losses are recorded. Three days later, as the submarine made its way toward Fiji, a cruiser was sighted escorting a merchant ship. As Tagami made preparations to attack, the cruiser changed course forcing the I-25 to dive and lose contact. Fujita took his plane into the air hoping to find the ships, but to no avail.

Arriving off Suva on March 19, Fujita made another pre-dawn reconnaissance flight, reporting a British cruiser in the harbour. The E14Y was spotted and illuminated by searchlight, but Okuda used his signal lamp to flash a Morse message in return and the light was extinguished. Four days later I-25 was off Pago Pago in American Samoa, but the sea was too rough to permit launching her seaplane so instead LtCdr Tagami crept close in to conduct a periscope reconnaissance of the harbour. Nothing of note was detected, and I-25 terminated her patrol and made her way to Truk. After refuelling, the submarine headed back to Japan for a refit, arriving at Yokosuka by April 4. There, she entered drydock. Whilst under repair I-25 escaped unscathed when American bombers on the Doolittle mission damaged the nearby aircraft carrier Ryuho.

The reconnaissance conducted by Fujita and Okuda provided information for the planners of an audacious attack on Australia. As part of preparations for the Battle of Midway, the Japanese planned to launch attacks on widely seperate locations in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans. The western portion of the attack focussed on the recently occupied island of Madagascar whilst the eastern portion selected Sydney on the basis of I-25‘s work. The plan called for midget suubmarines to penetrate the harbour and torpedo Allied warships as they lay at anchor. Two additional aerial overflights were conducted by E14Ys from I-29 on May 21 and I-21 on May 29, before midgets from I-22, I-24 and I-27 began their approach later on the 29th. Only one midget managed to enter Sydney Harbour, where she fired a torpedo at the American cruiser Chicago which missed but sank the nearby depot ship HMAS Kuttabul. None of the midgets returned to their mother subs.

Repairs completed, I-25 was ready to begin her third war patrol by May 11. She was assigned to the “Northern Force” which was tasked with carrying out Operation AL, the invasion of the American-held Aleutian islands. A week before this operation was due to take place, on May 27, CPO Fujita was again to pilot his E14Y over an Allied port – on this occasion Kodiak, in Alaska. Whilst making preparations to launch her seaplane, I-25 spotted an American cruiser at close range. Unable to cast off the aircraft, and unable to dive with it still mounted on the catapult, LtCdr Tagami was prepared to engage in surface combat with the cruiser until it became evident that the Americans had not seen the submarine in the poor weather. After the cruiser departed, the floatplane was launched, Fujita and Okuda reporting 11 warships and 6 merchants in port.

Thereafter I-25 and her sister I-26 were ordered once more to the west coast of North America. I-25 unsuccessfully attacked a transport with torpedoes on June 5, before managing to hit and damage the British steamship Fort Camosun off Cape Flattery, Washington. The Canadian corvettes HMCS Quesnel and Edmundston picked up her crew, and the ship was towed into Puget Sound for repairs. The Fort Camosun not only survived this attack, but also survived being torpedoed by I-27 in the Gulf of Aden in December 1943.

The Fort Stevens Attack

On June 18 LtCdr Tagami received special instructions from his squadron commander – both I-25 and I-26 were ordered to bombard targets on the coast. I-26 was to attack a radio direction finding station at Hesquiat, on Canadian Vancouver Island, whilst I-25 was ordered to strike a suspected submarine base located at Astoria, Oregon. Both attacks were to take place on June 21.

Soldiers examine shell craters following I-25’s attack on Fort Stevens, Oregon

On that evening, I-25 approached the coast by following fishing boats, thus avoiding potential minefields, and arrived about 8 miles offshore. Unsure of the location of the submarine base (which in actuality had been approved but not yet built) Tagami selected as his target Battery “Russell” at Fort Stevens, located at the mouth of the Columbia River on the Oregon-Washington state border. Fort Stevens dated back to the Civil War and housed a collection of large-calibre coastal defence guns, albeit most of them ancient and obsolete. As midnight approached, I-25 cleared for action and commenced firing. After the first shells arrived a blackout of Fort Stevens was ordered, depriving the gunners of any reference points to aim at. As a result, most of the rounds landed harmlessly in swampy ground, with a few finding the fort’s baseball field. The only meaningful damage occurred when telephone lines were severed, and there were no casualties or injuries to personnel. No fire was returned by the fort’s guns because it was realised that the submarine was out of range of the elderly weapons available. After 15 minutes and just 17 rounds fired, I-25 withdrew out to sea.

The following day a USAAF A-29 Hudson patrol bomber on a training mission spotted the submarine and attacked with bombs, but they fell wide of the mark and Tagami was able to submerge his boat unscathed, before withdrawing further out to sea. I-25 briefly returned to the vicinity of the Aleutian islands, before ending her patrol and setting course for Japan. On July 17 she returned once more to Yokosuka to refit and carry out minor repairs.

#i-25 #submarine #Central Pacific #History #South Pacific #South West Pacific

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diversegaminglists · 8 years ago

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Historical World War 2 Games

Started out as a content warning list but needed to become its own list because of the sheer size of it.

This is still a WIP and all suggestions and corrections are encouraged.

101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy

1939

1941: Counter Attack

1941: Frozen Front

1942: Joint Strike

1942: Pacific Airwar Franchise

1943: Kai

1943: The Battle of Midway

1944: The Loop Master

1945: Airwar

1945 I & II: The Arcade Games

‘43 - One Year After

50 Mission Crush

Ace of Aces

Aces of the Deep Franchise

Aces of the Pacific Franchise

Aces of War

Aces over Europe

Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943

Achtung Spitfire

Achtung Panzer: Operation Star

Across the Rhein

Action in The North Atlantic

Action Stations!

Admiral Graf Spee

Advanced Destroyer Simulator

African Desert Campaign

Afrika Korps

Airborne Assault Franchise

Airborne Hero D–Day Frontline 1944

Air Conflicts: Aces of World War

Air Conflicts: Air Battles of World War

Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers

Air Conflicts: Secret Wars

Air Duel: 80 Years of Dogfighting

Airfix: Dogfighter

Air Legends

Air Raid: This is Not a Drill

Allied General

Anglo-German War 39-45

Ardennes Offensive

Ardeny

Ardeny 1944

Armageddon Squadron

Arnhem: The 'Market Garden’ Operation

Artillery Brigade

Assault Wings 1944

Atlantic Patrol

Attack on Pearl Harbour

At the Gates of Moscow 1941

Avalanche: The Struggle for Italy

Avalon Hill’s Squad Leader

Axis & Allies Franchise

B-17 Franchise

B-24

Battle Academy Franchise

Battlefield 1942 Franchise

Battlecruiser

Battle for Midway

Battle for Normandy

Battlefront

Battleground 1: Bulge - Ardennes

Battleground: Ardennes

Battle Group

Battlehawks 1942

Battle Islands

Battle of Britain (1982)

Battle of Britain (1985)

Battle of Britain (1999)

Battle of Britain: 303 Squadron

Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory

Battle of Britain: Memorial Flight

Battle of Europe

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge: Tigers in the Snow

Battleship 88: Iron Hero

Battles in Normandy

Battlestations: Midway

Battlestations: Pacific

Battlestrike: Force of Resistance

Battlestrike: The Road to Berlin

Battlestrike: The Siege

BBC Battlefield Academy

Beyond Normandy: Assignment: Berlin

Beyond Pearl Harbor: Pacific Warriors

The Big Three

Birds of Steel

Bismarck

Bismarck: Death of a Battleship

Blazing Angels

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII

Blitzkrieg Franchise

Bomb Alley

Breakthrough in the Ardennes

Brothers in Arms Franchise

The Bulge: Battle for Antwerp

Call of Duty

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 3

Call of Duty: Finest Hour

Call of Duty: Legacy

Call of Duty: Road to Victory

Call of Duty: United Offensive

Call of Duty: World at War

Call to Arms

Campaign

Cannon Strike

Carrier Strike: South Pacific 1942-44

Carrier Aces

Carrier Force

Carriers at War

Chain of Command

Chain Of Command: Eastern Front

Clash of Steel: World War II, Europe 1939-45

Close Assault

Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far

Close Combat: Cross of Iron

Close Combat: Gateway to Caen

Close Combat III: The Russian Front

Close Combat: Invasion: Normandy - Utah Beach to Cherbourg

Close Combat: Last Stand Arnhem

Close Combat: Panthers in the Fog

Close Combat: The Battle of the Bulge

Close Combat: The Longest Day

Close Combat: Wacht am Rhein

Codename: Panzers Franchise

Combat Command

Combat Command 2: Danger Forward

Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord

Combat Mission 3 - Afrika Corps

Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines

Commandos: Strike Force

Commandos 2: Men of Courage

Commandos 3: Destination Berlin

Company of Heroes

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

Company of Heroes 2

Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault

Company of Heroes 2: Theater of War - Case Blue

Company of Heroes 2: Theater of War - Southern Fronts

Company of Heroes 2: Theater of War - Victory at Stalingrad

Computer Air Combat

Computer Ambush

Computer Bismarck

Computer EastFront

Counter Action

Crete 1941: Fallschirmjager

Crusade in Europe

Daisenryaku Franchise

Daitōa Mokushiroku: Goh

Damage Inc.: Pacific Squadron WWII

Dam Buster

The Dam Busters

Das Boot: German U-Boat Simulation

Day of Defeat

D-Day (2004)

D-Day (1984)

D-Day (1992)

D-Day: America Invades

D-Day: Normandy

D-Day: The Beginning of the End

Deadly Dozen

Deadly Dozen: Pacific Theater

Decision in the Desert

Decisive Battles of WWII Franchise

Deep Strike

Desert Commander

Desert Fox

Desert Rats Franchise

Destroyer

Destroyer Command

Dive Bomber

Dnieper River Line

Dogfight 1942

Dogfight: Battle for the Pacific aka Pacific Warriors II: Dogfight

Dogs of War (Unlicensed Axis & Allies adaptation)

D: Ōshū Shinkirō

Down in Flames

Dreadnoughts

Dunes of War

Enemy Front

East Front & East Front 2

Eastern Front

Elite Forces: WWII - Iwo Jima

Elite Forces: WWII - Normandy

Empire

Eric Young's Squad Assault: West Front

Escape from Colditz & the remake Coldiz Escape! (Not affiliated with the 1970s Coldiz TV show)

Europe Ablaze

European Air War

Europe in Flames

Faces of War

Fall Weiss

Fall Weiß 1939

Fathom's 40

The Few

Field of Fire

Fighter Ace 3.5

Fighter Command: The Battle of Britain

Fighter Duel

Fighter Squadron: The Screamin' Demons over Europe

Fighting Steel

Fire Brigade

Fire Mustang

First Battalion

First Over Germany

Fortress Europe: The Liberation of France

Frontline Franchise

Gary Grigsby's Pacific War (1992)

Gary Grigsby's Pacific War (2000)

Gary Grigsby's War in Russia

Gary Grigsby's War in the East: Don to the Danube

Gary Grigsby's War in the East: Lost Battles

Gary Grigsby's War in the East: The German-Soviet War 1941-1945

Gary Grigsby's World At War

GATO

Germany At War: Barbarossa 1941

Gewetensvragen

G.I. Combat: Episode 1 - Battle of Normandy

Goh II

Great Battles of WWII: Stalingrad

Great Naval Battles: North Atlantic 1939-1943

Great Naval Battles: North Atlantic 1939-43 - America in the Atlantic

Great Naval Battles: North Atlantic 1939-43 - Super Ships of the Atlantic Great Naval Battles Vol. II: Guadalcanal

Great Naval Battles Vol. III: Fury in the Pacific, 1941-44

Great Naval Battles Vol. IV: Burning Steel, 1939-1942

Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal Campaign

Guderian

Hearts of Iron Franchise

Hidden & Dangerous Deluxe

Hidden & Dangerous 2

Hellcat Ace

Hellcats Over the Pacific

The Heroes of the 357th

Heroes of the Pacific

Heroes of WWII

Heroes Over Europe

Hidden and Dangerous Franchise

High Command: Europe 1939-'45

The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific

History Legends of War: Patton

HMS Cobra: Convois pour Mourmansk

Hunter Killer

iBomber

iBomber Defense

iBomber Defense Pacific Il-2 Sturmovik Franchise

iPanzer '44

Iron Aces

Iron Aces: Heroes of WW2

Iron Cross

Iron Front: Liberation 1944

Iron Storm

Iron Tank: The Invasion of Normandy

Iwo jima

Jagdstaffel

Jagdverband 44: Screaming Eagles

Jane's Combat Simulations: Attack Squadron

Jane's Combat Simulations: WWII Fighters

Kampania wrześniowa

Kampfgruppe

Kikō Shidan

Kishi Densetsu

Knights of the Desert

Lancaster

Lead Soldier

Legends of War: Patton's Campaign

Liberty Wings

London Blitz

Luftwaffe Commander: WWII Combat Flight Simulator

Making History: The Calm & The Storm

Making History II: The War of the World

Malta Storm

Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault

Medal Of Honor: Airborne

Medal of Honor: European Assault

Medal of Honor: Frontline

Medal of Honor: Heroes

Medal of Honor: Heroes 2

Medal of Honor: Infiltrator

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun

Medal of Honor: Underground

Medal of Honor: Vanguard

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esprit-de-corps-magazine · 5 years ago

Text

D-Day: Canada’s three services on Operation Overlord

By Chris Charland

The coming storm

In February 1943, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, along with their respective advisors, held a high-level conference in Casablanca, Morocco. They were there to discuss the future conduct of the war.

They decided that plans for the re-entry in to Europe must be given top priority and the concentration of forces and materials needed for the forthcoming invasion began.

In March 1943, United States Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower selected the British Army’s acting Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan as chief of staff to the supreme allied commander of the allied force that would invade northern Europe. Morgan is credited as being the original planner for the invasion of Europe.

Lingering concerns and differences of opinion on Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Operation Overlord, were addressed at the Quebec Conference in August 1943. It was agreed that the invasion of France would take place in May 1944.

On November 28, 1943, General Eisenhower, affectionately known as “Ike”, was appointed the supreme allied commander. His duty was no less than to enter the continent of Europe in conjunction with all other allied nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and destroy its forces. Taking into consideration a nearly full moon and the Normandy tides, June 5, 1944, was set as the day for an invasion on a scale that had never before been attempted.

The entire daring escapade was a monumental logistics nightmare. In all, more than 7,000 vessels carrying more than 150,000 troops would have to cross the English Channel to France undetected and arrive exactly on time to establish a beachhead. Once the details of invasion were coordinated, the land forces, under Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. “Monty” Montgomery, put forth the logistical requirements. All allied air operations would be under the command of the Royal Air Force’s Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory

The build-up also had to provide for the debarkation of reinforcements without interruption for five to six weeks after the landing . . . any delay would carry heavy consequences.

The initial landing was delayed by 24 hours to June 6 due to stormy weather, which also indirectly caused the sinking of the minesweeper USS Osprey. Additionally, an American tank landing craft, United States LCT2498, broke down and subsequently capsized and sank in the vicious swell.

Mother Nature, not the Germans dealt the first blows against Operation Overlord. Nevertheless, D-Day and the Allied forces arrived at the beaches of Normandy with full force on the morning of June 6.

Canadian Red Devils arrive

The crack 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion led by Lieutenant-Colonel G.F.P. Bradbrooke was part of the tough and tumble 3rd Brigade of the British 6th Airborne Division whose members were nicknamed “Red Devils”. The Canadian Red Devils dropped into France after 1 a.m. on June 6, an hour before the arrival of the rest of the brigade, with the aim of securing the DZ (Drop Zone), capturing the enemy headquarters located at the site and destroying the local radio station at Varaville. They were the first Canadian unit to arrive in France.

After that, the Canadians were to destroy vehicle bridges over the Dives River and its tributaries at Varaville. Having done that, they were to neutralize various fortified positions at the crossroads. Additional responsibilities included protecting the left (southern) flank of the 9th Battalion as the battalion assaulted the enemy gun battery at Merville. Upon completing that, the Canadians were to hold a strategically important position at the Le Mesnil crossroads.

Remarkably, the Canadian paratroopers had accomplished all they set out to do by mid-day on June 6.

3rd Division’s Normandy adventure

The Canadian Army’s 3rd Canadian Division, led Major General R.F. “Rod” Keller, along with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade under the command of Brigadier R.A. Wyman, formed part of General Miles Dempsey’s 2nd British Army.

The Canadians, numbering just over 14,000, came ashore at Juno Beach. The five-mile wide Juno Beach was divided into two primary sectors, Mike and Nan. In turn, each of these was sub-divided into smaller sections denoted by the sector name followed by a colour. Many heroic deeds were performed on the first day at Juno Beach. The Allies had come to expect nothing less. The relentless pursuit of the Canadian Army’s objectives was measured in human currency; of the 14,000 Canadians who stormed Juno Beach, 340 were killed, 574 were wounded and 49 were captured by the defending Germans.

This was a small comfort, considering planners had predicted a much higher casualty rate.

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division* comprised the following units:

7th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Royal Winnipeg Rifles

Regina Rifle Regiment

Canadian Scottish Regiment

8th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

Le Régiment de la Chaudière

North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

9th Infantry Brigade

HIghland Light Infantry of Canada

Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders

Nova Scotia Highlanders

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (M.G.)

7th Reconnaissance Regiment

17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars

Divisional Royal Canadian Artillery

12th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

19th Army Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

Divisional Royal Canadian Engineers

5th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

16th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

18th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

3rd Canadian Field Park Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

3rd Canadian Divisional Bridge Platoon, Royal Canadian Engineers

Royal Canadian Corps of Signals

3rd Infantry Divisional Signals

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps

3rd Infantry Divisional Troops Company

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

14 Field Ambulance

22 Field Ambulance

23 Field Ambulance

2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade

6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)

10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse)

27th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusiliers)

* Units of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps also provided vital support during the landings.

British units that supported the Canadian landing on Juno Beach

48 Royal Marine Commando

4th Special Service Brigade

26th Assault Squadron

80th Assault Squadron

5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers

6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers

Two detachments of the 22nd Dragoons, 79th Armoured Division

3rd Battery 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

4th Battery, 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

“C” Squadron, Inns of Court Regiment

“Ready Aye Ready”

The Royal Canadian Navy was extremely active before and during the first day of Operation Overlord.

A force of 19 corvettes was assigned to provide escort service to the many ships and floating docks heading for assembly points on the south coast of England Eleven frigates, nine destroyers and five corvettes were seconded to the Royal Navy to provide an ASDIC (anti-submarine detection investigation committee) screen around the western approaches to the English Channel one week before the invasion date. This was to guard against the constant German U-Boat threat.

Only hours before the invasion, Canadian “Bangor” Class minesweepers cleared shipping lanes of mines and then ensured that the anchorage swept clear. The last part of their assignment was to sweep the lanes for the assault boats, right to the limit of the deep water. While under a moonlit sky, they crept within a mile and a half (2.4 kilometres) of shore, pretty well under the noses of the unsuspecting Germans.

Fortunately, they were not spotted; German coastal artillery guns would have made mincemeat of them.

The RCN’s two landing ships, HMCS Prince Henry and HMCS Prince David, carried 14 landing craft (LCI or landing craft, infantry) to a point where they could be launched for the run into the beachhead. In the British sector, 30 “Fleet” class destroyers, including HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Sioux, provided direct fire support for the landing craft carrying part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division after they were launched from the landing ships.

Mines and other underwater obstructions were a constant threat to the landing craft and few escaped without some sort of damage. Leading the second wave were 26 landing craft of the RCN’s 260th, 262nd and 264th Flotillas. These flotillas were carrying a combined force of 4,617 soldiers, primarily from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Six speedy and deadly MTBs (motor torpedo boat) were assigned to patrol the Seine estuary. RCN corvettes would go on to escort additional convoys into Baie de la Seine during the rest of the day. Naval losses were described as “incredibly light”, especially considering how many enemy long-range naval guns and other weapons were still operational at the time of the landings.

The following RCN vessels took part in the invasion of Normandy:

Tribal class destroyer

HMCS Haida

HMCS Huron

V class destroyer

HMCS Algonquin

HMCS Sioux

River class destroyer (British)

HMCS Gatineau

HMCS Kootenay

HMCS Qu’Appelle

HMCS Ottawa (II)

HMCS Chaudière

HMCS Restigouche

HMCS Skeena

HMCS St. Laurent

Mackenzie Class Destroyer Escort

HMCS Saskatchewan

River class frigate

HMCS Meon

HMCS Teme

River class frigate (1942-1943 program)

HMCS Cape Breton

HMCS Grou

HMCS Matane

HMCS Outremont

HMCS Port Colberne

HMCS Saint John

HMCS Swansea

HMCS Waskesiu

Flower class corvette (1939-1940)

HMCS Alberni

HMCS Baddeck

HMCS Camrose

HMCS Drumheller

HMCS Louisburg (II)

HMCS Lunenburg

HMCS Mayflower

HMCS Moose Jaw

HMCS Summerside

HMCS Prescott

Revised Flower class corvette

HMCS Mimico

Revised Flower class corvette (1940-1941 program)

HMCS Calgary

HMCS Kitchener

HMCS Port Arthur

HMCS Regina

HMCS Woodstock

Revised Flower class corvette (1942-1943 program)

HMCS Lindsay

Troop landing ship

HMCS Prince David

HMCS Prince Henry

Bangor class minesweeper

HMCS Bayfield

HMCS Guysborough

Bangor class minesweeper (1940-1941 regular program)

HMCS Vegreville

Bangor class minesweeper (1941-1942 program)

HMCS Kenora

HMCS Mulgrave

29th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla

MTBs 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465 and 466

65th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla

MTBs 726, 727, 735, 736, 743, 744, 745, 747, 748

260th Landing Craft Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 117, 121, 166, 177, 249, 266, 271, 277, 285, 298 and 301

262nd Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 115, 118, 125, 135, 250, 252, 262, 263, 270, 276, 299 and 306

264th Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 255, 288, 295, 302, 305, 310 and 311

528th Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) Flotilla

LCAs 736, 850, 856, 925, 1021, 1033, 1371 and 1372

529th Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) Flotilla

LCAs 1957, 1059, 1137, 1138, 1150, 1151, 1374 and 1375

Per Ardua Ad Astra

It was a maximum effort for the crews of Bomber Command’s 6 (RCAF) Group on the night of June 5-6, 1944. A force of 190 aircraft, comprising Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax four-engine heavy bombers, flew 230 sorties in support of pre-invasion operations. A large number of targets were struck, with particular attention paid to the German coastal artillery emplacements on the beachhead. In all, more than 870 tons of high explosives were dropped for the loss of one Canadian Halifax.

RCAF fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons went into action providing support to the Canadian ground forces as the invasion kicked into high gear. The aerial activity over Normandy resembled swarms of locusts—the planes seemed to keep coming with no end in sight. An estimated 1,000 aircraft from 39 of the 42 Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons stationed overseas took on the aerial support of the invasion with roles ranging bombing, air superiority, ground attack and photo reconnaissance.

The following Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons were involved in pre-invasion activities and in support of the actual invasion.

For more information about the squadrons involved in D-Day, their aircraft and their roles, visit “Who was in the air on D-Day?”

SECOND TACTICAL AIR FORCE

No. 83 Group

39 (RCAF) Reconnaissance Wing

400 “City of Toronto” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

414 “Sarnia Imperials” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

430 “City of Sudbury” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

126 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

401 “Ram” (Fighter) Squadron

411 “Grizzly Bear” (Fighter) Squadron

412 “Falcon” (Fighter) Squadron

127 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

403 “Wolf” (Fighter) Squadron

416 “Lynx” (Fighter) Squadron

421 “Red Indian” (Fighter) Squadron

143 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

438 “Wild Cat” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

439 “Westmount” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

440 “City of Ottawa” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

144 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

441 “Silver Fox” (Fighter) Squadron

442 “Caribou” (Fighter) Squadron

443 “Hornet” (Fighter) Squadron

No. 85 Group

142 (Night Fighter) Wing

402 “City of Winnipeg” (Fighter) Squadron

148 (Night Fighter) Wing (RAF)

409 “Nighthawk” (Night Fighter) Squadron

149 (Night Fighter) Wing (RAF)

410 “Cougar” (Night Fighter) Squadron

AIR DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN

10 Group

406 “Lynx” (Night Fighter) Squadron

11 Group

418 “City of Edmonton” (Intruder) Squadron

ALLIED STRATEGIC AIR FORCE

RAF Bomber Command / 6 (RCAF) Group

408 “Goose” (Bomber) Squadron

419 “Moose” (Bomber) Squadron

420 “Snowy Owl” (Bomber) Squadron

424 “Tiger” (Bomber) Squadron

425 “Alouette” (Bomber) Squadron

426 “Thunderbird” (Bomber) Squadron

427 “Lion” (Bomber) Squadron

428 “Ghost” (Bomber) Squadron

429 “Bison” (Bomber) Squadron

431 “Iroquois” (Bomber) Squadron

432 “Leaside” (Bomber) Squadron

433 “Porcupine” (Bomber) Squadron

434 “Bluenose” (Bomber) Squadron

RAF Bomber Command / 8 (Pathfinder) Group

405 “Vancouver” (Bomber) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group

422 “Flying Yachtsman” (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

423 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 16 Group

415 “Swordfish” (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 19 (General Reconnaissance) Group

404 “Buffalo” (Coastal Fighter) Squadron

407 “Demon” (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

Conclusion

All in all, Canadian combatants from all three services gave an outstanding account of themselves on the first day of the battle. They would continue to distinguish themselves by dogged determination and selfless acts of heroism, helping write the final chapter and finally closing the book on the Third Reich’s so-called one thousand-year reign.

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usafphantom2 · 3 years ago

Text

Martin B-10 during exercises over Oahu, Hawaii.

flickr

Ronnie Bell Following

Martin B-10 during exercises over Oahu, Hawaii.

The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to that of the Army's pursuit aircraft of the time.

The B-10 served as the airframe for the B-12, B-13, B-14, A-15 and O-45 designations using Pratt & Whitney engines instead of Wright Cyclones.

In 1935, the Army ordered an additional 103 aircraft designated B-10B. These had only minor changes from the YB-10. Shipments began in 1935 July. B-10Bs served with the 2d Bomb Group at Langley Field, the 9th Bomb Group at Mitchel Field, the 19th Bomb Group at March Field, the 6th Composite Group in the Panama Canal Zone, and the 4th Composite Group in the Philippines. In addition to conventional duties in the bomber role, some modified YB-10s and B-12As were operated for a time on large twin floats for coastal patrol.

The Martin Model 139 was the export version of the Martin B-10. With an advanced performance, the Martin company fully expected that export orders for the B-10 would come flooding in.

The Army owned the rights to the Model 139 design. Once the Army's orders had been filled in 1936, Martin received permission to export Model 139s, and delivered versions to several air forces. For example, six Model 139Ws were sold to Siam in April 1937, powered by Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone engines; 20 Model 139Ws were sold to Turkey in September 1937, powered by R-1820-G2 engines.

On 19 May 1938, during the Sino-Japanese War, two Chinese Nationalist Air Force B-10s successfully flew to Japan. However, rather than dropping bombs, the aircraft dropped propaganda leaflets.

At the time of its creation, the B-10B was so advanced that General Henry H. Arnold described it as the air power wonder of its day. It was half again as fast as any biplane bomber, and faster than any contemporary fighter. The B-10 began a revolution in bomber design; it made all existing bombers completely obsolete.

However, the rapid advances in bomber design in the 1930s meant that the B-10 was eclipsed by the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Douglas B-18 Bolo before the United States entered World War II. The B-10's obsolescence was proved by the quick defeat of B-10B squadrons by Japanese Zeros during the invasions of the Dutch East Indies and China.

An abortive effort to modernize the design, the Martin Model 146, was entered into a USAAC long-distance bomber design competition 1934–1935, but lost out to the Douglas B-18 and revolutionary Boeing B-17. The sole prototype was so similar in profile and performance to the Martin B-10 series that the other more modern designs easily "ran away" with the competition.

The B-10 began a revolution in bomber design. Its all-metal monoplane build, along with its features of closed cockpits, rotating gun turrets, retractable landing gear, internal bomb bay, and full engine cowlings, would become the standard for bomber designs worldwide for decades. It made all existing bombers completely obsolete. In 1932, Martin received the Collier Trophy for designing the XB-10.

The B-10 began as the Martin Model 123, a private venture by the Glenn L. Martin Company of Baltimore, Maryland. It had a crew of four: pilot, copilot, nose gunner and fuselage gunner. As in previous bombers, the four crew compartments were open, but it had a number of design innovations as well.

These innovations included a deep belly for an internal bomb bay and retractable main landing gear. Its 600 hp (447 kW) Wright SR-1820-E Cyclone engines provided sufficient power. The Model 123 first flew on 16 February 1932 and was delivered for testing to the U.S. Army on 20 March as the XB-907. After testing it was sent back to Martin for redesigning and was rebuilt as the XB-10.

The XB-10 delivered to the Army had major differences from the original aircraft. Where the Model 123 had NACA cowling rings, the XB-10 had full engine cowlings to decrease drag.[2] It also sported a pair of 675 hp (503 kW) Wright R-1820-19 engines, and an 8 feet (2.4 m) increase in the wingspan, along with an enclosed nose turret. When the XB-10 flew during trials in June, it recorded a speed of 197 mph (317 km/h) at 6,000 ft (1,830 m). This was an impressive performance for 1932.

Following the success of the XB-10, a number of changes were made, including reduction to a three-man crew, addition of canopies for all crew positions, and an upgrade to 675 hp (503 kW) engines. The Army ordered 48 of these on 17 January 1933. The first 14 aircraft were designated YB-10 and delivered to Wright Field, starting in November 1933. The production model of the XB-10, the YB-10 was very similar to its prototype.

Via Flickr

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usafphantom2 · 3 years ago

Text

flickr

Ronnie Bell Following

Martin B-12A

Martin B-12A. (U.S. Air Force photo)The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934. It was also the first mass-produced bomber whose performance was superior to that of the Army's pursuit aircraft of the time.

The B-10 served as the airframe for the B-12, B-13, B-14, A-15 and O-45 designations using Pratt & Whitney engines instead of Wright Cyclones.

The Martin Model 139 was the export version of the Martin B-10. With an advanced performance, the Martin company fully expected that export orders for the B-10 would come flooding in.

On 19 May 1938, during the Sino-Japanese War, two Chinese Nationalist Air Force B-10s successfully flew to Japan. However, rather than dropping bombs, the aircraft dropped propaganda leaflets.

Via Flickr

7 notes · View notes