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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
While reading about the Japanese Heavy cruiser Aoba
(Unusual looking, with undulating decks, and remodel drasticly changed what some consider 2 of the class, from 6 turrets to 3.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Aoba I saw this unusual account: "On April 3, ((1943)) while moored at Kavieng, New Ireland, Aoba was bombed by Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Fifth Air Force's 43rd Bomb Group. A direct hit on Aoba caused two Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes to explode and set the ship on fire while the B-17's strafed the decks with machine guns. Aoba had to be beached to avoid sinking." Hmmm??, It's clarified by http://www.combinedfleet.com/aoba_t.htm "The big bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. A direct hit on AOBA explodes two Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes stored aboard and sets the ship afire while the B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafe her decks." I'll admit, I did not know the B-17s were used for skip bombing. That site also has this,,, ahh 'irritating' story, "18 March 1944: Departs Batavia. While enroute to Singapore, Rear Admiral Sakonjo complies with the Imperial "disposal" policy concerning POWs. He orders the beheading of each of the remaining 72 captives aboard TONE." (from British SS BEHAR) ----- "Postwar, the British try and convict Sakonjo as a war criminal, then execute him at Hong Kong." (IMHO, Aoba is interesting 'hard luck' story, as gradually over years, damage reduced her from good CA cruiser, to slower, to limping, to floating AA battery, to non-floating 'decoy target' ((hey every bomb that hit her could have meant one less bomb hit a still OK ship ehh??)) Oh, by the way, I do have her in my 1/700 ship collection.) |
#2
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Apr 2, 9:19*am, "a425couple" wrote:
While reading about the Japanese Heavy cruiser Aoba (Unusual looking, with undulating decks, and remodel drasticly changed what some consider 2 of the class, from 6 turrets to 3.)http://en..wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Aoba I saw this unusual account: "On April 3, ((1943)) while moored at Kavieng, New Ireland, Aoba was bombed by Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Fifth Air Force's 43rd Bomb Group. A direct hit on Aoba caused two Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes to explode and set the ship on fire while the B-17's strafed the decks with machine guns. Aoba had to be beached to avoid sinking." Hmmm??, It's clarified byhttp://www.combinedfleet.com/aoba_t.htm "The big bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. A direct hit on AOBA explodes two Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes stored aboard and sets the ship afire while the B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafe her decks." I'll admit, I did not know the B-17s were used for skip bombing. That site also has this,,, ahh 'irritating' story, "18 March 1944: Departs Batavia. While enroute to Singapore, Rear Admiral Sakonjo complies with the Imperial "disposal" policy concerning POWs. He orders the beheading of each of the remaining 72 captives aboard TONE." (from British SS BEHAR) ----- "Postwar, the British try and convict Sakonjo as a war criminal, then execute him at Hong Kong." (IMHO, Aoba is interesting 'hard luck' story, as gradually over years, damage reduced her from good CA cruiser, to slower, to limping, to floating AA battery, to non-floating 'decoy target' ((hey every bomb that hit her could have meant one less bomb hit a still OK ship ehh??)) Oh, by the way, I do have her in my 1/700 ship collection.) I don't know about you guys, but I am highly impressed with the amount of damage this ship absorbed during the war. Must have been a first- rate crew with a decent skipper, or it would have been lost at any number of times. |
#3
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
"a425couple" wrote in message ... ... "The big bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. A direct hit on AOBA explodes two Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes stored aboard and sets the ship afire while the B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafe her decks." I'll admit, I did not know the B-17s were used for skip bombing. ... General Kenney mentioned a B-17 that flew so low to fire into the embrasure of a beach bunker that its tail scraped the sand when it pulled out. They were pretty free to do anything that got results out there, and those who complained about broken regulations were sent home with "combat fatigue". jsw |
#4
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Apr 2, 9:54*am, "Jim Wilkins" wrote:
"a425couple" wrote in message ... ... "The big bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. A direct hit on AOBA explodes two Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes stored aboard and sets the ship afire while the B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafe her decks." I'll admit, I did not know the B-17s were used for skip bombing. ... General Kenney mentioned a B-17 that flew so low to fire into the embrasure of a beach bunker that its tail scraped the sand when it pulled out. They were pretty free to do anything that got results out there, and those who complained about broken regulations were sent home with "combat fatigue". One of my favorite stories of the air war over Europe features a returning Lancaster dropping out of the sky to strafe retreating German columns after a late war daylight Main Force raid. The visual impression of a heavy bomber so completely disregarding its own safety as well as the enemy light and medium AA fire to rain down a barrage of MG fire and sow bombs on their cornered targets is quite striking |
#5
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
So, by then, the B-17 crews had figured out that high altitude level
bombing of moving ships wasn't working out very well? Did anyone ever try equipping the B-17 with torpedoes? |
#6
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On 4/2/2012 3:05 PM, Gordon wrote:
On Apr 2, 9:54 am, "Jim wrote: wrote in message ... ... "The big bombers skip-bomb from between 75 and 250 feet with delayed-action fused 500-lb. bombs. A direct hit on AOBA explodes two Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes stored aboard and sets the ship afire while the B-17's .50-cal. machine guns strafe her decks." I'll admit, I did not know the B-17s were used for skip bombing. ... General Kenney mentioned a B-17 that flew so low to fire into the embrasure of a beach bunker that its tail scraped the sand when it pulled out. They were pretty free to do anything that got results out there, and those who complained about broken regulations were sent home with "combat fatigue". One of my favorite stories of the air war over Europe features a returning Lancaster dropping out of the sky to strafe retreating German columns after a late war daylight Main Force raid. The visual impression of a heavy bomber so completely disregarding its own safety as well as the enemy light and medium AA fire to rain down a barrage of MG fire and sow bombs on their cornered targets is quite striking The only way to end such a mission is to do a barrel roll on climb out after the strafing run followed by a similar roll at home station. Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired |
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
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#8
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
Il 02/04/2012 18:19, a425couple ha scritto:
That site also has this,,, ahh 'irritating' story, "18 March 1944: Departs Batavia. While enroute to Singapore, Rear Admiral Sakonjo complies with the Imperial "disposal" policy concerning POWs. He orders the beheading of each of the remaining 72 captives aboard TONE." (from British SS BEHAR) I was under the impression that all were beheaded on TONE.... ----- "Postwar, the British try and convict Sakonjo as a war criminal, then execute him at Hong Kong." (IMHO, Aoba is interesting 'hard luck' story, as gradually over years, damage reduced her from good CA cruiser, to slower, to limping, to floating AA battery, to non-floating 'decoy target' The war scars and wear & tear of Aoba is in se one of most interesting story of luck (not hard) and (apologies to Gene...) embodiement of Japanese spirit on IJN ships Best regards from Italy, dott. Piergiorgio. [removal of unneded ng from X-post] Best regards from Italy, dott. Piergiorgio. |
#9
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
Il 02/04/2012 22:56, Dan ha scritto:
One of my favorite stories of the air war over Europe features a returning Lancaster dropping out of the sky to strafe retreating German columns after a late war daylight Main Force raid. The visual impression of a heavy bomber so completely disregarding its own safety as well as the enemy light and medium AA fire to rain down a barrage of MG fire and sow bombs on their cornered targets is quite striking The only way to end such a mission is to do a barrel roll on climb out after the strafing run followed by a similar roll at home station. mhm... IMVHO perhaps was more safe an heavy four-engine TB, at least the ventral and tail guns can suppress the AA fire from the ship's unengaged side... Best regards from Italy, dott. Piergiorgio. |
#10
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B-17s straffing & IJN Aoba, & UK POWs
On Apr 3, 1:18*am, Bill Shatzer wrote:
wrote: So, by then, the B-17 crews had figured out that high altitude level bombing of moving ships wasn't working out very well? Did anyone ever try equipping the B-17 with torpedoes? Well, sorta. http://tinyurl.com/7sr3lmu Thank you! If this was 1940 than this stuff is huge! It's huge either way, but wow! |
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