Launch the Thunderbolt!

[Scott Rose]

USAAF pilot Lt Eubanks Barnhill flies his P-47D Thunderbolt off the deck of Escort Carrier USS Manila Bay to ward off an aerial attack from four D3A Aichi “Val” dive bombers during refueling operations east of Saipan, June 23, 1944.

Does anybody know more about this image? My main question is where did the Thunderbolt go? Did it make it too a land base or did it have to ditch.

[Duggy009]

Lots more here --- http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e ... php?id=365

[Lon Moer]

Carrier delivery to theater, not carrier operations.

[Randy Wilson]

A bit more info on this can be found here. FYI. Randy

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/p-47-carrier-capable.13506/

[steve dickey]

Carrier delivery to theater, not carrier operations.

54517053_2075369229249485_9009269098265182208_n.jpg

I'm assuming the launch bridal was reusable?

[Kyleb]

Carrier delivery to theater, not carrier operations.

54517053_2075369229249485_9009269098265182208_n.jpg

I'm assuming the launch bridal was reusable?

I thought launch bridles were a consumable with one going over the side on every launch.

Edit: Turns out that isn't always the case. When bridles were in common use, many <not all> carriers had "bridle catchers", which were the little ramps on the bow of the launch deck. The bridles landed in the bridle catchers and could be re-used.

Last edited by Kyleb on Mon Mar 14, 2022 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Dan K]

Bridal launch is usually a guaranteed fail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlbs7is1MLI

[Stoney]

not the best way to start a marriage, bet he slept on the couch.

[TheBoy]

Sad to see one of the airplanes launched to fly CAP (#404) sitting as a stripped hulk in the later images.

[JohnB]

In reading a history of the Pacific war last night, they mentioned P-47s being launched from a jeep carrier during the battle of Saipan.

In fact, the author used the term "catapulted".
I see that he meant that literallt, not as a synonym for taking off from a carrier.