No shortage of BRAVERY here ...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

Thought I would post a few photos of some amazing acts of bravery IMHO. Hard to comprehend a few of them.

Japanese fleet in Hiroshima Wan under attack by VT-82 off the USS Bennington 19 Mar 1945. What's interesting about this photo is that these Avengers are about to attack a large fleet of ships with what looks to be heavy flak in the upper right hand corner of the photo and these guys are going right into attack mode. Pretty brave stuff.

The attack under way.

An Avenger in a hard right banking dive.

I'd say the next five photos show the results of a direct hit on something (ship I would assume. Whatever it was it was gone after this) Dive bombers of VB-82 results.

Not too often you see a photo of an SB2C in trouble. Description on the photo states a bit of info. VB-82 off the USS Bennington. 18 Mar 1945

Really doesn't look good.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

If any of these are of interest, I'll post more.

steve dickey · **Posted:** Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:12 pm

More!!!

SaxMan · **Posted:** Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:39 pm

Did you notice the Avenger in the hard right bank had its bombay doors open? Maybe setting up for a glide bombing run?

Jim MacDonald · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:31 am

Mark,

Thanks for taking the time to post all the photos that you do.

You helped answer a question I had for many years with the 2nd photo of the VB-82 SB2C. I have a smaller cropped copy of that photo without the caption. In the photo I have I thought that I could see a parachute just starting to deploy & I had wondered about the crew. The caption on your photo helped clear up that mystery. Both Newton & his gunner Edward Curtin were able to bail out & were POWs at the Omori POW camp near Tokyo.

Mac

Invader26 · **Joined:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am **Posts:** 843

As an Avenger owner [former] and pilot these photos are so real. God bless those guys..

LysanderUK · **Joined:** Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:01 pm **Posts:** 271

Jim MacDonald wrote:

Mark,

Thanks for taking the time to post all the photos that you do.

You helped answer a question I had for many years with the 2nd photo of the VB-82 SB2C...Both Newton & his gunner Edward Curtin were able to bail out & were POWs at the Omori POW camp near Tokyo.

Mac

It's a relief to read that, whenever you hear about aircrew baling out over Japanese territory it usually doesn't end as nicely as that.

Thanks for the pictures Mark, more please!

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:48 am

Great pics!

Any idea what ship that is exploding? Looks like the magazine blew up.

SN

wendovertom · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:55 am

Great shots mark - thanks!

I'd say that was a munitions ship in the explosion - terrifiying to think of being on the recieving end of that attack.

Tom P.

lmritger · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:38 am

I know they were the "bad guys", but that explosion and the subsequent rain of steel over what looks like a half-mile area is just absolutely horrifying. I feel sorry for the poor guys on the receiving end of that rain of death.

These are easily some of the most jaw-dropping action photos I've ever seen from the Pacific air war, Mark- the pic of the Avengers in close formation rolling in to attack that fleet is nothing short of amazing, the sort of thing you'd only expect to see from a modern-day artist trying to visualize such a scene.

Lynn

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

Yes indeed, some amazing photos. The sequence below is action taken by the USS Bennington April 16, 1945. Apologies for not getting the sequencing right. I think I may have it somewhat correct.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

Not sure when, where etc, but not a good result no matter who it is.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

An enemy aircraft pictured just over a light aircraft carrier USS Belleau Wood

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7826

Below the USS Saratoga after taking a very hard Kamikaze hit. After spending some time on the USS Hornet last week I can tell you with certainty there's really no where to hide from this kind of thing.

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