World War II gun camera photos

jamesintucson · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:42 am **Posts:** 546

I was going through some gun camera film and came across this sequence showing one of the often unrecognized dangers of combat flying. The camera was in an American P-51.

We did a little research and found that the Typhoon was flown by W/O Livesley of 198 Sqn and he was KIA. The date in the first photo is wrong.

Robbie Roberts · **Posted:** Wed May 14, 2008 12:22 pm

oops...

Happened often, unfortunately...

daveymac82c · **Posted:** Wed May 14, 2008 1:46 pm

I was thinking as I looked at the pictures that it looked an awful lot like a Typhoon.

It must have been confusing though, because there were a lot of very strange looking German aircraft coming out as the war was nearing a close. And, the Typoon does look kind of like a strange German airplane at some angles.

Very interesting find.

- David M.

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

Sad... yet fascinating at the same time.

I dunno how many accounts I've read of such occurrences, (both in general and involving the Typhoon specifically)
but I believe that this is the first time I've seen a visual record...

You can pull so much out of these images... especially the last two. This fella was working hard to live. We know it's
obvious that Lt. Sparer didn't realize what he was attacking... that's a given. But I wonder if W/O Livesley had any idea as
to who was attacking him.

Again, sad but fascinating. Very haunting images here.

Thanks for posting this.

Fade to Black...

Rossco · **Posted:** Wed May 14, 2008 3:19 pm

Quote:

You can pull so much out of these images... especially the last two. This fella was working hard to live.

Against a Spit in a Typhoon he would have to have the luck of the angels to survive..it is very haunting seeing the last seconds of a humans life.Many pilots say they were only firing on the plane,not the human inside and visual ID was always a problem in combat...It makes the guys sacrifices who didn,t make it home all the more poignient.

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2645

What if anything would have happened to Lt. Sparer?

jamesintucson · **Joined:** Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:42 am **Posts:** 546

mike furline wrote:

What if anything would have happened to Lt. Sparer?

As far as I can tell nothing happened to him. He appears to have won a DFC later in 1945. It was likely considered a regretable accident of war and he got a lecture on being more carefull with his aircraft identification.

James

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu May 15, 2008 6:47 pm

The 363rd was reformed has a Tac Recon Grp. and was flying F-6s not Spits.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu May 15, 2008 7:00 pm

This is a still from my cousin Don's wingman's Corsair taken on May 12, 1945 over Japan. Don has just fired on a Zero and is pulling out after hitting I for kill #5. Has you can see his wingman got a little excited and threw a burst into the fray missing both Don and the A6M. Don got the DFC for this mission and another for a rocket attack on a Japanese airfield where he destryoed a hanger and 8-10 a/c. He was killed 2 weeks later on May 26, 1945 :cry:

Chicoartist · **Posted:** Thu May 15, 2008 8:08 pm

Here ya go ...

Date - 2 March 1945.

Time - ~0740-0920 hrs.

Victory Claim - Typhoon (plane displayed Maltese Crosses as cited by pilot
1Lt. Paul I. Sparer. Claimed destroyed, evaluated by higher authority and pilot/squadron not awarded official credit).

Place - A-465195, East of Oberhausen.

Unit - 161st Tac Recon Sqdn., 363rd Tac Recon Gp., 9th AF.

Aircraft flown - F-6 Mustang, code B3-? (unknown).

Wade

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