surviving Pearl Harbor aircraft

[rothjonb]

William T "Bill" Larkins was approached by Mrs LeeAn Brown Swanson, in 2007, regarding the history of the ex-K-T Flying Service WACO owned by her family. She was interested in the aircraft's log as having nine hours of flight time in Dec 1941. History tells us that civilian aircraft were grounded after the attack. Thus the flight time must be for 1-7 Dec 1941. After many exchanges of e-mails, Bill and I became assured by that log that Philip Brown's WACO was flying that day. The new owner was also so assured.

THEN Stephen Harding wrote an excellent article, <http://www.historynet.com/first-planes-down-at-pearl.htm> This confirmed that the USS ARGONNE report was a fabrication. His proof included a lengthy yellow pad narrative by Mrs Tyce that detailed Robert and her actions that morning. Tyce NOR the WACO did NOT fly on 7 Dec 1941.

Shoe leather is tastier when first boiled.
Cheers,
David Aiken

Thanks for the update David. I appreciate it as there were clearly some quite vocal dissenting opinions out there. I still remain rather perplexed at the Harding assertion that the US Navy official records were a fabrication, but there seems little more to say. At least we still know that the Waco was there on the day and is likely the only surviving aircraft from the day that is still airworthy.

Please save a piece of shoe for me. I prefer the tongue.
Jon

[Scooby]

Swamp ghost was supposed to be over Hawaii along with the other 14 B17's, but it had engine troubles when departing and was left behind with another B-17.

I was going to mention that technically Swamp Ghost is a Pearl Harbor survivor.

[_evan]

I would Like to hear more about this aircraft dump site in Kaneohe bay. I live on the island and have base access.

[Roger Cain]

://hawaii.gov/hawaiiaviation/world-war-ii/december-7-1941

This article doesn't mention Cornelia Fort another female flight instructor who nearly collided with a Japanese aircraft while instructing. She was flying an Interstate Cadet. Her student was on his last instruction flight before soloing. Imagine if they had flown an hour earlier! The four Gambo aircraft, the two Aeroncas and Fort makes 7 civilian aircraft airborne at some time during the attack.

Marguerite Gambo was teaching her student in an Aeronca, her secretary rented another Gambo Flying Service Aeronca to Roy Vitousek [plane exibited in Hawaii] and was shot at by the gunner of Soryu B5N piloted by Juzo Mori...after he flew into the formation AFTER they had dropped their torpedo.

Cornelia Fort was doing touch and go in a Andrew Flying Service Interstate Cadet [another ex-Andrew Flying Service Interstate Cadet exists, not hers] teaching her student at John Rogers.




HTH,
David

Attachments

This plane was at the Reno National Aviation Heritage Invitational last week with this info and a book of all of it's documents.

[David_Aiken]

Thank you, Roger,
for keeping me apprised to the current activities of an ex-Andrew Flying Service INTERSTATE CADET which was in Hawaii at John Rodgers Field during the attack. For many years and thru several owners of this plane, my study continues to show another "Cadet" airframe was in the air with Cornelia Fort as instructor.
Aloha,
David Aiken

[4RG.I.'S]

Thank you, Roger,
for keeping me apprised to the current activities of an ex-Andrew Flying Service INTERSTATE CADET which was in Hawaii at John Rodgers Field during the attack. For many years and thru several owners of this plane, my study continues to show another "Cadet" airframe was in the air with Cornelia Fort as instructor.
Aloha,
David Aiken

The current Warbird Digest magazine has a nice article on this aircraft and the questions regarding it's history.

[David_Aiken]

Of the fourteen INTERSTATE CADETS in Hawaii in 1941 we have focused on NC37266. How?

Yet NC37345...is cited in Cornelia's logbook every time she flew the plane. She may have made an error? Surely, she did not get the final three digits wrong every time she flew that plane?

.... we pause for thoughts?
Cheers,
David Aiken

[Warbird Kid]

So can someone put together a nicely laid out list of all the aircraft?

B-17E Swamp Ghost
Grumman J2-F Duck
P-40C
Sikorsky S-43/JRS-1
Interstate S-1A Cadet
Aeronca

[David_Aiken]

So can someone put together a nicely laid out list of all the aircraft?

All the aircraft within 300 miles of Hawaii?
All the aircraft in Hawaii?
All the civilian aircraft in Hawaii?
All the military aircraft in Hawaii?
All the aircraft on Oahu?
All the civilian aircraft on Oahu?
All the USAAF aircraft at Hickam Field? Wheeler Field? Bellows Field? Haleiwa?
All the US Navy aircraft at NAS Pearl Harbor (Ford Island)? NAS Kaneohe? aboard ships in or near the harbors
All the USMC aircraft at Ewa Mooring Mast Field?
All the USCG aircraft in Hawaii?

All American Aircraft AIRBORNE during the attack on Pearl Harbor? list needs additions, deletions, corresctions as printed in EAST WIND RAIN by Stan Cohen [Missoula, MT: pictorial histories publishing; 1981, rewritten 1991, corrected 1994, retitled ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR 2000]

Tall order...and a slow process.
This quest started on 7 Dec 1966...and still gathering and hunting what is gathered, tsk. Your guidance is humbly needed.
Cheers,
David Aiken

Last edited by David_Aiken on Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:13 am, edited 2 times in total.

[Warbird Kid]

Tall order...and a slow process.

David,

I was thinking about all of the surviving aircraft that were present during the attack.

[David_Aiken]

... all of the surviving aircraft that were present during the attack.

Gotta get the list of what was there FIRST...

[Noha307]

So can someone put together a nicely laid out list of all the aircraft?

B-17E Swamp Ghost
Grumman J2-F Duck
P-40C
Sikorsky S-43/JRS-1
Interstate S-1A Cadet
Aeronca

This is what I was trying to with my post a couple pages back. I kind of let it go when I realized Mr. Aiken had already done all the work.

Tall order...and a slow process.
This quest started on 7 Dec 1966...and still gathering and hunting what is gathered, tsk. Your guidance is humbly needed.

I was just thinking of asking you this last night. That is to say, would you be willing to post your list and/or an research you have online? I figured you were hesitant to do so because you feared someone might steal your work and take credit, but now it sounds like you just don't have it all organized yet.

I went back and read your post on the Axis History Forum, and I seem to remember you saying something along the lines of what you just said above (i.e. "Your guidance is humbly needed."). However, I wanted to ask what type of help you are looking for. If you were looking for help organizing your collection, which is what I took the request to be for, I don't see how that would be possible unless you post the information online.

One other question: Can you tell give me any more identifying information about the author of the book you keep mentioning, Stan Cohen? I happen to somewhat know a WWII veteran by that name.

[David_Aiken]

http://pictorialhistoriespublishing.com/

[Noha307]

http://pictorialhistoriespublishing.com/

Cool, thanks! I see that's also who published the "Forgotten Fields" books as well.

Any comment on my questions about your research?

[Roger Cain]

Your welcome David, I figured if anyone knew, you probably would. Wish I had the free time to read the book they had put together for the event.