Warbird Information Exchange

A touching story. It would be very fitting to have this back on the Intrepid as a memorial. Found the story here:

http://www.ww2aero.com/japan-returns-re ... ir-to-u-s/

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Always looking for P-51D parts.

Thanks for posting this. A big salute.

"The aircraft launched from the USS Intrepid on on March 18, 1945, along with 18 other Corsairs, to target a naval air base on the island of Kyushu.
Serving with Fighter Squadron (VF) 10 “Grim Reapers” the Corsair suffered damage during the attack and was forced to ditch in the waters off Saiki, where it sank."

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

Magnificent gesture on the part of the Japanese.

Hasn't the pilot of this a/c that day been determined?

Great photos Mark, it's eerie to see "in the heat of the battle" images.

It looks like it was a very touching and respectful ceremony. Kudos to everyone involved.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

Two VF-10 pilots were lost in the area on that date.

Ens. Loren S. Isley, 402823. He was presumed to be hit by AA, failed to pull out of his dive & crashed into the harbor at "Saeki", Kyushu.

Ens. Robinson W. Harris, 407310, was hit by by AA at "Saeki" & ditched in Bungo Suido Straight on the way back to the carrier. He was seen in the water, but was not recovered.

The Gungo Channel is also near Saiki.

https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Bungo+Channel/@33.1956053,131.8164636,96816m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x3545c871604fedcf:0x4c86913e8e7d9563

Mac

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WWII Naval Aviation Research - Pacific
https://www.ww2nar-pac.com/

Thanks, Mac.

RIP to both those guys.

Of critical note is that SURVIVING F4U-1D, BuNo.82640 was flying as part of VF-10 'Grim Reapers' at the same time, and taking part in these same combat missions I would presume. It was assigned to VF-10 from January - April 1945 during some of the most active months of combat.

This VF-10 survivor is now being restored to fly at Warbird Adventures Aviation Museum in Mareeba, Australia.

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Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Wow, I just realized that my uncle Lt. Earl Wendell Langston also took part on the Kyushu strikes that same day (flying F4U-1D, BuNo.82614, so the photos above would seem to show some of the damaged inflicted by his flight, which was part of VMF-221 (arrow tail) squadron flying from the USS Bunker Hill!

Thanks again for the amazing photos Mark!

Here's my uncle's log book entry...

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Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Nice gesture but I'm a little surprised such minimal wreckage was even saved.

This makes me ask has there ever been much of a wreck hunters tradition in Japan? Some of the outer islands aren't that populated. I am thinking of the crash of a SB2C on a mountain where the gunner survived the crash and evaded capture until the war ended. Always wondered if that wreck was ever found or surveyed.

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"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.

Sounds like a very interesting story, John - I didn't know any fliers managed to evade capture in Japan. Any more info on the guy?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

a buddy during the viet nam war traveled all around the japanese islands in the sea bees transporting goods and delivering green stuff that makes a soldier happy in smoke if you know what I mean...lol....anyways, he swore he knew of a place that had a couple mustangs and a few Japanese fighters that had been piled together and pushed into a forest out there and that was in the early 70s....he gave me the name of the town and what it was close to, but who knows if the dude was stoned or telling the truth, he still swears its not a story....

Well PM me the name and I will see if my Japanese colleagues can make some inquiries...

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