Black History Month - Samuel C. Hunter, Jr.

The U.S. recognizes Black History Month every February to showcase the challenges, victories and contributions of Black men and women throughout the nation’s history.

Contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II helped pave the way for future airmen. The Museum highlights the Tuskegee Airmen in several exhibits; one includes the late Colorado Springs resident Samuel C. Hunter, Junior.

Originally from Crockett, Texas, he graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1936. He attended West Virginia State College, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1940, before graduating from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago in 1941.

Sam joined the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and graduated in the class of 44-J as a Second Lieutenant and cadet captain of his class. He was assigned to the 616th Bombardment Squadron, 477th Bombardment Group, at Godman Field, Kentucky, in December of 1944 flying B-25 Mitchell bombers, but World War II was over before the 477th could be deployed. He separated from the USAAF in November 1945 and was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force Reserve as a Captain in September 1959. Hunter is a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman (DOTA) and received the Congressional Gold Medal awarded by Congress in 2007 to all Tuskegee Airmen.

Sam was prominent in Colorado Springs business, civic and fraternal activities, and was the city's first Black real estate broker. According to his obituary, “Sam was a past member of several organizations, including the original Head Start Board, the Colorado Springs Park & Recreation Board, the Golf Commission and the Board of Directors of the Colorado Springs Board of Realtors. He is past president and life member of the local NAACP, past president of the local Urban League, and a former member of the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority. He tutored in the reading programs for elementary school students.”

His pride in serving as a Tuskegee Airman was clear.

"Do your best so you can be all you can be," were his last words of advice. He passed away on December 26, 2013, at the age of 94. The Museum is honored to have performed a fly-over at his memorial service with our B-25J Mitchell "In The Mood".

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Representative Lamborn Announces Service Academy

Nominations at Museum Event

U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn (R) said during his Saturday, February 5 appearance at the Museum that 65 students from Colorado's Fifth Congressional District would receive a nomination from his office for one of the country's four service academies -- U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

He thanked the Museum for its "first-class hospitality.". He said it "has gone above and beyond to create a very special ceremony for this class of academy nominees."

Story & Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle

Blue Angels Team Visits Ahead of

2024 Pikes Peak Regional Airshow

Two pilots of the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team briefed Colorado Sports Corporation and Museum coordinators on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at the Museum about the upcoming Pikes Peak Regional Air Show.

The Blue Angels will headline the show, slated for August 17-18 at the airport. Lieutenant Commander Brian Vaught and Lieutenant Connor O'Donnell arrived at the airport in one of the team's Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets. They checked conditions and airspace in preparation for their air show performances.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Operation THURSDAY and the 1^st Air Commando Group

The China-Burma-India Theater of Operations was an important, but lesser-known, part of World War II. For Japan, the capture of Burma in 1942 provided 8 million tons of rice a year. It also provided a staging area for an invasion of India. For the Allies, there were many challenges. Because Great Britain’s resources were stretched thin, most U.S. resources were focused on the war in Europe.

One man who saw an opportunity was British Brigadier General Orde Wingate. He created a brigade-size, long-range penetration group called the Chindits, composed mostly of troops from India and Nepal. The Chindits conducted a guerilla campaign behind Japanese lines in Burma that caught the imagination of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Their mission was to operate deep behind Japanese lines and assault railways, logistics hubs, and bridges to cripple Japanese forces.

Churchill took Wingate to meet with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, where Wingate outlined his concept for continuing his unconventional campaign in Burma. Wingate’s plan required relatively little in the way of resources; the key factor in the campaign would be adequate air support. The British couldn’t provide it, but the Americans could, and Roosevelt liked the idea. Army Air Forces General Henry “Hap” Arnold was looking for an opportunity to showcase air power, and he saw Wingate’s proposal as an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to support sizeable units for an extended period behind enemy lines.

Lieutenant Colonels Philip Cochran and John Alison were to lead the effort. Cochran was an experienced fighter pilot who had served in North Africa. He was the inspiration for the character Flip Corkin, the hero in cartoonist Milton Caniff’s syndicated comic strip Terry and the Pirates. Alison was also a distinguished fighter pilot having fought the Japanese in the American Volunteer Group, the “Flying Tigers.” Cochran would be the commander and Alison his deputy. 

The unit was designated as the 1st Air Commando Group. For troop transport, the group got 13 Douglas C-47 Skytrains, 100 Waco CG-4A gliders, and 25 Aeronca TG-5 training gliders. For casualty evacuation, they got a combined total of 100 Stinson L-1 Vigilants and Stinson L-5 Sentinels. For fighter cover, 30 North American P-51 Mustangs were acquired. The group even got four Sikorsky YR-4 helicopters and 12 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. 

Operation THURSDAY was part of the response to the planned Japanese invasion of India. The two-month campaign was the first to combine tactical air support at every level with the extensive and far-flung ground operations of Wingate’s Chindits deep behind enemy lines. This support included air interdiction, transport, supply, medical evacuation, and reinforcements. Such assistance was critical for the Chindits’ success because distance and terrain isolated many of the Chindit units, making the Air Commandos the only means of logistical and combat support.

Beginning February 5, 1944, the start date for Operation THURSDAY, Air Commandos C-47s would pull two gliders each to land a force of Chindits, engineers, and supplies that included bulldozers and pack animals at two jungle clearings code named “Broadway” and “Piccadilly” deep behind enemy lines. A third site, named “Chowringhee”, was only used for the landings and was then abandoned. The engineers were to develop the two clearings into air strips that would later be utilized for the duration of the campaign.

A last-minute reconnaissance of Piccadilly revealed that it was littered with fallen logs, making it unsuitable for gliders, therefore all gliders were ordered to land at Broadway. Alison led the Air Commandos on the mission and was in the second glider that landed. The men in the gliders discovered, too late, that Broadway had numerous natural obstacles as well, and landing gliders hit the clearing filled with ruts and struck tree stumps that ripped off landing gear. Later gliders, trying to avoid wrecks now littering the clearing, overshot and crashed into the jungle. Further glider landings were halted.

Hours passed as the engineers, with the help of the Chindits, worked to make Broadway serviceable; the Air Commando engineers soon succeeded in creating an airstrip capable of accepting ladened C-47s. Although most of the gliders on Broadway were damaged or destroyed, and the force suffered 30 killed and 33 injured in crash landings, 539 men and almost 30,000 pounds of supplies successfully landed. Before the next day dawned, 62 C-47 sorties landed at Broadway. By March 11, approximately 9,000 men, 500,000 pounds of supplies, about 1,200 mules, and 175 horses were established 200 miles behind Japanese lines.

A second brigade set up another base named Aberdeen, while a third brigade established yet another, named White City, astride the main railway and road leading to the Japanese northern front. Troops set up ambushes and roadblocks on main Japanese transport routes. Ferocious jungle fighting ensued around Broadway and White City. At times British and Japanese troops were in close combat, using bayonets and kukris against katanas. Beginning March 27, the Japanese attacked Broadway for several nights before the attack was repulsed with flown-in artillery and the aid of locally recruited Burmese militia.

On March 24, while flying between India and Burma in a B-25, General Wingate’s aircraft crashed into a hill, killing everyone aboard. The Chindits continued operations through much of 1944 but were eventually withdrawn.

The Air Commandos’ versatility was demonstrated when it made history in April 1944. An Air Commando Stinson L-1 carrying three wounded Chindits crash-landed on April 21 due to damage from enemy ground fire. An Air Commandos’ Sikorsky YR-4 helicopter was ordered to fly 500 miles from its base in India to an advance base that was about 60 miles from the rescue site.

The helicopter was very small (only able to carry one passenger at a time), underpowered, and its range was limited to only about 100 miles. Because of these limitations, it had to carry extra gas and make multiple hops. After reaching the crash area the helicopter shuttled evacuees from the pick-up location to a British-held sand bar that doubled as a landing strip about 10 miles from the rescue site; from there an L-5 carried out the wounded. The rescue was completed over the course of two days, becoming the first helicopter combat rescue in history.

At the end of April, the Chindits returned to India having successfully completed their mission. Three Japanese divisions assigned to attack British forces in northeastern India as part of Operation U-Go beginning in March 1944 had been prevented from doing so. General Henry “Hap” Arnold took note of the Air Commandos’ success in Operation THURSDAY and the subsequent campaign; new Air Commando units were authorized, and Cochran found himself reassigned and responsible for a new, larger Air Commando campaign in Europe.

One of the C-47 pilots who flew with the 1st Air Commando Group was Lieutenant Colonel Richard “Dick” Cole, best known for being Colonel Jimmy Doolittle’s B-25 co-pilot on the famous April, 1942 “Doolittle Raid” on Japan. Cole, a supporter of the museum, visited several times before his passing in 2013 at the age of 103. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving Doolittle Raider.

Having had the opportunity to speak with him about it, it was clear he was equally proud of his service with the Air Commandos. Cole donated to the museum his personal copy of the Congressional Gold Medal that was awarded to the Raiders in 2015; it is proudly displayed in our Doolittle Raid area.

Story Credit: Museum Curator and Historian Gene Pfeffer

Colorado Springs Battle of Britain Veteran

Celebrates 106th Birthday

The 106th birthday of Colorado Springs resident Dr. Monica Agnew-Kinnaman, a British Army officer in World War II, was celebrated February 7 at a restaurant in Colorado Springs by a group of veterans. She was hailed by Randy Helms, president of the Colorado Springs City Council, Councilman Dave Donelson, and Pete Tetley, president of the Pikes Peak National Cemetery.

Agnew-Kinnaman was born in Britain in 1918. She served in the British anti-aircraft artillery during World War II, tracking German bombers, determining fuze settings and directing fire.

She first served at a gun site on the south coast of England between Portsmouth and Southampton, helping to protect Allied shipping and nearby Royal Navy bases. She was later posted to the Thames Estuary. German bombers used the Thames River as a night-time navigation aid to bomb London.

The 104th birthday of Dr. Agnew-Kinnaman was celebrated at the Museum and in a February 2022 newsletter article, available in the Museum’s newsletter archive here: https://www.worldwariiaviation.org/newsletter-archive

Story & Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle

Dowding System was Key to Victory in Battle of Britain

A key element in the Royal Air Force's victory over Germany's Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940 was the Dowding System of defense, named for the head of the RAF's Fighter Command, Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding.

The Luftwaffe launched massive air attacks to eliminate the RAF and clear the way for an invasion of England that Hitler planned for late summer of that year. But the Dowding System -- the world's first large-scale integrated air defense system -- defeated the Luftwaffe and forced Hitler to cancel the invasion.

Dowding's system "brought together radar technology, superior fighter aircraft, heroic pilots, and the ground support of thousands” in the defense of Great Britain, docent Steve Hein said December 9 in a Museum presentation. It was "designed and overseen" by Dowding himself, Hein told an audience of about 100 in the Museum's Hangar 2 at Colorado Springs Airport.

The stakes were high. Several weeks before the battle, Prime Minister Winston Churchill told Parliament that "The Battle of France is over, and I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life and the law, continuity of our institutions, and our empire."

The Battle of Britain was historic for two reasons, Hein said. "First, it halted the advance of the Nazi military takeover of Western European nations. Secondly, it was the first implementation of the use of current, cutting-edge technology in the design of a military defense."

In fact, he said, "advanced technology has been a mainstay in the composition of virtually all military defense systems since then."

RAF’s Fighter Command was as ready for the Luftwaffe as its limited number of fighters and pilots would allow. For one thing, Dowding insisted that "a minimum of 52 fighter squadrons remain in the homeland" during the Battle of France, Hein said. "He issued what was a controversial order on May 16, 1940, that no additional fighter support be given from that date onward to the defense of France."

The order was "bitterly contested by France." But, as Hein added, Dowding and Churchill felt that that the draining of Britain's home defense force was not an option.

France fell on June 22. By the end of the month, Poland, Norway, Belgium, and The Netherlands had also fallen.

On July 16, Hitler issued a top-secret directive only to his commanders-in-chief to prepare for the invasion of England, setting a preliminary date of August 16, Hein said. But, when Hermann Goering, head of the Luftwaffe, heard this, "he informed his subordinate staff about this plan and he did so by radio transmission, using the German Enigma coding machine." But, unknown to Germany, it had been "successfully decoded by British intelligence and that information immediately was passed on both to Churchill and to Hugh Dowding...."

Hitler's goal was to land troops on a stretch of coastline in Southeastern England. Removal of Fighter Command's control of English airspace before the invasion "was paramount" to Germany, Hein said, adding that this "set the stage for the Battle of Britain."

Dowding's goal "was to maintain control of British airspace." He wanted to protect Fighter Command's air bases, Fighter Command itself, and Britain’s manufacturing facilities, Hein said. The ultimate objective "was simply to continue to exist."

Dowding's system consisted of a network of radar sites, ground observers, the ability to plot the positions of friendly and enemy aircraft, and radio control of fighter squadrons. Hein said the elements were "tied together through an underground telephone network that was administered by Fighter Command headquarters" in a bunker at Bentley Priory in Stanmore, near London.

In order "to better control his aircraft," Hein said, Dowding "divided Fighter Command into four geographical command groups that covered all of Britain, and each of those had their own control rooms as well, receiving [information about] enemy aircraft activity."

The information was sent "to and from Fighter Command headquarters, and to group command centers in what were called filter rooms." When German activity was detected, its strength and location, "together with assigned responding Fighter Command squadrons, were plotted on large map tables in these filter rooms." With aircraft positions on big map-boards, "You could have that information simply at a glance," Hein said.

In some squadrons and among some higher-ups, Hein said, "there was an on-going controversy about the aerial combat tactic known as the Big Wing. This was "attacking an enemy with large numbers to destroy as many aircraft as possible in a single battle." Advocates included 12 Group Commander Leigh Mallory.

But Dowding and 11 Group commander Keith Park, who was responsible for coverage of the area that Hitler planned to invade, "insisted on smaller attack numbers that enabled quicker responses and greater mobility, and also had the advantage of preserving planes and pilots," Hein said. "At no point did Dowding commit more than 50 percent of his aircraft to enter the battle zone at any particular time."

The Luftwaffe used the big wing strategy, Hein said, "and Goering assumed that Fighter Command did also. Therefore, he was always under-estimating its strength and over-estimating the damage that his Luftwaffe was inflicting. He simply could not understand, as the weeks and months were going by, how it was that Fighter Command could continue to send more fighter squadrons up to confront his daily attacks."

But Fighter Command had its challenges. Its "greatest weakness," Hein said, was the continual shortage of qualified pilots. This meant the available pilots engaged in combat many hours a day, and paid a price in "great mental and physical fatigue." On top of that, Dowding lost "some 75 percent of his squadron commanders and nearly 400 pilots either killed or seriously wounded."

Dowding reluctantly agreed to enlist Polish and Czech fighter pilots, but in the end didn't regret it. "Having a shortage of pilots would have been Fighter Command's undoing were it not for the many volunteer pilots from other countries," Hein said.

He said September 15, 1940, was the "final showdown" of the Battle of Britain. Early that day, British radar detected the beginning of a 1,400-plus armada of German planes approaching England. It was Germany's largest attack. "One Fighter Command pilot called out, sighting them, 'It's the whole bloody Luftwaffe,'" Hein said.

But it turned out to be "a vanilla Luftwaffe air attack" for several reasons. There was no attempt to take out British radar; a slow build-up gave Fighter Command time to mount an optimal defense; Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters stuck close to the bombers; and Luftwaffe attack formations were concentrated in single file, allowing a more effective defense. Churchill called September 15 the crux of the Battle of Britain.

On September 17, British code-breakers intercepted a message from “the German general staff instructing Nazi air bases in Holland to dismantle and download equipment" from cargo aircraft assigned to the invasion of England.

The Battle of Britain, therefore, was "over before it was overwhelming," Hein said.

Dowding, a pilot and squadron commander in World War I, rose quickly through the ranks, becoming Air Chief Marshal of the newly formed Fighter Command in 1936, Hein said. Dowding was "a loner and very opinionated," he said. Some "thought of him as eccentric." He was nicknamed "Stuffy" and "that stuck with him." He was "highly respected and appreciated" in some quarters, and "He had high regard for his pilots."

Dowding was slated to retire on July 1, 1940, but stayed on because of the Battle. He "had kind of a gruff personality" and was strong in his support of small combat wings.

But there were many "who savored the big wing strategy," including some in the Air Ministry, with whom Dowding had "skirmishes,” Hein said.

When it looked like victory was at hand in the Battle of Britain, "they dumped him immediately" and replaced him with 12 Group commander Leigh Mallory, who supported big wings.

Dowding was forced to relinquish his command in November of 1940.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

The Airfield

1944 Howard DGA-15/GH-2 Nightingale 

In 1924, “Benny” Howard, with only a grammar school education, designed and built his first aircraft, the DGA-1. That was the start of an amazing career designing and building racing airplanes. In 1927, during the Prohibition Years, he built the DGA-2 with a large, extra “fuel tank” for a whiskey smuggler to store his wares. The greatest and probably the most successful plane he built was “Mr. Mulligan”, which won the 1935 Thompson Trophy.

Benny Howard formed the Howard Aircraft Corporation in Chicago in 1936. Production from 1936 to 1939 totaled about 30 custom-built aircraft. In 1939, however, the company built the 5-place DGA-15 with its wooden wing and steel-tube-truss fuselage. Due to the shortage of military aircraft at the beginning of the war, most of the civilian Howards were commandeered by the military.

The Army used them as officer transports and air ambulances, designating the aircraft the UC-70B. The Navy, in particular, liked the aircraft and contracted with Howard to build 520 DGA-15Ps to its own speci­fications and with its own designations, calling them DGA-15Ps; these aircraft were delivered between 1939 and 1944, when it ceased production.

Famous aircraft builder Donald W. Douglas said of Benny, “He commenced designing and building other light airplanes to which he gave the basic designation ‘DGA.’ These initials stood for ‘Damn Good Airplane.’ And they are just that.”

This aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Navy as a GH-2 Nightingale air ambulance in January 1944. In August 1946, it was stricken from the Navy inventory before being sold to a private owner in 1947.

Specifications

Maximum Speed: 180 mph

Cruise speed: 120 mph

Crew: 1

Passengers: 4

Power Plant: Pratt & Whitney R-985SB Wasp Jr. radial engine, 450 hp 

Length: 25 ft.

Height: 8 ft. 5 in.

Wingspan: 38 ft.

Maximum Weight: 4,350 lbs.

Maximum Range: 920 miles

Service Ceiling: 21,500 ft.

Cargo Capacity: 1645 lbs.

Come check out the details on our amazing 1944 Howard DGA-15/GH-2 Nightingale, and the rest of our amazing collection, during your visit to the museum!

Story Credit: George White

Black History Month - Freeman Field Incident Helped Move U.S. Armed Forces Closer to Full Integration

The aftermath of the Freeman Field incident of 1945 resulted in a significant step toward full integration of the U.S. armed forces and became a model for civil rights demonstrations to come.

The incident, at Freeman Army Air Field near Seymour, Indiana, began soon after the 477th Bomb Group, equipped with B-25 Mitchell aircraft, was transferred there for training from Godman Army Air Field on the Fort Knox Army post in Kentucky.

Word spread that there were two separate officers’ clubs at Freeman, one for Black "trainees" and one for White "instructors." Two groups of Black officers entered the “instructors” club and were refused service.

Black officers still at Godman decided to push the issue to the point of arrest, if necessary. Arriving on April 5, they began to go in small groups to the “instructors” club to seek service. An initial group of three Black officers was turned away. Later groups were met by the armed Officer of the Day.

When 19 of the Black officers entered the club and refused to leave, they were placed under arrest “in quarters.” Seventeen more were placed under arrest later that night, including Second Lieutenant Roger C. Terry, who was accused of shoving a White officer. The next night, April 6, 25 more Black officers entered the club and were placed under arrest. A total of 61 officers were arrested during the two-day protest.

After investigating the incidents, a 1st Air Force inspector recommended dropping the charges against all the Black officers, except for Lieutenant Terry and two others arrested with him. Fifty-eight were released.

A new base regulation was drafted that ordered the segregation of the clubs. Black trainee officers were assembled to hear the new regulation. Each was given a copy of the regulation. Each was told to sign a statement certifying that he had read it and fully understood it. No one signed.

Subsequently, the non-signers were given options to sign the certification, write and sign their own individual certificates in which they did not have to acknowledge that they understood the regulation, or face arrest for disobeying a direct order by a superior officer. The 101 arrestees were returned to Godman Field to await trial.

Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall ordered the 101 to be released on

April 23, although each received a written administrative reprimand. The three officers accused of shoving the White officer on April 5 received a general court-martial in July. Two officers were acquitted. Lieutenant Terry was convicted. He was fined, demoted, and received a dishonorable discharge.

After the protest, the 477th was relocated back to Godman Field. A highly respected Black combat leader, Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., took command of the group on

July 1. Black officers replaced White officers in key group positions. Training was to be completed by August 31, but the war ended on August 14 with Japan’s surrender. Davis was to later reach the grade of Lieutenant General while on active duty.

In 1995, the letters of reprimand were rescinded. Roger Terry received a full pardon, restoration of rank and a refund of his fine.

Be sure to stop by and see see our exhibit about the Freeman Field incident during your next visit to the Museum!

Story credit: Museum Curator and Historian Gene Pfeffer

See Our Latest YouTube Video Presentations!

If you haven’t been over to our YouTube page lately, just click here:

https://www.youtube.com/@nationalwwiiaviation/videos

... to view our latest videos of past museum special presentations. These include the stories of B-17 April Girl, the Battle for Guadalcanal, and Torpedo Squadron 8 at Midway, plus other content! 

A B-29 Frame of Mind

By Colonel Hugh Maxwell Jr. (USAF-ret.)

Editor’s Note: Hugh Maxwell (May 22, 1916 – July 2, 2017) flew anti-submarine missions in North American B-25 Mitchells and Consolidated B-24 Liberators and instructed on Boeing B-29 Superfortresses in World War II. In August 1943, he and two German Focke Wulf 200 Condor four-engine bombers locked in mortal combat over a convoy and shot each other down, a story featured in the May 2015 issue of the Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine ("World War II's Oddest Dogfight").

Although he stayed on flying status after the war, Colonel Maxwell spent his career as an intelligence officer, retiring from the United States Air Force in 1969. He became a minor celebrity when he was able to fly a restored B-25 at the age of 99 (see that video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPOXwaQ_EUQ)

The following is adapted from one of many pieces he wrote about his experiences.

In January 1944, I got orders to go to Clovis, New Mexico, as part of a cadre of a new B-29 bomb wing being formed.

For about two days, on paper, I was the Commander of a new B-29 Group, the 498th. I then became Operations Officer. We of course had never seen a B-29, and flew whatever we could get our hands on. We got a couple of war-weary B-25s.

On one occasion we had to transport some Boeing workers to Omaha, Nebraska. Another guy with B-25 experience and I, each with co-pilots who had never been in a B-25, took off. The other guy was reporting in at check points three minutes behind me. When I entered the traffic pattern and landed at Omaha, he was reporting in right behind me. I taxied up to base operations, discharged my passengers and closed out my flight plan.

The other guy still hadn’t shown up and I asked about him. Oh, he had reported on base leg, but they hadn’t heard anything from him since. I screamed at them that they had better start finding out something about him. About that time, they got a phone call from him. He was calling from a farmhouse a few miles away.

On base leg, his copilot had chopped the mixture controls instead of propeller-pitch controls and killed the engines. He had to put it down now. He gently skidded across a snow-covered field, avoiding ditches, and ending up about 10 feet from trees. Nobody was even scratched.

We went from Clovis to Great Bend, Kansas. When I realized that we were going to be going to the Pacific, I got busy and manipulated a transfer out of the 498th Bomb Group into the training group on base.

We had still never seen a B-29 when one arrived on a Friday morning with a Boeing crew. I flew with them the entire weekend. On Monday morning I was the Senior B-29 Instructor Pilot on base.

That early version of the B-29 really had some bugs. On takeoff, the most important member of the crew was the flight engineer, because he had to manage the cowl flaps. If you opened them too much you got buffeting and drag so you’d never reach flying speed. Too little, and the engine overheated and you’d swallow a valve and lose the engine. Standard procedure was to reach takeoff speed, lift the landing gear and immediately push the nose down and proceed at tree-top level to gain enough speed for adequate cooling before climbing out and proceeding on your mission. Any time we took off, performed the mission, and landed with all four fans turning, was a red-letter day.

Boeing's Wichita plant made some fixes which improved performance. But much later I read that over Tokyo, the main danger was not Japanese fighters or antiaircraft but engine failure, and the crews still used our training procedure of taking off, sticking the nose down and gaining flying speed enough to cool before starting to climb.

In Great Bend we had a contingent of WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots) who flew P-63’s, a version of the Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter. They would make fighter-type passes at B-29’s and the gunners, operating the remote-controlled turrets from blister windows, would fire on them for practice, using frangible bullets which exploded into dust when they hit the fighters. The fighters supposedly had a red light in the nose which flashed when a hit was made, but in practice we were to count the marks on the fighter when it landed. I’m not sure the system was ever used.

The male Major who had the WASP unit gave me a P-63 flight one day. The P-63 had the engine behind the pilot and a drive shaft between your legs to the propeller in front. The Major stressed that when you ever cut the power, you shouldn’t try to reapply power because the engine would load up, sputter and probably cause you to crash.

Standard procedure for landing was to cross the field, dragging the runway at 50 feet. When you reached the far end of the runway, the procedure was to chop the throttle completely and pull up in a climbing turn to the left. At the top of the turn, with airspeed down to safe level, you would drop the landing gear and apply full flaps. You would continue in a descending turn to land on end of the runway.

As an old bomber pilot, and with the danger of the engine loading up, I didn’t have the heart to cut the throttle completely so I kept a little power on as I started the climbing maneuver. By the time I got speed down, I was away too high. When I dropped gear and flaps and came on around to land, I crossed the end of the runway too high and too hot and was floating down the runway. About the time I passed the hangar with the P-63 crew chief waving his arms at me, I flew the plane onto the runway and got on the brakes. I stopped in enough time, but when I returned to the flight line the crew chief was screaming that I had probably burned up his brakes.

After the war ended in Europe it became apparent that Great Bend would close before long. I managed to get sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, for the Army Command and General Staff Course and was there when the war ended. When I got back to Great Bend, we were already in the throes of disbanding our forces.

I intended to get into something involving flying one way or the other. But when I realized they had 14 other unemployed Majors among the personnel being held at the field, some of whom were volunteering to help unload boxcars for something to do, and that they had a surplus of flying types in all the flying jobs, I realized I was in trouble and had better do some creative thinking.

I did, and drew up a proposal which said that all these reserve officers with combat experience who were getting out were doing nothing constructive while being processed; that the Army may need them for any future conflict, and certainly may need to keep them in the Reserve Forces; and that most of them had had narrow experience in their fields and knew nothing about military organization or philosophy.

So, using my papers and notes from Army Command and General Staff School, I proposed a syllabus of instruction for a school for them. I submitted the paper, which was well received by the base brass. A few days later I was summoned to appear in the Base Commander’s Office with all copies of my proposal, including my file copies. I thought I was in trouble.

The meeting was with the brass from 2nd Air Force Headquarters at Colorado Springs. They were appropriating the whole idea and were going to process it with their own staff and put it into effect throughout all 2nd Air Force bases. The next day I moved into my new office in Operations as Director of Training.

Three days later, before even getting my swivel chair adjusted, I got orders to report to the Chief of Intelligence Collections Division at the Pentagon ASAP. All my possessions went back into my parachute bag, and my Ford and I were off to Washington.

But that’s another story.

2024 Pikes Peak Regional Airshow Tickets On Sale Now!

See The Blue Angels First Colorado Springs Appearance!

Ring in the New Year by securing the best Airshow seats at the best prices!

Head on over to https://www.pprairshow.org/tickets/ today to get your airshow tickets!

General Admission: $45

Military: $40

Children (Ages 4-12): $35

Preferred Seating: $70

• Prime Seating
• Private Restrooms
• Official Collectible program per order

Canteen Experience: SOLD OUT

We're expecting record airshow attendance beyond the 25K+ visitors that filled the 2022 event, especially with the first ever Colorado Springs appearance of the United States Navy BLUE ANGELS Flight Demonstration Squadron!

From the Blue Angles website (https://www.blueangels.navy.mil):

The team is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the air show season. The squadron spends January through March training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.

Around the country, the team serves as ambassadors of goodwill by bringing naval aviation to men, women, and children across America.

The precision flight demonstrations showcase the professionalism, excellence and teamwork found in all Navy and Marine Corps units, as well as provide the thrill and magic of flight to people each year.

Since its inception, the team has flown for more than 500 million spectators worldwide.

Our team looks forward to showcasing the mainstay of modern naval air power operating off U.S. aircraft carriers, the combat-proven F/A-18 Super Hornet, along with the Marine Corps' premiere logistics support aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules. Both of these aircraft are operating around the world and around the clock carrying out the mission of our Navy and Marine Corps team.

It is a privilege to perform for you and humbling to represent our fellow service members. We sincerely hope that whether this is the first, second, or 78th year you have seen us fly, the sight and sound of a Blue Angels performance delivers exhilaration, pride in your defense forces, appreciation for teamwork, and the inspiration to achieve excellence!

Remaining 2024 PPRA Preferred Seating tickets are limited; secure yours at https://www.pprairshow.org/tickets/ !

Your Best Shot!

This month's Best Shot comes from longtime Museum supporter and Colorado Aviation Photography (CAP) founder Paul Gordon of Littleton, Colorado. Paul took this photo of the Museum's B-25J Mitchell "In The Mood" making a low pass in front of the crowd at the 2022 Pikes Peak Regional Airshow, and it made us go WOW! Look closely and you can even see Museum President and CEO Bill Klaers in the pilot's seat with his son, Museum pilot Scott Klaers in the co-pilot's seat!

You've probably already seen some of Paul's and other CAP members' work in the newsletter, on our social media pages, and even in the 2022 Pikes Peak Regional Airshow program; the Museum is thankful to have such great contributors!

For all you photography geeks, this was taken using a Nikon D850 with a Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 at 1/320, F9, ISO 125, Spot Metering, and on Shutter Priority. Note that at a shutter speed of 1/320 that you get just a hint of prop blur but all the aircraft details are still sharp. To get more prop blur you'd slow that shutter speed down, but that comes with the risk of blurriness for the rest of the aircraft due to movement. It's a fine balance and takes practice!

Send us your best shot! Here are the rules:

1. Photo must be of a National Museum of World War II Aviation airplane, display or event

2. There's no age limit to entrants; if you're old enough to take a photo, you're old enough to enter!

3. Photo entry must include name, age and city of the photographer; when the photo was taken; and what event it was taken at. For example: Kanan Jarrus, 33, Manitou Springs, May 2023 Battle of the Philippine Sea presentation. If you'd like to include any other information about your photo, please do!

4. Photo must be a good quality digital .jpeg or .png file; the higher the resolution the better

5. Photo can be horizontal or vertical format, color or monochrome, untouched or processed; get creative!

6. Photos cannot contain inappropriate wording or images on clothing

7. If photos utilize a model, an appropriate model release form must be provided 8. One entry per person, per month. Send us your best shot!

8. Deadline for entry is 12:00 p.m. MST on the 20th of each month

9. The Museum Newsletter Team (that's our smiling mugs down below) will choose the winner. Between the four of us we have something like 175 years of experience in the writing, photography and publication business; we know a good photo when we see it!

10. The winning photographer will be requested to fill out a Museum Photo Release Form and return it. There is no monetary compensation or other prize, but we think you'll be pretty proud to have your photo shown to over 4K+ newsletter subscribers!

Email your photos (and any questions) to us at [email protected]. Don't forget, the entry deadline is the 20th of each month! 

Special Presentation: Aircraft Carrier Operations During WWII

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Museum opens at 9:00 a.m.

Presentation at 10:00 a.m.

Victory in WWII could not have been achieved without decisive victories at sea. As the war progressed, aircraft carriers played an ever-increasing role in keeping shipping lanes open, supporting amphibious landings, opposing Axis naval attacks, and attacking enemy bases.

Without the contributions of aircraft carriers, the Allies could not have mounted amphibious assaults on or maintained land forces on Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Saipan, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, or Okinawa.

Over the course of the war several different carrier designs emerged, from the large fleet carriers designed for maximum fighting power to small escort carriers that protected convoys and attacked submarines. The largest U.S. Navy fleet carriers displaced 20,000 to 35,000 tons, could sail at up to 33 knots (38 mph), and carry up to 90 to 100 aircraft into combat.

When the U.S. joined the war, there were four large carriers in the Pacific and two in the Atlantic. By October of 1942, after several large important sea battles, there was a brief period of no operational U.S. carriers in the Pacific. But by June 1944, the U.S. Navy, backed by America’s arsenal of democracy, was operating 17 large carriers in the Pacific alone. This was a feat that could not be matched by the Japanese Imperial Navy.

On Saturday, March 16th, at 10:00 a.m., museum docent and retired Navy officer John Lynch will explain how carriers operated in WWII. He’ll cover how carriers were designed to optimize their striking power with aircraft. He will also describe the carrier task force, a combat formation of ships designed to supply and protect carriers. Of special interest, John will also explain the make-up of the carrier’s air group and how air operations were conducted.

Standard admission prices are in effect. The purchase of advance on-line tickets is encouraged.

Advance ticket prices are:

Adult - $15

Child (4-12) - $11

Senior and Military - $13

WWII Veterans – Always FREE!

Children 3 and Under – Always FREE!

Museum Members - Included in membership; please call 719-637-7559 or stop by the front desk to make your reservations.

And of course, parking is always FREE!

Story Credit: Museum Curator and Historian Gene Pfeffer