THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WORLD WAR II AVIATION
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
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Battle of the Atlantic: The Longest Campaign of World War II
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The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest military campaign of World War II, running from the day the war started to the day it ended -- from September 1, 1939, to May 8, 1945. Because it was fought out of sight, at sea, it wasn't recognized at the time, or even today, as on a par with the Battle of the Bulge, Guadalcanal, or Okinawa, for instance.
But, Docent John Lynch, a U.S. Navy veteran, said to an audience of several hundred during an April 22 special historical presentation at the Museum, it was the battle that affected everything else because the Allies HAD to win. If German submarines had been able to choke off the shipborne supply of petroleum, munitions, and food from the U.S. and Canada to Britain and the Soviet Union, the 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy could not have taken place. Nor could many other war-winning Allied initiatives. In fact, Lynch noted, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said the possibility of losing the Battle of the Atlantic was the only thing that really frightened him.
Both sides paid heavily, said Lynch. Some 75,000 merchant seamen were lost in the German unterseeboot (U-Boat) sinkings of 3,500 merchant vessels. About 175 Allied warships were also sunk. Some 3,000 German sailors -- 75 percent of all U-Boat crews -- were killed in the destruction of about 783 U-Boats.
It was a complex and dangerous environment, often made more complex and dangerous by weather. The North Atlantic, Lynch said, is "one of the toughest places in the world to operate”, and the winter of 1942-1943 "was the wildest winter in the North Atlantic in over 50 years." One result was a reduction in the effectiveness of U-Boats, but they recovered quickly as storms abated, and March of 1943 "was probably one of the worst months" for the Allies.
But the following months of May and June, 1943, marked the beginning of the end of the U-Boat threat. "From then on," Lynch said, U-Boat missions were on the road to become "suicide missions." New Allied tactics and technology hurried the trend, which was a main point of Lynch's presentation.
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But it was a slow response, as the British initially underestimated the U-Boat threat. While they had developed the first generation of sonar, they incorrectly thought it could make the sea virtually transparent. Americans, meanwhile, had little understanding of the threat. On September 3, 1939, two days after the start of World War II, a U-Boat sank a British passenger liner killing 117, including 28 Americans. The U.S., however, didn't declare war on Germany; instead, it waited more than two years before entering the war following Japan's December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
Even then, reaction took time. For example, because there was no pipeline to take petroleum from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, tanker ships did the job by water. And, because there was no civil defense philosophy, the lights were on in Miami, New York, and other big East Coast cities. This resulted in those petroleum tankers being silhouetted against the bright city lights for the U-Boats to easily observe, and led to what Germany called a "happy time." It took months for the U.S. to correct the problem and implement blackouts of city lights.
Also, from July of 1942 to about February of 1943, there was no American or British aerial coverage of convoys as they sailed through the mid-Atlantic. This occurred because the air cover was provided exclusively by land-based aircraft, and at that point in the war they didn't have the range to stick with the convoys. U-Boats successfully hunted in the uncovered area, until B-24 Liberators flying from places like the East Coast, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and Bermuda eventually closed the Atlantic surveillance gap.
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Another Allied response was the fielding of small aircraft carriers to sail along with the convoys. These escort carriers became the basis for hunter-killer groups, whose planes hunted and attacked U-Boats all the way across the Atlantic.
The Avenger torpedo bomber -- the Museum has two TBM-3E examples -- was one of the types that flew from the escort carriers. The Avenger made a name for itself in the Pacific, but its ruggedness and adaptability helped make it a valuable contributor to the Atlantic U-Boat fight. It could carry a variety of weapons such as rockets, depth charges, sonobuoys and acoustic homing torpedoes, in addition to the big Mark 13 torpedo and the bombs used in the Pacific.
Sonobuoys would be laid in a line across the anticipated track of a U-boat. They carried hydrophones which listened for the sounds emanated by a submarine, and then transmitted that information back to the aircraft, helping to determine the sub's position.
Forward-firing rockets were used against surfaced U-Boats, Lynch said. Initially developed for use against targets in Europe like rail yards, they could penetrate the pressure hull of a submarine, rendering it unable to dive.
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Acoustic homing torpedoes were designed specifically for airborne sub-hunting. With earlier torpedoes, aircrews sometimes would arrive at a U-boat’s location only to see nothing more than its wake on the surface of the water. This was because the crew of a surfaced sub, seeing or hearing an approaching aircraft, would quickly dive and turn left or right, spoiling an attack by a standard torpedo. But the acoustic homing types -- about a third of the size of the Mark 13, allowing more to be carried -- would home in on propeller cavitation noise and other sounds of a sub. These torpedoes didn't pack a big punch, but just damaging a propeller or bending a rudder would be enough to disable a submarine.
In the Pacific and Atlantic in World War II, such homing torpedoes destroyed six U-boats, Lynch said. It was a "cool piece of technology," that was "developed relatively quickly."
Signals intelligence, or SIGINT, and radar systems miniaturized for ship and aircraft use also contributed to the ultimate Allied victory in the Atlantic.
SIGINT saw one of its primary Allied applications in Ultra, the British military's method of decrypting enemy communications which played a vital role in defeating Germany’s U-Boats. The Allies also used High Frequency Direction Finding (HFDF, or “Huff-Duff") to monitor U-Boat radio traffic. It was effective for several reasons, one of which was that U-Boats made heavy use of radio. "Radio traffic is a perfect example of a way to deploy signal intercept technology to find out where your enemy is and what they're planning to do," Lynch said.
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Low-frequency, long-wave radar proved itself in the Battle of Britain in 1940, but its big antennas weren't suitable for ships and planes. Development of the cavity magnetron, which was small enough to hold in your hand, allowed deployment of smaller antennas for mobile use. A post-war, joint review by the British Royal Navy and what remained of the German U-Boat forces credited "radar, specifically aircraft radar, as being the largest single factor in the demise of the whole U-Boat system," Lynch said. Visitors to the event were able to see an example of a period aircraft cavity magnetron (see photo below). |
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Lynch displayed a picture of an Avenger with an antenna array from "one of the very first generation of airborne radar. We have [such an array] here in the Museum, mounted on the Dauntless" dive bomber. "But it was more common to see it mounted on Avengers." Our Helldiver dive bomber, under restoration, also carried a first-generation radar.
Among other systems used by the Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic were airborne Leigh Lights to spot surfaced subs at night and decoys towed by surface ships.
But a "great part" of the story of the Battle of the Atlantic, Lynch said, is the Avenger aircraft. "We're so proud of having it here and being able to tell the story today."
Story Credit: Rich Tuttle
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Museum Volunteer of the 2nd Quarter Jason Arndt |
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Jason Arndt was named the Museum's Volunteer of the Second Quarter in a brief ceremony and light lunch in Hangar 1A. "This has been a long time coming," said Bill Klaers, president and CEO.
Jason started volunteering shortly after WestPac moved from Rialto, California to the Museum campus in Colorado Springs in 2008.
Klaers said Jason "has done everything," including wiring of facilities, helping to maintain aircraft and buildings, and being crew chief on flights of our B-25J Mitchell medium bomber. Jason has also volunteered to run the aircraft ramp at past Pikes Peak Regional Air Shows at the Colorado Springs Airport. Klaers announced that Jason will run the ramp at the next air show, in August 2024.
Jason noted "how much this place means to me" and thanked Bill, Debi and Scott Klaers, Alan Wojciak, and Bill Barclay "for welcoming me when I started. I think their dream has built someplace great for all of us to come and volunteer." He said, "...it's very rewarding."
Klaers said Jason is a "really a great guy, a good friend," and that he enjoys working with him. "Everything we've [done] has been fun.... We appreciate everything that you've done...it's been a long time coming, so congratulations!"
Story and Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle
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A Crashed Legend: Aircrew Lost on Blodgett Peak in 1943 |
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No single airframe has revolutionized and contributed more to U.S. military air transport than the Douglas C-47 Skytrain or “Gooney Bird”. Its versatility, durability and adaptability helped make it the “go-to” aircraft for a range of duties from World War II to Vietnam.
Many in Colorado Springs would be surprised to learn that a variant of the plane, a C-49J, crashed on nearby Blodgett Peak on February 23, 1943, killing the three men aboard. They were flying cargo from Pueblo to Denver in bad weather when they hit the 9,400-foot peak.
Hikers today can view wreckage after a trek of about eight miles from the Air Force Academy.
While the cause of the crash was not determined, icing and loss of engine power were thought to have made the plane uncontrollable. Two of the three pilots were well qualified and lived in Denver; they left behind wives and children, but their stories have faded from public memory.
The captain of the C-49J, which bore serial number 43-1989, was Baxter L. Ireland, a Continental Airlines pilot contracted to fly cargo for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF). He was a seasoned pilot with experience as a Lieutenant in the Air National Guard and 15 years of flight experience. The co-pilot, Francis Clark, had 10 years of experience as a civilian instructor with Continental before being contracted to fly for the USAAF. The third member of the crew was Lieutenant Vencil Bolling, a USAAF cargo pilot in training who was observing as part of his training. Editor’s Note: According to the USAAF accident report, his name is given as “2nd Lt. Vencil C. Bohling”. However, a newspaper clipping from 1943 gives his name as “2nd Lt. Stencil Bolling”, and a more recent article states “2nd Lt Stancil Bolling”.
C-49s differed from the C-47 primarily in the types of engines. Most C-47s were equipped with Pratt & Whitney (P&W) R-1830 Twin Wasp 14 (cylinder) radial engines, while C-49Js had P&W R-1820-71 Wright Cyclone 9 (cylinders), capable of producing about 1,200 horsepower on takeoff. Of the 138 C-49s produced, 34 were J-models.
C-49J 43-1989 was assigned to the USAAF's Air Transport Command to fly cargo missions within the U.S. On the day of the accident, it was flying cargo from Pueblo Army Air Base, where B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator pilots were trained, to Lowry Army Air Field in Denver, another training base.
The weather on the day of the accident was cold and overcast. Having flown in the Colorado Springs-Denver area, Captain Ireland was cleared for instrument flight and was accustomed to the adverse weather, having logged almost 27 hours of instrument time during the six months prior to the accident.
When his aircraft failed to arrive at Lowry following his last radio contact at 12:01 p.m., a search began.
The search was led by the Civil Air Patrol Executive Officer, Lieutenant Fred Baker. The search lasted five days, until a tip was received from Alex Montano, a young schoolboy who recalled hearing an explosion in the mountains on the day of the accident.
Armed with this information, Lt. Baker began the search, which was difficult due to the steep terrain and dense brush of Blodgett Peak. Once the remains of the aircraft were discovered on March 1, removing the wreckage was deemed “impractical” as the direct collision with Blodgett had resulted in total destruction. The debris field was more than a quarter mile long. The crew’s remains were recovered on March 2, but the aircraft’s wreckage remains on Blodgett Peak to this day.
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Because the crew perished, investigators were left to speculate on the cause of the accident. Given the weather conditions and pilot information, they concluded that “due to the lack of any positive evidence of the cause or causes, no statement of value can be contributed. It appears that a combination of icing conditions and engine failure caused the airplane to become uncontrollable.”
The effects of icing on aircraft wings were known and pilots were instructed to avoid flying in icing conditions. Additionally, given the presence of icing, it's possible that the “engine failure” could have resulted from carburetor icing. This is the condition in which ice forms in the carburetor, causing fuel and air to mix improperly and resulting in a stoppage of the engine. It is, however, impossible to positively establish the cause of the accident due to lack of flight data or witnesses.
Aviation accidents in the 1940s were common. In 2020, the U.S. Air Force reported only six fatal and 18 total aviation accidents. In 1943 alone, the USAAF recorded 1,779 fatal and 15,652 total aviation accidents. Among the 1,779 fatal accidents in 1943, 40 included the C-47. The Blodgett Peak crash was one of about 130 fatal military crashes in Colorado during WWII, claiming the lives of 410 people.
The number of military aviation accidents decreased with the end of the war in 1945, suggesting that a rapid pace of training led to a higher number of accidents. Prior events with the U.S. Army Air Corps' mail service highlighted the need for training after accidents increased in the Air Mail program in the 1930s. Training increased in the late 1930s and into the 1940s, but World War II dictated the urgent need for pilots and less attention to safety, resulting in more accidents.
Some may wonder what the C-47 was really like to fly. Thankfully, due to its long career, C-47 pilots are not uncommon among veterans. An example is Lieutenant (retired) Donald Clark, a WWII veteran from the Dover, Connecticut area. In 2009, the Air Mobility Command Museum interviewed Clark about his experiences.
He said training for pilots of cargo planes was often condensed. He recalled three phases: 50 hours in the C-47, selection for pilot or co-pilot, and incorporation of an engineer or navigator. Clark and other trainees pushed the C-47 to its limit by flying with sandbags to mimic the weight of cargo while also flying near stall speeds at low altitudes to mimic paratrooper drops. The training was often dangerous, and accidents were common. Upon graduation, Clark was sent into combat in the European theatre flying resupply missions for the front lines. The fast Allied advance meant Clark and others transported gasoline, ammunition, food, and other vital supplies.
Clark calculated that it took him 650 gallons of fuel to transport only 800 gallons of fuel to the front; such sacrifices were needed for the push to Berlin. Yet gasoline is not all Clark transported. He recalled the time he was tasked with a “special mission” of delivering toilet paper to the front; despite the jokes and comments from his peers, he knew it was still important.
What most surprised Clark were missions to fly supplies to airfields that were not yet captured. Command said these airfields would be captured when they arrived, and thankfully they often were. Such experiences demonstrated the C-47’s ability to meet a variety of mission requirements.
Even transporting toilet paper.
No matter what role the C-47 served in, it set the standard for military transport aircraft to follow.
Story Credit: Tyler L. Holcomb
Tyler L. Holcomb is a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This story is based on a paper he wrote for one of his classes.
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National Museum of World War II Aviation
Named Top Destination!
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On behalf of our entire Museum team, thank you for making us one of the top attractions in the United States on Tripadvisor!
As of July 30, 2023, the Museum holds a 5.0 (of 5.0) rating with over 1,500 "Excellent" revioews, and was ranked #2 of 142 things to do in Colorado Springs, coming in only behind the Garden of the Gods!
The Tripadvisory Travelers' Choice Best of the Best designation is awarded to "experiences and attractions with a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from our community over a 12-month period" according to the Tripadvisory.com website.
"Fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best, signifying the highest level of excellence in travel."
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The Airfield
TBM-3E Avenger BuNo 91453
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Come join us down on the Airfield, where this month's aircraft is one of the Museum's two 1945 TBM-3E Avengers, BuNo 91453!
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One of the Museum's two TBM Avenger torpedo bombers -- U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics Number 91453, FAA registration N4170A -- has a long history in U.S. Navy and commercial service.
91453 was delivered to the Navy by General Motors in August of 1945, was not involved in any combat theater of WWII, having come off the General Motors (GM) production line as the war was winding down. After almost 11 years of service with the Navy, it was stricken from government records in July of 1956 with 1,600 total flying hours. Today, after having gone through several private owners, there are about 4,400 hours on the airframe. The Wright R-2600-20 engine, which isn't the original powerplant, has logged about 340 hours.
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Alan Wojciak of WestPac Restorations, on the campus of the Museum at the Colorado Springs Airport, described the plane's history during an April 22 presentation about the Battle of the Atlantic, in which Avengers participated.
During wartime, instead of automobiles GM built planes, tanks, and jeeps. Since the prime Avenger contractor in World War II, Grumman, had its hands full producing several other types of aircraft, GM built Avengers to help fill the Navy's need for the planes. Those aircraft manufactured by the Grumman factory bear the TBF designation (Torpedo Bomber Grumman), while those made by GM are designated TBM (Torpedo Bomber General Motors). The Museum’s 1945 TBM-3E 91453 was one of 646 -3E models manufactured.
TBM-3E 91453 served in 1948-49 on the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Princeton. It was assigned to Navy Attack Squadron VA-135, nicknamed "Uninvited." The squadron started out in 1941 as VT-81, a torpedo-plane unit, was redesignated VA-14A in November of 1946, and finally VA-135 in August of 1948, Alan said.
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In 1957 the plane was purchased by Reeder Flying Service of Twin Falls, Idaho. Reeder used 11 TBMs as fire bombers and agricultural spray planes, Alan said.
Reeder's entire TBM inventory, which included all the military parts and pieces such as bomb-bay doors which had been removed to allow for carriage of spray tanks, was acquired in 1981 by Gary Wolverton of Twin Falls, Idaho. For warbird flying the bomb-bay doors were re-installed, as were such other military items as gun turrets. Three or four of the eleven TBMs were likely rejuvenated as warbirds.
In 1984, Wolverton sold one of these, the Museum’s TBM-3E 91453, to Jim Williams of Berkeley, California. In 1995, Williams sold it to J.R. Carson of Santa Barbara California, who flew Avengers.
In 1997, Alan Wojciak, along with Museum President and CEO Bill Klaers and their friend Chris Johnson, purchased the plane from Carson.
"It's a little rough around the edges, it's not fully restored by any means, but it's a solid flying TBM and we're happy to have it and show it to you," Alan said at the presentation.
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TBM-3E Avenger Specifications
Contractor: General Motors, Eastern Aircaft Division
Crew: 3 (Pilot, Gunner, Radio Operator/Bombardier)
Maximum Speed: 276 mph at 16,500 feet
Climb Rate: 2,060 ft/min
Service Ceiling: 30,100 ft.
Range: 1,010 miles
Power Plant: One Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone 14 Radial Engine; 1,900 Horsepower
Length: 40 ft. 11 in.
Height: 15 ft. 5 in.
Wingspan: 54 ft. 2 in.
Weight: 10,545 lbs empty; 17,895 lbs maximum
Armament: • 2 × .50 caliber forward firing machine guns in wings • 1 × .50 caliber machine gun in dorsal turret • 1 x .30 caliber ventral machine gun • 1 x 2,000-pound Mark 13 torpedo, or up to 2,000 pounds in bombs, in internal bomb bay • Up to eight 3.5-inch rockets
Story Credit: Rich Tuttle
Photo Credit: George White
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Chuck Sherman, 68, of Aurora, Colorado, shot this photo of museum volunteer Nicole Bertola on June 10 following our special presentation “The Battle for Alaska” and PBY Catalina demonstration flight. Nicole is sporting a special edition PBY t-shirt, designed by museum volunteer Larry McManus, that was available only at this event! |
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We know that folks LOVE taking pictures of their favorite Museum airplanes, displays and events, and especially love to show off their best shots! Here's your chance to get that favorite photo in the newsletter for all to see, and it's as easy as emailing it in.
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 15th 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 museumnewsletterphotos@gmail.com. Don't forget, the entry deadline is the 15th of each month!
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Two critical events set the stage for the Allied invasion of German-occupied France 79 years ago in June of 1944. One was the success of Operation Point Blank, the air campaign to win air superiority over Western Europe where, by the end of May 1944, the German Air Force had been eliminated as a threat to the invasion. The second key event was the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic in 1943 that allowed the flow of large quantities of men and material across the Atlantic to England.
The June 6, 1944, invasion of France, codenamed OPERATION OVERLORD, was the decisive campaign of the European Theater and remains one of the most monumental military operations ever undertaken. Allied troops had to land across open beaches on a coast that the enemy had been fortifying for four years. The initial assault was limited in size to six divisions from the sea and three airborne divisions by parachute and gliders, with five hundred warships, 3,000 landing craft and 12,000 aircraft participating in just the initial phase. Two million men either landed or supported the landings.
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The U.S. and British navies provided, assembled, and escorted the invasion fleets, kept the English Channel open, and provided effective onshore bombardment. Allied land forces came from the U.S., Britain, Canada, and Free French forces. Allied air forces came chiefly from the U.S., Britain, and Canada.
In the weeks following the invasion, Polish forces and contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and the Netherlands participated. The Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the Royal Norwegian Navy also participated.
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The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings to seize and hold the east and west ends of the landing beaches, while massive air attacks and naval bombardments preceded the beach landings. At dawn, amphibious landings commenced on five beaches with troops from the U.S., Britain and Canada. During the evening the remaining elements of the airborne divisions landed. |
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Land forces used on D-Day sailed from bases along the south coast of England. The Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower, emphasized the importance of the air campaign to cut potential German reinforcement routes. The Allies also executed a massive and successful disinformation campaign to deceive the Germans as to the actual landing area. Follow-up operations after the invasion included British and Canadian attacks at Caen, while U.S. forces hit Saint-Lo on the west end of the landing beaches.
When Allied forces broke out of the bridgehead at Saint-Lo on July 24, 1944, the entire German position in France collapsed. Ten months after D-Day, Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin bunker.
Story Credit: Gene Pfeffer
Photo Credit: National Museum of the Air Force
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What an Independence Day at the Museum! |
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July 4, 2023, saw a fantastic day of smiling faces, aircraft, antique cars, rides in World War II vehicles, open cockpits … and then a Colorado afternoon hailstorm that sent folks running for cover! |
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The morning started with the rollout and departure of our B-25J Mitchell “In The Mood” medium bomber, which was participating in an overflight of the Tri-Lakes Independence Day Parade in nearby Monument, Colorado.
Always a crowd pleaser, visitors lined the fences for both her departure and her return. They were also treated to a fly-by as she was banked low over the Museum by pilot (and Museum President and CEO) Bill Klaers!
In addition to the B-25J, we also had parked outside on the tarmac one of our two Grumman F7F Tigercats, one of our two General Motors TBM-3E Avengers, a Douglas AD-5 Skyraider, North American T-28 Trojan, and a Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. The Avenger, Skyraider, Trojan, and Mentor all had their cockpits open for viewing! Of course, all other aircraft were available to visit inside the museum’s various hangars as well.
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Members of The Vintage Motor Car Club of America – Pikes Peak Chapter brought their vehicles out for show. Parked alongside the Museum’s antique aircraft, it always makes for a wonderful and nostalgic experience. Some of the cars on display included a 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe, 1933 Chevrolet Pickup Truck, 1985 Cadillac Eldorado, 1932 Chevrolet Cabriolet, and 1948 Plymouth DeLuxe Coupe.
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Very popular with the Independence Day crowd was the opportunity to ride in some of the Museum’s World War II vehicles! The lines were long all day for the 1941 M2A1 Half-Track, M3A1 Scout Car, and both Jeeps, with rides being given around a large dirt circuit (where the new Museum expansion will be built!). The noise, heat, dust, uncomfortable seats, and hot metal all gave riders an idea of what it must have been like to travel in these vehicles during wartime … and there was not one single complaint, just hundreds of smiling faces happy to have fulfilled a dream ride! |
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Around 2 p.m. we all saw the afternoon storm clouds rolling in from the west, with black clouds coming over the mountains and sheets of rain visible in the distance. Although we were all hoping it would bypass us to the north, things didn’t work out quite that way; as it always does, when the wind, rain and hail came, they came hard and fast. |
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As visitors moved to shelter indoors, volunteers moved the aircraft and vehicles to their hangars to avoid damage; while the afternoon didn’t end as everyone thought it would, it certainly provided for some dramatic photos!
Story and Photo Credit: George White
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Join Us on the New Museum YouTube Channel! |
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Please extend a warm welcome to Jesse Carillo, Michael Civitano and Bryce Lindquist, the newest members of the National Museum of World War II Aviation's Communications Team! Their background in video production and media is advancing the stories and history of the museum, with an aim towards preserving and presenting the profound history of WWII aviation in unprecedented ways.
Along those lines, we couldn’t be happier to share that we’ve recently launched our Museum YouTube channel! Yes, that’s right, for all of you who’ve written and asked, “Will this month’s presentation be online?”, the answer is finally a resounding “Yes!”
YouTube provides an unparalleled platform to share our deeply immersive and educational content with World War II aviation enthusiasts and history lovers globally. With our new media team volunteers steering this initiative, you can look forward to captivating historical presentations, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, engaging information on the museum's aircraft, and heart-touching interviews with veterans. The communications team is excited to produce more content with this new medium in mind!
To get on board, just visit our YouTube channel at:
We’ve got three special historical presentations up so far (The Battle for the Aleutian Islands, The Battle of the Atlantic, and the Battle of the Philippine Sea), along with a short video about the N3N “Yellow Peril” Flight Simulator.
More content will be added as we grow and we don’t you to miss a thing, so if you’d like to get notified when new videos are added, just click the 'Subscribe' button; it's free, and it ensures you won't miss anything!
To give you an idea of what you’ll see, here’s the link for The Battle of the Philippine Sea video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLzFTvtlfWU. It’s already received over one thousand views in just the past two weeks, so give it a click to see for yourself!
Welcome to our YouTube channel!
Story Credit: Jesse Carillo
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Special Presentation -- The Avenger's First Combat
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Museum opens 8:00 a.m.
Presentation 9:00 a.m.
TBM Avenger Demonstration Flight Following the Presentation (Weather Permitting)
The Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, saw the first combat employment of the TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bomber; after that, Avengers participated in every major air-sea battle of World War II. That initial combat mission of the Avenger, however, did not go well.
Just prior to Midway, United States Navy Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was selected to be the first unit to equip with the new Grumman Avenger. While the USS Hornet sailed to the Pacific with most of the squadron aboard, a detachment remained in Norfolk, Virginia, to receive and train with the first shipment of aircraft.
In the days leading up to the battle, six Avengers were flown to Midway; these were the first Navy aircraft to attack the Japanese fleet on June 4, 1942, and resulted in five of the six Avengers being shot down.
One Avenger, piloted by Ensign Albert K. Earnest, managed to make an emergency landing back at Midway; he was one of only three survivors of 32 men from Torpedo Squadron 8 to survive the Battle of Midway. Ensign Earnest was awarded two Navy Crosses for his actions that day, both for successfully releasing his 2,000-pound torpedo against a Japanese Cruiser and for returning his badly damaged aircraft (which was reported to have battle damage that included 73 bullet holes) to Midway Island, saving his own life and that of one of his two crewmembers.
On August 19, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., Museum Docent and retired US Navy officer Rob Gale will present the full story of the TBF Avenger’s first combat. Weather permitting, one of the two TBM Avengers resident at the museum will conduct a flying demonstration.
Advance ticket prices are:
Adult $15
Child (4-12) $11
Senior and Military $13
WWII Veterans - 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!
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Give Us Your Newsletter Feedback! |
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Do you really love an article? Did a photograph really wow you? Have a question about a story? Want to see more of a certain topic? Did something spark a memory that you'd like to share with us?
We'd love to hear your what you have to say about the newsletter; let us know by dropping the editor a message at george.h.white1@gmail.com !
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Newsletter Staff / Contributors |
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Gene Pfeffer
Historian & Curator
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Rich Tuttle
Docent, Newsletter Writer, Social Media Writer, Photographer
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John Henry
Lead Volunteer for Communications
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George White
Newsletter Editor, Social Media Writer, Photographer
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Jesse Carillo
Video Production and Media
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Tyler L. Holcomb
Cadet, United States Air Force Academy
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