Flying low enough?

[NightFlyer]

In this dramatic picture of Bettys at Tulagi, a couple of the Bettys seem to be flying only 4m or 13 feet above the water (the length of a G4M is 20m) [X(]

[Speedysteve]

It's certainly some skillful flying...........

[Puhis]

ORIGINAL: Speedy

It's certainly some skillful flying...........

Yeah, experience of 65 skillful. [:D]

I wonder how many of those survived?

[Zebedee]

Spot the guy who was just pulled out of the pilot pool

[Sheytan]

Here is the After action report. The photo you see was the attack launched on the 8th of August, 1942.


The Japanese tried again the next day, this time with 27 "Betty" bombers fitted with aerial torpedos and an escort of 15 "Zeros". Once more, they failed to locate the U.S. aircraft carriers, but made a daring low-level torpedo attack on the Vice Admiral Turner's amphibious force. Turner skillfully maneuvered his ships in the sound between Guadalcanal and Tulagi, throwing off the enemy's aim. Only one torpedo scored, hitting destroyer Jarvis in the bow. The transport George F. Elliot was struck amidships by a crashing bomber and was set afire. Japanese losses were very heavy, about seventeen bombers and two fighters, the great majority to the ship's anti-aircraft guns.

ORIGINAL: Puhis

ORIGINAL: Speedy

It's certainly some skillful flying...........

Yeah, experience of 65 skillful. [:D]

I wonder how many of those survived?

[Sheytan]

More pictures of the same attack.

[Sheytan]

Another...

[Sheytan]

And another...

[SteveD64]

In the Guadalcanal scenario, Betty pilots are usually the best trained.

[dorjun driver]

It always boggles my mind to imagine what that feels like from the pilots side.

Damn.

[m10bob]

IRL the Japanese had 2 Betty squadrons who had very intensive torpedo training. They were used in sinking the POW and Repulse...From there, they were sent to Rabail..These are them..They were decimated in the Solomons.

[SteveD64]

How close to the target did the Betty have to get before launching?

[Dili]

Probably even less than 500m.

[Oddball_France]

could i ask, where do you find these nice pictures ?

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: dorjun driver

It always boggles my mind to imagine what that feels like from the pilots side. Damn!

Probably a feeling very close to that experianced by a Kamikaze pilot. Especially as AAA got stronger and more accurate. By 1943, most Betty Torpedo strikes seem to have been made at night.

[cantona2]

As a side note, what website is the source for those great photos?

Thanks

[invernomuto]

ORIGINAL: NightFlyer

In this dramatic picture of Bettys at Tulagi, a couple of the Bettys seem to be flying only 4m or 13 feet above the water (the length of a G4M is 20m) [X(]

Impressive!!!

It would be interesting to see also a photo taken from the pilot prospective...

[sfbaytf]

IIRC the last picture of the shot down Betty in the water. The pilot was still alive and instead of being taken prisoner, shot himself.

Betties had great range, but they were flying gas cans. No self sealing tanks and little or no armor-this is what gives them such great range. I think the Japanese called them flying cigars.

I also believe many if not most Japanese pilots flew into combat without parachutes.

[Sheytan]

The Naval History and Heritage Command webpage.

[CEDeaton]

I've done a bit of low-level flying when I was much younger. If you you have the "need for speed", that's how you satisfy it!

Doing it through that kind of flak, and holding it together, takes balls of steel.

GREAT pictures!