Betty Pilot from August 8th attack still alive

[Rusty1961]

http://spiritandspine.com/backnumber/takahashi_jun.html

Last I know, as of 2017, the man who flew the lower left Betty is still alive and flying.

[Dili]

Interesting story. It seems like in Mediterranean going low very low is the key to torpedo bomber survival. Absent fighter escort.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Dili

Interesting story. It seems like in Mediterranean going low very low is the key to torpedo bomber survival. Absent fighter escort.

That picture has been on the forum several times - Betty attack during the first or second day of Allied landings at Guadalcanal.
Where did you get the Mediterranean reference?

[John 3rd]

Amazing that he is still with us. A trained Japanese Betty pilot in 1942 would probably not be an 18 year-old kid...

[Dili]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Dili

Interesting story. It seems like in Mediterranean going low very low is the key to torpedo bomber survival. Absent fighter escort.

That picture has been on the forum several times - Betty attack during the first or second day of Allied landings at Guadalcanal.
Where did you get the Mediterranean reference?

Just the context i know, what Italians did with their torpedo bombers, changed their engines to have the max output for much lower altitude than the normal level bomber.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Dili

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Dili

Interesting story. It seems like in Mediterranean going low very low is the key to torpedo bomber survival. Absent fighter escort.

That picture has been on the forum several times - Betty attack during the first or second day of Allied landings at Guadalcanal.
Where did you get the Mediterranean reference?

Just the context i know, what Italians did with their torpedo bombers, changed their engines to have the max output for much lower altitude than the normal level bomber.

Ah - I thought your Med comment referred to the picture but now I know you meant it as similar circumstances.

The lady that lived across from my house wrote a book about her brother who was a squadron leader for a Beaufort or Beaufighter squadron (I forget which) in the Med. He led them on a very low level attack on an Italian convoy and most of his squadron hung back for a few seconds when he made his run, so he got shot down. The rest of the book is about his POW experiences including an escape from a train that was taking all the prisoners the Italians were holding to Germany.

So the comment you made about flying at very low level in the Med rings true, but survival was still iffy!

[Dili]

Yes, but the best way to escape fighters, of course then AAA takes more toll.
Regarding that lady history that reminds me of the horrendous losses of 107 Sqn RAF with Blenheims based on Malta from August 1941 - Jan 42 disbanded - 90% of original crew and replacements ended dead:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._107_Squadron_RAF

https://rommelsriposte.com/2012/12/14/a ... ober-1941/

[Yaab]

Is he in the game? What are his stats?

[Dili]

good question.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Rusty1961

http://spiritandspine.com/backnumber/takahashi_jun.html

Last I know, as of 2017, the man who flew the lower left Betty is still alive and flying.

Nice - thanks for info! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"