dmccarty
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Did the old WWII fighters use the Cats to launch or was there enough deck space?
Later,
Dan
Later,
Dan
Bougainville/Solomons close to Australia
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scott_vt
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MossRoad said:My dad was in WWII. He was first based in Australia. They were there building landing craft to invade New Guinea. He got to be company photographer as well as a welding inspector. After they invaded New Guinea he still got to be a photographer but was also a demolishions officer. Then he got sent to the Phillipines from there to blow up left over ordinance. He always told me that the Japanese were very close to invading Australia. Not many people realize just how close.
Mornin David,
Well seems we have something in common
My Pop was in WW2 in the south pacific aboard the USS Wasp aircraft carrier. He has some great old pictures of there ship going through typhoons and being bombed by the Japs. Will have to try and scan some of those old pics one of these days !dmccarty said:
I just looked at pictures of CV-12, USS Hornet in operation during WWII. One shot is luanching a plane, the other is the broken bow flight deck from extreme typhoon damage. I did not see an obvious catapult. After the typhoon, the Hornet still launched and recovered planes off the stern.
I am acquainted with a docent on the USS Hornet(flew off USS Hornet and another carrier). I emailed him with this question. I'll post the answer.
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scott_vt
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Mornin Robert,
My Pop has some pics of their flight deck all rolled over on one end from stuffing it into a huge wave ! I dont think I would want to be on that ship durring that storm. They had to go into Pearl Harbor for repairs.
My Pop has some pics of their flight deck all rolled over on one end from stuffing it into a huge wave !
I dont think I would want to be on that ship durring that storm. They had to go into Pearl Harbor for repairs.dmccarty
Super Star Member
Imagine what it must have been like on one of the little DDs or DEs escorting the carrier!
There was a big storm that tore up and even sank some DD/DEs. Halsey, I think it was him, got into alot of trouble over moving into the storm path.
Later,
Dan
There was a big storm that tore up and even sank some DD/DEs. Halsey, I think it was him, got into alot of trouble over moving into the storm path.
Later,
Dan
scott_vt
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dmccarty said:Imagine what it must have been like on one of the little DDs or DEs escorting the carrier!
There was a big storm that tore up and even sank some DD/DEs. Halsey, I think it was him, got into alot of trouble over moving into the storm path.
Later,
Dan
Hi Dan,
Halsey was the guy
I could be wrong but I believe he was on the WASP along with my Pop. When he first came on the ship my Pop was the boatswins sp? mate, he piped him on board the ship ! I believe my Pop told me that story a few times, but I never get tired of hearing it again ! rox
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dmcarty,
iteresting that you write about new Guinea, my uncle was a weatherman there. The war was on and so he decided to be in weather becasue he figured it was safe. Surprise to him, they sent him to the jungles of new guinea and he said ti was terrible. Correct me if I am wrong but I swear I rememer him saying there were canibels there, and he was serious. Weathermen were sent off on their own and did their jobs, but it was isolated and scarey work becasue if you got in trouble you didn't ahve anybody around you to help, you were jsut kind of out there on your own. plsu he said ti was very very hot and a lot of insects.
iteresting that you write about new Guinea, my uncle was a weatherman there. The war was on and so he decided to be in weather becasue he figured it was safe. Surprise to him, they sent him to the jungles of new guinea and he said ti was terrible. Correct me if I am wrong but I swear I rememer him saying there were canibels there, and he was serious. Weathermen were sent off on their own and did their jobs, but it was isolated and scarey work becasue if you got in trouble you didn't ahve anybody around you to help, you were jsut kind of out there on your own. plsu he said ti was very very hot and a lot of insects.
ronjhall
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Very interesting thread. Last week we stopped in Federicksburg TX. They have The National Museum of the Pacific War All the items mentioned in this thread are on display. Seem to remember Solomons as one of the displays. We plan to make another visit to this town and museum.
scott_vt said:Mornin Robert,
My Pop has some pics of their flight deck all rolled over on one end from stuffing it into a huge wave !
USS Hornet continued some operations after the typhoon, by turning stern to the wind and launching. They wound up missing the end of the war; they were in San Francisco getting repairs. Once repaired, they helped out with the Magic Carpet ride though.
I was never in the military, but find carriers very interesting. The USS Hornet is berthed about 2 hours from here at the old Alameda Naval Air Station. Been down there to visit for the day, and also a couple of overnight trips with Scout groups. They run a really cool program there(Lexington, Midway, and other ships offer similar programs).
USS HORNET MUSEUM: HISTORY
It is pretty interesting, seeing that very large ship, and how high the bow is, then seeing the typhoon damage. I can not imagine being on one of the smaller ships.
From what I can gather, the picture I downloaded was a plane launch near Bouginville.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
There are People Eaters in New Guinea and not just Purple People Eaters either. "They" say the people eaters don't eat people any more but who really knows. One of the Rockafeller clan disappeared there back in the 60s/70s. There where rumours that he was eaten by people eaters. From what I have seen/read looks like he may have been washed out to sea on a raft/boat and a different kind of people eater got him.
I can't imagine having to deal with the bugs and heat in some of these places. And big land crabs. But I guess people have been living there for hundreds of years so it can be done but I don't think I want to do it. The weatherman and coastwatchers really did have a hard life. And if the Japanese caught them it was not an easy death.
I bought a computer game a few weeks ago that is incredibly detailed called War Plan Orange. The game goes with the premise that the Allies fought the Japanese in the 20/30s instead of the 40s. Plan Orange is the code name the US had for a war with Japan. There where different color plans for war against Canada, the UK, etc.
The guy that wrote the game has a WWII Pacific game as well and he used the WWII game engine for WPO. I might get a turn or two done each night because of the depth of the game. Its very detailed. What really hits you is the great expanse of the Pacific and how LONG it takes to get from place to place. In game time, the war had been going on for a week maybe two. The Japanese have already taken Batan(not Battan), they have landed in the Northern Phillipines and are marching towards Manila, they just landed in the southern PI, took Wake Island and are after Guam. The US task forces have sailed from California but have yet to get to Hawaii. The ships at Pearl Harbor that I sent on day one to try to cover Wake and Guam have not even arrived yet and the Japanese are already there.
I got this game because aircraft have not matured into the ship killers they became in WWII and I thought this would be interesting. As well I have been reading up the naval battles during WWI which where all gun based. Anywho, this pre WWII game really makes me want to try the WWII game to see the differences. The game quickly shows you the time and distance issues in the Pacfic in WWII. As well as how danged close the Japanse got to Australia. Its was a near run race.
To paraphrase Yammato, he said he would run through the Pacific for a year and after that it, who knew. He was right. Because of the distances and the time it took to crosse the expanse it just took a year for the US to just get out there...
And we paid some very high prices in blood to win. Nothing compared to todays events.
Later,
Dan
"They" say the people eaters don't eat people any more but who really knows. One of the Rockafeller clan disappeared there back in the 60s/70s. There where rumours that he was eaten by people eaters. From what I have seen/read looks like he may have been washed out to sea on a raft/boat and a different kind of people eater got him.I can't imagine having to deal with the bugs and heat in some of these places. And big land crabs. But I guess people have been living there for hundreds of years so it can be done but I don't think I want to do it.
The weatherman and coastwatchers really did have a hard life. And if the Japanese caught them it was not an easy death.I bought a computer game a few weeks ago that is incredibly detailed called War Plan Orange. The game goes with the premise that the Allies fought the Japanese in the 20/30s instead of the 40s. Plan Orange is the code name the US had for a war with Japan. There where different color plans for war against Canada, the UK, etc.
The guy that wrote the game has a WWII Pacific game as well and he used the WWII game engine for WPO. I might get a turn or two done each night because of the depth of the game. Its very detailed. What really hits you is the great expanse of the Pacific and how LONG it takes to get from place to place. In game time, the war had been going on for a week maybe two. The Japanese have already taken Batan(not Battan), they have landed in the Northern Phillipines and are marching towards Manila, they just landed in the southern PI, took Wake Island and are after Guam. The US task forces have sailed from California but have yet to get to Hawaii. The ships at Pearl Harbor that I sent on day one to try to cover Wake and Guam have not even arrived yet and the Japanese are already there.
I got this game because aircraft have not matured into the ship killers they became in WWII and I thought this would be interesting. As well I have been reading up the naval battles during WWI which where all gun based. Anywho, this pre WWII game really makes me want to try the WWII game to see the differences. The game quickly shows you the time and distance issues in the Pacfic in WWII. As well as how danged close the Japanse got to Australia. Its was a near run race.
To paraphrase Yammato, he said he would run through the Pacific for a year and after that it, who knew. He was right. Because of the distances and the time it took to crosse the expanse it just took a year for the US to just get out there...
And we paid some very high prices in blood to win. Nothing compared to todays events.
Later,
Dan
