Countdown to Kickoff II: The Final 24 Days

[kingofnerf]

USS Enterprise (CV-6)

USS Enterprise (CV-6) was a Yorktown-class carrier built for the United States Navy during the 1930s. She was the seventh U.S. Navy vessel of that name. Colloquially called "The Big E", she was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. Launched in 1936, she was one of only three American carriers commissioned before World War II to survive the war (the others being Saratoga and Ranger). She participated in more major actions of the war against Japan than any other United States ship.

These actions included the attack on Pearl Harbor — 18 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers of her Air Group arrived over the harbor during the attack; seven were shot down with eight airmen killed and two wounded, making her the only American aircraft carrier with men at Pearl Harbor during the attack and the first to sustain casualties during the Pacific War — the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, various other air-sea engagements during the Guadalcanal Campaign, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Enterprise earned 20 battle stars, the most for any U.S. warship in World War II, and was the most decorated U.S. ship of World War II.

She was also the first American ship to sink a full-sized enemy warship after the Pacific War had been declared when her aircraft sank the Japanese submarine I-70 on 10 December 1941. On three occasions during the war, the Japanese announced that she had been sunk in battle, inspiring her nickname "The Grey Ghost". By the end of the war, her planes and guns had downed 911 enemy planes, sunk 71 ships, and damaged or destroyed 192 more.

VT-6 TBDs on USS Enterprise during the Battle of Midway. (below)

U.S. Navy Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) Douglas TBD-1 Devastator aircraft are prepared for launching aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) at about 0730-0740 hrs, 4 June 1942. Eleven of the fourteen TBDs launched from Enterprise are visible. Three more TBDs and ten Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighters must still be pushed into position before launching can begin.

The TBD in the left front is Number Two (BuNo 1512), flown by Ensign Severin L. Rombach and Aviation Radioman 2nd Class W.F. Glenn. Along with eight other VT-6 aircraft, this plane and its crew were lost attacking Japanese aircraft carriers a little more than two hours later. The heavy cruiser USS Pensacola (CA-24) is in the distance on the right and a destroyer is in plane guard position at left.

A Japanese bomb explodes on the flight deck of Enterprise on 24 August 1942, during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, causing minor damage. (below)

A Japanese bomb explodes on the flight deck of USS Enterprise, 24 August 1942 during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, causing minor damage. This was the third and last bomb to hit Enterprise during the battle. The bomb was dropped by a Japanese Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bomber piloted by Kazumi Horie who died in the attack.

According to the original photo caption in the US Navy's archives, this explosion killed the photographer, Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Robert F. Read. This image, however, was actually taken by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Marion Riley, who was operating a motion picture camera from the aft end of the ship's island, above the flight deck and who survived the battle although his photographic equipment was damaged.

The film Riley took that day, and of which this still was extracted together with others and published in Life magazine, can be seen in the YouTube video posted below (explosion at 03:05). Robert Read was stationed in the aft starboard 5" gun gallery and was killed by the second bomb to hit Enterprise. The smoke from the bomb explosion that killed Read can be seen in the upper left of this photograph.

Paying attention to the rapidly changing angles of the flight deck against the horizon will tell you the extremes that Enterprise was maneuvering to avoid it's Japanese attackers.

GIs in the hangar bay of Enterprise in 1945. (below)

Returning veterans of the Pacific fill the hangar deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) as it stopped in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, preparatory to moving to the United States. Enterprise sailed to Pearl Harbor in late August 1945, returning to the States with some 1,141 servicemen due for discharge, including hospital patients and former prisoners-of-war. She then sailed on to New York on 25 September 1945 via the Panama Canal arriving on 17 October 1945. From November 1945 to January 1946, she transported returning servicemen from Europe.

The stern plate of USS Enterprise located in River Vale, New Jersey. (below)

The ship's insignia of Enterprise. (below)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CV-6)

 

[kingofnerf]

Mark Martin

 

[Swayin]

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was the first next-gen fighter to see Navy service in WW II, replacing the aging Wildcat, and was a huge leap forward in all areas from its predecessor. Designed to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United States Navy's dominant fighter in the second half of the Pacific War, outdueling the faster Vought F4U Corsair, which had problems with carrier landings.

Powered by a 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp, the same powerplant used for both the Corsair and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters, the F6F was an entirely new design, but it still resembled the Wildcat in many ways.[3] Some military observers tagged the Hellcat as the "Wildcat's big brother".[4]

The F6F made its combat debut in September 1943, and was best known for its role as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter, which was able to outperform the A6M Zero and help secure air superiority over the Pacific theater. In total, 12,275 were built in just over two years.[5]

Hellcats were credited with destroying a total of 5,223 enemy aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.[6][Note 2] This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft.[8] After the war, Hellcats were phased out of front-line service in the US, but radar-equipped F6F-5Ns remained in service as late as 1954 as night fighters

 

[Swayin]

It's Grumman day, I guess - shout out to their designers! Next is the Grumman A-6 Intruder, the Navy's stalwart attack aircraft that served for almost 40 years in a variety of roles.

The Grumman A-6 Intruder is an American twinjet all-weather attack aircraft developed and manufactured by American aircraft company Grumman Aerospace that was operated by the U.S. Navy.

It was designed in response to a 1957 requirement issued by the Bureau of Aeronautics for an all-weather attack aircraft for Navy long-range interdiction missions and with STOL capability for Marine close air support. It was to replace the piston-engined Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The requirement allowed one or two engines, either turbojet or turboprop.[1] The winning proposal from Grumman used two Pratt & Whitney J52 turbojet engines. The Intruder was the first Navy aircraft with an integrated airframe and weapons system. Operated by a crew of two in a side-by-side seating configuration, the workload was divided between the pilot and weapons officer (bombardier/navigator (BN)). In addition to conventional munitions, it could also carry nuclear weapons, which would be delivered using toss bombing techniques. On 19 April 1960, the first prototype made its maiden flight.

The A-6 was in service with the United States Navy and Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, multiple variants of the type being introduced during this time. From the A-6, a specialized electronic warfare derivative, the EA-6B Prowler, was developed as well as the KA-6D tanker version.[2] It was deployed during various overseas conflicts, including the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. The A-6 was intended to be superseded by the McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II, but this program was ultimately canceled due to cost overruns. Thus, when the A-6E was scheduled for retirement, its precision strike mission was initially taken over by the Grumman F-14 Tomcat equipped with a LANTIRN pod.

Below:  A6 Intruders of VMA 242

Bottom: A-6 aircraft alongside an EA6-B Prowler variant, used in ECM and strike support, on the desk of the John F. Kennedy during a storm.

 

[Spur's Addiction]

"Put another Garnet 6 on it"

 

[Swayin]

The M6, America's first heavy tank. Developed and redesigned over the course of the war until it was obsolete. Never produced or saw service, but its design was used and influenced other tanks. the M6A2 "Mutant" used the M6 hull paired with  a new turret and 105 mm gun; the Brits used its suspension to build their first heavy tank variant after the war, the Excelsior. By contrast, the Soviet KV1 and British Churchill were designed and saw extensive service in the same period, and of course the Germans built the most successful heavy tank of the war in the Tiger and King Tiger series.

The M6:

The M6A2 "Mutant"

 

[kingofnerf]

One of the best air combat scenes in a movie.

Unbroken...that's what we have to be this season.

 

[Swayin]

10 minutes ago, kingofnerf said:

One of the best air combat scenes in a movie.

Great movie. even better book. That was one hell of an amazing Liberator they built for that scene.

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Enterprise (CV-6) Part Two

 

[gamecock88]

 

[gamecock88]

 

[Blitzkrieg]

6th Division

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

 

[kingofnerf]

C6 Corvette

 

[kingofnerf]

 

[kingofnerf]

A very good history of the early U. S. Navy.

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[kingofnerf]

Panzer VI E (Tiger 1) tank

Panzer VI B (Tiger 2) tank

 

[kingofnerf]

Hawker Tempest MK VI

Various engineering refinements that had gone into the Tempest II were incorporated into the last Tempest variant, designated as the Tempest VI. This variant was furnished with a Napier Sabre V engine with 2,340 hp (1,700 kW). The more powerful Sabre V required a bigger radiator which displaced the oil cooler and carburetor air intake from the radiator's centre; air for the carburetor was drawn through intakes on the leading edge of the inner wings, while the oil cooler was located behind the radiator. Most Tempest VIs were tropicalised, the main feature of this process being an air filter which was fitted in a fairing on the lower centre section. Other changes included the strengthening of the rear spar and the inclusion of spring tabs, which granted the variant superior handling performance.

The original Tempest V prototype, HM595, was extensively modified to serve as the Tempest VI prototype. On 9 May 1944, HM595 made its first flight after its rebuild, flown by Bill Humble. In December 1944, HM595 was dispatched to Khartoum, Egypt to conduct a series of tropical trials. During 1945, a further two Tempest V aircraft, EJ841 and JN750, were converted to the Tempest VI standard in order to participate in service trials at RAF Boscombe Down.

At one point, 250 Tempest VIs were on order for the RAF; however, the end of the war led to many aircraft programs being cut back intensively, leading to only 142 aircraft being completed. For a long time, it was thought there were Tempest VIs that had been converted for target towing purposes; however, none of the service histories of the aircraft show such conversions and no supporting photographic evidence has been found. The Tempest VI holds the distinction of being the last piston-engine fighter in operational service with the RAF, having been superseded by jet propelled aircraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Tempest#Tempest_Mk.VI