Air Corps P-Boat

Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:20 pm

A USAAF Consolidated OA-10A Catalina (USAAF designation of the PBY) landing off Keesler Field , Mississippi (today Keesler Air Force Base), during a training exercise with U.S. Marine Corps rescue boat crews in 1944. USAF PHOTO
==========================================================

Sat Oct 31, 2009 3:28 pm

I didn't know that the PBY served with the Air Corps during W.W. II. I had always thought it was a post war duty. Does anyone know if any of these OA-10's served in combat zones during W.W.II while with the USAAF? Were any combat rescues undertaken?

Cool picture, thanks.

Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:05 pm

The 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron, 8th AF, operarated OA-10A's on combat rescue missions from Halesworth, Suffolk in 1945. The Plane Sailing Cat at Duxford is painted to represent one of these birds (44-33915), which was unable to take off after a rescue mission, and was subsequently straffed by two Me-262's. The crew spent several days adrift before being picked up. Flypast June 2008 did an excellent article on this.

P.S. The story is here. Hope this is of help.

http://www.catalina.org.uk/history-of-44-33915

Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:15 pm

Article reads "two Me210s", Then is later corrected to read 2 262s. Didn't know of any 262's doing marine patrol work. That is getting out from base a bit. Hmmmmm, but I see it was the USAAF flyboys deep and close to the Luftwaffe base.

Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:13 pm

If you look at the glass memorial panels leading to the American Air Museum at Duxford, 2-3 OA-10s are showing...indicating operational losses out of the UK in WWII.

Sun Nov 01, 2009 5:25 pm

The nmusaf in Dayton also has a OA-10/PBY representing Snafu Snatchers of the same group. This aircraft is displayed with some mods that were made in combat like extra guns