the Phantom DC-5/C-110 in the Pacific-how strange!

[Nathan]

The odd things about history- I often read books on P-40 and P-39 units in the Pacific. And in many of the P-40 and P-39 pictures you can see this cargo plane in the background but yet you never really give it much thought.. Even one shot of a P-40 on the ground with this cargo plane taking off. It's naturally the Douglas DC5/C-110. There must be lots of them to show up in so many photographs? NOPE! There was only a couple C-110's being used and as the case may be, the two or three being used keep showing up in pictures! It's the plane in the background no one ever notices. Those few airplanes sure got around! Delivering supplies from Australia to New Guinea-even though not even a footnote in aviation history-the C-110 must have contributed greatly to the 'supply in demand' in the early days of the Pacific war!.

One Java based C-110 was captured by the Japanese and flown!

[jdvoss]

The majority (if not all) the DC-5's/ C-110 were actually ex-Dutch airline aircraft that were operating in the East Indies and escaped to Australia in early 1942. IIRC, there were only about 14 DC-5's ever produced. A very neat looking airplane however.

The DC-5's were being manufactured at the Douglas El Segundo Plant which was the location of the SBD Dauntless production line. The week following Dec 7, 1941 the USN informed Douglas management that the DC-5 line was to be discontinued immediately and the floor space turned over to SBD production.

End of story.

JDV
www.fuselagecodes.com

[JohnB]

Three DC-5s were impresssed into the USAAF and used in Australia.
The C-110s have a convoluted history, with USAAF serials and Aussie civil registrations (for radio call signs).
Pearcy in his book says they never wore USAAF serials on the airframe.

And the Japanese captured DC-5 was used as a radio /navigation trainer in Japan and was displayed with other captured allied weapons late in the war.

[jdvoss]

The below photo depicts an impressed Dutch DC-5 airliner with the USAAF insignia. Note that just forward of the US insignia you can make out the blotted PK _ D lettering which is a partial of its former civil registration.



JDV
http://www.fuselagecodes.com

[JohnB]

The aircraft in the photo above is wearing its Douglas c/n on the tail..."426".
It was ex-PH-AXB (its original KLM designation for use in Europe), PJ-AIZ (KLM for use in West Indies), PK-ADC (KLM for use in East Indies), VH-CXC (Aus. radio call sign) and 44-83232 (USAAF serial for bookkeeping purposes).. Postwar, it was rescued from the scrap pile by Australian National Airways which flew it as VH-ARD.
It became the last flyable DC-5 and ended its days in an Israeli aviation tech. school.

All told, two KLM DC-5s went from the West Indies to Australia, two others were sent directly to the Pacific.
After one (PK-ADA) was captured by the Japanese in Batavia, the other three received the call signs VH-CXA to CXC and received USAAF serials 44-83230 to 232.

[Duggy009]

Some rather nice photo's here. LINK -- http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e ... .php?13621

[FITD]

If you want to read about the DC-5s in Australia have a look at the Geoff Goodall website as follows;

http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-av ... s-dc-5.htm

FITD

[jdvoss]

Hello FITD:

THANK YOU (!) so much for posting that link on the DC-5 !! Could not ask for a more thorough documentation and photographic history for the DC-5. The link has now been posted to my 'Favorites' list.


JDV
www.fuselagecodes.com