Warbird Information Exchange

Hi everyone, I'm new to the exchange so if I write anything stupid it's either down to ignorance or inexperience but I'm all for learning ! Just to say that I'll be very grateful to anyone and everyone that takes a moment to respond or add to any of my posts.

With a group of friends we research WW2 aircraft losses in France, mostly allied but also German. The object is not to collect mangled bits of metal but to try to add to the stories, unravel mysteries when it's possible and, more importantly, share what we learn with local inhabitants, remaining families and friends of those aviators. Often this also involves finding the crash sites and trying to determine the circumstances of those losses and, inevitably, we do find tangible traces of the aircraft involved.

Recently we've been researching the death of U.S. Navy Pacific ace Harry Brinkley Bass in the south of France in 1944. The cause of his crash will probably now remain a mystery unless we can find a reliable witness account or other information. However, we did find the crash site and some very few remains of the aircraft. Does anyone out there have a parts catalogue for the F6F-5 who would be kind enough to look up a part number for us ? We'd appreciate it very much.



This looks like a small elongated inspection or maintenance cover, with upturned edges and fitted with quarter-turn quick release screws. It's painted black, as is the panel that it was fitted to. The part # is very clearly 354201

Thanks again for your help.

Hi Ian,

I looked the number up in the Parts Catalog & also in the F6F Microfilm Blueprint Index I made & couldn't find that number. I wonder if it is a part of the R-2800?

Hope that helps,

Mac

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WWII Naval Aviation Research - Pacific
https://www.ww2nar-pac.com/

Hi Mac, thanks for responding, you're absolutely right. It's a P&W part number. Someone else also picked up on it. In fact, it's one of the spark plug covers.

Why is this important to the story ? Because we now have engine parts, cockpit instruments, spent or exploded 50 cal shells and pilot's effects all within a tiny radius which appears to indicate a near vertical dive into the ground with no forward vector. This corroborates witness reports from the time and may help explain what happened. Thanks again.

Hi Ian,

Glad you were able to find what the part was.

Do you have a copy of the combat report for Bass' loss? If not, I can get a copy of it for you. It states that he was in a climb to about 300' after a strafing run, when the plane fell off sharply on the port wing & plummeted to the ground, exploding & burning on impact. To me this appears to agree with your thinking that it hit the ground in a near vertical position.

Mac

_________________
WWII Naval Aviation Research - Pacific
https://www.ww2nar-pac.com/

Hi Mac, yes, we have the report and other witness accounts. There is not much doubt about the dive into the ground, the question is, what really caused it ? That is what we are trying to establish. We have some issues with the accepted version of enemy ground fire.