One For You PBJ Guys...............

[Jack Cook]

PBJ flown by Col. Jack Cram escorted by a F4U-1D VMF-222 PI 1045.

[Dan Newcomb]

Ya! Baby!!!

[Steve Nelson]

Corsair: "Hey big boy..is that a radome, or are you just happy to see me?"

SN

[Nathan]

My uncle Don worked on and flew in PBJ's at Cherry Point during WWII. Yesterday he got a pacemaker.

My uncle Don is the only one in my family that has been involved in aviation and has been my hero.

[Nathan]

Corsair: "Hey big boy..is that a radome, or are you just happy to see me?"

Have rocket, will travel.

[Dan Newcomb]

My uncle Don worked on and flew in PBJ's at Cherry Point during WWII. Yesterday he got a pacemaker.

My uncle Don is the only one in my family that has been involved in aviation and has been my hero.

Any PBJ photos you would like to share?

Dan

[Craig59]

Thanks Jack - great photo! Mind if I play? Here's VMB-433 PBJ's being "escorted" by a P-51. Wish I knew where but we can assume it wasn't the ETO. Sorry for the picture quality but the original is about 1 1/2" by 2".

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[Dave Fish]

PBJ flown by Col. Jack Cram escorted by a F4U-1D VMF-222 PI 1045.

Col. Cram was the commanding officer of VMB-612 (Cram's Rams). As I previously posted on another thread, the radar (radome) was commonly called the "Hose Nose." Notice that the PBJ has no top turret as VMB-612 removed most of their armament; they also reduced the size of their crews - both to extend the range of their missions. Additionally, they also painted their PBJs entire airframe a dark blue, as most of their missions were at night from Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. They were also the only VMB squadron to deploy the Tiny Tim, the largest rocket used by the United States during WWII.

I don't know if we are allowed to recommend books on the forums, but I have had contact with Robert F. Reed, M.D., who wrote about his experiences as a VMB-612 Navigator-Bombardier flying with Cram's Rams. He also relates his experience with a Tiny Tim near the time of surrender by the Japanese.

[Craig59]

Regarding the PBJ in the picture above from Jack:

Marine Mitchells in World War II by Jerry Scutts has an appendix listing MB-4 of VMB-612 as BuNo 35176 (43-3598). This makes sense as the waist windows were added to KC Mitchell production in the dash 30 block of B-25's of which this is one. The book also shows MB-4 later renumbered as MB-29 (probably as newer PBJ's arrived) and was lost to an operational accident on May 3, 1945.

[Dave Fish]

Well, this photo certainly generates more questions than answers. If my interpretation is correct, this photo is a PBJ-1J ("football" antenna on the belly and waist-gun windows) and as Craig states, was probably renumbered. However, if Craig is correct with BuNo 35176, it should be a PBJ-1D (MB-29?). Joe Baugher’s website list of PBJs also indicates it as a "D" model with the USAAF number within range of the production line of PBJ-1Ds. Joe also lists 35176 as having overshot landing at Iwo Jima 5/3/1945.

Another observation, this photo shows a "Hose Nose" radar. The "J" model's radar was mounted on the right wing tip. Was the "Hose Nose" removed from a "D" model and re-installed on this "J" model??

Jerry Scutts’ PBJ Mitchell Units of the Pacific War does not list BuNo 35176 or MB-4, as it was not a combat loss, but was an operational loss. (As a side note, this book also lists VMB 611’s Lt Col Sarles PBJ-1D BuNo 35164/MB-11 as lost on May 30, 1945. He does not list my father’s PBJ-1J BuNo 35243, also lost on May 30, 1945. He is also incorrect in listing Sarles’ 35164 as MB-11, it was MB-7 and my father’s 35243 was MB-11.) In Alan Carey’s Leatherneck Bombers, 612’s 35176 is listed as an operational loss on 5/3/45.

This is all very interesting...

[Craig59]

Dave,

Upon closer examination I believe you to be correct - this is more likely a 'J.' I jumped all over that list because of the number 4 on it. Jeeze how I wish those guys would at least have left the bloody bureau numbers painted on 'em!

It's hard to tell but I see no evidence of the removed upper turret, which would have been ever so slightly aft of the waist window, and it didn't appear to have the rear tail gunners position. VMB-612 did indeed have 'J' models with the "hose nose." You should be able to see a picture or two in those PBJ books testing the "Tiny Tim" missle.

I agree that both of Scutts' PBJ books contain some clerical errors.