Warbird Information Exchange

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Yeah Baby Yeah!

Woot!

Z

_________________
Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Join us for the Texas Warbird Report on WarbirdRadio.com!
http://www.facebook.com/WarbirdRadio
Listen at http://www.warbirdradio.com

Why Oh Why did no one save one of these?

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Did you know one Clipper was shot up at Wake Island? Then it flew a patrol mission.

So, in all trueth, it was a warbird.

Are you sure about it flying a patrol mission? What source are you using for this?

Well, the Clipper stopped at Wake for refueling. Just in time to be greeted by a Japanese air raid. I believe somewhere around 30 some holes were put into the Clipper. On there way out of Wake the pilots were asked if they could fly a patrol.

If I remember correctly the Clipper made a 360 degree search around Wake Island then flew on to their destination.

Note: the Clipper was on its way to Oahu when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. On word of the attack the Clipper changed corse and headed to a different island. Good thing the Clipper did not arrive over Oahu during the attack as she would have been most likely shot down. Seven or so civilian aircraft were shot down over Oahu on that morning. Killing several of the crews. One civil plane is still missing to this day.

HTH,
Nathan

That is the same story I have heard as well.

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

It's true.

It's true.

Can you give me some details as to how far out, they patrolled and with which F-4s ?

Hi Jiggers,

Do you mean F4F's? Wake was supplied by 12 F4F-3's of VMF-211.

The Clipper was to fly with F4F escort on the patrol. At that time most of the Wildcats were destroyed and Wake was in need of knowing were the Japanese were. In a desperate but futile mission, the Clipper made a patrol around Wake. At that point Wake would use anything they could to patrol the area. As to sources, I found this information on my own from various records and articles. Look up Wake Island and you should be able to find a piece about the Clipper patrol. Infact I will just paste it:



Cheers,
Nathan

The Philippine Clipper, meanwhile, had wheeled about upon receipt of word of war and returned to the lagoon it had departed 20 minutes earlier. Cunningham immediately requested Captain Hamilton to carry out a scouting flight. The Clipper was unloaded and refueled with sufficient gasoline in addition to the standard reserve for both the patrol flight and a flight to Midway. Cunningham, an experienced aviator, laid out a plan, giving the flying boat a two-plane escort. Hamilton then telephoned Putnam and concluded the arrangements for the search. Take-off time was 1300

Nathan , can you quote the source for this statement? where did you cut and paste it from?

Here is an excerpt from WWII magazine special "WWII magazine Presents 1941".

Article entitled "A nations Inspiration" about the defence of Wake.

"...and riddled Pan Am's huge flying boat, Philippine Clipper, with 23 bullet holes."

" Loaded with 70 Pan Am personnel and the wounded, Philippine Clipper took off later in the day for Midway. On his way out, the planes captain radioed that a Japanese cruiser and destroyer were already churning towards Wake..."

_________________
Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Hi Jiggers,

How come it seems you don't believe me?

Here is a link to one source:

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USMC/USMC-C-Wake.html.

I am originally from us-aircraft.com. A site devoted to military aviation history. While I don't know everything or even remember everything, I learned a lot about detailed information regarding combat, battles, ect. The site had many a historians such as David Aiken and Barrett Tillman. I started on the site when I was 14 years old and I tried to learn a lot about Pearl Harbor and Midway. Now I am 21 and the site forum was hit hard by SPAM. The SPAM totally killed the site and I did everything in my power to keep the boards active wth information and new posts while at the same time keep up with the daily SPAMMERS. We had many a great people there and was my first message board I was ever on. You my know j-aircraft.com which is the sister site. Which has many more people and more posts. If you need to know ANYTHING about Japanese during WWII j-aircraft.com is the place to be. Many Japanese books come out from there.

Cheers,
Nathan

Jiggers, I don't know how far out but the F-4s had to be F4H-1s. It would have been too early for any other model !