Convair B-36D Peacemaker: No Match for Mother Nature

(Author's Collection)

     At 6:42pm on September 1, 1952, a tornado tore through Carswell Air Force Base (AFB) which was located northwest of Fort Worth, Texas. Among other units, stationed at Carswell was the 11th. Bombardment Wing, which had been activated back in February 1951 and under the 8th. Air Force. The wing flew the enormous Convair B-36 “Peacemaker” bomber which had the nickname of the “Aluminum Overcast” and to which Lt. General James Edmundson once described flying the massive aircraft as “sitting on your porch and flying your house around.” The tornado, boasting sustained wind speeds of over 90mph, struck the B-36 flight line directly and commenced to tossing the huge bombers about with ease. Two-thirds of the entire B-36 fleet was put out of service with some 72 bombers being damaged. 

     The only complete loss was B-36D “2051” (Serial No. 44-92051) shown in the photograph. The tornado easily lifted the bomber from its parking spot so that it came to grief off the tarmac. The encounter with the tornado snapped the tail off, broke a wing, and stripped off engine cowlings and other pieces of the airframe. Around the clock repairs would see the 11th. Bombardment Wing back to full strength by October 1952. The remains of “2051” were removed from Carswell AFB and utilized as a ground target for nuclear weapon testing. Of note, the 8th. Air Force badge can be seen on the tail. Also of note, Carswell AFB was closed in 1994 and is now the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.

Staff Sergeant Frank T. Lusic: 327th. Bomb Squadron

     Draped in a belt of .50cal. ammunition, Staff Sergeant Frank T. Lusic poses for the camera in front of the Boeing B-17F bomber named “Meat Hound.” Lusic was a waist gunner which was, perhaps, the most vulnerable and exposed duty position on a B-17. Each B-17 had two waist gunners, one for the port side of the aircraft and the other for the starboard side. The gunner positions were directly across from each other and since the B-17C model, each station was open-air and equipped with a Browning M2 .50cal. machine-gun. This meant that the gunners were fully exposed to the elements and the frigid temperatures when operating at 29,000ft which was the typical height the bombers would fly. In addition, since their position was open, there was no protection from enemy bullets. Each waist gunner wore electrically heated flight clothing in order to withstand temperatures that could go as low as 60 degrees below zero. Once the bomber flew above 10,000ft. in altitude, the crew had to wear oxygen masks. Finally, once the bomber was nearing the target zone or commenced to flying into enemy held territory, the gunners would don a heavy, 25lb. armored apron and in some cases, a M1 steel helmet, to serve as their only means of protection.

     Lusic is wearing the B-3, a heavy leather jacket, and A-3 leather pants. Underneath his jacket and pants would be the F-1 heated suit which included gloves and heated booties. The connectors that supply heat to the gloves can be seen poking out from underneath his jacket. He looks to be wearing the B-6 helmet with B-7 goggles. The yellow item is the B-3 “Mae West” flotation life vest and the tan straps are a QAC (Quick Attachable Chest) harness. If forced to bail out, he would quickly attach a parachute to the harness. The reason for not typically wearing the parachute was due to its bulkiness which made movement in the cramped interior of the B-17 difficult. Lusic's unit was the 327th. Bomb Squadron, 92nd. Bomb Group. On September 6, 1943, Lusic and his fellow crew of a B-17F bomber (serial 42-30000) were returning from a sortie against Stuttgart when the flight was jumped by German fighters. The bomber was heavily damaged to the point the pilot, 1st. Lieutenant Wayne Bogard, ordered everyone to abandon ship near the town of Troyes. All of the crew were able to parachute safely from the bomber which crashed near the town of Estissac, some twelve miles west of Troyes. Staff Sergeant (S/Sgt) Arthur Beach (top turret gunner) evaded capture, 1Lt. Bogard was captured and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft I, S/Sgt. Floyd M. Carl managed to get back to England by boat (the “Suzanne-Renee”) on December 7, 1943, S/Sgt. Cloe R. Crutchfield (ball turret gunner) and Technical Sergeant Max Gibbs (radio operator) both evaded capture and crossed the Pyrenees in January 1944, Sergeant (Sgt) Taylor Harrison (bombardier) evaded capture, 2nd. Lieutenant (2Lt) Robert D. Larson (co-pilot) made it to Switzerland, 2Lt. James McGrew (navigator) was captured, S/Sgt. Herschell Richardson (left waist gunner) evaded capture, and Lusic (right waist gunner) was also captured and spent the rest of the war as a Prisoner of War (POW).

     As for “Meat Hound”, it had the serial 42-29524, and belonged to the 358th. Bomb Squadron, 303rd. Bomb Group. On January 11, 1944, the bomber was returning from a raid on Oschersleben when it was hit by enemy aircraft fire over Durgerdam. Pilot 1Lt. Jack W. Watson ordered the crew to bail out of the stricken bomber which the crew did near the shore of Lake IJssel which was northeast of Amsterdam. Sadly, the fates of the crew were not as fortunate as Lusic's compatriots. 2Lt. Vance R. Colvin (bombardier), S/Sgt. Samuel L. Rowland (flight engineer), Sgt. Fred H. Booth (ball turret gunner), and Sgt. William H. Fussner (right waist gunner) all landed in the lake and drowned and would eventually be recovered and buried in Amsterdam. 2Lt. John G. Leverton (navigator), S/Sgt. Harry Romaine (radio operator), Sgt. Eugene R. Stewart (left waist gunner), and Sgt. Roman P. Kosinski (tail gunner) were all captured by the Germans and became POWs. 2Lt. Clayton C. David (co-pilot) managed to evade capture and crossed the Pyrenees and made it back to England on May 25, 1944. Watson was able to bring the crippled “Meat Hound” back to England.

Consolidated B-24J "Ho Hum": 400th. Bombardment Squadron

     “Ho Hum”, a Consolidated B-24J (#42-109983) of the 400th. Bombardment Squadron (BS; the “Black Pirates”), 90th. Bombardment Group (BG; the “Jolly Rogers”). The 400th. BS was activated on April 15, 1942 and soon moved to Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, Michigan to commence conversion training on new model B-24 bombers (at this time, the B-24D). By the close of 1942, the 400th. BS was flying missions out of Queensland, Australia. Japanese targets in Palau, southern Philippines, New Guinea, and others felt the iron rain delivered by the “Black Pirates.” In January 1945, the 400th. BS moved to the Philippines, flying out of McGuire Field which was located on the Philippine island of Mindoro. From there, targets included Luzon and Formosa among others. The war, however, would end for “Ho Hum” and most of her crew on April 8, 1945. 

     Shortly after take-off for a mission against Japanese targets near Shinchin, Formosa, “Ho Hum” exploded and crashed into the waters off Penden Island. Rescue personnel who rushed to the scene were able to save 2LT Andre L. Sikes, SSG Drezol W. Gault, and SGT Richnel J. Shaut but the rest of the crew went down with the wreckage and their bodies never recovered. Killed were 2LT William P. Boceal, 2LT James C. Kotsakos, 2LT Charles F. Sinning, TSGT Alfred R. Foterson, TSGT Walter J. Schneider, SSG Adrian V. Tapscott, and CPL William G. Hatley. The survivors, all of which were classified as being in serious condition, were likely taken to one of the evacuation hospitals located in the Philippines (probably the 92nd. Evacuation Hospital) where they were stabilized and treated until they could safely be flown to the 13th. Station Hospital in Townsville, Australia to complete recovery. The cause of the explosion was determined to have been due to a failure somewhere in the fuel transfer system which moved fuel from one tank to another (a B-24 had eighteen fuel tanks).

     Today, the former site of the 13th. Station Hospital is partly occupied by the Holy Spirit Primary School. McGuire Field is today the San Jose Airport, having opened in 1951 following a renovation of the former airfield facilities after the abandonment of the field by the U.S. when World War Two ended. The 400th. BS was deactivated on January 27, 1946. It would be reactivated as the 400th. Missile Squadron on July 1, 1964 before being deactivated again on October 4, 2005. During these years, the unit was equipped with the LGM-30B Minuteman I, LGM-30G Minuteman III, and finally the LGM-118 Peacekeeper (better known as the MX Missile).

Consolidated B-24H “Darling Darlene”: 826th. Bombardment Squadron

     The Consolidated B-24H “Darling Darlene” belonged to the 826th. Bombardment Squadron, 484th. Bombardment Group, 49th. Bombardment Wing, 15th. Air Force. The bomber carried the serial number 42-52633. The nose art was painted by Joseph Dickman. Legible crew names include LT W.D. Rowland (navigator) and LT J.J. Petrie (co-pilot). The position behind the co-pilot was the radio operator/top turret gunner. The bomber was one of the original assigned to the 826th. BS and her crew chief was James Jones, Jr. The bomber was flown to Torretto Field on March 20, 1944. The airfield opened on February 1944 and was located a little under 9 miles from the Italian town of Cerignola. It would serve as the base of operations for the 484th. BG. The 826th. BS conducted long range bombing missions into Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, striking Axis infrastructure and military targets. 

     While on a mission on June 9, 1944, “Darling Darlene” suffered combat damage while over Munich, Germany which caused one engine to fail. The bomber put down at Vis Air Base on the Croatian island of Vis. Repairs were effected there and the bomber would return to Torretto Field. “Darling Darlene” would survive the war, returning to the U.S. on May 29, 1945. Torretto Field would be shut down and abandoned on August 1945, the land returned to agricultural use. 

     The 826th. BS would shift roles in May 1945 when it came under the control of Air Transport Command, the B-24s used as ferries for personnel and cargo transport. In July 1945, the 826th. was stood down.
 

Curtiss B-2 Condor: Coast to Coast Flight

     Pilots and crew of at least three Curtiss B-2 Condor heavy bombers chat with curious civilians at an airfield in Louisville, Kentucky sometime in 1931. The bombers belong to the 11th. Bombardment Squadron, 7th. Bombardment Group. The 11th. BS operated from March Field (now March Air Reserve Base) located near Moreno Valley, California. This photograph was likely taken when four B-2 bombers of the 11th. BS undertook a cross-country flight from California to the East Coast. 

     The B-2 would enjoy a very short service life and very few were purchased by the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC); in all, 13 were built. The 11th. BS was the sole operator of B-2 bombers which commenced in 1929. Two considerations which likely led to the small order for the B-2 was that it was far more expensive to build and that it was a large aircraft which meant few hangers already built could accommodate the bomber. The B-2 was armed with six 7.62mm Lewis machine guns and the bomber could carry up to 2,508lbs of bombs. Not visible in this photograph are the gunner positions within the rear of the engine nacelles. The 1930s were a period of rapid aviation technology advances and the B-2 would be swiftly eclipsed. The 11th. BS ceased flying the B-2 in 1931 and by 1934, the B-2 was retired from service. Also, the end of the B-2 would also end the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company’s involvement in bomber production and development. 

     The legacy of the B-2 saw better success in the Curtiss T-32 Condor II which was derived from the B-2. It was used by the USAAC as an executive transport (designated the YC-30) as well as with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (as the R4C-1). Several airlines around the world used the T-32 and several countries used a bomber variant (the BT-32) of the Condor II. Perhaps the last user of the T-32 was the Royal Air Force in 1939 when four T-32 aircraft were impressed into service. However, none were issued to any RAF squadron and ended up being scrapped by the No.30 Maintenance Unit located at RAF Sealand, Flintshire, Wales. 

The Linke-Hofmann R I: The See-Through Bomber

 

Photograph of the second prototype, the R I 40/16

     World War One saw a rapid evolution within the field of aviation between 1914 to 1918. By 1918, military aircraft on all sides, especially the British and Germans, had evolved from slow and relatively cumbersome planes to fast and agile ones. Another aspect of aircraft by 1918 was a clear demarcation between types of aircraft. By the end of World War One, most of the warring powers had an array of aircraft classes such as fighters, interceptors, bombers, reconnaissance planes, fighter-bombers, and even ground support aircraft. If one examines the breadth of German aircraft design during the World War One years, there were a number of rather odd aircraft which appeared. It should be remembered that the start of World War One in 1914 was over ten years after the Wright Brothers made the first controlled and sustained flight in December 1903. As such, if a theory for some aeronautical advantage was determined to be feasible, it was investigated by aircraft designers and in some cases, turned into an actual airplane to fully put the idea to the test. One such aircraft was the German bomber, the Linke-Hofmann R I.

     The Modellversuchsanstalt der Motorluftschiff-Studiengesellschaft (MLStG; Institute for Testing of Aerodynamic Models of the Powered Airship Society), established in 1907 in Göttingen, Germany, had designed and tested a model aircraft concept in which it was seen that if the space between a biplane's wings (the interplane gap) was completely enclosed, it provided for a more aerodynamically clean surface by eliminating some of the drag induced by exposed struts, pilot windscreens, engine radiators, and oil coolers. The study by the MLStG was taken up by the Linke-Hofmann company (founded in 1834) who sought to compete in the Riesenflugzeuge (giant aircraft) arena in which several German aviation companies built large three to four engine bombers for the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Force). Despite Linke-Hofmann being well known for designing and constructing locomotives and not aircraft, the company brought in former A.E.G. engineer Paul Stumpf to design and oversee the new bomber which was designated the R I. What resulted was evidence that what works in the laboratory does not always translate to success when put into production.

     To facilitate the MLStG's study results, the fuselage of the R I was immense in size. Within the cavernous interior were two pairs of Mercedes D IVa engines, each of the four engines rated at 260 horsepower. Also inside the fuselage were the gearboxes and clutch systems for each pair which were connected to a driveshaft that drove a large, two-bladed wooden propeller on each side of the aircraft. The propeller mountings, along with dual radiators, were situated between the wings. The propeller mountings were not connected to the wings and thus did not pass on vibration forces to them. If required, the engines, gearboxes, and clutches could all be serviced by flight mechanics without exposure to the elements. So large was the interior of the R I that it had three decks. The top deck contained the cockpit and the wireless radio operator's station. The middle deck was the engine compartment and the lower deck contained the bombardier's position, the fuel tanks, and the bomb bay. The R I utilized all-steel tires rather than rubber and used a multi-spring suspension system. The first prototype, R I 8/15, was completed and used Cellon for skinning over the wooden airframe. Cellon was cellulose acetate and since it was clear, the intent was to make the R I less visible in the sky. The maiden flight of R I 8/15 took place in the spring of 1917 with test pilot Hauptmann Krupp at the controls.

     Suffice it to say, a host of problems quickly manifested themselves. The wings were found to be less than robust due to their light weight and tended to warp in flight, leading to sluggish aileron flight controls. Another problem was the engines did not get adequate cooling and significant vibration from the engines while running was felt throughout the aircraft. The Cellon skinning was also a problem. While clear, it was highly reflective which had the opposite effect on reducing the visibility of the R I. In addition, Cellon very quickly yellowed in sunlight and any dirt and grime easily stained the material. Finally, Cellon flexed when temperatures changed, causing shrinking and expansion on control surfaces which impacted performance. Another concern was the poor pilot who, sitting some 20 feet up in the cockpit, had a very difficult time in landing the R I. The R I was found to have a handful of qualities in that the rudder and elevator controls were adequate and the unusual fuselage design did not overly result in reducing the handling in the air. However, it was not anywhere close to what the MLStG study determined would be the resulting benefit. In May 10, 1917, the R I 8/15 was flying at low altitude when the wings collapsed and the aircraft plummeted to the ground. Amazingly, of the six man crew (which included the pilots Dr. Wittenstein and Leutnant Hebart), only two (both mechanics) perished in the crash. The damage was too extensive and so the bomber was written off but work on a second aircraft, R I 40/16, had already been underway (shown in the photograph). Some of the lessons learned in the first prototype were worked into the second with the most notable being the replacement of the Cellon with regular fabric which was painted in a multi-color lozenge pattern (Buntfarbenaufdruck or Lozenge-Tarnung). The handling of the second prototype was marginally better but the overall performance was not to expectations. The end of the R I program came when the second prototype landed hard, broke an axle, and nosed over, crushing the forward portion of the bomber. It was never repaired and although two additional aircraft had been finished by January 1918, R I 41/16 and R I 42/16, it is believed that neither the third nor fourth bomber prototypes were ever flown.

     The dimensions of the R I were huge. The R I had a length of 51.2 feet, a height of 21.1 feet, a wing span of 108.1 feet, and a wing area of 2,851 square feet. Empty, the R I weighed 17,640 pounds and when loaded, 24,696 pounds. The four engines gave the R I a maximum speed of 81 miles per hour with enough fuel to give the bomber a five hour endurance. It took the R I two hours to attain an altitude of 9,840 feet. Defensive armament was not fitted to any of the R I aircraft though dorsal, ventral, and beam machine-gun positions were provisioned.