![]() What had happened was that the pilot on the beach could not Some time the plane started a takeoff run, but soon it was porpoisingīadly and unable to get airborne. “From my vantage point it appeared that the pilot was havingĭifficulty getting through the surf, and the Japanese were firing whatĪppeared to be 5-inch shells all around the plane on the water. Pilot while I tried to dodge anti-aircraft fire. There was a strong wind blowing into the beachĪnd the surf was quite high. Naval base and anti-aircraft fire from the airfield and Army bases We had escorts of four F6Fs andįour F4Us, and upon arrival in the area, one of the fighters spotted a The area of Ominato Bay which had an Army base on the southern part, anĪirfield and naval base to the north. Very early the next morning, we were launched to pick up pilots in Were prepared for a long flight into the area in the late afternoon, Had been shot down in the area of Ominato. “Weather wasĪgain bad: rain, fog, low ceilings, and poor visibility. “We were up to the north of Honshu operating in the area of HokkaidoĪnd the northern tip of Honshu,” says Commander Oliver. Oliver, recounted the rescue of a downed US aviator from Japan, August 10, 1945: One of the Battleship North Carolina's Kingfisher plane pilots, Commander Almon P. Pilots of North Carolina Kingfishers performed two famous rescues during World War II. With their pontoons, the Kingfishers could land on and take off from water. Kingfishers rescued airmen who landed inside island harbors or on beaches. The subs were stationed about five miles off shore and were protected by air cover themselves. Submarines picked up airmen in water closer to the targets. Ships, submarines, and other aircraft rescued downed airmen.ĭestroyers usually picked up airmen near the task group. Strikes against enemy strongholds on islands were a primary mission and put pilots and their crews at great risk. The US Navy organized fast aircraft carrier task groups to carry out missions in the Pacific Theater. It also lifted the airplanes from the water. The crane hoisted the seaplanes from the deck to a launching car on a catapult. Steadying lines and long fending poles were used to keep the plane from spinning and hitting the Ship. (The plane currently rests on a similar car truck. The crane lifted the plane from the water, hoisted it aboard, and lowered it onto an empty catapult or onto a car truck. Two other cables, one in each wing, also were attached to the crane cable to steady the plane. He attached the cable to the recovery hook suspended from the crane. The radioman left his seat to get the lifting cable stowed behind the pilot's headrest. The aircraft recovery crane swung over the plane and the hoisting hook was lowered. The aircraft engine stopped and the Ship was towing the plane. A hook on the bottom front part of the main pontoon latched onto the sled. He wanted to avoid landing on top of or plunging through a swell. ![]() The pilot timed his landing to hit the slick with its ocean swells at just the right moment. The Ship's crew swung a boom over the side and lowered a 10-foot by 6-foot rope "sled" into the sea. The slick measured approximately 200 yards long and 100 yards wide. The Ship started a 90-degree turn and the turning stern created a relatively smooth surface called a slick. The flag was raised to the top of the mast. The plane flew alongside the ship at a 300-foot altitude. The "Charlie" (C) flag was raised at half-mast. Recovering the Kingfisher seaplane at sea required great skill and teamwork. Plane lands near anchored Ship and is hoisted aboard.Plane lands one mile ahead of the Ship Ship catches up to plane and hoists plane aboard.Plane lands near the Ship and is hoisted aboard while underway.If the Ship was in port, the seaplane was hoisted over the side and took off from the water The Kingfisher, with engine at full throttle, becomes airborne.A mechanical device at the end of the catapult abruptly stops the car.The blast propels the catapult cart and the plane from 0 to 70 MPH, a sufficient speed for safe flight.At the pilot's ready signal, a black powder charge is fired. Turn the catapult over the water about 30 degrees.The wind over the deck provides additional life for making the plane airborne. Place the Kingfisher on the cart its main float in a cradle.Each catapult had a small cart mounted on top. Launching a plane from a ship underway was an involved exercise. Two 68-foot long catapults were located on the fantail. Towing targets for anti-aircraft batteries.
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