Search found 92 matches

by RSwank
Mon Mar 21, 2016 2:42 pm
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: Plane in the lagoon at Orona
Replies: 130
Views: 197159

Re: Plane in the lagoon at Orona

Some slight confusion as to the date of the loss. According to this link:

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLJan44.htm

a PBJ-1D, BuNO: 35131 from VMB-413 was lost on Jan 21, 1944 on a flight from Canton Island to Tutuila.
by RSwank
Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:06 am
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: Plane in the lagoon at Orona
Replies: 130
Views: 197159

Re: Plane in the lagoon at Orona

I assume you have seen this list:

https://tighar.org/wiki/Aircraft_lost_i ... Nikumaroro

The plane that seems to "match" is the Navy PBJ (B-25) lost 11 January 1944, missing enroute from Canton to Tutuilla, Samoa.
by RSwank
Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:22 pm
Forum: Warbirds & Restorations
Topic: Jap Zero 20mm Canon
Replies: 2
Views: 18276

Re: Jap Zero 20mm Canon

They were ejected through a port under the wing. Here is a photo of the underside of a zero wing. This Zero had both a machine gun and a cannon in each wing. There are ejection ports for both guns, the longer slots are for the shell casings and the smaller ports are for the cartridge links. http://w...
by RSwank
Tue Feb 09, 2016 7:37 pm
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: Plane in the lagoon at Orona
Replies: 130
Views: 197159

Re: Plane in the lagoon at Orona

The Landsat satellites orbit at 438 miles altitude. Many of the Google Earth images are from Landsat.
Have you used any of the USGS sites to get additional images? Such as their satellite data?

Examples:

https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/get_data

http://landsat.usgs.gov//Landsat_Search ... wnload.php
by RSwank
Mon Feb 08, 2016 2:57 pm
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: Plane in the lagoon at Orona
Replies: 130
Views: 197159

Re: Plane in the lagoon at Orona

There have been other expeditions to Orona since 2000. In fact it appears that a New England Aquarium team was there 2012, 2014 and 2015. 2012: http://pipa.neaq.org/2012/06/orona-island-topside.html 2014: http://pipa.neaq.org/2014/08/sea-2014-orona-island-july-28.html 2015 Blog: http://pipa.neaq.org...
by RSwank
Wed Feb 03, 2016 7:20 pm
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: Plane in the lagoon at Orona
Replies: 130
Views: 197159

Re: Plane in the lagoon at Orona

There was a survey done of the lagoon in 2000. BASELINE MARINE BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF THE PHOENIX ISLANDS, JULY 2000 http://phoenixislands.org/pdf/00589.01.pdf Some of of their dive sites (see page 39 of their report for the dive locations) appear to be very close to the location you give for the "pl...
by RSwank
Wed Feb 03, 2016 4:20 pm
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: Plane in the lagoon at Orona
Replies: 130
Views: 197159

Re: Plane in the lagoon at Orona

Interesting idea. If you take a line drawing of an Electra 10 and one of a B-25 and try scaling and fitting them to the points you have identified, particularly the nose and two engines, it appears the Electra is a better fit to include the tail location. A B-25 just does not fit correctly from fron...
by RSwank
Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:54 am
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: New Guy In Saipan
Replies: 30
Views: 68063

Re: New Guy In Saipan

Vlessard, Interesting story. There were a couple of flights by B-29s from Japan to Washington DC. There is a discussion of them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945_Japan%E2%80%93Washington_flight http://www.40thbombgroup.org/DCFlight.pdf There first flight by 3 planes was to fly direct from Jap...
by RSwank
Sun May 03, 2015 7:02 am
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: on the beach
Replies: 2
Views: 3894

Re: on the beach

by RSwank
Sun May 03, 2015 6:55 am
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: on the beach
Replies: 2
Views: 3894

Re: on the beach

Have you seen this discussion?
http://www.ozatwar.com/1may42.htm
by RSwank
Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:39 am
Forum: Wrecks & Losses
Topic: B-17E "Bitch Kitty"??? 5th or 11BG
Replies: 4
Views: 19788

Re: B-17E "Bitch Kitty"??? 5th or 11BG

There is a photo floating around on e-bay which shows a "Bitch Kitty". It is labeled as being from the 381st BG, but looking at how the men are dressed, I think this in incorrect. The writing on this "Bitch Kitty" seems to be a pretty good match to yours, although it is taken on the other side of th...
by RSwank
Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:47 am
Forum: Missing/Killed In Action (MIA/KIA)
Topic: MIAS accounted for 2014
Replies: 2
Views: 8082

Re: MIAS accounted for 2014

Another member of the Poulson crew (B-24 42-41188, "Hot Garters") has been accounted for.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/regio ... 1502230125
by RSwank
Fri Feb 06, 2015 5:52 pm
Forum: Missing/Killed In Action (MIA/KIA)
Topic: B-29 loss, AAF serial # 42-63508, May 25, 1945
Replies: 14
Views: 31843

Re: B-29 loss, AAF serial # 42-63508, May 25, 1945

Mike, I found the map we want on-line. You need to play around with the controls at the top, but you can zoom in pretty well and find the crash location. There seem to be two sets of zoom controls, a plus/minus set and a series of increasing boxes. I had to use both to get what I wanted. The map is ...
by RSwank
Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:00 am
Forum: Missing/Killed In Action (MIA/KIA)
Topic: B-29 loss, AAF serial # 42-63508, May 25, 1945
Replies: 14
Views: 31843

Re: B-29 loss, AAF serial # 42-63508, May 25, 1945

I found a site that has many of the maps we seek but unfortunately not the one we want. By looking at the series of maps, you can understand how they work. Here is a link to the site: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/japan.html Under the Topographical section you can see the series of maps at the 1:50...