Well known pic from the Pacific War

I wonder how many gunners were clipped by the left wing of the aircraft before it came to rest where it did.

Jeff, aren't you a volunteer fireman? I'm sure that you will do what you have to do without thinking about it if and when the time comes.

Jack said it best in post #10.

 

Yes, when I enlarge the picture, I can see that the tank is skewed away from it's normal position under the plane.

Yet the weight of the plane's forward fuselage is resting on something, and it ain't the flight deck. It's also patently not the starboard landing gear or the Port wing, so what could it be? Must be the tank whether it is bent out of it's normal position or not.

 

The thing is, the tank would have been crushed by the weight of the aircraft. They were aluminum egg shells. Also note the starboard gear is off the deck. So to me, something is holding the plane at that angle, and the only thing I can think of is the port gear embedded in the catwalk.

 

Why aren't the AA gunners in the platform trying to help? Is it because they can see a crash team approaching from off-camera and assume that those guys and the Lt have the situation under control? Or is it because they aren't supposed to leave their stations? I've always wondered that when I look at this picture.

 

Shouldn't the AA gunners be allowed to leave their stations when the affected area is in eminent danger of being blown up by the fire and surrounding ammo? There wasn't any action from enemy figthers at that point of time I persume.

 

There's really no way to determine anything else going on except for what's in the picture. I assume that the gunners and everyone else has a job to do, and there are rescue/fire abatement teams that have their jobs too. The rescue teams might be on their way to the plane, and we can't see them. If it got "too hot" there, then the gunners would probably have clearance to un-a$$ the area. Until then, they have orders to man their guns and keep their eye on the ball so to speak. Loose cannons and chinese fire drills are not helpful in tense situations as depicted in the picture.

 

Thanks Lou. Yes, those boys on the Houston had a hard time of it too. When it gets tough, training kicks in and you don't think about it until it's over.

 

Video of the incident. Clip is at the 5:35 mark.

It almost looks like, but I'm not positive, that the tail hook still caught the arresting wire. Perhaps this is what is keeping the plane from rolling off the side?

 

That's a good possibility.

 

Good question and good closing comment. I too would hope to help a brother to safety in such a precarious situation.

 

Motre than 10 years since the last post on this thread, video footage exists here: https://youtu.be/Tmxh9RPjZUg?t=336

 

We are having fires in Australia now...



A bunch of American and Canadian LEGENDS have arrived to help fight the fires...Apparently these men are veterans of big fires and sorely needed. Thankyou you mob.
To give some scale to the fires...




This is ex Prime Minister Tony Abbott about to go into a property to help save the place...He's a volley Firefighter...Can you Imagine Obama or Bush doing this?

 

Topic - derailed.