Trivia!

Would that be USS Anne Arundel?

 

A likely guess, since B24 is in the Maryland Attack Group, and Anne Arundel is one of our counties!

 

Just looked her up, she is bigger and Faster than a Victory ship!

 

It's not just one of the counties. It the one with the Navy Academy, the one that MAG was founded and other important and not so important happenings. I got carried away and start to comply my own list of Maryland related ships. I past 20 and that just WW II era ships. Fire away bb26

 

The crew of the Canadian warship voted to go home. Who am I?

 

June 1956 she was sold for scrap to the Japanese.

 

She was at the Maritime Museum show too.
J

 

HMCS Uganda, later renamed HMCS Quebec

 

Hey, spider webs are beginning to grow!

 

I know that crzyhawk is correct and that bb26 gets caught up with this thing called work so he sometimes is out of contact.
J

 

The famous "Thatch Weave" was developed by LtCDR John S Thatch at the beginning of WW2 to counter the rumors of the Zero-sen's superiority. What was the first battle that the Thatch Weave was used in, and what was the original name by which Thatch called his defensive formation? Bonus points if you can identify the pilot who coined the term "Thatch Weave".

 

Crzyhawk is correct. HMCS Uganda crew voted not to volunteer for the war in the pacific.

 

>> What was the first battle that the Thatch Weave was used in

Midway

>> what was the original name by which Thatch called his defensive formation?

The beam defense position

>> Bonus points if you can identify the pilot who coined the term "Thatch Weave".

I'm going to guess Butch O'Hare, a pilot in the squadron Thach commanded.

FYI, it's actually spelled as the Thach Weave developed by John Thach, better known as Jimmie. He ultimately attained the rank of vice admiral and had a Perry-class frigate named for him. USS Thach currently serves in the Pacific and is homeported in San Diego.

 

I'd originally read "beam defense maneuver" but it's close enough. Wikipedia calls it "position" which I believe is incorrect, but will give it to you anyways. It was used at Midway.

Jimmy Flatley is the one who coined the term "Thach Weave", Butch O'Hare was just one of the first to learn and help spread the word on the new tactic. Yes, I know the spelling, I wrote that early in the morning half asleep. I knew it LOOKed wrong but couldnt figure out why, and didnt take the time to correct it.

Of interest, at Midway, of the three pilots actually using the Weave, only 2 of them actually knew what was going on. Fighting 5 at the time was more or less a composite squadron at the time, with a solid portion of it's pilots actually from VF-42 (having fought the Coral Sea action) and some elements of another squadron (VF-2 I think...don't recall off the top of my head) so many of them did not actually KNOW the weave and how to implement it. LTjg Macomber was a veteran of Coral Sea and VF-42, but had a dead radio and didnt kow the tactics. Thach tried to get him out on his wing, but the veteran pilot "did his job" and got back in formation. Finally, Thach told rookie pilot Ens. Dibb to pretend he was a section leader and swing way out.

Dibb had joined the squadron a few months earlier while VF-5 was still land based. As one of only 3 or 4 pilots on hand (Pac Fleet was VERY short on fighters and pilots at this stage of the game), Thach had lots of time to bring Dibb up to speed and train him on the weave. Now he basically used Dibb as bait, then they initiated weaving, which worked like a champ.

If anyone has any particular interest in early US carrier actions, I recommend reading "The First Team: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway". Very interesting read

 

It's ironic that you mention Jimmy Flatley since I was planning to make my next question about his son!

James Flatley III was another famous fighter pilot who accomplished an amazing feat in a cargo plane. What did he do?

 

Was he the guy who flew inverted through a hangar?

 

He landed a C-130 on the USS Forrestal.

 

Ahh yes, I remember reading about that somewhere now. Neat trick.

 

Yepper, He made 21 full stops with a Herky bird on the USS Forrestal back in 1963 without a tail hook!
A C-130 on the USS Forrestal had 15" clearance for the wing tip.
I would like to see them try a C-17 from the USS John F. Kennedy.
Wingspan would not be the problem, How short of a runway does a C-17 need would be the problem.

 

Correct, Gascan. Lieutenant Flatley flew a KC-130 while making "29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs" aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is the C-130 never once used a tailhook to land or the catapult to takeoff. The phrase "Look Ma, No Hook" was painted on the plane's nose!

You can read more and see several photos in an article written by one of my friends:
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/questio...0097.shtml