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Curtiss P-40B Warhawk 41-13325, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, USAAF, Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
On December 7 the Japanese heavily strafed the aircraft at Wheeler Field and few were able to get airborne to fend them off. Haleiwa was an auxiliary field to Wheeler and contained a collection of aircraft temporarily assigned to the field including aircraft from the 47th Fighter Squadron. A total of eight Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and two Curtiss P-36 Mohawk pursuit planes were at the field on the morning of December 7.
2nd Lt. George S. Welch and 2nd Lt. Kenneth M. Taylor, both P-40 pilots, were at Wheeler when the attack began. They had previously flown their P-40B fighters over to the small airfield at Haleiwa as part of a plan to disperse the squadron's planes away from Wheeler. Not waiting for instructions the pilots called ahead to Haleiwa and had both their fighters fueled, armed and warmed up. Both men raced in their cars to Haleiwa Field completing the 16-mile trip in about 15 minutes. With their P-40s, now warmed up and ready, they jumped into their cockpits. The crew chiefs informed them that they should disperse their planes. "The hell with that", said Welch. Ignoring the usual pre-takeoff checklists the aircraft took off down the narrow airstrip.
Once in the air they spotted a large number of aircraft in the direction of Ewa and Pearl Harbor. Only then did they realize what they were up against. "There were between 200 and 300 Japanese aircraft," said Taylor; "there were just two of us!" The two P-40s engaged the aircraft attacking Ewa Mooring Mast and shot down five Japanese planes. They then returned to Wheeler to replenish their ammunition. While there, another wave of dive bombers appeared and Lt. Taylor raced back into the air. His P-40's cockpit was damaged as a Japanese plane chased him. Lt. Welch was able to down the plane following him and they both returned to Wheeler. Lt. Welch was credited with a total of four Japanese planes shot down and Lt. Taylor downed two. Just as suddenly as it began, the sky was empty of Japanese aircraft. Taylor and Welch were both awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Welch and Taylor's dramatic ride and takeoff were depicted in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!
A total of nine Japanese aircraft were shot down by pilots from the Haleiwa field during the Pearl Harbor attack, four by 2nd Lt. Welch and two by 2nd Lt. Taylor, who flew P-40B Tomahawks equipped with twin .50 caliber machine guns. Flying P-36A gunnery trainers stripped of their .50 caliber machine gun and equipped only with a single .30 caliber machine gun to be used for target training, 1st Lieutenant Lewis M. Sanders was credited with shooting down one of the attacking Japanese aircraft, while 2nd Lieutenants Harry W. Brown and Phillip M. Rasmussen were each being credited with shooting down the remaining two attacking aircraft.
All five pilots were later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for their bravery and valor during the attack.
On December 7 the Japanese heavily strafed the aircraft at Wheeler Field and few were able to get airborne to fend them off. Haleiwa was an auxiliary field to Wheeler and contained a collection of aircraft temporarily assigned to the field including aircraft from the 47th Fighter Squadron. A total of eight Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and two Curtiss P-36 Mohawk pursuit planes were at the field on the morning of December 7.
2nd Lt. George S. Welch and 2nd Lt. Kenneth M. Taylor, both P-40 pilots, were at Wheeler when the attack began. They had previously flown their P-40B fighters over to the small airfield at Haleiwa as part of a plan to disperse the squadron's planes away from Wheeler. Not waiting for instructions the pilots called ahead to Haleiwa and had both their fighters fueled, armed and warmed up. Both men raced in their cars to Haleiwa Field completing the 16-mile trip in about 15 minutes. With their P-40s, now warmed up and ready, they jumped into their cockpits. The crew chiefs informed them that they should disperse their planes. "The hell with that", said Welch. Ignoring the usual pre-takeoff checklists the aircraft took off down the narrow airstrip.
Once in the air they spotted a large number of aircraft in the direction of Ewa and Pearl Harbor. Only then did they realize what they were up against. "There were between 200 and 300 Japanese aircraft," said Taylor; "there were just two of us!" The two P-40s engaged the aircraft attacking Ewa Mooring Mast and shot down five Japanese planes. They then returned to Wheeler to replenish their ammunition. While there, another wave of dive bombers appeared and Lt. Taylor raced back into the air. His P-40's cockpit was damaged as a Japanese plane chased him. Lt. Welch was able to down the plane following him and they both returned to Wheeler. Lt. Welch was credited with a total of four Japanese planes shot down and Lt. Taylor downed two. Just as suddenly as it began, the sky was empty of Japanese aircraft. Taylor and Welch were both awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Welch and Taylor's dramatic ride and takeoff were depicted in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!
A total of nine Japanese aircraft were shot down by pilots from the Haleiwa field during the Pearl Harbor attack, four by 2nd Lt. Welch and two by 2nd Lt. Taylor, who flew P-40B Tomahawks equipped with twin .50 caliber machine guns. Flying P-36A gunnery trainers stripped of their .50 caliber machine gun and equipped only with a single .30 caliber machine gun to be used for target training, 1st Lieutenant Lewis M. Sanders was credited with shooting down one of the attacking Japanese aircraft, while 2nd Lieutenants Harry W. Brown and Phillip M. Rasmussen were each being credited with shooting down the remaining two attacking aircraft.
All five pilots were later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for their bravery and valor during the attack.
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"Beware of old men in job where people die young"
It's amazing that many WW2 vets still serving in combat up to Vietnam war, like Sergeant major Plumley who jumped with the 82nd airborne in Normandy and Colonel Robin Olds who flew P-38 and P-51 in WW2 and topped his carreer in F-4 phantom.
Thanks for the compliment V!
It's amazing that many WW2 vets still serving in combat up to Vietnam war, like Sergeant major Plumley who jumped with the 82nd airborne in Normandy and Colonel Robin Olds who flew P-38 and P-51 in WW2 and topped his carreer in F-4 phantom.
Thanks for the compliment V!
Nice to see a B model featured.
I've been to Pearl Harbor and been to numerous sites. Its shocking to still see the scars from that 'Day of Infamy', especially from the buildings at Hickam Field. While wandering about the Seaplane base on Ford Island, I actually stumbled across a small piece of Japanese bomb shrapnel. I literally was playing CSI with the evidence at Hickam and could tell at what angle the attacking plane was from due to the impacts and spacing in the concrete. I even found a spot that I said clearly 2-4 army personnel blocked the rounds. A base historian was watching me, looked shocked, then came back with a photo album the base used. Mostly with photos never published before. The spot I marked was shown to me and the bodies of 3 Army personnel were crumpled on the ground. Hit by 7.7mm rounds. Plus the palm tree nearby had the scars in its trunk, now much higher up.
Standing where John Finn stood his ground, firing at the Japanese at Kanoha Bay, was eye opening, and later meeting the man himself at the Ceremonies in 2002 .
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/3931138/
I've been to Pearl Harbor and been to numerous sites. Its shocking to still see the scars from that 'Day of Infamy', especially from the buildings at Hickam Field. While wandering about the Seaplane base on Ford Island, I actually stumbled across a small piece of Japanese bomb shrapnel. I literally was playing CSI with the evidence at Hickam and could tell at what angle the attacking plane was from due to the impacts and spacing in the concrete. I even found a spot that I said clearly 2-4 army personnel blocked the rounds. A base historian was watching me, looked shocked, then came back with a photo album the base used. Mostly with photos never published before. The spot I marked was shown to me and the bodies of 3 Army personnel were crumpled on the ground. Hit by 7.7mm rounds. Plus the palm tree nearby had the scars in its trunk, now much higher up.
Standing where John Finn stood his ground, firing at the Japanese at Kanoha Bay, was eye opening, and later meeting the man himself at the Ceremonies in 2002 .
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/3931138/
You never cease to amaze me with your incredible skills and realism Graue! Not to mention your attention to minute details and historical authenticity.
I can't believe that today is the 80th anniversary. I can still remember the 60th almost like it was yesterday. One really has to wonder where the time goes.
There were, I believe, 13 Pearl Harbor veterans who resided in my hometown when I was growing up, and I had the privilege to meet a few of them. One of them actually lived just a couple of houses down from my family when I was little. He was in the Navy and served as a pharmacist's mate aboard the USS Solace - a hospital ship which was moored just off the northern end of Ford Island at the time of the attack. I'm sure most of us here have seen that famous footage of the Arizona when she exploded. I found out that footage was, in fact, shot from the deck of the Solace. Just amazing!
I can't believe that today is the 80th anniversary. I can still remember the 60th almost like it was yesterday. One really has to wonder where the time goes.
There were, I believe, 13 Pearl Harbor veterans who resided in my hometown when I was growing up, and I had the privilege to meet a few of them. One of them actually lived just a couple of houses down from my family when I was little. He was in the Navy and served as a pharmacist's mate aboard the USS Solace - a hospital ship which was moored just off the northern end of Ford Island at the time of the attack. I'm sure most of us here have seen that famous footage of the Arizona when she exploded. I found out that footage was, in fact, shot from the deck of the Solace. Just amazing!
I might've missed the bomb carrier on my reference drawing as well as the "thrower" for the centerline bomb.
Shame that few surviving Val are currently in display, and the one displayed in Chino is still in several pieces. Most pics of Val i've came across are AT-6 or BT-12 "Val-tee" replicas.
Shame that few surviving Val are currently in display, and the one displayed in Chino is still in several pieces. Most pics of Val i've came across are AT-6 or BT-12 "Val-tee" replicas.
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