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HistoryVP-200 HistoryHistory

Circa 1945

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...June 1945 - Averitt, Ransom S. - Supply Requisition.." WebSite: EBay http://www.ebay.com [29MAR2014]

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HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...FAW-2, VPB-15, VPB-47, VPB-53, VPB-100, VPB-109, VPB-123, VPB-124, VPB-142, VPB-144, VPB-152, VPB-153, VPB-200 and VPB-205 - FAW-2 War Diary 1 APRIL to 30 APRIL 1945..." Official U. S. Navy Records (National Archives and Records Administration) via Fold3 http://www.fold3.com/ [17OCT2012]

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HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCameraVPB-200 Letter "...June 14th, 1945..." WebSite: EBay http://www.ebay.com/ [22JAN2007]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Reunion - Circa 1945 - Squadrons/NAS Mentioned: NAS Hutchinson, Kansas, VPB-109, VPB-197 and VPB-200..." Contributed by GOODELL, Billie N. goodkemp@aol.com [21OCT2006]

I left patrol VPB-107 in December 1944. I ended up in a PBM squadron at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in january 1945 and told the Personal Officer that I was a PB4Y man and would like to get back where I could do the most good. So on February 1945 he cut me a set of orders for Combat Aircrewman School at NAS Hutchinson, Kansas. They had a bunch of old PB4Y's they used for training purposes. It was like home coming when I checked in. I met a lot of pilots I flew with at NAF Natal, Brazil. LT Bill Bofenkamp was one of my favorites and we hit it right off. He took me aside and ask if I would do him a favor - anything I replied. We are to replace a crew in VPB-197 on okinawa would you pick out a good crew (like I know you can) and we will train as Crew M68. The only accident we had while training was on a training flight. We ran into a snowstorm and returned to the base. We had no one to park us so we waited. I finally told Bill I would get out and wave us to a parking place. As I started out my second mechanic said "let me go." The last thing I said to John was when you go out the bomb bay door go aft and around the wing tip. We waited and here comes a jeep at full speed waving his arms and giving us the cut engine sign. I knew what happened - grabbed the medical kit and dashed outside. What I saw made me sick. John had put his head directly into the prop! There was nothing but blood and mess every where and he was just making a gurgling sound. After filing our report I was told to inspect the prop for damage, clean and gas the plane. They made us go up and fly a couple hours. John was flown to a brain specialist but passed away later. We graduated April 1945 and sent to NAS for survival in the Everglades. May 1945 we reported to VPB-197 NAAS Camp Kearny, California. There I got the bad news. Bill told me his wife Betty was pregnant and he would not be going with us. We were saddened but left for VPB-200 NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Upon landing the pilot hit a telephone pole and knocked the right wing tip off. We waited a week for them to fly a wing tip from the states and then we were off for VPB-197 on Okinawa, Japan. When we landed the CO said we were going to NAS Agana, Guam for a week of R and R then return to NAS Alameda, California for disestablishment.

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...October 1945 MCAS/NAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii..." Contributed by John Lucas john.lucas@netzero.net [27FEB2003]

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HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Privateer 59763 is rare in that it is a WWII combat veteran having been assigned to VPB-111 in the Pacific Theater in August 1945. It also served as one of the original Hurricane Hunter Privateers in VP-23 and VJ-2. LT Randy Eskew and VJ-2 CO LCDR Dave Walkinshaw flew this fine plane. THis '4Y-2" was first accepted by the Navy on 28 February 1945. It was later assigned to HEDRON 2 FAW-14, VPB-200, VPB-106, VP-108, FAW-14, FASRON-110, FASRON-103 NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, and then on to Advanced Based Point Lyautey, French Morocco. It also saw duty stations at NAS Kwajalein, NAS North Island, San Diego, California, NAS Jacksonville, Florida and finally NAS Litchfield Park where it was stricken from the U. S. Navy records on 1 October 1956..." WebSite: http://www.pb4y.com/ International PB4Y Association


Circa 1944 - 1949

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraPB4Y-2 Squadron Assignments "...PB4Y-2 Squadron Assignments 1944 - 1949 by W. T. Larkins 5-11-1984. A review of the aircraft history cards for the 740 aircraft 59350-60009 and 66245-66324 allows the following squadrons with one or more aircraft. Unfortunately the original assignment on many in 1944 is simply "PAC" for Pacific area. No card was found to verify VB-200 as the first squadron delivery or any Marine Corps squadrons. Squadrons listed include VP-12, VP-21, VP-22, VP-23, VP-25, VP-26, VP-27, VP-28, VP-29, VPB-100, VPB-101, VPB-10, VPB-102, VPB-104, VPB-106, VPB-107, VPB-108, VPB-109, VPB-111, VPB-114, VPB-115, VPB-116, VPB-117, VPB-118, VPB-119, VPB-120, VPB-121, VPB-122, VPB-123, VPB-124, VPB-143, VPB-197, VPB-200, VP-HL-1, VP-HL-2, VP-HL-4, VP-HL-6, VP-HL-7, VP-HL-8, VP-HL-9, VP-HL-10, VP-HL-11, VP-HL-12, VP-HL-13, VPM-1, VPW-1, VPW-2, VPW-3, VX-1 and VX-2..." Contributed by Bill Larkins wtl@earthlink.net [01AUG2010]


Circa 1944 - 1945

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Naval Historical Center, Department Of The Navy, Washington, D. C http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/dictvol2.htm [28APR2001]
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Circa 1944

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...My dad (Bruce Vernon Rogers) flew as a tail gunner and radio operator in PB4Y-1s and 2s. I have seen the PB4Y-2 on display at Pensacola Naval Air Museum. There is one being refurbished at Galveston Island, TX Air Museum...Entered service 3/28/44, Gunnery School at Percell, OK (4 weeks), Radio School at Memphis, TN (18 weeks), Radar School at Memphis, TN (2 weeks), NAS, Miami, FL (5 weeks). He served with VPB-197, VPB-200, and VPB-111. He was a tail gunner and radio operator on PB4Y-1s and PB4Y-2s. Highest rank: ARM3c(T) Awards: Philippine Liberation Ribbon (1 star), Asiatic-Pacific Area Ribbon, Combat Aircrew Insignia (3stars), and the Victory Ribbon American Area. Dad's Date of Separation 1/19/46. He passed away at the VA Medical Center, Feb. 25, 1986. Here are some of the things that he told me, which I will repeat to the best of my memory: 1) The crew generally stayed together, however, they flew in several aircraft, including both the PB4Y-1 and PB4Y-2. 2) At one Pacific base, a couple of airplanes exploded just after take-off. Subsequent investigation found that Japanese slipped into the area and rigged hand grenades to explode as the front wheel was retracted into the wheel-well. 3) On one mission, he was elated when the aircraft flew over a Japanese ship. He strafed it with his twin 50 caliber machine guns and it blew up. He reported his sinking of the ship to the rest of the crew via the inter-com. To which he was advised that a bomb from their aircraft had been dropped down the funnel of the ship. (Oh...) 4) There were two types of turrets used: Electric and hydraulic. He said that they had a quite different feel from one to the other. I believe one was an ERCO turret. 5) On one mission, the aircraft was attacked by Japanese aircraft. As an embarrassing result, he got wedged in the turret so that he could not move, nor could he activate the inter-com. After the "excitement was over", the pilot called for a check of all personnel. My dad could not communicate and was assumed dead in the rear turret. He said that he had to put up with inter-com conversation on the way back (he could hear, but not speak) regarding his "death". 6) On one mission, they were asked to find an island which had a fighter plane strip on it and land there, then take off again, which they did. Later, they found out that "the brass" wanted to know if the island strip could be used for emergency landings... The crew was not happy about being used as "guinea pigs" on a short field. 7) I asked him about the accuracy of shooting the twin 50's. He said that those student gunners that could shoot a shot-gun well, also generally did well in the airplanes. He said he thought that this is because of the lead required along with the reflex action. 8) He also said that he was on a mission the day that the 1st atom bomb was dropped and always wondered if the radiation that was in the air at the time would affect him. (Of course at the time that the bomb dropped, they had no idea of what affects or potential affects that it might have on an aircraft flying "down-wind"). Unfortunately, I do not recall any of the names of the various aircraft that he flew in, although he did give me the names of several of the aircraft. Because this is rather lengthy, you may edit or not use any part of it as you wish. There are a couple of things that may be "embarrassing" to have happen, such as being a captive in one's own turret. However, those things happen. We are all human beings, no matter what country we come from. I still remember qualifying with the M-1 rifle at Fort Ord, CA. In the Army's "wisdom" all rifle sights (at that time) had to be set at a Zero - Zero setting when in the rifle rack. When we went to the rifle range to qualify at shooting "pop-up" targets, I was not hitting anything - and I couldn't see where my bullets were going. Finally, some longer distance targets popped up and I saw my bullets hit - way low and far to the left. So far, that I at first thought that they were not mine. Well, I used "Kentucky windage" the rest of the morning. I was trying to figure out, between shots, what the heck was wrong. When we broke for some lunch, I looked down and saw that #$%& Zero - Zero setting. I clicked up 8 and 17 clicks to the right and ended up shooting Expert. But, I dropped some points that I should have had...And learned a lesson that I will never forget. (17 clicks is not a misprint. I have a bad habit of canting my rifle, which in turn distorts "normal view".)..." Contributed by Philip Rogers pbro@sprynet.com

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...LOCKHEED PV VENTURA and HARPOON - by Jack McKillop..." http://www.microworks.net/pacific/aviation/pv_ventura.htm [23JUN2002]

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Circa 1943

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Location of U. S. Naval Aircraft - Dated 16 Jan 1943..." WebSite: Naval Historical Center http://www.history.navy.mil/ [01OCT2006]

VP SQUADRONS MENTIONED

CASU and PATSU

VJ-1, VJ-2, VJ-3, VJ-4, VJ-5, VJ-6, VJ-7 and VJ-8

VP-6 Coast Guard

VP-3

VP-11 and VP-12

VP-23 and VP-24

VP-31, VP-32, VP-33 and VP-34

VP-41, VP-42, VP-43 and VP-44

VP-51, VP-52, VP-53 and VP-54

VP-61, VP-62 and VP-63

VP-71, VP-72, VP-73 and VP-74

VP-81, VP-82, VP-83 and VP-84

VP-91, VP-92VP-93, and VP-94

VP-101, VP-102, VP-103, VP-104, VP-105, VP-106, VP-107, VP-108 and VP-109

VP-110

VP-127, VP-128 and VP-129

VP-131, VP-132, VP-133 and VP-134

VP-200, VP-201, VP-202, VP-203, VP-204, VP-205, VP-206, VP-207, VP-208 and VP-209

VP-210, VP-211, VP-210, and VP-216


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