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photo of two early AAF bombers crashed at Pearl Harbor


R Michael
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Hello I picked this up on ebay and thought I would share. Dont know much other than by the note on the backside of snap these crashed into the bay and were taken at Pearl.

 

Mike

post-1387-1266539925.jpg

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Cobrahistorian

Nice Martin B-10s!

 

The B-10 was the first "modern" bomber that the Army Air Corps operated. Whereas WWII bombers had powered gun turrets, the B-10's were human powered. You could traverse the turret by means of bicycle pedals!

 

That's a pretty rare phots!

 

Jon

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There was an interesting story I read a few years back of a US Army Air Corps maintenance officer who kept his own private B-10 flying after they were declared obsolete. He lived on the other side of the island near Kanehoe but was working at Hickam. Each morning he'd fly over to Hickam, and then fly home at night. It seems there were more than enough spares to keep the old bird flying. Apparently he kept this up for some time until he was given a direct order to turn the aircraft in.

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Nice photo!

 

And just a small correction: These aircraft from the 5th Bombardment Group at Luke Field Hawaii are actually Martin B-12's. Looks just like a B-10, but had different engines. Not that I can tell by just looking at one, but the unit history lists the B-12 as being operated from 1934-39. These aircraft might be serial #'s 33-267 and 33-266. They are the only two Hawaii B-12's listed as being involved in mishaps at approx. the same time - Nov 1936 and Jan 1937.

Luke Field was on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor and they shifted operations to the new Hickam Field during 1937-40. By their weatherbeaten appearance, these planes have been sitting awhile and I'd venture a guess and say the photo was snapped about 1939-40 at Hickam and these B-12's have just been been barged over from Luke to end their days as instructional airframes. I think the photo was at Hickam due to the number of young palm trees seen. Luke didn't have too many of those.

 

~Will

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Johnny Signor

Hey Will, are you sure those are 5th BG birds? I ask this as the emblems on the nose of both "appear" to be the 49th Bomb sqd and they were with the 2nd Bomb Group.

Just an observation.

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Hey Will, are you sure those are 5th BG birds? I ask this as the emblems on the nose of both "appear" to be the 49th Bomb sqd and they were with the 2nd Bomb Group.

Just an observation.

 

Ya know, the 49th came to mind here too. (Great minds thinking alike!) But considering the photo caption a given, and seeing coconut trees and water, I figured that wasn't the 49th from Langley Field Va. Nor could I come up with a reason they might ship a couple battered aircraft half way around the earth to Hawaii. Zooming in on the insignia it seems to be the 23rd Bomb squadron from Luke Field. The bottom of the insignia shows what looks to be a black volcano cone.

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Johnny Signor

You could be right,but I zoomed in to the photo and it stil looks like the drooling Dog's face to me, it is facing forward, if you check out the design it has drops of blood coming from the mouth and in one version I've seen in patch form the blood was replaced with small aerial bombs and the aircraft at the left of photo appears to have the "bomb" just below the jaw in the dark area.

 

They could have been transffered there for a repair school or something along that line seeing as they were obsolete already,and the school could use them for engine/structural etc training,again just a guess, it would be interesting to find a 49th veteran who would know if any were taken to Hawaii.

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