Who likes Jugs?

[76646]

Good read if you do.

http://home.earthlink.net/~atdouble/~318thFighterGroup.IeShima.html

[bj229r]

The engine power loss problems had been resolved internally by the 318th and the runways lengthened by this time, but the earlier inquiry to Republic Aviation  had brought a response. Republic Aviation's legendary  Chief Test Pilot, Joe "Baldy" Parker, had more hours in all the models of P-47s than anyone, and he had come to "show the boys how it's done". He proposed to take off with two 300 gallon external fuel tanks AND a full combat load. Phil Rasmussen protested, "There is no point in you flying this load because we are not going to fly it. We have enough experience to attest that it can't be done routinely and any gimmicks you show us are just going to be marginal stuff that won't guarantee protection for our pilots, so why bother?"
 

        It went up to General Thayer  Olds, the 301st Wing CO. "This is nuts. It's just a stunt".

        "Give him what he wants" said the General.

        Accounts of this incident refer to Parker as patronizing and that probably isn't fair to the man. Test pilots are a very confident bunch in an occupation that tends to kill them fast if they are not. But Parker didn't pay much heed to anyone on Ie Shima either. He had the 300 gallon drop tanks filled with water to add even more weight, and didn't even pause for a pre roll check. He never got the required 165 MPH take off speed. Republic's top test pilot crashed and burned in a 19th Squadron T-Bolt off the end of a runway a few days after Hiroshima, showing the boys how it was done.

        There is probably a moral in this story somewhere.

My father told me that Col. Fotjik and the Marine General had a discussion over reducing the P-47 payloads that turned angry and led to Fotjik being relieved of command. The new 333rd Squadron CO had red hair and was quickly labeled "The Red Snapper".  He came in to straighten out the 333rd and was a real jerk. One of his first orders: personnel could only enter the mess hall in uniform and with a tie. As almost no one in the whole group still had a complete uniform or a tie, it was difficult to enforce. A few weeks into his command, he led a flight to Japan. He returned alone, saying the flight had all been shot down. The rest of the flight landed a half hour later, mad as hell. The fearless leader had turned tail and ran as soon as some fighting started. That was the last of the Red Snapper. The next day, Judge Wolfe, the 333rd's leading ace, became the 333rd Squadron CO, and was soon promoted from Major to Colonel.

The planes did not come home. Many WW2 planes were discarded like empty beer cans.  The 318th's P-47Ns were lined up and bulldozed off a cliff.  I am told since I got this web site up that some of them were transferred to another unit before being lined up and dynamited in 1947.   In any case, the the 318th's planes met a fate not unlike the wrecks on the Wheeler Field flight line on December 8th, 1941, except nobody was busting their tails to salvage a few of them. And ironically, they would be missed.


Just five short years later on the nearby Korean peninsula, as US ground troops desperately needed close air support,  the more fragile, less heavily armed P-51 Mustangs had to carry the Air Force's load. P-51 losses would be high. But that's another story  .  .  .   .

Man, great stuff 76646 

[Stoney]

I've spent some time out on Ie Shima where they were based.  You can walk down to the cliffs at the end of the old runways and get a good mental picture of what it must have been like taking off of those runways that heavy.  They're still there, with the Ernie Pyle monument about a half-mile back towards town.  Neat place--good link...

[76646]

Here's another one as well.

http://www.inpayne.com/dad/dadsplash.html

This one is a little better in the personal level of the pilots.

[onan]

Great post 

[TequilaChaser]

Who likes Jugs?

  hmmm?  Mother  &  Speed


nah seriously, thanks for the links 

[Saurdaukar]

Better question: Who *doesn't* like Jugs?

[Tec]

Better question: Who *doesn't* like Jugs?

OMG JUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs, Yuck!

[curry1]

Who likes Jugs?

Spikes? 

[Puck]

Someone had to do it...

[76646]

What is she Puck?

[Puck]

What is she Puck?

The wings weren't bent, so I didn't look too closely... 

[curry1]

Someone had to do it...
(Image removed from quote.)

Thats a dude...