Enterprise Video

[Skyros]

Came across this short video on you tube showing the big E getting hit by Jap Dive bobmers. Interesting to note the skyline in one of the scenes as the carrier maneuvers to avoid the attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFXcnUtM ... re=related

[crsutton]

Thanks, I have never seen that. You can see in the film before she was hit that she was heeled over and under full right rudder. Smoke drifting over the deck from the AA guns. Serious business.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

Thanks - very interesting footage!

The list of Enterprise while turning is really big... this bust be very difficult for AA gunners...

BTW, the bombs seem to explode on impact (i.e. no delay fuse so that they would detonate after penetration) - was this standard practice for Japanese?


Leo "Apollo11"

[Ebusitanus]

Great clip that I had never seen before.

Maybe someone here recalls a "famous" photo made from the bridge of a US Carrier in the precise moment the bomb hit the deck. The photographer, if I recall correctly, died from the explosion.

Not sure (a bit confused now) if it was this one, in which case it would just be a frame from the above clip


http://www.gettyimages.es/detail/892121 ... on-Archive

[Ebusitanus]

Hey! Found the place.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-u ... /cv6-a.htm

Photo #: 80-G-17489

Battle of the Eastern Solomons, August 1942

A Japanese bomb exploding on the flight deck of USS Enterprise (CV-6), just aft of the island, on 24 August 1942.
Note: According to the original photo caption, this explosion killed the photographer, Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Robert F. Read. However, Morison's "History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II" (volume 5, page 97) states that Read was killed by the bomb that had earlier hit the after starboard 5"/38 gun gallery, which can be seen burning in the upper left. Morison further states that the bomb seen here exploded with a low order detonation, inflicting only minor damage.

[Knavey]

Incredible footage.

[Skyros]

I think they used a combination of delayed and contact with the idea that contact explosions would impact AA. Would have to pull out one of my books to verify.

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

Hi all,

Thanks - very interesting footage!

The list of Enterprise while turning is really big... this bust be very difficult for AA gunners...

BTW, the bombs seem to explode on impact (i.e. no delay fuse so that they would detonate after penetration) - was this standard practice for Japanese?


Leo "Apollo11"

[greg_slith]

Intersting how the bomb that hit the 5" gallery seems to have caused more damage (fire, smoke, etc) than the one that hit the flight deck. That one just looks like a (large) pothole.
BTW, the music was pretty cool, too. Who was it? Benny Goodman?

[oldman45]

Did you all notice at the begining of the clip, the planes coming up the elevator and on deck. They still had the pre war markings on them. The star had a red circle and the tail had the bands. I thought that was all painted over before that battle.

Great find!

[SuluSea]

ORIGINAL: ecwgcx

Intersting how the bomb that hit the 5" gallery seems to have caused more damage (fire, smoke, etc) than the one that hit the flight deck. That one just looks like a (large) pothole.
BTW, the music was pretty cool, too. Who was it? Benny Goodman?

Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller

Boy it's amazing how quick that big ol' girl could turn.

[Jakerson]

ORIGINAL: Skyros
I think they used a combination of delayed and contact with the idea that contact explosions would impact AA. Would have to pull out one of my books to verify.

I'm on the impression that Japanese dive bombers had three bombs per load one larger bomb with delay fuse to have better armor penetration ability and two smaller bombs with contact fuse to improve effect against crew on deck but my memory could fail me I havent read read anything about this subject about years.

[crsutton]

ORIGINAL: Ebusitanus

Great clip that I had never seen before.

Maybe someone here recalls a "famous" photo made from the bridge of a US Carrier in the precise moment the bomb hit the deck. The photographer, if I recall correctly, died from the explosion.

Not sure (a bit confused now) if it was this one, in which case it would just be a frame from the above clip


http://www.gettyimages.es/detail/892121 ... on-Archive

Yes, I think that this photo is actually part of that film and is often incorectly identified as the one that killed the photographer. My memory is not clear but I think I have read that before.

[JohnDillworth]

wow! just wow! thanks
loved seeing the 5"/38 swing into action. The turn to avoid the bombs was tremendous, you can almost feel it. The fact that this turn did not do much to throw off the dive bombers. How soon one bomb hit after the other. They must have been a well coordinated strike. One after another. But the training of the crew and how fast damage control started. Just seconds after the bomb strikes well trained crews are out fighting fires. Allied damage control rocks. Thanks for this.

[YankeeAirRat]

ORIGINAL: oldman45

Did you all notice at the begining of the clip, the planes coming up the elevator and on deck. They still had the pre war markings on them. The star had a red circle and the tail had the bands. I thought that was all painted over before that battle.

Great find!

Yes, I actually think this is a mix of film from either the Carrier Raids, or pre-war and the Eastern Solomons.

[Fallschirmjager]

If I had been fighting age in WW2 I could not have been a Navy man. Just looking at that turn makes me nauseous [X(]

It is very cool seeing how all of that stuff works after years of playing it in digital form. Those elevators are a lot faster than I had imagined them.
The video also makes me feel a little guilty over how I treat my virtual pixel soldiers. When those men are out on the deck and see the bombers coming in again you can see the terror on their faces. Yet they did their duty anyways.]]

Really good video

[Puhis]

ORIGINAL: Jakerson

ORIGINAL: Skyros
I think they used a combination of delayed and contact with the idea that contact explosions would impact AA. Would have to pull out one of my books to verify.

I'm on the impression that Japanese dive bombers had three bombs per load one larger bomb with delay fuse to have better armor penetration ability and two smaller bombs with contact fuse to improve effect against crew on deck but my memory could fail me I havent read read anything about this subject about years.

Standard bomb load of Val was one 250 kg bomb (or sometimes 4 x 60 kg bombs). 1/3 of the planes carried HE bombs, while 2/3 had SAP bombs.

I think Val could carry 1 x 250 kg and 2 x 60 kg bombs only when distance was short.

[Brady]

My understanding is that the D3A1 could carry the single 250 and two 60 kg bombs to the types rated range, as this was the designe requirement.

Its also my understanding that  afik she never did operatonaly on any magor strike. ( I have looked and not found a referance for this, thier may be one of course.)

D3A1's did carry die markers and other singlining devices from their outer wing hard points on sorties along with the 250 kg bomb to aide in the forming up of the strike package, but this was not a comon load out for al planes in the formation.

D3A1's also carried a pair of 60 kg ASW weapons for ASW work on the outer hard points.

D3A1's could carry a 500kg bomb if the gunner stayed behind.

I have read referances for D3A2's carring 4 x 60 kg bombs on long range strikes with a centerline drop tank.

I have also sean D3A2's with a pair of 60kg bombs and a single 250 kg bomb sorting from shore bases in nuerious photos on diferent ocashions.

For some time I thought that the evidance in the Enterprise atack referanced above showed that the Valls had droped a 60 kg bomb, but load out records from the strike show all 250 kg weapons were carried by the Vals.

[John 3rd]

Read Shattered Sword regarding an great description of the mixed bombloads carried by the Vals.

Great video, however, I found Glenn Miller a bit of a strange choice for the action...

[Nikademus]

ORIGINAL: Brady
For some time I thought that the evidance in the Enterprise atack referanced above showed that the Valls had droped a 60 kg bomb, but load out records from the strike show all 250 kg weapons were carried by the Vals.

In other words.....

I WAS RIGHT!!!!!!! BOOOOOO YA!!!!!!!.............. TTTHHHPPPFFTTTTT!!!!!!

you owe me beer.

[:'(]

[Schanilec]

I seem to remember in that footage there was an SBD on deck near where the first bomb hit getting bounced over the side.