World War II Database

1. JEFFREY J KASPER says:
4 Sep 2019 11:11:16 AM

My father was in this unit at the time of this picture. Looking for any and all info about the history of the unit.

2.  David Stubblebine says:
4 Sep 2019 09:36:46 PM

Jeffrey Kasper (above):
Marine Torpedo-Bombing Squadron 242 (VMTB-242) has a 55-page squadron history on file at the United States National Archives and also available at the subscription website Fold3.com at https://www.fold3.com/browse/251/hsEUS91acnjZp0ZtnytKsR4YJMgqmTpNF. The squadron history deals mostly with the squadron’s last year from Jul 1944 to Jul 1945 but has some information about the squadron’s first year from Jul 1943 to Jul 1944.

3.  David Stubblebine says:
25 Jun 2023 04:39:09 PM

This is a much more interesting photo than I thought it was when I posted it ten years ago.

First, note how the wing is not quite in-line with the wing root. This photo was taken as the wings were being unfolded from the folded position to the flying position, just moments before the wings locked into the flying position.

Next, note the wartime procedures that allowed for the engine to be running, men standing on each wing, and no wheel-chocks (not to mention the men close to the wings being folded out). This would likely result in someone doing push-ups during peace-time.

Next, note the tail wheel. This is a solid rubber castor usually seen on Avengers assigned to aircraft carriers. Avengers assigned to shore stations normally had small pneumatic tires as their rear wheels. The reason was that hard tarmacs were hard on the solid castors causing them to disintegrate sooner and pneumatic tires blew out during hard carrier landings making them impractical.

Lastly, note the barely visible tail of a PB4Y-1 Liberator patrol bomber at the extreme right edge of the photo. Navy Liberators differed from the Army’s B-24 Liberators in that they often had no tail guns.