Corpus Christi: 1942

Major Cram flew General Geiger's personal PBY Catalina flying boat in an attack on Japanese shipping on October 15, 1942. Click to read about this event in Jack Cram's own words. See the section titled "The Aircraft" to see a photo of his PBY and for additional info.

http://www.daveswarbirds.com/cactus/cactus.htm

A WW2 AAF vet once said that what is missing in photos is the incredible smell of newness of the planes having just so recently been delivered from the factory. As the interiors are largely unlined metal and lined with insulated wire and cables I can imagine the type of smell you get in a machine shop being present.

This is a PBY-5 or 5A. First to have the "blister" for gun location. The PBY-3 had a sliding hatch. Probably a recruiting photo as the guns in the 2 blisters were .50 caliber. The .30 caliber was used in the bow location and in the tunnel hatch in rear section of the plane. The PBY designation means Patrol Bomber built by Consolidated Aircraft. They sometimes carried torpedoes, as was done at the start of the Battle of Midway in June 1942.

It is indeed a Catalina, but I think they were designed with offensive capabilities from the onset. "Bomber" is even in the prefix.

I believe that the plane is a PBY Catalina used in recon missions, I don't think they were normally armed until later. Anyone know if this is true?

At first this photo reminded me of some of the "near real" computer generated scenes you see in current war films. The color, the depth of field, the contrast - everything has a feel of careful perfection beyond normal shots. Of course that is all true in this case. But what really sets it apart is the sweat on the arms and neck of the gunner. It was what gunners dealt with and more real it couldn't be.

[I have another photo of Jesse (the third on Shorpy) to post later today. The first one is here. - Dave]