Doolittle Tokyo Raiders

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Collecting Nut, Jul 11, 2021.

  1. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title] Supporter

    That's an awesome medal. I love the imagery...B-25 leaving the Hornet. Just spectacular. Awesome piece of commemorate the men who flew such a harrowing mission...knowing full well that what they were attempting was not to inflict actual tactical damage an an enemy who had attack us but to inspire our fighting spirit.
     
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  3. Martha Lynn

    Martha Lynn Well-Known Member

    Pap Boyington led the AVG group to give it to the Imperial snots over China. They were gunslingers of a notorious attitude. Flying that so cool fighter , the Curtiss P40. They were mercenaries that got paid for snot scalps. $500 bucks a pop, plus monthly pay. Very limited resources to give em hell with but did indeed give them hell. I think they had a loss ratio of 1 to 8. And that was gunslinging against a very nimble fighter piloted by skilled pilots.
     
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  4. scottishmoney

    scottishmoney Buh bye

    @Martha Lynn The P-40 was a mediocre fighter that the USAAF largely passed over and instead shipped off to the allies - some to Britain, France fell before they got theirs, and then Russia. It was one of those fighters that really nobody liked. The AVG airmen were mostly highly experienced and handpicked pilots that Claire Chennault found. They were a rough and tumble and motley collection of pilots. Sheer pilot skill was their advantage because the A6M Zero was generally better at flight characteristics but lousy with armor protection for the aircraft and the pilot.

    One of my favourite shows when I was a kid was "Baa Baa, Black Sheep" which was a TV series loosely based on Pappy Boyington and his US Marine squadron. The F-4U Corsair the Marines flew was a much better aircraft than the P-40.

    I have a Russian book on Lend Lease Aircraft used in the USSR during WWII. The Soviets had a lousy opinion of the P-40, and the British Spitfire. They had great opinions of the P-39 which flew well at low altitudes vs. German recon and bomber aircraft. They were never openly afforded the P-51, but some came via the Operation Frantic missions where some were damaged in a German air raid at Poltava and the USAAF left them at Poltava. The Soviets had a good opinion of the P-51.
     
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  5. Martha Lynn

    Martha Lynn Well-Known Member

    LIke yourself, a lot of people had little respect for the P40. That squadron still racked up great kill to loss ratios. I think it had six 50's mounted in the wings. Two shots into a meatball and it broke apart or flamed up. I do understand the stats and history you mentioned. But that is what makes these guys gung ho in my book. They took what they had and did the job. It was early, pre pearl harbor and they brought what they got. ...martha
     
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  6. Martha Lynn

    Martha Lynn Well-Known Member

    I've read a lot of books written by the guys who flew , just to see what they thought of their steeds. Each plane had drawbacks and pluses. What was the jug ? was it the air cobra 400 or something. No good as a dogfighter but would dive at incredible speed and not come unglued. It would take massive punishment and keep on keepin on. It was a poor fighter but a steep dive one pass and give it hell then speed away at 400 plus knots. Our plane inventory was poor at the outbreak but new airframes and updates to older models came along. From my understanding the P38 lighting could turn tighter than the zero zen. Imagine that. Dual fuselauge twin engine heavy fighter dukin it out with gnats. But the nose cannon and machine guns were easier to put on target. Two second burst and no more meatball. In fact, I believe that if the P38 was available for the raid mentioned in this thread it would have been a lot better aircraft. Twin 350 gallon fuel tanks were easily fitted to that airframe. Thousands of miles operational radius. Plus could carry a whopping load of bombs. But like I said, we had what we had when it came down.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2021
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  7. Martha Lynn

    Martha Lynn Well-Known Member

    I had three brothers growing up. Ray, Kevin and Paul. There were combat comic books with sargeant Rock, Indian Joe. You know the drill. Plus all these paper backs written by the guys who were there. I think I absorbed a lot of that stuff cause it was there. I still dig aircraft to this day. Even did the sport parachute sky dive on my 30th bday. Damn near killed myself but thats another story....martha
     
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  8. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    P-47..........it could take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. That aircraft would get you home.
     
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  9. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    Took out Yamamoto...........
     
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  10. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    Jug was exceptionally good.........Especially in the able hands of Gabby Gabreski......
     
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  11. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    Had to dig up this thread to thank @Collecting Nut for reminding me that I had this little piece of history hiding in the back of my closet. The frame shop made this look like a museum piece!

    doolittle.jpg
     
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  12. rooman9

    rooman9 Lovin Shiny Things

    I also have that medal. One of the few I’ve picked up from the mint. Not all of us younger people have forgotten what’s happened. Here’s me (awhile ago now) on the 4th of July.
    F49F3A09-7B47-4F2B-95CB-698207376146.jpeg
     
  13. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    It really looks nice framed Randy. I was wondering if you got around to having this done. They did a great job and the signatures are so vibrant. Hopefully they used a glass that protects it.
     
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  14. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    Yes, I did have them use museum glass on it. Those signatures cannot be replaced!
     
  15. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Exactly! Are you hanging it at home or work?
     
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  16. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    I haven't decided quite yet. The thing is huge. I may put it in the entryway at my office.
     
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  17. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    It would look nice anywhere. I think I’d keep that one at home but that just me.
     
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  18. serafino

    serafino Well-Known Member

    Love that uniform. BTW, above your head in your photo, are those two .50 cal machine guns ? Interesting placement on the fuselage
     
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2021
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  19. rooman9

    rooman9 Lovin Shiny Things

    Yes. This is a later model of the b-25. It actually has 8 forward firing .50 cal the pilot could control for straffing. Two on each side of the plane and four sticking out around the front gunner.
     
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  20. thejaxcollector

    thejaxcollector Active Member

    While a student at Naval Postgraduate School in the mid-80s, I had the honor and privilege of meeting and dining with General Doolittle in Carmel, CA. He was very deaf from being around all those powerful engines, but he had some great stories, and told them well! My favorite was about him piloting an aircraft called the Bee or Super-Bee. Apparently very few pilots flew it and survived. Definitely an American original, and I will never forget him and his mission. I bought the medal to help me remember.
     
  21. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title] Supporter

    That looks fantastic. I love WWII aviation art. I think it will look great on your wall.

    I have a print depicting legendary ace Erich Hartmann in his Bf109 which is signed by Hartmann hanging on my wall. I love it.
     
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