B-24 Liberator bomber - Willow Run

[maxwell11]

hope it opens for you!

I know its a bit off topic, but after watching, you Ford boys may want to go out to the old Ford truck and salute.

as it's got a little of Willow Run in it.

A good video about the B-24 Liberator bomber. I think you'll enjoy it.

B-24 - Have you flown in a Ford lately?

This was BEFORE Pearl Harbor! Henry Ford was determined that he could mass produce bombers just as he had done with cars, so he built the Willow Run assembly plant in Mich. and proved it. It was the world's largest building under one roof at the time.
This film will absolutely blow you away - one B-24 every 55 minutes , and Ford had their own pilots to test them!!

ADOLF HITLER HAD NO IDEA THE U.S. WAS CAPABLE OF THIS KIND OF THING.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/iKlt6rNciTo?rel=0

[bikendan]

stsmark wrote:
Could have been Romania for the Standard connection, B-24's out of North Africa took a serious pounding at Ploesti but did big disruption to the Nazi oil supply, I think the syn fuel operations were close to petro oil for storage and shipping.
Hey if anyone is near Santa Rosa CA there is a real 2 control P-51 that goes for 500.00 a half hour but you get some stick time, if your familiar with the maneuver I'm sure you can do some rolls. Beautiful plane named Lady Jo, she races at Reno

if you're in SoCal, i know that you should be able to fly a warbird there at Chino Air Field, for a price. i flew a 1944 AT-6 there, years ago. i was able to do barrel rolls and some other cool things.
Planes of Fame museum is there and they have the best warbird airshow i've ever been to. that's where i saw the WWII bombers flyover, that i referred to in a previous post.

[stsmark]

Could have been Romania for the Standard connection, B-24's out of North Africa took a serious pounding at Ploesti but did big disruption to the Nazi oil supply, I think the syn fuel operations were close to petro oil for storage and shipping.
Hey if anyone is near Santa Rosa CA there is a real 2 control P-51 that goes for 500.00 a half hour but you get some stick time, if your familiar with the maneuver I'm sure you can do some rolls. Beautiful plane named Lady Jo, she races at Reno

[ken56]

look up The Wings Of Freedom tour thru the Collings foundation. Great orginization. I bought a ride in the 24 and it was worth every penny. I highly reccomend it if you can swing it. Just walking thru it is cool too!

[The_Mad_Norsky]

Engineer9860 wrote:
Norsky, I'm not aware that Standard Oil did that. It seems odd that something like that continued. When you consider the fuel rationing, and the Roosevelt administration's micro managing of all things war material it would be interesting to see how they were able to get away with it.

Perhaps through neutral Switzerland, but I'm guessing not in any direct capacity.

Sweden, maybe Spain also. Both neutral.

[stsmark]

My Dad was a Radio Operator on a B-24 out of England towards the end of the war but never really talked much about it. I was too young and dumb while he was still alive to ask any real questions, he passed when I was in the Navy at age 19.

About a year ago we went to the service for Cathy's Dads cousin who was a very quiet man of obvious character I met at a couple family functions. During the service they described his life and it turns out he was a Captain in the Army who went up Omaha Beach in the second wave. Within a month he was sent home wounded with a Silver Star. He never talked about any details of his battle prowess even to his children, in fact no one at the service knew any details. Cathy and I were talking about Normandy and I suggested she watch Saving Private Ryan, as Tom Hanks Company is pinned on the beach on of his soldiers turns in desperation and screams, Captain Miller your orders please! Her relatives name was Carter Miller, talk about the hair on the neck standing up.

[Engineer9860]

Norsky, I'm not aware that Standard Oil did that. It seems odd that something like that continued. When you consider the fuel rationing, and the Roosevelt administration's micro managing of all things war material it would be interesting to see how they were able to get away with it.

Perhaps through neutral Switzerland, but I'm guessing not in any direct capacity.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

Engineer9860 wrote:


Believe it or not, those B-24s did in fact bomb a Ford factory

and, believe it or not, many of those Luftwaffe fighters sent up to protect that factory were being fueled by synthetic fuel being developed in a joint venture by Nazi Germany and Standard Oil of the United States.

Fact is, the Justice Department decided to end the un-American activities process against Standard Oil in 1944, as in their judgement the war was already lost for Germany.

So from the US entry into the war in 1941, Standard Oil, in one form or another, was still doing business with Nazi Germany in 1944.

[navybanker]

Just finished reading the book "Aviators" about Lindbergh, Doolittle and Rickenbacker (SP)?. Willow Run is mentioned in the book. A very good book!

[Engineer9860]

thebudman wrote:
I think Ford should have moth-balled a few of those B-24s, then used them later to bomb whatever factory was making their 6.0 diesel motors.

Believe it or not, those B-24s did in fact bomb a Ford factory.

The Nazis were using captured GM and Ford assembly plants just outside of Antwerp Belgium to build trucks. On Tuesday, 4 May 1943 the US 8th Army Air Corps sent a formation of heavies on VIII Bomber Command mission #54 to knock out those two plants.

Ironic, huh?

Nothing was sacred.......it was after all, total war.

[thebudman]

I think Ford should have moth-balled a few of those B-24s, then used them later to bomb whatever factory was making their 6.0 diesel motors.

[BroncosFan]

7 young men go through what their grandfathers did to experience a bomber crew. Part 1 of 4
http://youtu.be/P014uRw-o-k

[bikendan]

one of the airshow highlights i've witnessed, was a flyby with all the great American bombers of WWII.
in formation, were a B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26 and B-29.

i knew that i'd probably never witness that again.

[mbopp]

Oh, yeah.
Years ago I followed the Warbird circuit. At Geneseeo, NY I have a pic of 12 or so B-17 tails all lined up.
I've seen Senimental Journey, it is impressive.
Willow Run had teething problems, it was called "Willit Run" before it came up to speed.
The B-24's were favored for Pacific operations where their longer range was appreciated more. The B-17's were favored in Europe for their ability to withstand battle damage.
One of my wife's uncles was a bombardier on a B-17.
Another of her uncles was a flight engineer on a B-24. He was awarded a Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster but refused to talk about any details on it.

[jmtandem]

The Dodges that were in WW2 were called Weapons Carriers(WC series)
I restored a WC62 about 24 years ago and drove it in the Veterans day parade for many years.I found the truck in a juckyard that used it as a tow truck.
the truck appealed to me as it was the only 6x6 made by Dodge.
The WC dodges omly had a single speed transfer,exept for the WC62 seies

Every year, usually in April, at Tower Park in the California Delta is the gathering of Military Vintage Vehicles by collectors and a swap meet. Sometimes this includes a Huey UH-1, some tanks, half tracks, many many jeeps, WC's, and many Deuce and a Halfs. For those interested it is a happening. Lots of info on the web if interested.