SUPER MAN
Who was Super Man's pilot? What did were the nicknames he & Louie had for each other?
Russell Allen Phillips
"Phil" & "Zamp"
What precautions does the island of Oahu take against attack?
- They were on constant alert.
- They blacked out everything from windows to headlights at night.
- Soldiers carried gas masks.
- Barbed wire ran along the beaches.
What was the nickname of a serviceman's life vest?
Mae West
How many holes did Super Man sustain in its last mission?
594 holes
What was Louie's job on Super Man? What was his area of the plane known as?
* bombadier
* the green house
Name one practical joke Louie pulled that involved chewing gum.
- Jamming gum into the cockpit's urine relief tube
- Replacing his normal gum with laxative gum for Cuppernell & Phil to steal.
What lesson did an elderly Hawaiian man give Louie regarding how to battle sharks?
"Open eyes wide, bare teeth, bop shark in nose"
Which crew member did not survive this mission?
Harry Brooks
What were 2 nicknames for the B-24 Liberator?
"The Flying Coffin"
" The Constipated Lumberer"
"The Flying Brick"
How did the American's fool the Japanese flying reconnaissance missions?
They created airfields equipped with only plywood planed & equipment.
Name 2 of the problems or dangers that could lead to crashes.
- plane malfunctions - tropical storms
- Runways (too short & narrow w/ trees)
- human error
- navigation
What were Super Man's 3 primary injuries?
-- Dinner table-sized chunk missing from rudder
-- hole in the bomb bay door
-- hydraulic line cut & fluid leaking
Name 3 challenges in flying the B-24.
* frail wings
What was the destination of the crew's first mission? How many hours of flight would it require to complete?
Wake Atoll
16 hours
What was the "sad truth" that all airmen had to face?
The vast majority of downed airmen were never found. The chances of fulfilling one's duty was 50% (pg 75)
What challenges did Phil face in landing Super Man on Funafuti?
- no brakes
- rudder half gone
- 5 hours to Funafuti
- runway too short/ coming in at 110 mph
- 5 crewmen injured
What Squadron & crew did Louie belong to?
(hint: 2 numbers)
372nd Squadron
Crew 8
Name 3 of the challenges the crew met upon its mission.
- Could not see the airstrip; had to drop to 2500ft
- AA guns, tracer bullets
- Bomb bay doors stuck open/ Burning up fuel faster
-Midway was tiny & it was foggy/ 1 engine out
What were the horrors of downed airmen?
- sharks
- hunger, thirst, exposure
- insanity
- capture by the Japanese
In attacking Funafuti, Japan hit the "jackpot." What was the "jackpot"?
A row of parked B-24s that were gassed up & loaded with bombs.