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good things must have a beginning. They did not believe that the word "good"
was presumptive, for it was their commitment to save life, not to destroy it
that functioned in a time of war, and may have seemed a paradox. The purpose
of this organization was to accompany fighter and bomber squadrons,
effecting immediate rescue of their crews, whos misfortune may lie in being
set adrift on the open sea. In so doing we may not have only saved human
life but trained and experienced fliers, who can again be at their battle
stations with a minumum loss of time. Exclusive of the humanitatian aspect,
the monetary saving was not inconsideratble. It is estimated that the aggregate expense, to the Government, for the training program of an
aircrew of ten men, approached a figure in excess of $200,000. In the event of high
swells, making water landings impractical, close radio liaison is maintained with surface
craft, namely crash boats. Pursuant to the geographic bearings received, these craft
located and picked up survivors that are stranded on dinghies, or that are floating in
pneumatic life rafts.
Generally speaking, the greatest good that could have been accomplished by a
smoothly functioning rescue unit was that of maintaining and sustaining the
morale of flying fighter and bomber personnel.
THE AIR FORCE'S NAVY
When the United States entered World War II the Army Air Force faced a
monumental problem created by large numbers of aircraft making over-water
flights for the first time. In addition to bomber and fighter missions, air
force crews flew anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort duty; they ferried
aircraft, carried personnel, and hauled cargo. Many flights were over vast
stretches of ocean. It was inevitatble that because of mechanical failure,
enemy action, or disorientation, some planes would be forced down at sea.
The planes would float long enough for crews to escape in rubber rafts, but
the air force entirely land-based in concept and equipment, had no aircraft
that could put down on water to pick them up. In the early days in the
Pacific, the air force called on the U.S. Navy patrol squadrons and the
Royal Australian Air Force to bring home their airmen; in Europe and the
Mediterranean they depended on the Royal Air Force.
While this system saved a number of lives, members of the Air Force's top
echelon were aware that the missions of other branches and other nations
came first and that the rescue of Air Force crews had to come second. They
recognized that the Air Force would be men and money ahead if it had its own
rescue units whose primary duty was the retrieval of downed fliers. Such a
possibility was discussed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 1942. At
first, serious consideration was given to expanding the Coast Guard, to
which rescue operations were second nature. But the subcommitee
investigating the idea determined that too many obstacles beset an expansion
great enough to allow the Coast Guard to cover all types of rescues in all
parts of the world. Discussions continued and eventually a decision was
reached: Each branch of service would conduct its own air-sea rescue
efforts. General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, wartime chief of the Air Force, was
quick to order the organization and training of seven air-sea rescue
squadrons.
Of the aircraft then available the best suited for plucking men from the sea
was a Consolidated PBY-5A. It was considered obsolescent, but it had its
advantages: it was amphibious, it's slow speed allowed time for careful
scrutiny of search areas, its range allowed it to accompany bombers to their
targets and back (until the advent of the B-29), and it could take off with
a heavy load of waterlogged airmen. However, Consolidated was working to
capacity on wartime contracts, and the prospect of obtaining PBY's direct
from the factory within a reasonable period looked grim. The Navy came to
the rescue, transferring fifty-four (54) PBY-5's and PBY-5A's - Air Force
designation OA-10 and OA-10A - to begin filling out the table of
organization and equipment. The bulk of the Air Force requirement for
amphibious was filled by Canadian Vickers, which found room in its
production schedule for an order of 230 OA-10A's. Deliveries begain in
December 1943 and continued until February 1945. Late in the war
seventy-five (75) PBY-6A's were delivered to the Air Force by Consolidated
as OA-10B's.
On 11 March 1943 the Air Force
started training its "navy". Special Order 58 transferred thirty-nine newly
trained second lieutenant pilots from Advanced Flying School at Stockton
Field, California, to Pensacola, Florida "for the purpose of naval air
intermediate training in PBY-5 aircraft." The following day an identical
order was given to nine pilots at LaJunta, Colorado. The course included two
weeks of advanced navigation training at Selman Field, Louisiana, and then
six weeks flight training in the PBY's at Pensacola, this conducted by the
Navy and according to the Navy training syllabus.
It was no small comfort to be assured that hovering on the edge of battle was a
friendly formation, waiting expectantly to pull one out of the "drink", should
he be ill-fated in combat. Such peace of mind definitely contributed to the
prevention of "war jitters" and "flying fatigue". It was no less
reassuring to know that as soon as a ship was abandoned the location has been accurately
plotted and a PBY was launched on its "Dumbo" mission, much of the fear of
"ditching" is thereby circumvented and the hope of survival made almost a
certainty. Like the loaded automatic pistol at the MP's side, the very presence of an
Emergency Rescue Squadron promoted the realization that help and protection was there,
should the exigency arise. This gave to the airmen an additional measure of confidence, so
vital to mental composure, for no man is unafraid. Statements made by those actively
engaged in Sea Rescue work, painted vivid portraits of human suffering experienced by men
adrift on the ocean for many days, whose misery was exceeded only by their touching
demonstrations of appreciation at the time of rescue. The Second Emergency Rescue Squadron
was credited with rescuing over 700 downed fliers during their tenure in the South Pacific
from the time they arrived in July 1944 until the end of the war in August 1945.
Known as the
"Snafu Snatchers", this squadron was the
first Army Air Force unit of its kind in the Pacific. In July 1944, it was
assigned to the 5th Air Force from which it was
transferred to the 13th Air Force in September 1944. Using OA-10A's
(equivalent to Navy PBY-5A's) the Second Emergency Rescue Squadron retrieved
over 300 airmen from death or capture during the first six months of its
activity.
This close up shows the
"Snafu
Snatchers" nose art painted on the right side of their OA-10A's. "SNAFU"
stood for "Situation
Normal,
All
Fouled
Up," although another word was usually used for
the "F". Rafts with numbers were painted on the opposite side of the fuselage to
indicate the crewmen rescued by the aircraft.
See the plaque that was dedicated in September 2002 at the
U.S. Air Force Museum
in Dayton, Ohio.
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