Spotting for the Big Guns

[@ExUSSailor]

The humble OS2U Kingfisher is probably the first aircraft I think of when I think of WW2 battleships.

[@crystalrock18]

I was going to say that but you beat me to it. The kingfisher was a downed aviators blessing.

[@brianwilson3458]

So battleship curator must be a real unit of measurement. Ryan keeps using it.

[@roderickcampbell2105]

Hi Brian. I noticed this and I think it's great idea. A good way of putting the human touch on measurements. "One curator" should become a universal measurement. It's also multidimensional but hardly uses dimensions. Powerful concept.

[@stephenbritton9297]

The COD that brought the mail to the CV, then the chopper that transferred it to the BB… those are the two most important aircraft!

[@adamdejesus4017]

Near the end of the Vietnam war, Cessna and the USAF deployed the OV-2 to replace the Cessna "Birddog". In the film Bat-21, Danny Glover flies an OV-2 and uses the callsign "Birddog". Spotting for naval or land-based guns and spotting for attack aircraft are largely similar missions that rely completely on the eyes of the pilot or observer.

[@vapormissile]

Loved the book! The guys doing this kind of work are always the best. In the civil war, I think they used guys suspended from kites as spotters. Guts and a pair of eyes.

[@bastarddoggy]

After I saw Bat 21 I went out and found that plastic model kit. The Cessna 337 skymaster/ov2. The kit allowed you to build either version. Those are neat planes and there are still a few "Sky Smasher / Mix Masters" out there. But I think they've got a few airworthiness directives on them that makes them pretty expensive to maintain and they have to be flown within certain limits or airframe fatigue will cause some nasty failures.

[@tellyknessis6229]

Ryan said "stringbag" - the nickname for the Fairey Swordfish of WW2 renown (Bismarck, Taranto, etc). Which was often carried by RN BBs for spotting/communications/ASW... My father flew in the floatplane version from Warspite in the Eastern Med in 1940/41. I think the Supermarine Walrus "pusher" flying boat took over in later years.

[@20chocsaday]

Later the Swordfish could carry radar aloft.

[@Mariner311]

Went through NGFS (Naval GunFire Support) Spotting School in 1988 as a Seahawk Crewman - the Predator wasn't around yet. Was VERY cool - we trained initially in OV-10 Bronco's backseat and then moved back to OUR aircraft. Flew AROUND the Missouri & Wisconsin during Desert Shield/Storm, but they had their own drones by that point. After The Gulf - got to do a dozen bounces off Missouri's flight deck heading to Fleet Week in San Francisco 1992 - just before she was decomissioned.

[@b1laxson]

PBY Catalina as spotters for and of fleets, like the battle of Midway. They also had a night raider version of them called the Black Cats.

[@BCaldwell]

Birddog and Grasshopper were some bad dudes...

[@keithrosenberg5486]

I heard of grasshoppers and birddogs. There were helicopters in use during WWII.

[@jimfleming3975]

How about something on the Consolidated PBY Catalina? It was in all theaters & was the true jack of all trades but, master of many.

[@rilmar2137]

Ah, Bird Dog. Very cool little plane. As an avgeek, I love to learn how aircraft have been helping in land and naval combat

[@baron7755]

I love how its still the 90s for you with your dangling belt

[@emmabird9745]

Going back in time, walrus and swordfish featured on British battleships. At the River Plate a fairey Firefox spotted for Ajax and Achilles. Even further back there were Sopwith 1 1/2 strutters and Cuckoos. I have seen film of blimps, powers inflatable balloons with a two seat gondola spotting for battleship guns. The technology of fire a shot and spot the fall of shot from an aircraft dates back to the western front in 1915.

[@davidneel8327]

In the Pacific war spotter aircraft were flown from modified LST's. There was a launch and recovery system that used cables. I think they may have been used in the Med. in WW2 as well.

[@seafodder6129]

Chinooks. Those supplies, be they food, ammunition, spare parts, they gotta get aboard somehow to keep the mission going...

[@alexh3153]

My father had a j3 piper cub for 30 years. Back in the day here in Maine my great grandfather pioneered the use of planes for spotting fish and then relaying directions to the fishing fleet. Same practice as spotting fall of shot just different industry

[@mcgherkinstudios]

Why does this give me images of a fishing boat with turrets and 16 inch fishing net launchers? 😂

[@victoriacyunczyk]

My dad used to go to the gym with a guy who flew Birddogs in Vietnam. He still had the under seat armor from when he was hit by a 50cal.

[@loosehandle1]

Who needs the metric system when we have the curator system?

[@TheChipmunkt10]

Did you know that the US Navy ,”borrowed” a dozen or so Spitfire 5’s . They were borrowed for Gunnery spotting for the Battle Ships which gave fire support during the Normandy Landings in June 1944. Spitfire 5’s - 9’s had been used before (again mostly borrowed) by the Army Air Force . For the US Navy it was the first time however. This was because the French Coast was only around 80 Miles away. So a Spitfire could cross the Channel, spot for the Guns, then return to an airfield on Southern English Coast. The Navy Pilots learnt to fly the Spitfires at RAF’s Tangmere and West Hampnet , the latter was where their Army Colleagues flew Spitfire 5’s at the beginning of the War. Being the US Navy, they were based at RNAS Lee on Solent aka HMS Deadelus. As I mentioned this was a temporary arrangement, the Spitfires were only used while the US Navy provided Fire Support for the Normandy operations.

[@Curmudgeon2]

had a friend, infantry officer, that was supported by NJ in Vietnam.......NFO would call for fire then come back with round on the way then the sound of a freight train and suddenly a hole in the ground about the size of a city block.

[@callen6893]

My grandfather flew L4s in WWII in the European theater. He was actually shot down and got a Purple Heart for it. He passed away years before I was born. Liaison aircraft like that had multiple uses. Besides being a aerial spotter aircraft, they were used for mail delivery, air ambulance, move around the higher ups, flight instruction, etc. The big thing especially for the WWII liaison aircraft is they were essentially unarmed (only weapon was the pilot/spotter’s sidearm. Towards the end of WWII a pilot strapped a pair of bazookas to his that he could remotely fire from the cockpit. He was credited with taking out a tank and harassing the enemy supply lines. As for under appreciated aircraft SNJs (Navy advanced trainer), E2 Hawkeye, P3 Orion, S2 Tracker

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

USS Missouri actually had Iraqi troops surrender to her drone in "Desert Sword"... They saw the drone overhead, knew what was to follow and all ran into the open with their hands in the air.

[@doughudgens9275]

One of the OH 58 helicopters missions, was artillery spotting. I got a flight in one at Ft Sill and called for fire on a target. Land navigation at more than walking speed was a skill I developed in my early Army career, because all I had was a 1:50,000 map to use to identify the target location. After the first round, then you adjusted fire for effect like Ryan explained.

[@slimeydon]

The Kingfisher and Seahawk

[@Dennis-uc2gm]

My uncle served on the USS Alabama during WW II and that ship had 2 steam catapulted what he called "Goony Birds", but I've never seen much information on them.

[@franklinwerren7684]

I flew in a Piper Cub, and a Cessna 152 and it’s big brothers 172 & 182. I think the Cub was a repainted string bag that was given to the Civil Air Patrol. It was a real experience to get to fly in that Piper. I also got a ride in a T-34 once as well.😊😊😊

[@michaelsommers2356]

I didn't know the T-34 could fly. No wonder it was such an effective tank.

[@paulhurst7748]

The Kingfisher float plane.

[@wfoj21]

E2 Hawkeye and E1 Tracer- then the Fairey Gannet AEW.3 & Sea King ASaC7./ The eyes of the fleet.

[@ExUSSailor]

Fairet Gannet, the UGLIEST airplane ever built!

[@mytmousemalibu]

Not only do I know about the L-4 and the Birddog, but ive flown in a real L-4 Grasshopper and did some light aerobatics in it! The only significant difference between the L-4 Grasshopper and the civilian J-3 Cub is the wing. The L-4 is essentially a factory clipped wing Cub.

[@RB-ib3mo]

Just like the ship Ryan's beard is getting majestic. Love the content

[@Michael_Brock]

Seagulls or kingfishers were used as Spotter planes during ww2. These were catapult launched aircraft that landed upon the sea, not sure if either was amphibious. Both were crane lifted back onto the fantale for next launch.

[@e1amajor]

All british and commonwealth heavy ships operated the seegull 4 .walrus . otter family originally built for the australian albatross seaplane carrier

[@mikereinhardt4807]

I believe some ship actually launched a small fixed wing observation aircraft and retrieved it on a hook in mid flight. Would like to see a video about that...

[@e1amajor]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5Wve62MrdpqbJI

[@thurin84]

i would say u2s and sr-71s were instrumental in battleship operations because its their intel that influenced where battleships were sent.

[@CAPNMAC82]

The Frog, aka RH/CH-46 Sea Knight. Frog is _still_ in use today.

[@usnusmcret]

In Vietnam, the little Cessnas were called TWA or teeny-weeny Airlines

[@BrentGlenn]

Nice Air Force Gloves!

[@GamingForDummies1]

i love you guys!

[@Token_Civilian]

Great episode. And my goodness, are you going for the Civil War General look? The beard is top quality.

[@george_364]

I have always wondered how often the planes that many battleships and cruisers carried were actually used for spotting in a battle at sea, and how effective that was.

[@tankman7711]

Anti sub birds ( S3 Vikings, P3 Orion's). COD birds, EA6 Growlers, WHALES,. WW2 USN Privateers (USN version of B-24), used for all sorts of details.All sorts of " Birds" that were not " sexy" enough for Hollywood or books but they got the job done.

[@WBtimhawk]

Any of the early airborne radar aircraft would probably fit the bill, especially in the context of providing AA escort for a carrier group.

[@mbterabytesjc2036]

Nice, the curator wing span is six feet. This means a B52 has a wing span of one foot less than 31 curators. Puts everything into perspective. 😊 😏 😉

[@davidvavra9113]

Or you could say, a single engine WWII fighter had a 33 or so foot wingspan, and a predator has a 49 foot wingspan.. Or, a Predator is bigger than a Spitfire or Mustang

[@Based_Lord_Humongous]

How did the Navy determine what aircraft would operate from the battleships and other capital ships

[@doorwhisperer]

Have they ever tried shooting down a projectile in mid air .... using another projectile? Could it be computed on the battleship?

[@asn413]

i forget the designation, but i'd like to see the OS2U's predecessor, the biplane wasn't it called back into service when its replacement failed?

[@nigelterry9299]

Many convoys had Hurricane fighters on rudimentary catapults fitted and my father did a trip to Murmansk as a mechanic for one of these. I'd love to know if there is anything about them.

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

A brave man, your Dad. Those were CAM ships. For Catapult Armed Merchant. They carried a single Hurricane. It was mounted on the catapult in port and that was it. No spares. The catapult itself wasn't that rudimentary. The concept was. Main issue was what to do with the pilot once he was low on fuel into the middle of the Arctic Ocean. If an escort carrier was close enough, they would land on it. For the most part, it was down to praying you spotted a destroyer very soon and ditching alongside. Or ditching and being spotted. If you were still kicking about in this world, that is. Don't have the numbers now, but it was... dodgy at best. Did what they could and it was no small feat. But still dodgy as hell. Cheers.

[@randyogburn2498]

Any of the helicopters that provide support & deliver people & things to the ship.

[@KJAkk]

There has been a lot of drone spotted artillery videos this past year.

[@Adiscretefirm]

It would be a real white knuckle mission if the target had a lot of AA and you were piloting a Piper Cub.

[@dutchman7216]

How about blimps during the 1920s and 30s they were still using those for spotting as well.

[@Michael_Brock]

Video of seagull and kingfisher on new jersey ww2 please. Not sure if seagulls were used on new jersey. Seagulls used by battleships at start of war, kingfisher mid to late war as numbers built up. Over 1500 kingfishers were made by the US, and were used by the US navy, Royal navy, royal Australian navy, and even the Soviet navy.

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6XdiGqnZ8-Uo68

[@alanrogers7090]

How about the Kingfishers?

[@stevenjennings197]

Did New Jersey ever use the drones that became famous from the Gulf War and Wisconsin?

[@KJAkk]

Yes she did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH6weJyomamqi7c

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH6weJyomamqi7c

[@billbrockman779]

The USN spotters used Spitfires for D Day since they figured the Kingfisher couldn’t survive.

[@amazingman5493]

Bronco.

[@aeverl0]

Maybe a balloon