does anyone have information on the markings of a TBF-1 on CV-7?
Karl Hamilton, e-mail, 11.09.2017 17:23
We have Marine Corps TBM 85 in Culpeper Va at CAF. Hanger is open 2nd Saturday every month. New paint and had to put a Bikini on Gayle Ann but it is in flying conditon. Need bomb racks and bombs for it. Going to Dallas Tx for Wings over Dallas Oct 6-8. The exhaust is a bear to R&R. Pilots say you have to be on your toes when tailwheel is on ground or it can get away. Good AC. Like a Cub,it's so slow it can barely kill you.
Jay Purdy, e-mail, 29.05.2016 04:57
My uncle and godfather, Lt. Medard Purdy, was piloting a "single engine torpedo plane" (according to newspaper account) that crashed on December 17, 1952 at Brown Field, California while practicing carrier landings. I've searched the internet exhaustively, but can find no further information about the accident. Any suggestions?
Frank Douglass AOM2/c, e-mail, 05.06.2015 07:06
Was the turret gunner on the TBF/M off the CVE 76 Kadashan Bay in VC 20 Squadron in 1945 following the Leyte Gulf battle and then in the Manila, Luzon invasion, we took a kamakazie and listing badly,our TBF's and F4F's were sent to other carriers as we left the battle for repairs. Both airplanes were excellent fighters.
Merton A. Bobo, e-mail, 17.03.2015 00:27
This airplane was the "workhorse" of the Navy in WWII. I I I was an aviation radioman/aircrewman in WW II and flew missions in the Pacific; Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. This airplane was incredible with armament in wings, 50 caliber turret, 30 caliber in the radio compartment, 2000 lb. bomb load in the bomb bay and (4) 5" rockets under each wing. Give much credit to this airplane for the retaking of islands from the Japanese in WWII. We supported the landings by Army and Marines. I am thankful for my experiences and thankful for many "near-sighted" Japanese anti-aircraft gunners as well. Grumman built great airplanes.
Dr Richard Dexter Olson, e-mail, 04.02.2015 22:55
I flew the airplane [ours were TBMs] for Advanced Flight Training at NAS Kingsville TX from Sept `54-Feb `55; GREAT airplane, my instructor was LT George Willey; flight mates were Dan Barker, & Dick Ellis; would love to hear from anyone who was there at the same time.
Ron Ely, e-mail, 30.01.2015 09:49
My dad, Dale R. Ely, served as a yeoman aboard the U.S.S. CHENANGO, CVE-28 during WWII, '42-45. They were involved in numerous South Pacific battles, and even transported several loads of POW's out of Tokoyo when the war ended. Dad was aboard until they sailed back down and through the Panama Canal, up the East coast to put the ship out of commission in Boston harbor. They had SBD's, F4F's (later traded in for F6F's) and TBM's. We took him to a 40's Warbirds Air Show in Chino, CA years ago before he died, and I'll never forget the look on his face when they fired those planes up to fly 'em! Especially the F6F, F4U and the TBM. There IS no other sound quite like one of those radial engines starting.
Tom Gillespie, e-mail, 17.01.2015 22:03
I was a aircraft radio technician 1st class and assigned to Stag One. We used the Avenger as control aircraft for drones in South Pacific during WWII.. Quite a aircraft.
Joe Hempsey, e-mail, 06.04.2014 23:03
My dad was a navy photographer/machine gunner in the Grumman TBF, South Pacific, Japan, Guam; amazing time, amazing stories and of course God bless the amazing men who literally saved the world.
john, e-mail, 22.03.2014 21:14
My uncle Lt jg lenord j Mason flew the TBMs off the USS Bunker Hill he was KIA anyone left that may of known him please let me know thanks
Willis E. Vanderberg, e-mail, 20.01.2014 23:28
I was aboard the carrier USS Salerno Bay CVE 110, from 51 to 53. We flew many TBM'S of her deck.We used both deck launch and catapult. We had two catapults the H-2 And H-4. The H-2 left a little to be desired but the H-4 was ok. It was quite an experience to put the plane on the deck at night in the north alantic, in mid winter with seas runnig high. It took a good LSO and pilot in a combined effort to accomplish the landing. I can only recall two fatalities in that period. Great rugged old bird
Leroy McVay, e-mail, 06.01.2014 20:58
Lets not forget General Motors made lots of these, designator TBM. Worked on them as full time reserve at Sand Point Naval Air Station, Seattle. Around 1955 they took the TBMs away and gave us AFs. Asked for our TBMs back. Later, around 1956, got S2F Gruman Gardians. BEGGED for our TBM back.
maryann, e-mail, 06.06.2012 02:40
anyone on this website know my uncle steven (TIPPY) turawski? his whole plane went missing over the triangle avenger bomber off of uss mindoro mid to late 40's.
Magnum78, 05.05.2012 04:11
A real classic WWII aircraft. With aircraft like that, I understand why Grumman earned the nickname "the smithy".
Mike, e-mail, 03.05.2012 18:42
My Dad, who passed away last year, was a AMM2 on board the USS Wasp (CV-18). He was Turret Gunner and absolutely had a love affair with the TBF/M! I took him to many WWII Weekend airshows in Reading, Pa. where he got to see a number of restored Avengers and even climbed up into the turret one year in full flight gear. . .he loved it!!
Joseph Brown, e-mail, 12.03.2012 19:35
I spent the most part of eight years in on of these old birds .I was in A.S.W 792as A radar man we had two crew men in the back. I thought it was great for what we were doing. JOSEPH BROWN ,GEORGIA.
Grady Jensen, e-mail, 07.02.2012 14:57
I went through operational training at NAS Fort Lauderdale, FL in 1945 and qualified in carrier landings in the TBF/TBM aboard the USS Wolverine, on Lake Michigan - out of NAS Glenview. Great airplane! Safe as an old rocking chair.
William H. Lyles, e-mail, 05.02.2012 22:09
The TBM's were a great plane and one of the safest to ever operate from an Aircraft Carrier because of their slow stall speed around 65 knots. I was a member of VS-892/VS-38 from 1951 to 1954. In 1953 we (VS-38) were the last squadron to deploy with TBM's during the Korean War. The Navy retired the old Turkey Birds and switched the the the new twin engine S2F's another great plane.
RON LEWIS, e-mail, 13.09.2011 23:52
For Peterbess: If you are talking of the upright, angled fitting on top of the port wingtip, that's the pitot tube.
Alvin :Bud Baron, e-mail, 16.08.2011 17:23
I was an aviation electronicsman 3rd class in VS 26 an anti-submarine squadron. In 1950-51, the plane was modified with the removal of the turret and addition of anti-submarine gear. The center canopy area behind the pilot had a radarman position added. The turret area had receivers for sonobuoys which were dropped in the water near suspected submarine sights. The belly which previously were quarters for the radioman housed a searchlight operator. The plane was designated a TBM 3N. This aircraft was the killer part of a hunter killer team. The hunter was equipped with a large belly radome and flew with a pilot and two radar operators squeezed into the back. Working with an American sub 100 miles off NOrfolk VA at midnight we had an engine failure at 300 feet. We lost the searchlight operator and could not get the raft out because the hatch was painted dark blue. The plane sank in seconds leaving me and the pilot with his one man raft. Six weeks later, flying off the USS Mindoro in Operation Lantflex a war game, around midnight, the hunter vectored us toward a suspected sub 440 miles SE of Bermuda. We located the sub which dove as we approached. We dropped several sonobuoys around the sub's last position. I heard the sub's propeller cavitation on my radios and vectored the pilot to drop more sonobuoys. I had very strong signals of the sub's prop, vectored the pilot around to drop a dummy depth charge on it. With the bomb bay doors opened and making these drops at 300 feet altitude in the dark, we accidentally flew into the sea. The force of the crash flew the raft out of its hatch. The pilot, the radarman, and I got out, but the searchlight operator who was just behind the open bomb bay window never made it out. The three of us hung on to the pilot's one man raft. Fortunately, we were picked up by the USS Harwood, a DE, several hours later.
peter, e-mail, 18.07.2011 05:42
hi guy's just building a scale looking 81" rc avenger and just wondering if you could help me with info i want to know what's on the left hand wing tip weather it's a fueling point or what? thank's in advance
John A. MacLean, e-mail, 14.06.2011 00:33
I had the good fortune of being a Plane Captain and crew member of one of these great craft, towing targets for our ship's gunnery practice in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba 1952-1954.
Our VU-10 TBM's were modified, eliminating the turret and all armament. Also had the misfortune of crashing once as we were landing on a short runway with an inexperienced pilot (but great guy). [Scared the hell out of the ordance man who popped open the door and "flew" out before the plane had stopped sliding along the runway].
Loved that old "Turkey".
Klaatu, e-mail, 24.04.2011 03:17
My father was a U.S. navy combat cameraman in the Pacific who flew numerous missions in Avengers from USS Yorktown, USS Hornet and USS Belleau Wood. During WW-II he flew combat missions in SBDs, SB2Cs, PBMs, PB2Ys, PBYs and even six missions in B-29s our of Saipan. However, he always maintained that the TBF was his favorite plane.
Around November 1944 one TBF he was in (from the Hornet, I believe) ditched in the ocean off the Philippines due to battle damage. The top gunner was killed, but my father and the pilot managed to get out and spent 18 hours in a rubber dinghy. He said that plane was so tough that it refused to sink, and they had to shoot it full of holes with their pistols in order to get it to go down. The reason they wanted it to sink was because they were afraid the Japanese on the shore would spot it and get to them before they could be rescued by their own side. In those days, the last thing anybody wanted was to fall into the hands of the Japanese!
Dean Woolery, e-mail, 14.03.2011 21:19
I was assigned to Hedron-3 at Cherry Point in 1953 by a Marine Major who thought he was funny, I guess. I had just come out of jet training in the TV-1 & -2 at Kingsville, Texas, and was a HOT PILOT--Russian boots and all. We were 3 airplanes (TBM-3)and 5 pilots. We were assigned as Observation aircraft at Vieques in Puerto Rico, with commissioned observation officers in the back seat for the LantLex Excercise in 1953.. We flew that great monster of an airplane at 90 knots up and down the hills and valleys of Vieques until they could get the OE-1's ashore and assembled. I have never worked so hard at flying an airplane, since it had no control boost, and at low speeds it was like a very large truck with no power steering. Developed great right arm muscles, though, as the AD-5 developed BRF (Big right feet).
Leroy McVay, e-mail, 12.01.2011 06:07
Best plane I ever worked on. Very reliable. Had to watch that R2600 for sollowing valves.
Ralph DeLange AE1, e-mail, 04.01.2011 01:13
We had about 8 of these birds at Capodichino field in Naples with VR-24 Det and FASRON77 from 52-55 while I was there. Good old bird and fun to fly in and work on. Flew mail and movies, etc from Rome to Naples and out to the fleet. Also flew some supplies to various places around the med and to Spain. Great duty.
Arthur Kuehn, e-mail, 21.12.2010 22:57
I was a pilot of a TBM-3D (night equipped) and flew off the USS Saratoga in VT(N) 53 in a night airgroup. Crashed one on deck, another caught on fire. Radome on right wing made the right wing stall out before the left.
Bob Schaumburg, e-mail, 12.12.2010 04:17
I was stationhed in Naples, Italy in the early 50's, we had a couple of these flying out to carriers in the 6th fleet, mostly mail and repair parts.
Mike Hall, e-mail, 20.11.2010 19:11
My father Albert J Hall Jr. (AMM3c) was on the Bunkerhill late 1943 to mid 1944 then his unit was transferred to Franklin. A couple of questions, I am trying to find out which VT unit he was assigned to and even though he was an Aviation Machinist, he said times he would be used as gunner in the tail section. I have seen photos of units and the ratings of of many of AMM 2 or AMM 3 had the word (gunner)after the rating. Not sure how often he did this as he was not awarded the Air Medal.He did speak of the bombing of Truk and could not believe that anyone could have survived it. He seemed to really think a lot the TBM, but that was the only aircraft he was associated with during his Navy tour. Any info that would help me I'D his VF unit would be appreciated.
A
Arthur A. Kropp, e-mail, 17.09.2010 15:45
I was a radioman in an Avenger from 1943/1948. Had over 40 combat missions with Air Group 20. Over 100 carrier landings on Enterprise/CV6, Lexington/CV16, Phillipine Sea/CV47. Survived Water Landing Off Luzon, Phillipines. Had five torpedo hits on Japanese forces. Most notable hit on Japanese Battleship, in battle of Leyte Gulf. Some battle damage to plane but what a great Aircraft at the time. Appeared in history channel documentery Battle 360.
Arthur Kropp akrop99@aol.com
Andy Winnegar, e-mail, 15.09.2010 06:17
If the TBM was not a great aircraft I might not be here today. I have over 500 hours as an Aviation Radioman in the Avenger most of which were with VC-4 aboard the USS White Plains. We survived two mid-air collisions and numerous small arms and AAA hits.
garry coulter, e-mail, 11.08.2010 07:44
I have just built a kit sit model of the Avenger309 good to hear she is being well looked after.I am a kiwi (New Zealander) was pleased to hear we flew them too. One version is being done as the original 309 and another kitset will be done as one of ours. would you be able by any chance to send a photo to put with her in my model room please? Thanks Garry
Benjamin (Kid) Hylko, e-mail, 26.05.2010 05:22
My dad was in the navy in WWII as a TBM Avenger Gunner. I happen to look at this site because my son was doing a project on WWII. He was in the Apr. 1944 class out of Memphis. He fought on the Cabot. Anybody out there know him? Would love to hear from you. My dad passed away in 1986 when I was a senior in high school. I am now an airline captain myself. He is missed.
Rob Duncan, e-mail, 19.02.2010 01:33
I fly and maintain the TBM Avenger "309" for CAF museum in Grand Junction, CO. I also maintain their website and have done many hours of research. According to the USN stats, the Avenger bore the brunt of most bombs delivered (32,700 tons), ships sunk, and accounted for 98 enemy aircraft destroyed in air-to-air combat while suffering only 47 losses. Note that this was against much nimbler and more heavily armed fighters! Of the 729 Avenger total losses, 422 came from anti-aircraft fire simply due to their tough mission. With nearly 10,000 delivered and over 46,000 combat sorties flown, the Avenger is certainly one of the safest places to be. "Fighters make movies - bombers make history"
kent scheib, e-mail, 11.02.2010 22:43
My Dad flew the TBM during WW2. The war ended before he was deployed overseas. He said the plane was very slow. He was glad he never saw combat in one of these. He said you had to fly the right speed and angle toward a ship to make the torpedo work properly. He said by the time you released the turbo you were so close to the ship and so slow you could shoot the TBM down with a shotgun! A little exaggeration I'm sure but you get the idea why so many went down during the war. Kent Scheib Perry, Iowa
Chuck Shields, e-mail, 06.02.2010 22:35
I have about 1000 hours in the TBM and two overseas deployments in VC-4 aboard the USS White Plains ,It was a fine plane for its day. No bad habits,easy to dly and land on the ship. A great experiemce !!
Ted Chapman, e-mail, 05.02.2010 00:16
After Pensacola I was assigned to torpedo operational training in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I was kept there as an assistant instructor for another 10 months. After that I qualified as a carrier pilot and was assigned to Air Group 7 in San Diego to be with the first replacement of pilots aboard the Roosevelt. Before we actually went boarded, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima stopped everything and the war ended. Of the TBM I would say it was a very stable and dependable plane. I had flown it in Florida probably 4 times a week for torpedo traing classes, test runs after 100 hour checks, towing target sleeves for gunnery practice, night flying training, and once to evacuate the NAS due to a hurricane warning in October 1944. Conservatively, I would estimate that I flew TBM's for at least 250 hours with never a problem.
Lloyd Nelson, e-mail, 02.02.2010 04:20
After completion of radio-radar school in Memphis .Ten. I went to Florida for flight training and aerial gunnery school. At that time the radioman had a 30cal. machine gun.also radar was something new.The screen was about the size of a pack of cigaretes . On completion I went to VT(N)-91 and later VT(N) 53, We did our flying at night and at times it got quite interesting. The TBM was a rather rugged plane but quite slow .
Joe Willis, e-mail, 02.02.2010 00:32
My Dad was stationed at Banana River naval Air Station late in the war. he is gone now, but from the stories he told, I believe he flew as a Radioman in the TBM. I don't have any of his service records. Any way to verify what flew out of BRNAS?
M/Sgt. Howard Fuller, USMC, e-mail, 27.01.2010 17:41
lifornia.
Roy S. Stevens, e-mail, 18.01.2010 22:57
I flew in the TBF/TBM as an Aviation Radioman from 1943 until 1946. It was a great airplant. It always brought us home although sometimes with war wounds. I uas unfortunate enough to have three charshes in this plane.
Jock Williams Yogi 13, e-mail, 05.08.2009 14:49
I was lucky enough to ferry a number of Avengers between two airports in Ontario Canada in the late 1960s. By then I was a newly graduated "jet pilot" in the RCAF -and although I had flown faster (by far) I had never flown anything that seemed bigger!
By then these classics were bud-worm sprayers -there were no torpedos on board -but in my imagination there were -and I flew the 20 odd miles of each trip at low level as if to avoid radar detection.
That huge round engine in front of you -and several yards of aluminium beneath you made you feel invulnerable!
An engine failure on short final of the last flight was a non-event -the gear was already down and the arrival a few feet short of the runway caused no more excitement than a long tow to the hangar where repainting was to take place.
Years later I used to see these planes at Fredericton New brunswick -in fact there was still one there last time I passed through. Pity I could never afford to own and fly one now -but at least I got a dozen flights 40 years ago. It is a classic!
Jock Williams Yogi 13
EARL F. LONG ADR1 (USN RET), e-mail, 31.07.2008 20:03
I MADE ME FIRST CARRIER LANDING AND TAKE OFF ABOARD THE USS CABOT IN 1945 I WAS A TURRET GUNNER IN A VA SQDRN. MY PILOT WAS REQUALIFING FOR CARRER LANDINDINGS AND TAKE OFFS. I AM NOW 87 YEARS OLD AND THE MEMORY IS ONE OF THE HIGH LIGHTS OF MY NAVY CARREER.
A. Airington, e-mail, 28.07.2008 20:28
I was a Turret gunner on this plane in WWII in the South Pacific. I keep a model of this plane that I bought and put together. For old times sake.
Alan Airington
Ed Venturini, e-mail, 16.07.2008 17:08
I flew as gunner in the TBM Avenger during WW II in the Pacific theater where our composite squadron of fighters/torpedo bombers were assigned to VC 87. We flew bombing missions prior to and during military landings on several Japanese held islands. The aircraft was very reliable and I'm pleased to say my pilot and the TBM carried me safe through the war. I flew with Ensign George Gay in a few training flights. Ed Venturini, Hamilton, Ohio
Paul R. Flow, e-mail, 11.05.2008 21:25
I was a Plane Captain on TBM's in WWII on CVE-62(USS Natoma Bay-Escort Carrier) in the Pacific. I believe the Bunker Hill was also a CVE.Our flight deck was only 490 feet long. Therefore, we usually catapulted the TBM's and flew the wildcats off.Once, when the catapult was broken, we flew the TBM's off, but with a lighter load.Most of them made it.I once had a ride in a TBM for a test-flight after repairs.The catapult take-off and arresting gear landing was quite a thrill for me.I rode in the ball-turret alongside a 50 cal. machine gun. Later I had several rides in the ball turret from land bases for glide-bombing practice. Quite a thrill. You can Google "Natoma Bay" and get some idea of what it was.
kevin loveridge, e-mail, 15.12.2006 13:55
there is one of these planes at my work at the port of Brisbane (Australia ) it has the following markings 337,USS BUNKER HILL,its wings a folded back and up . what can you tell me about this aircraft .i have some pictures of it but they are only on my phone . it also has a picture of a ladys heads and sholders and 4 japs ( kill flags)flags on left hand side under cock pit. thanks Kevin Loveridge Brisbane , Australia.
