Recent content by Mike Wenger

Mitsubishi Type 0 Carrier Fighter, Akagi, Hitokappu Bay, circa 26 November 1941. From an original print. (Al Makiel Collection)

Yes... eBay!! There are about $100-$300 a pop... when you can find them. Do you have any idea of the country in question? I might have the map in my collection.

Very, very nice! In 1/72, it is NOT the only game in town... The bagged Frog kit from the early 1972s (if you could find it) was a real pig! ;)

The reason for the Aichi Type 99s being armed was likely two-fold... 1. They were far more agile and could give a decent account of themselves in air-to-air actions... witness the combats over O'ahu on 7Dec41. Secondly, doctrine dictated that the carrier bombers were to strafe the targets as...

Co-author John Di Virgilio and I corresponded with Yoshioka-san from the 1990s up until a couple of years ago. He is a wonderful, generous man. We have interviews, documents, etc. from three of the eight crews and have been able to determine who attacked what. The attacks by the Soryu's torpedo...

Well, you're correct (Thanks!). Swenson's 40-2074, tail# 31/39B IS the correct info. Actually, I do have the correct number in the Hickam book, thank heavens. The tail number is from a photo of Swensen's wreakage dozed off of the apron against Hangar 5. Have been meaning to do a build of the...

Just got out a map and a protractor... 1. The PBY at right is aligned with the face of Hangar 38 that runs along the channel at an angle of 20 degrees, generally ENE. 2. Sunrise on O'ahu in early December in generally out of the SE, about 315 degrees. I do have a navigational reference for...

Here is the uncropped version of the PH photo. Note the long shadow on the PBY at far left. Perhaps it was taken around 0930-1000. But, then there is the "direct" shadow on the PBY at far right. Hmmmm. Need to get out a map of the harbor. MW

Peter, It was taken on 7 December about mid-morning to midday, judging from California's deck logs, and the shadow underneath the fire truck. California's deck log has the following entry: "0930 large patch of fuel oil between berths F-3, and F-4 [north of the California in Berth F-3, but...

Greg, I would agree totally. That, however, is the sad state of affairs when using fragmentary/incomplete sets of records. Ideally, I should have been able to have contacted the families of the other officers and enlisted crews, and sweet-talk them into climbing into their attics to pull...

Popeye... Finally found the photocopy in my files of Ernest Reid's logbook entry for 7Dec41, which verifies which aircraft he flew from Hamilton to Hickam... 40-2070. This calls into question how the heck one can interpret dates on the history cards. Maybe someone such as Dana Bell might be...

Hmmm... probably. There was so much debris in the water, and it was well nigh impossible to see forward over the cowling. From surviving reports, the PBYs taking off had to do a real dance around the flotsam in the water, so as to avoid puncturing the hull. There are other details that are...

One of the disappointing facets of my research for our NASPH book, was the nearly total lack of documentation regarding the SOC/OS2U flights from Pearl Harbor subsequent to the attack. The spotty dispatch traffic--preserved to/from the Tangier, and some to/from CinCPac--mentions occasional side...

Popeye, Earlier today, I sent a message to the board folks asking how to get you a private message. I have the parking schematic for Hickam that I'll send to you since you seemed to be interested in that. Basically, we compiled it from a single Japanese strike photo. The pilot was just at the...

Greg & Special Ed... I just dredged up the crew for that A-20A search north of O'ahu. Pilot - Capt. Perry S. Cole (O-324671 ) - 58th Bomb Sq. Bomb. - TSgt. James F. O'Shea (6535829) - 23rd Bomb Sq. His MOS = 174, Radio Electrician RG - Pfc. Rodney W. House (6934129) -...