"A WW2 Pilot Strapped Rockets to a Recon Plane..." Topic

…. TO HUNT TANKS

"Charles Carpenter, or "Bazooka Charlie" as he's now remembered, served as an Army pilot in the Second World War, tasked with locating enemy positions from the air for artillery bombardment. Aircraft like Carpenter's unarmed L-4 Grasshopper were perfect for low-level, low-speed reconnaissance, but ol' Bazooka Charlie aspired to do more than spot enemy tanks… he wanted to destroy them himself.

The Army's L-4 Grasshopper, which is more commonly known by its civilian moniker, the Piper J-3 Cub, was an American design out of the Piper Aircraft firm that first went into production in 1938. Its simple strut-braced monoplane design made the aircraft extremely manageable at the sort of low, loitering speeds needed for a reconnaissance or military liaison aircraft. The Cub was so well suited for the role that the American military would eventually order more than 5,400 of the newly dubbed "L-4 Grasshoppers" for the fight…"

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Armand

I designed an Arracourt scenario that featured Bazooka Charlie. Nice chrome but little effect on the game besides annoying the German players.

Thanks

Armand

Without doubting the chap's courage, I am extremely sceptical of the claims made. The velocity and range of a US "bazooka" was very low. Bear in mind that the much more powerful, longer ranged, purpose designed 3" rocket projectiles used by RAF fighter bombers only had a 0.5% probability of a direct hit on a tank target. And with a 60lb HE warhead, they could and did inflict damage with a near miss, whilst a bazooka HEAT round needed a direct hit.

I visited an air museum near Cape Canaveral that had a Piper Club configured with the rockets.

Wolfhag

Thanks!

Armand