Amazing WW2 story!

[LoboGunLeather]

Tripped across this article this morning:

WWII heroics of 'Bazooka Charlie' doubted until Granville daughter sets record straight

Major Charles Carpenter, a WW2 reconnaissance pilot flying a Piper L4 Grasshopper, the military version of the venerable Piper Cub light single-engine airplane, about 800 lbs. of welded steel and wood frame covered with fabric.

Major Carpenter managed to mount 6 bazookas under the wings of the airplane and repeatedly attacked German tanks in low altitude and low speed attacks in support of US ground forces in the European Theater.

The airplane, named "Rosie the Rocketer" by Carpenter (himself nicknamed "Bazooka Charlie") has been found and restored. Reportedly located in Austria where its post-war usage was towing gliders. During restoration work numerous bullet holes were found, and signed names of the assembly workers were seen on the framework.

Now the subject of a book written by Major Carpenter's daughter.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Sounds like our version of Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Amazing. There are some pics of the restored plane on the book on the publisher's website, with Carpenter's graphic artist granddaughter painting the nose art.

 

[dave1918a2]

Talk about an "unsung hero' !!! Definently going to get the book.

 

[Greyman50]

Read about him years ago as a US military historian. Collins foundation is a good organization they support quite many air shows with very nice A/C.

 

[Buford57]

Left the armchair experts with egg on their faces, didn't she? The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

 

[DWalt]

Seems I remember reading a WWII story about a dogfight between an American observation plane and a German observation plane involving pistols.

 

[Rudi]

Seems I remember reading a WWII story about a dogfight between an American observation plane and a German observation plane involving pistols.

Yes, the US plane flew in close. Both Americans pulled their 1911s and blasted the Storch, IIRC, the motor was hit and the Germans had to crash land?

 

[TLflag]

Another Story

There is another story somewhere, of an American pilot who was hanging in his parachute, pulled his 1911 and returned fire on an attacking enemy plane and killed the pilot. Read that many years ago.
Terry

 

[lihpster]

There is another story somewhere, of an American pilot who was hanging in his parachute, pulled his 1911 and returned fire on an attacking enemy plane and killed the pilot. Read that many years ago.
Terry

It was in the Pacific. American bomber crew member shot down a Japanese plane with his 1911. If you go to Youtube and search for The Fat Electrician, he has a pretty funny video on it. Caution: Language not safe for work or church.

 

[llowry61]

Wow interesting story. Granville Ohio is about 10 miles from me. A really nice little college town. Dennison University is located there along with the Granville and Buxton Inn's both supposedly haunted. It truly is a small world.

The guy sounds like a hard charger. I wonder how we would fare in a similar conflict with the young people we have today. Sure hope we have a few like him in the ranks.

 

[Hair Trigger]

Tripped across this article this morning:

WWII heroics of 'Bazooka Charlie' doubted until Granville daughter sets record straight

Major Charles Carpenter, a WW2 reconnaissance pilot flying a Piper L4 Grasshopper, the military version of the venerable Piper Cub light single-engine airplane, about 800 lbs. of welded steel and wood frame covered with fabric.

Major Carpenter managed to mount 6 bazookas under the wings of the airplane and repeatedly attacked German tanks in low altitude and low speed attacks in support of US ground forces in the European Theater.

The airplane, named "Rosie the Rocketer" by Carpenter (himself nicknamed "Bazooka Charlie") has been found and restored. Reportedly located in Austria where its post-war usage was towing gliders. During restoration work numerous bullet holes were found, and signed names of the assembly workers were seen on the framework.

Now the subject of a book written by Major Carpenter's daughter.

During Operation Overlord, it became a rather common practice for L-4 pilots to have at least one (usually two) M1A1 bazookas mounted under each wing. They could fire either an armor piercing round or a white phosphorus round, and used the WP's to mark targets for ground attack planes or for artillery observers to target their guns by. Carpenter added two more than usual, which put his plane pretty close to maximum gross weight.

The L-4 (Piper Cub) had a useful load weight of about 235 pounds, with a 175 pound pilot and a full tank of gas. Six bazookas, loaded with a rocket propelled grenade each, weighed around 100 pounds.

The listed nominal effective range of a bazooka was about 110 yards when shoulder fired, but had up to 400 yards maximum range with a lobbed shot. Since the pilot was flying a plane that would do about 75-80 mph in a shallow dive under full power, he'd have to fire when he was within 100 yards or less to insure enough accuracy to hit his target. Patton stressed to his ground troops that the bazooka was a defensive weapon and to hold fire to within 30 yards to insure a hit. In any case, you're well within pistol range when you use the thing, and in a slow, low-flying canvas covered airplane you were a sitting duck at the altitude and distance you'd fire one. These rocket propelled grenades would penetrate 4-1/2 to 5 inches of armor.

I used to fly radio control planes and once built a 1/5 scale (6-1/4 foot wingspan) model of a L-4 and put a bazooka under each wing (they were actually mounted on the wing struts) as a scale detail. Although I don't fly models any more, I'm building a 1/4 scale version (9 foot wingspan) now with intentions of donating the model to our local air museum. I plan to build it as "Rosie the Rocketer". I've read about this for many years, it was an idea that became a regular practice by observation planes during Korea and Vietnam.

 

[soFlaNative]

I may be overlooking the obvious but how were the bazookas triggered during flight?
Pulling a string?

 

[oldbrownhat]

I may be overlooking the obvious but how were the bazookas triggered during flight?
Pulling a string?

I was wondering the same thing. I've never fired one but operating a shoulder-fired weapon from a plane cockpit would require some Mcgyvering.

Maybe we have to buy the book to find out...

 

[lihpster]

I would imagine, since they are electrically fired in any case, a series of switches in the cockpit could be rigged up. Complete circuit #1 and tube #1 fires. Repeat as needed.

 

[dmar]

The progenitor of the A10 Warthog…!

 

[DWalt]

I would think that hitting even something the size of a tank would be very chancy unless you were coming in very close. Bet he had a lot of misses.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I'll bet he clanged when he walked.

 

[bigmtnman]

There are several "YouTubes" on him

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2svhYn1HDY&ab_channel=MarkFeltonProductions[/ame]

 

[oldbrownhat]

It was in the Pacific. American bomber crew member shot down a Japanese plane with his 1911. If you go to Youtube and search for The Fat Electrician, he has a pretty funny video on it. Caution: Language not safe for work or church.

Holy speed-reading, Batman! Does that guy have another job as an auctioneer? Annoying... but informative

I found a couple of articles on Baggett's feat:

War History Online

...Because he hadn't seen the plane crash, Baggett was uncertain of whether or not had he shot down an enemy plane with a simple .45 caliber handgun. But his doubt came to an end when his paths crossed with Colonel Harry Melton, commander of the 311th Fighter Group, who had also been shot down that day.

Melton passed through the prison camp and told Owen that a Japanese colonel said that the pilot Baggett shot had been thrown free his plane when it crashed. The pilot was subsequently found with a bullet in his head, and it was clear that is was the bullet and not the plane crash that had ended his life...​

The Aviation Geek Club

Baggett was captured and taken to a POW camp, where he was surprisingly received and feted as a hero by the Japanese camp commander, a colonel, for his fine shooting at the Zero. This is an example of the Japanese military’s peculiar Bushido code, which placed great emphasis on honor and valor in battle.​