[ARC5] SCR-774

[Michael Tauson]

On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 6:25 PM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> You didn't tell them about how the pilfering Japanese raid
> later in the war resulted in the first B-29s going into
> service equipped with TBYs.....

While unrelated to A.R.C., I did come across this.  The AAF, always in
desperate straits, again literally stole from the Navy to fill an
immediate need.

This all happened as a result of the "Battle of Wichita" which came
about due to change orders coming faster than aircraft were produced,
irregularities in materials and other issues.  Contributing to the
chaos, the AN/ARC-8 equipment that was supposed to be shipped to
Wichita wound up going to Boeing in Seattle instead.  The Japanese, in
one of the coastal raids that our government continues to deny every
happened, were able to enter the hanger where Boeing had deposited the
sets until they could be routed to Kansas and make off with over 100
of them.  How this was done and what happened to them remains a
mystery but it left the AAF without radio equipment for the aircraft.

Several Boeing people somehow gained knowledge of Navy equipment
destined for the Pacific Theater.  Without first finding out what kind
of equipment it was, they made their own raid in much the same way as
A.R.C. equipment was moved from the Grumman Iron Works to the Republic
factory and made off with what they believed was enough equipment to
compensate for the loss.  The radios turned out to be TBYs, one of
WE's less admirable contributions to the war effort, with the AC power
supplies.  The supplies were jury rigged to the airframe 400 cycle
power and antennas were thrown together which at least allowed the
aircraft to communicate with each other.

That's the short version.  The long one includs a lot of congressional
hearings and other wastes of time and effort.

Best regards,

Michael, WH7HG
-- 
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx
http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/
http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com
Hiki Nô!