[ARC5] Video discussing the loss of the Lady Be Good

[D C _Mac_ Macdonald]

I strongly suspect that LOTS of folks were rushed into combat with extremely limited training, especially in the earlier parts of WW II. 
 
My own USAF Navigator School training (1961-1962) did NOT heavily cover the use of ADF for navigation.  AFAIK, the ADF radios and indicators were only at the pilot position.  We did have RDF receivers and indicators in the T-29 training aircraft and we did get navigation "fixes" by crossing bearings taken off two individual radio transmitters (sometimes AM broadcast stations).  But this was only for enroute position determination, NOT for destination locating. 
 
"Bodies" were rushed into combat with VERY limited training and experience in desperate times. 
 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
* 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 * 
* (Since 30 Nov 53) * 
* k2gkk hotmail com * 
* Oklahoma City, OK * 
* USAF & FAA (Ret.) * 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
 

 
 
> From: timsamm at gmail.com
> Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:14:21 -0800
> To: kgordon2006 at frontier.com 
> CC: arc5 at mailman.qth.net; aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org 
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] Video discussing the loss of the Lady Be Good 
> 
> I would assume that aviation navigators were pretty well trained before 
> they deployed.  But there is a big difference between being trained - and 
> being experienced.  And a further difference in using that knowledge while 
> on a combat mission "on your own" once you get disoriented, at night...
> 
> Sure, ded (dead) reckoning from point A to point B with course, speed, 
> winds and distance to landfall is a textbook no-brainer.  No electronic 
> aids necessary...How hard is it to hit the African coast?  A quick sextant 
> sight of the North Star would tell you if you were over the Med or over 
> Africa....But then again - if it was easy, everyone would be doing 
> it....LOL    These situations provide lots of opportunities to make 
> mistakes....  Huge responsibilities....Glad I'm just an armchair navigator! 
> 
> On following reciprocal bearings:  Sounds like the 5 TBM Avengers in the 
> Bermuda Triangle....probably a similar loss of situational awareness, then 
> panic...  Or the 7 destroyers in formation that ran aground near Vandenberg 
> AFB in the 1920's.... 
> 
> "There but for the grace of God go I......" 
> 
> Tim 
> N6CC 
> 
> On Tue, Dec 30, 2014 at 10:44 AM, Kenneth G. Gordon < 
> kgordon2006 at frontier.com> wrote: 
> 
> > On 30 Dec 2014 at 8:27, Mike Hanz wrote: 
> >
> > > On 12/29/2014 11:53 PM, kgordon2006 at frontier.com wrote:
> > > > As I remember it, the Lady Be Good had no ADF, which is Automatic
> > Direction 
> > > > Finder. It had a "Football" loop and a receiver (like the BC-453) with
> > a loop 
> > > > connection which could be used to easily determine a bearing to a known
> > > > transmitter, like an NDB. None of these systems had a way to resolve
> > the 180 
> > > > degree ambiguity on a single bearing to an unknown station: there had
> > to be at 
> > > > least two bearings to known stations in order to triangulate a
> > position. 
> > >
> > > I'm a little puzzled, Ken. 
> >
> > Don't be: as I said, "As I remember it...". Obviously my memory is faulty.
> > I
> > also will sometimes bring up things like this in order to be "corrected" by
> > those, like you, who know far more than I.
> >
> > >  These were new B-24D aircraft, the year was
> > > 1943, and the standard issue for the aircraft at the time was the
> > > SCR-269-C automatic direction finder, which definitely has both the
> > > "football" loop and vertical whip sense antennas that work together to
> > > eliminate ambiguity.  Of course, the navigator needs to remember to
> > > place the control box function control in the "compass" position rather
> > > than the "loop" position in order to obtain the unambiguous result of
> > > both antennas.  After passing the radio station, the radio compass would
> > > have automatically swung around and pointed backwards to the station
> > > again.  The arrow point of an I-82-A compass is *unmistakable* unless
> > > one is blind.  Perhaps that pointing backwards was what caused the
> > > "navigator" to report that his ADF was broken?
> >
> > Well, after reading that short note that Wayne (?) posted concerning the
> > navigator who although royally screwing up the mission to Norway, still
> > came
> > out smelling like a rose, IMHO, the navigator on the LBG was the main
> > problem, although there were other, less important issues, with the ground
> > stations.
> >
> > Again, IMHO, the navigator is at least as important as the pilot on
> > missions
> > such as the LBG's first, and, sadly, only, one.
> >
> > Too bad so many navigators were, obviously, so poorly trained...
> >
> > I had also wondered about the effects of AGC on weak signals with ADF. I'm
> > glad someone (W6MAB?) brought that up.
> >
> > Lastly, how effective was the SCR-269? Was it easy to use, work well, etc?
> >
> > I've always wanted a really good, effective, working ADF system....
> >
> > At one time, many years ago, I was given a brand-new MN-26, but with no
> > accessories. What a beautifully-made piece of equipment! I always wished I
> > had been able to get it completed. It is long gone now.
> >
> > Ken W7EKB