[Milsurplus] Question ( RBS; submarine )

[George Babits]

I don't think they were exactly "scrambled."  From what I understood, the 
pilot heard that a sub was shelling Astoria and grabbed the mechanic and 
plane and went for it.  Wish my friend was still alive and I could quiz him 
for the details.

George


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hubert Miller" <kargo_cult at msn.com>
To: <Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2016 9:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Question ( RBS; submarine )


> The subs ( "I-boats" ) didn't stick around and i don't recall reading that
> any plane was scrambled in time to catch one. Their subs also shelled
> something like a refinery on the CA coast.
> The incendiary balloons were launched from Japan later in the war. I think
> their submarine-based float plane also dropped incendiaries. Dropping
> incendiaries west of the Cascades
> in WA or the coastal range in Oregon  is not likely to be a big success. (
> Thank goodness for that, because there actually are plentiful forests. )
> A company called "Webb Research" put out a large-format book, about one 
> inch
> thick, about the fire balloon story. I have the book but don't recall the
> exact title. It is *very* detailed
> and even has photos of a couple of Forest Service radios used by beach
> patrol.
> James Barrows W7BCT, SK, told me years ago that when working for the
> FCC-FBIS in the war, used to hear the tracking transmitters from the
> balloons. What he actually told me was
> the signal was around 17-18 MHz and it had a wheedle-wheedle sound. He 
> said
> he thought it was either a Japanese aircraft carrier beacon of some kind, 
> or
> a balloon tracker. I know
> the carriers didn't use anything like this for a beacon for their planes, 
> so
> it "maybe" was the second possibility.
> -H
>
> As I recall, a jap sub also shelled Astoria, Oregon.  I got that from a 
> B-17
> pilot who at the time was an aircraft mechanic in the AAF in Portland or
> Hillsboro.  He was working on an A-26 when they got the word.  A pilot
> "conscripted" him to go with him taking an A-26 after the sub.  I can't
> remember if he said they found the sub or not.  Those subs off the Pacific
> NW coast were mostly launching "fire baloons" trying to burn the forests.
> If I am not mistaken there were one or two children killed by one of those
> baloons.  The pilot was so impressed with his abilities that he 
> recommended
> him for pilot training for which he was accepted.  After training, he went
> to Foggia,Italy, as a replacement pilot for the 15 AF.  He was stationed
> about 100 miles north of where my father was a pilot with the 449th heavy
> bombardment group (B-24).  .
>
> 73,
> George
> W7HDL
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