Segi Airfield New Georgia Islands World War II SBD - Airailimages National Archives скачать в хорошем качестве

Segi Airfield New Georgia Islands World War II SBD - Airailimages National Archives

Segi Airfield on New Georgia Island in the Solomons was set up by the Seabees in the summer of 1943 after Marines secured the area. The runway was 3,300 feet of crushed coral. Navy SBD Dauntless dive bombers joined Grumman F6F Hellcats and TBF Avengers at this tropical airstrip. Watch for a Douglas C-47, or Navy R4D variant, as well as a Grumman Duck biplane amphibian. The Dauntless dive bombers have their tailhooks removed, since they are not aircraft carrier-based. Scenes show a Dauntless gunner freely swinging the twin .30-caliber machine guns he uses to protect the rear of the dive bomber from attack. Crews plot a mission on a map spread out on the hood of a jeep. The grit of the crushed coral runway and hardstands is palpable. You can be sure crew chiefs checked tires carefully for cuts inflicted by sharp bits of coral. This vintage film from the National Archives has suffered the ravages of time and the elements, but that only adds to its patina as a window into the past. I'm Fred Johnsen for the Airailimages Channel. Thank you for watching.