They Called Him a Joke — Until His “Toy Plane” Sank 11 Japanese Boats Alone скачать в хорошем качестве

They Called Him a Joke — Until His “Toy Plane” Sank 11 Japanese Boats Alone

May 12th, 1944. 05:40 AM. One pilot. A handful of improvised grenades. Thirteen armed vessels. A mission the Air Corps never authorized. Lieutenant Robert Ellis sat in the cockpit of a Stinson L-5 Sentinel—a fabric-skinned "toy" plane meant for spotting artillery, not combat. His instructors demanded discipline and doctrine. But this West Texas rancher’s son saw angles the Army ignored. He didn't just want to watch the enemy; he wanted to stop them. What followed was a one-man war on the Irrawaddy River. In thirty-four days of high-stakes improvisation, Ellis transformed a fragile observation craft into a "small demon plane." Flying just thirty feet above the water, he dodged machine-gun fire to drop phosphorus grenades by hand. One mistake meant a fiery crash into the jungle. Twelve runs in three days. Eleven boats destroyed. Zero formal support. Forty-one vessels neutralized. Two supply depots obliterated. One Distinguished Flying Cross. This is the forgotten legend of the pilot who refused to play by the rules, using an "obsolete" liaison plane to cripple Japanese logistics in the Burma jungle. Discover how one man’s stubborn refusal to follow doctrine saved countless lives by making the impossible his daily routine. Watch till the end—you won't believe the damage a "toy" can do.