US Navy Flying Boat "4-P-10" 1934

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24 years 2 months

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On Feb 17 1934 Six US Navy personnel bailed out of a flying boat over Hawaii. I know the names of the six individuals concerned which comprised the whole crew, the aircraft crashed but I cannot identify it all news reports say it was "4-P-10" but that does not register with any type I am familiar with. it may be the Sqn code of the aircraft. I suspect it was a flying boat of the Naval Aircraft Factory PN
Class but would appreciate confirmation

Long shot I know but if you don't ask you don't get

Kind Regards

Paul

Original post

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14 years

Posts: 1,788

4-P-10 sounds very much like a unit marking rather than a type. 4th Patrol Sqn maybe?

EDIT:

Patrol Squadron FOUR has a long and distinguished history dating back to pre-World War II. The first squadron designated Patrol Squadron FOUR (VP-4) was established in 1928 and was based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

EDIT EDIT:

P2Y?

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17 years 7 months

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...maybe Douglas PD-1 ?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Douglas_PD-1s_VP-4_over_Hawaii_1930.jpg
"U.S. Navy Douglas PD-1 flying boats of patrol squadron VP-4D14 over Hawaii (USA), March 1930. "D14" designated the 14th Naval District."

edit: The Consolidated P2Y photo is circa 1937...guess it's the so called second VP-4 founded 1943

edit 2: here is a photo of 4-P-11 http://www.vpnavy.com/vp4_aircraft.html

edit 3: Douglas PD-1 4-P-10 http://www.vpnavy.com/h16/vp4h16_01_19mar2001.jpg
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Sabrejet and Wieesso

Thanks that sorts it. I didn't expect the bonus of photographic proof!

Will post all the story tomorrow

Paul

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15 years 3 months

Posts: 923

hi,
I think that 4-P-10 equates to the 10th aircraft of the 4th Patrol Sq. but I'm open to correction?

If that is the case the 4th P.Sq is VP4, which in 1933 changed to VP-4F. I googled this and US Navy Patrol Sq''s web site came up with each Sq histories, a/c used, also a section on mishaps but no mention of one on or near 14/2/34...on page 131 of The Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Vol 2 here is a picture of 3 Douglas PD-1's there version of the NAF PN-12 with markings 4-P-1,4-P-3 plus one I can't make out, and they had 12 a/c...
I tried Joe Baughers site but can't match any up.

hope this helps,
regards,
jack...

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17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,861

Sabrejet and Wieesso

Thanks that sorts it. I didn't expect the bonus of photographic proof!

Will post all the story tomorrow

Paul

Thanks Paul!

Martin

Member for

12 years

Posts: 1,141

Got the feeling its VP-10, as that would put them in the area.
P2Y-1 flying boats of Patrol Squadron (VP) 10F arrive over Diamond Head on January 11, 1934, following a record-setting flight. Six aircraft made a non-stop formation flght from San Francisco, California, to Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, covering the distance of 2,399 miles in 24 hours, 35 minutes.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/P2Y-1%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F/P2Y-1%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F%20arrive%20over%20Diamond%20Head%20on%20January%2011%201934%20following%20a%20record-setting%20flight..jpg
P2Y-1 flying boats of Patrol Squadron (VP) 10F arrive over Hawaii following a record-setting flight from California.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/P2Y-1%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F/P2Y-1%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F%20arrive%20over%20Hawaii%20following%20a%20record-setting%20flight%20from%20California..jpg
Officers and enlisted men of Patrol Squadron (VP) 10F, who made a record-setting flight from the United States to Hawai in January 1934 stand with their planes.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/P2Y-1%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F/Officers%20and%20enlisted%20men%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F%20who%20made%20a%20record-setting%20flight%20from%20the%20United%20States%20to%20Hawai%20in%20January%201934%20stand%20with%20their%20planes..jpg
And below probably your aircraft
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/P2Y-1%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F/P2Y%20flying%20boats%20of%20Patrol%20Squadron%20VP%2010F%20anchored%20near%20a%20cruiser.jpg
Regards Duggy

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12 years

Posts: 1,141

Another piece of the puzzle, regarding VP-4 unless it was a PD-1 that crashed.
Patrol Squadron FOUR began it's illustruous history at Pearl Harbor in 1928, with the official designation of VP-4D14. The squadron at that time consisted of four aircraft, and shared it's facilities at NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with the US Army. In 1930, the squadron received 12 Douglas PD-1's, the first actual patrol plane. In 1935 these aircraft were replaced by Consolidated P2Y-3's which were in turn, replaced in 1938 by PBY-3's.

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12 years

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So I stand corrected, if the designation is correct then it is VP-4 aircraft # 10.
Which would make it a Douglas PD-1, here's a photo of 4-P-1
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/Duggy009-1/Douglas%20PD-1-VP-4.jpg

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Got there in the end - good work all.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

All

Thanks for your help.

I am trying to identity all US Caterpillars Club members in a list I have up ton end of 1934 - The US Navy records are not a detailed as the US Army ones, and I had a printing error which confused two separate incidents (one of which is this incident) that I wanted to resolve. This lead me to the following news report - My additions are in square brackets, and I have corrected names in original report and added full names where known

The aircraft was of VP-4F as confirmed by Garden's unit in the US Navy Register of 1934

Here's is what sparked my interest

Six Navy Fliers Abandon Flying Boat, Land Safe HONOLULU
Leave Airplane 1,100 Feet in Air and Landed Safely With Parachutes. Editor's Note: The signal which sent. S. D. Kamrar [Simon Dedrick Kamrar, Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate and Enlisted Airman Pilot], U. S. Navy flier and five of his companions jumped over the side of a stalled flying boat for an 1,100 foot parachute jump reminded Kamrar of a, "hitch hiker flipping a thumb for a ride." He describes the incident in the following exclusive United Press dispatch:
By S. D. Kamrar. U. S. Navy Aviation Corps HONOLULU, T. H. [Territory of Hawaii] Feb. 17. [1934] U. P.
Lt. (jg) Gaden [Allan Gaston Gaden VP-4F] jerked his thumb toward the-wide open space below us and ordered us over the side and we went for a 1,100-foot ride to earth. It reminded me of nothing so much as a hitch-hiker's gesture asking for another kind of a, ride. There were six of us in the 4-P-10 [Serial between A7979/A8003 Douglas PD-1 of Patrol Squadron 4 (VP-4F)] flying over Schofield (Schofield Barracks, aka Wheeler Army Air Field] airport at a height of about 8,000 or 9,000 feet when the trouble started. Clouds closed in under us just as the engines stopped. We entered a forced glide as the mechanics tried vainly to restart the motors. There seemed to be something wrong with the gas feeds, and the earth was coming up to meet us at a dizzy pace. I looked at the altimeter. It showed 2,500 feet, which making allowances for sea level, .placed us about 1200 feet up. Just then the lieutenant piloting the plane (Lt. A. G. Garden) gave the signal for the bailout. He just jerked his thumb. T. P. Goley [Tillman Perry Goley, Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class U.S, Navy], who was manning the "camera gun" was the first to leave the ship. William ‘Willie’ Leslie Gruber [Aerographer (Weatherman) 1st Class U. S. Navy and Enlisted Airman Pilot], who was up forward, followed. L. A. Bowen (Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class, U. S. Navy,) left almost with him from the rear cockpit. I left from the forward cockpit, just as C. P. May [Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate], stepped off from the rear. Lt. Gaden set the stabilisers and was the last to leave the boat. (We went down mighty fast. It only took about 30 seconds for me to reach the earth. The rest came down as quickly. Within, three minutes all of us were on the ground and unhurt. The ship itself made a freakish landing. It struck on its side and skidded to an upright position. Ordinarily it would have nosed over and collapsed. But all that was damaged was a wing that was broken and part of the hull which was cracked. Bailing out is getting fashionable around here. The day before we joined the 'Caterpillar Club' two army pilots [both of 19 Pursuit Squadron, Wheeler Field, Oahu, HI ] had a 1,100-foot ride on the chutes. They were Lt. Demas Thurlow Craw [#O-15860 P-12E 31-586] and Lt. Royden Eugene Beebe, Jr. [#O-18447 P-12C 31-229], whose planes collided. They had slight injuries. It's all in the day's work for us.

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Thank you so much Paul - such an interesting article!

Martin

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15 years 3 months

Posts: 923

hi,
glad that's sorted for you, I've just had a look on Aviation Safety Network but no mention on there, as I said in my post 5 no mention either on the US Navy Patrol Sq's page for VP4 mishaps over the years, the 30's only have one entry a PBY on 30/8/38, the only reason possibly being no one died, but strange no mention, given the amount of evidence...

regards,
jack...

Member for

12 years

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Here you go Not the best but 4P-10
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii120/Duggy009/Duggy009-1/Douglas%20PD-1-VP-4-10.jpg

Regards Duggy :eagerness:

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

Duggy

Wow, I wonder if that is the same incident.. It looks like it was and I wonder if the aircraft was repaired and flew again they do say '
freakish landing' I don't suppose you can read the number on the tail in the original image ?

Paul

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

San Diego museM got back to
me re:requesting information about one of our photographs. I did take a closer look at 01_00030316 and the tail number is 7998.

I also think L A Bowen may actually be Lloyd B Bowen