Dude strapped bazookas on a 700lb airplane and blew up tanks in WWII

[Krynn72]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Carpenter_(Lt._Col.)

Initially, Carpenter faced little return ground fire on his missions. German forces were normally reluctant to fire on the L-4 and similar light planes without offensive armament, as doing so would give away their position and cause the plane's occupants to call in artillery fire or fighter-bomber support.[16] Moreover, as long as the pilot, gas tank or engine was not hit, most small arms fire would not bring down an L-4, since the plane had such a light wing loading (an excess of wing and control surface area for its weight) of 7.5 pounds per square foot.[12] However, as Carpenter's bazooka attacks became more well known, German ground fire increased in intensity. Even German infantry would join in, attempting to down Carpenter's L-4 with rifles and machine pistols.[17] On one mission, as Carpenter banked steeply around a tall tree in order to get a bazooka shot at a German tank, German infantrymen opened up on him with machine pistols, forcing him to turn for cover behind another tree before escaping with several 9mm bullet holes in one wing. Carpenter told a Stars and Stripes correspondent that the "word must be getting around to watch out for Cubs with bazookas on them. Everytime I show up now they shoot with everything they have. They never used to bother Cubs. Bazookas must be bothering them a bit."[18]

By war's end, Major Carpenter had destroyed several German armored cars and knocked out 14 German tanks (he would be officially credited with six tanks destroyed, including two Tiger I tanks)

The plane he flew, minus bazookas.

 

[Emporius]

In 1945, Carpenter became seriously ill, and he was eventually diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease. Informed by army doctors that he had two years at most to live, Carpenter was honorably discharged from U.S. Army service in 1946. He returned to work as a history teacher at Urbana High School in Urbana, Illinois, where he worked until his death in 1966 at the age of 53.

What a guy, if the Germans couldn't kill him, he sure as hell wasn't going to let some pussy ass disease take him down.

 

[FrostedxB]

Surprised the Germans couldn't get him, like he was hidden in plane sight.


I was just leaving.

 

[Dandan]

This guy's shit is bigger than yours

 

[Darkside55]

However, as Carpenter's bazooka attacks became more well known, German ground fire increased in intensity. Even German infantry would join in, attempting to down Carpenter's L-4 with rifles and machine pistols.

The mental image of this made me laugh. The thought of armor and infantry keeping an eye out for a tiny plane with bazookas on the underwing struts, flipping their shit when they saw him, and unloading everything they had.

 

[Bad^Hat]

 

[Raziaar]

That dude is ****ing bad ass. Bazookas on a plane?

 

[Bob_Marley]

Related:

Carl Gustaf von Rosen

That Swedish chap flew supplies into and casualties out of Ethiopia during the Italian invasion, bombing missions for the Finns during the Winter War (not in a bomber mind, he used a modified civilian air liner) and was the Pilot for a UN secretary general in the '60s. Most famously though he flew some supplies into Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War then decided to stay and fly combat missions, for a country with no airforce. So he bought one, but couldn't get any jets so bought some propeller driven trainers, strapped rockets to them and started flying them in combat against the Nigerians. Who had IL-28s, MiG-17s and SAMs.

 

[Stylo]

In 1945, Carpenter became seriously ill, and he was eventually diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease. Informed by army doctors that he had two years at most to live, Carpenter was honorably discharged from U.S. Army service in 1946. He returned to work as a history teacher at Urbana High School in Urbana, Illinois, where he worked until his death in 1966 at the age of 53.

....

1945

Informed by army doctors that he had two years at most to live

his death in 1966

Bazooka Charlie does not care for your limitations.

 

[Tagaziel]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Ulrich_Rudel

Rudel flew 2,530 combat missions claiming a total of 2,000 targets destroyed; including 800 vehicles, 519 tanks, 150 artillery pieces, a destroyer, two cruisers, one Soviet battleship, 70 landing craft, 4 armored trains, several bridges and nine aircraft which he shot down.

A guy for whom they had to invent a military decoration to reward his achievements. Bazooka Charlie looks like an amateur by comparison.

 

[Vegeta897]

But he was a nazi so he's bad.

 

[Stylo]

He was also on the losing side. So his medals are awarded to him by the losers. Because they lost.

 

[Adabiviak]

Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines: Stop that pigeon!

 

[Bob_Marley]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Ulrich_Rudel



A guy for whom they had to invent a military decoration to reward his achievements. Bazooka Charlie looks like an amateur by comparison.

Isn't looking like an amateur somewhat the point? Rudel flew an aircraft designed for combat with armour, air to air weapons and bombs & cannon rather than an observation aircraft with jury-rigged man-portable rocket launchers.

Not that this makes his achievements any less impressive but those two pilots arn't really comparable.

It is also worth noting that pilots from Germany (and to an extent, the other axis powers) usually had vastly higher kill totals due, at least in part, to having more things to kill - allied pilots would often fly many missions without even coming into contact with the enemy, where as the axis pilots could be almost entirely sure of running into something to shoot at every time they took to the skies.

 

[Viperidae]

Strange story. He must have been flying incredibly slow for it to be mentionworthy that he dodged around a tree (or it was the biggest damn tree ever). He also had to be flying incredibly low to get in range for the zooks. The M1 kind of sucked after about 100m.

Slow and low.

Conclusion: Nazis had stormtrooper aim.

 

[Stylo]

Conclusion: Nazis had stormtrooper aim.

The bad guys always do.

 

[Raziaar]

Yeah, one would think all it'd take was a single MG42 to chew that thing up at those low speeds and altitudes.

Maybe he used incredibly low altitudes and tree lines to his advantage much like attack helicopters of today.

 

[Krynn72]

Strange story. He must have been flying incredibly slow for it to be mentionworthy that he dodged around a tree (or it was the biggest damn tree ever). He also had to be flying incredibly low to get in range for the zooks. The M1 kind of sucked after about 100m.

Slow and low.

Conclusion: Nazis had stormtrooper aim.

Its funny because many German soldiers aspired to be like the stormtroopers.

Also, it describes his method of attack in the article.

While the M1/M1A1 rocket launcher was initially less than successful when employed by infantry against the frontal armor of German tanks, Carpenter found that using the weapon as an airborne armament was fairly effective at immobilizing a German tank with any solid hit against the thinner armor protecting the top of the turret or the hull superstructure, even against such heavy tanks as the Tiger I.[10][8][3][7][11] Although the M6 rocket had a theoretical range of 500 yards (457 m), Carpenter preferred to fire his rockets at a range of 100 yards (91 m) or less[1], adjusting the angle and bore-sighting of the launcher tubes so that when his L-4H was aligned with an enemy vehicle in a shallow dive, the rockets would strike the target.
...
When attacking, Carpenter's usual routine was to spot his target at altitude, then spiral down before diving suddenly towards the enemy tank or other objective.

Doesn't say he how fast he was going, but even still, you'd have to realize that the tiny Grasshopper plane was actually coming in for the attack before you could react by shooting at it, and I'm sure by the time they realized what was going on it'd be half over already. I doubt they'd ever have enough time to set up an mg42 and get a bead on him before he was gone again. Plus L4s usually operated just above the tree canopy for the very reason that it was hard to shoot planes flying that low. Also, I'm sure he took plenty of hits, but as the article says, it takes a lucky shot to actually bring a Grasshopper down.


As for the German heroes... in addition to what Bob said, the Germans were notorious for claiming vastly larger numbers of kills than they actually got. Especially pilots and especially members of the SS. Granted, even if that guy only got a quarter of what he claimed, its damned impressive. But Bazooka Charlie was just a regular dude in an aircraft originally intended to be used only as a trainer-vehicle for new pilots, and he didn't have any of that notorious Nazi ego. He was a simple man acting on his own accord, with a simple mission, and a simple setup, who managed to piss off a shitload of German tank commanders. Thats why I like him.

 

[Tagaziel]

Instead of claiming that Third Reich airmen exaggerated their killcounts, how about you prove that the particular guy quoted, Rudel, has an exaggerated kill count and didn't actually score a half of those kills? Bazooka Charlie is an interesting bit of folklore; doesn't change the fact that he was an amateur compared to a professional who was wounded five times in the line of duty and continued flying even after losing his leg. And he too, was a regular dude. Just like the Polish pilots during the Battle for Britain.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Yeah let's talk about which World War II fighter pilots were amateurs from our computers on the internet.

 

[Vegeta897]

My World War II fighter pilot could beat up your World War II fighter pilot.

 

[Krynn72]

Instead of claiming that Third Reich airmen exaggerated their killcounts, how about you prove that the particular guy quoted, Rudel, has an exaggerated kill count and didn't actually score a half of those kills? Bazooka Charlie is an interesting bit of folklore; doesn't change the fact that he was an amateur compared to a professional who was wounded five times in the line of duty and continued flying even after losing his leg. And he too, was a regular dude. Just like the Polish pilots during the Battle for Britain.

And you're comparing a guy who was trained as an artillery observer and who flew an L-4 with bazookas strapped on it to a guy who was trained as a combat pilot and who flew a dive bomber. The kill count is impressive, but not shocking considering thats what he was trained to do, equipped to do, and ordered to do. He was not really a regular dude in the same way as Bazooka Charlie.

Besides, Hans was fighting against the Soviets. You could just randomly throw a hand grenade into soviet territory and rack up five kills.

 

[Tagaziel]

And you're comparing a guy who was trained as an artillery observer and who flew an L-4 with bazookas strapped on it to a guy who was trained as a combat pilot and who flew a dive bomber. The kill count is impressive, but not shocking considering thats what he was trained to do, equipped to do, and ordered to do. He was not really a regular dude in the same way as Bazooka Charlie.

How wasn't he a regular dude? I must've missed the part where he came from Krypton and was knocking Soviets out of the sky with his bare hands.

Besides, Hans was fighting against the Soviets. You could just randomly throw a hand grenade into soviet territory and rack up five kills.

Now you're just being, well, full of shit.

 

[Stylo]

Good old WWII discussions.

 

[Escaep]

Besides, Hans was fighting against the Soviets. You could just randomly throw a hand grenade into soviet territory and rack up five kills.

I spilled my milk.

 

[kdub70]

that is a piper j-3 cub it has a top speed of about 120mph and a cruise speed of 80 with a stall speed of about 50mph. it is very small slow and not that loud. It is also has high maneuverability due to it's large control surfaces and slow speed. back then this would be the plane to sneak up on people with. it is still used today as a small stunt plane at some airshows. L-4 is just the military name for it.

This is just to clear some peoples minds about the speed of the plane and how he was able to dodge trees.

 

[Mogi67]

What a guy, if the Germans couldn't kill him, he sure as hell wasn't going to let some pussy ass disease take him down.

So was it the good hodgkins or the bad hodgkins?

 

[Stylo]

What a guy

Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.

 

[Mogi67]

Instead of claiming that Third Reich airmen exaggerated their killcounts, how about you prove that the particular guy quoted, Rudel, has an exaggerated kill count and didn't actually score a half of those kills? Bazooka Charlie is an interesting bit of folklore; doesn't change the fact that he was an amateur compared to a professional who was wounded five times in the line of duty and continued flying even after losing his leg. And he too, was a regular dude. Just like the Polish pilots during the Battle for Britain.

no one cares about your nazi pilot you fukin kraut

 

[Tagaziel]

no one cares about your nazi pilot you fukin kraut

I'm Polish.

 

[Raziaar]

I think Germany hit Poland so hard and fast that they fused together and are now the same identity.

 

[Tagaziel]

There are traces of Germans in my blood. My great-grandfather came from a family descended from German settlers brought to Poland some eight to ten centuries earlier.

 

[Mogi67]

I'm Polish.

me too, my last name ends with a -ski

 

[ríomhaire]

me too, my last name ends with a -ski

No, he's actually from Poland.

 

[Mogi67]

Good for him. My grandparents were actually from poland

 

[Krynn72]

My grandparents were Irish, and came from Ireland, doesn't mean I'm Irish or that I am from Ireland.

 

[ríomhaire]

Good for him. My grandparents were actually from poland

You aren't your grandparents.

 

[Mogi67]

You aren't your grandparents.

Obviously not. I don't consider myself Polish in the same regard that Tagaziel does. When I'm travelling abroad I tell people that I'm American. Yet I've inherited a polish name, polish blood, celebrate certain cultural traditions, and so on. Now if I became an expat in Poland and had children would they be considered American or Polish?

 

[kineaesth]

Fantastically off-topic.

 

[Insano]

Fantastically off-topic.

It's a gift.

A Polish gift.