USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Hi guys

On 27 March 1942, an SB-2U Vindicator from USS Wasp crashed into the sea during a search for Rear-Admiral John Wilcox of USS Washington, who had fallen overboard.

The Vindicator crew was killed. Who were they?

Thanks
Brian

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Hi Brian

The aircraft lost on 27 March 1942 was Vought SB2U-2 Vindicator BuNo 1362 (VS-71) from USS Wasp (CV 7). Four aircraft were launched by VS-71 in very poor visibility due to snow flurries to assist in the search of Rear-Admiral Wilcox, but one of them became to slow when returning from the unsuccessful mission and spun in during landing. USS Lang (DD 399) searched in vain for survivors before returning to the screen. Lost with 1362 were:
Ens Edwin Sayle Petway, Jr., O-104789, USNR
AMM3c Thomas Wiley Bame, 2623408, USN

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Many thanks, Rainer

That was a super fast response!

Cheers
Brian

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Petway had had to bail out of a Grumman Seahawk in Dec 1941. Newspapers reported his escape.

Then in June 1942 a letter he wrote to his mother was published in some national newspapers. It was some of his thoughts on the fact he now found himself at war and the inevitability that he might not survive. I can transcribe these when next at laptop.

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Dennis

Not sure which aircraft you mean, but as far as I know there is no such thing as a Grumman Seahawk.
I know of a couple of Curtiss ones and the Hawker variety (rather unlikely... :) ), so which aircraft do you really mean?

Cheers
Stig

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

i'm referring to a transcription from a public newspaper! i'm sure some one can ID the correct aircraft in due course.

Just trying to be helpful!

Incident would have been on December 4th, 1941

Dec 7th 1941:
Leap Saves Cadet As Trainer Burns
MIAMI, Fla. Dec 6 (INS)
"I sure was lucky", Edwin S Petway, 23, aviation cadet at Nashville, Tenn. said today as he told of his parachute leap at 7000 feet from his flaming Grumman Seahawk trainer over Miami.
Petway jumped Thursday night when the plane burst into flames. He landed safely in a house yard. The ship crashed in an open field three blocks away, snapping light wires and throwing that section Miami into darkness.
A crowd of souvenir hunters had the plane stripped before it cooled. One man even was lugging off the plane's machine gun when police intercepted him.

END QUOTE

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Thanks Dennis

Every snippet is of historical interest - and adds to our knowledge.

Cheers
Brian

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

Baugher has a Grumman F3F-2 with BuNo 1022 of VMF-1 crashing at Miami on 5th Dec 1941 which is a Friday not a Thursday but it does say "Thursday night" in news report

Re: USS Wasp - Vindicator lost 27/3/42
 

It was indeed Aviation Cadet Petway who had to bail out on the night of 4 December when his F3F-2, 1022, caught fire. The aircraft was an advanced trainer assigned to NAS Miami, having left VMF-1 in December 1940.