[wduerschmidt]

F.Olynyk,

Another item on 2 Big and Too Heavy. That name probably originated because of the condition of the airfield on Ie Shima. For the weight of the aircraft and stores a 5,800 foot dry strip was needed, but the wet, sticky strip they got was only 3,700 feet long. That, combined with the engine problems on take-off that were common in the early months there contributed to many a crash on take off. One of those crashes is shown on page 111 of The Pineapple Air Force. Also, I located two pnotos of the P-47N my Dad flew on page 112 of The Pineapple Air force. These are actual photos taken on Ie Shime and one shows the right side of the plane with "Short Snorter" clearly visible. The other photo shows the left side nose art and mentiones 2 Big and Too Heavy as an apt description for all P-47N's.