Vought OS2U floatplane shot down june 25 1944

[martin75]

Hello,


I am looking for details on a Vought OS2U King floatplane catapulted by an american cruiser (USS Quincy or USS Tuscaloosa) before Cherbourg on june 25 1944.
He was apparently shot down by Flak.


Any help would be welcome


Thanks in advance

[kaki3152]

Not sure the US Navy was using OS2Us at this stage of the game over Europe

[Buckeye30]

On 20 June "Quincy" ( CruDiv 10) had 2 OS2U-3s and "Tuscaloosa" (CruDiv 7) had 3 SOC-1s. I think George will have some details.


Regards
Nick
A very nice shot of "Missouri"s OS2U in 1944....

https://navsource.org/archives/01/057/016328.jpg

[dp_burke]

War Diary mention spotting plane hit by flak at 1302

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78619977?objectPage=36

1302 - SPOTTING PLANE REPORTED HIT BY FLAK; RETURNING TO BASE.

I'm interpreting that as an aircraft not based off the warship itself, but perhaps a shore based spotter? They were using Spitfires for spotting at the time?

VCS-7 They stood down from their mission on Jun 26th it seems.
https://midwaycurrents.org/Fall-2024...over-normandy/

[dp_burke]

No mention in the daily entry for Quincy either,
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78513181

To search for more of the Task force ships search for this search string:

"USS Quincy" 6/1-30/44


report from VCS-7 but I dont think it mentions anything

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/139772920

[dp_burke]

https://www.history.navy.mil/researc...r-ii/1944.html

the number of aircraft on those two ships didn't change between 20th and 27th June but then they would likely have been replenished.

[martin75]

Apparently, USS Quincy still have 2 OS2U aboard in august and one was shot down before Toulon.
I wonder if the reference found for a seaplane shot down on June 25 in front of Cherbourg is a confusion with the aircraft shot down in August in front of Toulon.


Thanks for your help


Claude

[twocee]

I have not been able to find any SOC/OS2U losses for late-June 1944 in that part of the world, but surely this is because their pilots were flying spotting missions in Spitfires with VCS-7?

The August 1944 loss off Toulon, on the 21st, involved an SOC-3, BuNo 1083, from USS Philadelphia. It was seen to crash in flames, believed hit by AA.

[Buckeye30]

George. from my notes 16? Navy pilots were collected in May from Quincy, Tuscaloosa, Augusta, Nevada, Texas and Arkansas, their SOCs and SO2Us flown ashore to Ipswich in temporary storage; the Sqn., VCS-7 to Lee-on-Solent ( 3rd Naval Wing) with Spitfires, commander Lt. Cdr. W. Denton Jr. from Quincy. They flew between D-Day and June 26 when Cherbourg was captured and they returned to Navy control. The 16 pilots flew a total of 191 sorties.


Regards
Nick

[Leendert]

The question may have come from the USS Tuscaloosa War Diary for 25 June 1944, the naval bombardment of Cherbourg. See entry at 1145 here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78619977?objectPage=34

More details about a/the spotter plane in trouble here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/78515139?objectPage=14 . Item (g).

Regards, Leendert