Lt. Col. Robert E. "Pappy" Haynes,

[25Kingman49]

Odd that none of these battleship sinking references offer the name of the ship sunk.

The Italian battleship "Roma" might be a candidate, some Wiki thoughts here, search B-17:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italia...ip_Roma_(1940)

[Frank Olynyk]

Scott,
Mostly because they did not in fact sink any battleships. Roma was sunk by German Do 217s in September 1943.

Ship recognition by most anyone from above 10,000 feet is abysmal. A claim to have sunk a ship of class n should probably be reduced to a claim to have attacked a ship of class n-1 or n-2. Battleship ==> Cruiser. Cruiser ==> Destroyer. ... rowboat ==> surfboard.

I rather suspect that the total number of battleships claimed sunk in World War 2 may in fact exceed the number of battleships that served in World War 2. Across the board.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[25Kingman49]

Frank,
You are absolutely correct that the Nazis sank Roma. This should have been framed as a possibility of the battleship "claimed" by Haynes and crew.

[knusel]

Originally Posted by RSwank

Here is an article in the Des Moines Register from 1943 on Haynes. This was when he returned from his tour with the 2nd BG and was about to do a bond tour with his crew of A-Merry-Can. I saw a posting on the 2nd BG site by the son of one of the crewmen of the plane who said the bond tour was actually cancelled. Again, a lot of info in the article.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1635...s_moines_1943/

Good morning RSwank,

what does "A-Merry-Can" mean ? Just "A-Happy-Tin" or does it also have any sophisticated meaning in English ?

Michael

[RSwank]

"Can" is a tinned steel container used to store/preserve food. In the US they are called "cans" where British English refers to them as "Tins". Planes could be referred to or thought of as "Cans".

I have seen a plane called "Spam Can", where Spam was cooked meat in a can, for example.

Here "Merry" means "Happy" as you have it, so I think the meaning is a "Happy Airplane Crew" .

[Frank Olynyk]

I rather suspect it is just a different way of "spelling" American.

Anguish Languish, anyone?

Enjoy!

Frank.

[RSwank]

Frank, I never thought of that. Certainly a possibility. They may even have had both concepts in mind and so it was a play on words with a double meaning. In fact, when you look at how they had it painted on the plane, "A-Merry-Can" (with the dashes), I think that suggests they meant it both ways. Then the newspaper article screws it up by calling the plane "The Merry Can".

[knusel]

Good afternoon Gentlemen,

cool play of words.
Would you say that Haynes flew 17 Wellington missions ?

Michael

[RSwank]

Michael, Haynes whole RCAF career is something of a mystery to me. We know he joined the RCAF in August, 1940. In August 1941 he apparently flew the Duke of Kent to Canada from England and then around to visit various Canadian training bases. He flew the Duke to the U.S. for a visit with Roosevelt and finally back to England. I don't know what squadron(s) he was in during his time in England, or how much training he received in Canada before going overseas.

In May 1942 he joins the AAF as a captain.

By Oct 1943 he has done a tour with the 2nd BG 49th BS and returned to the US as Lt Col. The 497th was formed late in 1943 and I suspect he was with the group from the start. We know he was making early "test" flights with the group during the whole B-29 "teething" process. Then to the Pacific in the fall of 1944 and in the spring of 1945 he moves to the 499th BG where he completes his Pacific tour and returns with "Thumper".

[25Kingman49]

Rolland,
If Haynes was involved with this flight and tour by Prince George in 1941 he may have been assigned or served with the Atlantic Ferry Service Command. Both AFSC and BOAC pilots seem to have played a role in this tour.

https://books.google.com/books?id=EX...201941&f=false

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/F...43._CH3161.jpg

Unclear if RCAF pilots played a role in this ferry duty.