The Erickson Aircraft Collection proudly displays a vintage aircraft collection started by Jack Erickson in 1983. The collection features over twenty rare aircraft, most of which are still in flying condition. For more information on the collection and updates on the public opening, visit ericksoncollection.com.
The newly named Collection will feature rare aircraft that are still in flying condition such as the P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang, Ki43 Hayabusa and B-17 Flying Fortress.
Clostermann dans son livre (feux du ciel) rapporte cet épisode.‐‐il a dû, à mon avis, se concerter avec les pilotes Américains‐‐ On comprend à la lecture que les Zéros n’avaient pas vu les P-38 volant très bas...leur erreur a été de piquer pour intercepter les P-38 et c’'est à ce moment que la feinte de Lanphier et Barber qui se rabattaient derrière les Betty a surpris les Japonais dont les commandes étaient bloquées par la vitesse et incapables de virer court. On trouve ici le problème identique de la protection d’un bombardier chez les Allemands. Goering furieux allait jusqu’à dire à Galland et consort de les protéger avec leur fuselage s’il fallait. 😅 Dans les commentaires on ne parle pas beaucoup du phénomène de la " CHANCE " qui fait souvent pencher le destin dans un camp ou dans l’autre... Voler aussi longtemps au ras de l’eau avec un gros réservoir non cloisonné qui provoque des à-coups dans l' assiette de vol était un certes un exploit de courage ...Certes ! Mais tomber pile sur les Mitsubichis sur le point de descndre pour atterrir etait un coup de bol ... Comme à Midway où les quatre porte-avions Nippons avaient pêle-mêle bombes, torpilles sur les ponts étant très vulnérables...et une véritable opportunite qui ne se produit que rarement dans une guerre... Ils avaient sans doute Dieu comme co-pilote. A-t-on fait des recherches après 45, pour comme Saint-Ex, retrouver le P-38 de Hine ?
I had the honor of meeting and becoming friends with Rex through my Sheriff Bill Brooks Clackamas County sheriff at the time. We had lunch every April 18th for several years. My Son Jeff was a History Major at University of Portland and wrote his Senior Thesis on the Yamamoto Mission. We went to Rex's home and Jeff gave Rex a copy of the thesis Rex autographed the book Attack on Yamamoto by Carroll V. Glines about the mission for Jeff. Rex was a true friend who's memory I cherish. Lloyd Ryan Captain Retired CCSO.
My Neighbor who flew the F-6 F Hellcat in WW2 said when you hit a Japanese Plane it would become a Black Could of Smoke then a Ball of Fire all within a Second.
Doesn’t matter whose shots did it. It was a team effort. Neither pilot could have done it without help of others taking on the zeros. These guys had no risk while other pilots fought the zeros
Thanks Grandpa Beasley World 🗺 War 2 USA 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸Army Sniper against Nazi ,Japan, from John Robert Bruffett Junior USA 🇺🇸 Grandson John USA 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸 😂
God bless Barber. Yamamoto designed and carried out evil acts on behalf of an evil empire. It sickens me whenever I hear of Yamamoto being excused or even glorified. We owe it to the thousands who died needlessly because of the aggression of men like Yamamoto, to never honor him for what he did on behalf of Japan. Especially to those at Pearl Harbor.
Thanks Chris Kyle Leonidas Abe Lincoln General Grant General Patton 🇺🇲🇺🇲🍺🍺🇺🇲🍺🇺🇲🇺🇲🍺🍺🇺🇲🍺🍺🇺🇲🇺🇲🍺🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 John Robert Bruffett 🇺🇸🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
All right ... enough of this bull shit. Throughout WWII - you had a lot of aggressive young men - which most fighter pilots are - who got into disputes over who shot down who. There's even gun camera footage from an F6F, firing on a Japanese Aircraft - where ANOTHER F6F - flies right into the bullet stream - to fire on the same Japanese plane. Moron is lucky he didn't get shot down. The Barber/Lanphier dispute - is nothing more than this. Neither one of these guys is lying - though their detractors to their shame say they are. Both guys really believed that they got him. That's how these focused, aggressive young men were. Now - I have heard Lanphier speak on this so I know HIS version of the story. He said that he was high and to the right of the aircraft - when he fired to clear his guns - and the bomber flew right into it. Barber was attacking from the rear. If the bomber "flew right into it" - the hits would have been on the front of the aircraft. Which is more likely to do more damage - hits on the front of the aircraft or hits from the rear? Where are the engines on the aircraft? Where is the crew? Does this mean that Lanphier deserves sole credit? No it does not. It means the ARMY made the CORRECT decision. Both pilots fired on it - and it was shot down. Both get half a kill. You see - the ARMY has it's priorities straight. The important part here - is not which guy can claim all the glory to himself - but the fact that the MISSION was a success. What about all the guys that were keeping the escorts off their back? Hunh? Don't _they_ deserve credit for their part of the mission? This was a plan. One flight- the one with Barber and Lanphier in it - would engage the bombers and one the rest of them would engage the escorts. Now - about the dispute itself. Lanphier was in front of Barber - so he did not see him - but Barber was behind Lanphier so he DID see him. Lanphier lands - goes in and reports that he shot Yamamoto down. Barber lands - finds out that Lanphier is claiming the kill and he's infuriated. Here either one of these guys talk - and they both leave out the other. Typical Fighter Pilot Kill Claim Dispute. "I shot him down!" "NO! I shot him down!" The Army - "OK. Fine. You both get half a kill." Now as to this expedition to the wreck ... This expedition was paid for by Barber Supporters from Portland ... so - who do you think they're going to decide shot Yamamoto down? Is there anyone silly enough to think that these guys and their home down historian - are going to say their boy didn't get him? As to the wreck ... Barber attacked from the rear and there are bullet holes in the rear of the wreck. Lanphier would have hit the front of the plane - so - what about bullet holes in the front of the wreck? There IS no front to the wreck. It was destroyed in the crash. What does that mean? It means that while there is no proof that Lanphier hit it - there is also no proof that he didn't. Thus - the wreck proves nothing. If the whole wreck was there - then - that might prove something - but it isn't - so it doesn't. Again - this is a *_PETTY_* dispute between two fighter pilots - each of whom believes that THEY shot Yamamoto down. The ARMY did the right thing by awarding BOTH pilots credit. The ARMY is right. The *_IMPORTANT_* thing about this mission was that it was a success - not who gets the glory. .
well i hear the story a little different...........i was told by Douglass Canning a pilot who was on that mission......something very interesting.............At the time of that mission they said they shoot down some of the Japanese zeros....,,BUT........it was found out after the war, that none of the Japanese escort zeros were ever shot down or even damaged..............plus the pilot Rex Barber who originally was given credit for shooting Yamamoto plane alone was found to be a lie..................he was assisted by a second pilot named Lamphier......so after the war, they corrected it by giving both of these guys...... half credit for the kill.......
Yamamoto says thanks. "It spared me the utter shame and humilliation of defeat, even more when they were already pinning it on me, and the usual harakiri to follow. Instead of that I'm an hero. like JFK"
Boy oh boy the errors! Rex didn't borrow #147 because his needed repairs. Lou Kittel flew #125 on the mission. Pilots simply jumped into the first available. Also they was no "Diablo" . P-38G #125 associated with Rex was named "Daisy" not "Diablo"..
My God! What a fantastic piece of history for one man to own! The killing of Yamamoto not the plane! Going to bed every nite knowing what he accomplished! WOW!
Rex and many of his squadron mates were sent home to train pilots and sell war bonds after this mission. Reason being, if the pilots had been shot down, captured and tortured by the Japanese they might confess that the U.S. had broken the Japanese radio codes and they would subsequently change the codes. Our family is from Culver and knew Rex and his family very well. Super nice guy. Truly an National Treasure.
Lindbergh reportedly shot down a Japanese plane when in the South Pacific giving technical advice to the Air Corps. However, being that he wasn't an official part of the military and just a civilian, he never got credit and was kept hush, hush tell long after the war.
No, it was hell for the victims while those on the wrong side of history barely suffered at all, 1 million Japanese dead at most, some 30 million+ victims of the Imperial Japanese
Funny Story. Rex told my brother years after that he/himself and his now Air Force Reserve wingman were asked to fly over the bridge in brand new jet aircraft (P-80 Shooting Stars?) Rex and his wingman decided that would be too easy so unbenonsed to command they decided to fly under the two bridges instead. With both bridges, blocked off to vehicle traffic, crammed with spectator's and press the two started down Crooked River canyon. Rex in the lead, his wingman got caught in Rex's jet wash and started to "stall out" due to low speed and interrupted air flow! Wingman gains altitude by going vertical and narrowly missing the new bridge by mear inches to the thrill and amazement of all in attendance thinking it was all part of the show and cheering with loud applause. Not realizing that they had just avoided catastrophe and possible death!
This is wrong information. History is wrong. Fleet admiral yamamoto did not die in battle. He got sick. Thats the cause of his death. He live in palawan, philippines after his escape.
May I on behalf of the people of Singapore express our sincere thanks to Col. Rex for shooting down Yamamoto. During WWII, Singaporeans lived their hardest period of their live under the Japanese occupation!
