Although considered obsolete in 1939, the Navy's, PBY Catalina patrol aircraft made a significant contribution to the Allied war effort in the Pacific Theater. This paper explores how the planners, aircrew, and maintainers made that possible as the war for the US shifted from a desperate defense following Pearl Harbor to an offense following Midway. The availability, versatility, and survivability of the aircraft made it an indispensable asset. The innovation of the crews and maintainers allowed the aircraft to accomplish far more than what it was intended tp do. By the end of the war and in the most austere and deadly conditions, PBYs conducted reconnaissance, surveillance, electronic intelligence, image intelligence, forward air control, close air support, convoy escort, harassment missions, transport, secret insertion and extraction, antisurface, and antisubmarine missions. The P-3 Orion and the new P-8 Poseidon carry on those missions and the maritime patrol tradition. The innovation shown by PBY crews may one day be required again.
Maritime Patrol Innovation: USN PBY Catalina Squadrons in the Pacific Area of Operations, 1941-1945
2011
35 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aeronautics , Aircraft , Education, Law, & Humanities , Military Operations, Strategy, & Tactics , Military history , Patrol aircraft , Military forces(United states) , Naval aircraft , Second world war , Tactical air support , Maritime patrol and reconnaissance(MPR) , Theses , Pby catalina patrol aircraft
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