{"id":199468,"date":"2024-08-03T22:55:38","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T03:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=199468"},"modified":"2024-08-03T22:55:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T03:55:43","slug":"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\/","title":{"rendered":"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"745\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM-1024x745.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM-1024x745.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM-400x291.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM-150x109.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM-768x559.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM-1536x1117.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM.jpg 1562w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">World War 2 catalyzed a global military mobilization the likes of which have not been seen before or since. Pictures are worth a thousand words<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">12<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is difficult to appreciate the scope of World War 2. We modern folk simply have no frame of reference. It was death, tragedy, and destruction on a scale beyond our imagining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixteen million Americans served. More than 400,000 died. Roughly one in every forty American troops who answered the call never came home. One in forty. That\u2019s what it cost to ensure that our world would be free from Nazi death camps, Japanese genocides, and Aryan supermen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-hidden-treasures-in-words\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">Hidden Treasures In Words<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-humanity-of-total-war\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">The Humanity of Total War<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-connections-of-words\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">Connections of Words<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-personal-connection\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">Personal Connection<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-plane\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">The Plane<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-technical-details\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">Technical Details<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-mission\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">The Mission<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-tragedy\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">Tragedy<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-pictures-are-worth-a-thousand-words\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" data-level=\"2\">Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"954\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.52.27\u202fPM-954x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.52.27\u202fPM-954x1024.jpg 954w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.52.27\u202fPM-280x300.jpg 280w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.52.27\u202fPM-140x150.jpg 140w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.52.27\u202fPM-768x824.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.52.27\u202fPM.jpg 1202w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">We moved to capture the powerful tales of World War 2 just in time to keep them from being lost.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hidden-treasures-in-words\">Hidden Treasures In Words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Stephen Ambrose, we captured many of those priceless stories before it was too late. Their inspiration drove folks across the country to pin Grandpa down and insist that he tell his stories from the war while he still could. I chased those tales myself at every opportunity. What I discovered was poignant beyond my capacity adequately to describe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So many of those great old guys were reluctant to revisit that world. However, whenever I saw an old WW2 vet in the clinic I would gently ask. What I got in return for those innocent queries was simply amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One old gentleman ran a local hardware store before he retired. If you saw him in church or walking down the street you wouldn\u2019t give him a passing thought. He looked like everybody\u2019s grandfather\u2014bald and slightly stooped with a shuffling gait. However, back in 1944 this guy was an absolute beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-1024x703.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-1024x703.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-400x275.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-150x103.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-768x527.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-1536x1055.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.08.43\u202fPM-2048x1406.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was an objectively beautiful airplane. It was also a horrible place to die.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-humanity-of-total-war\">The Humanity of Total War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My buddy flew B-17 Flying Fortresses in Europe. He did his twenty-five missions and rotated home. He once mentioned that he had designs on an exceptionally attractive young lady in town before the war. He explained that another boy in his class fancied her, too. The girl chose the other suitor. My buddy then said matter-of-factly, \u201cThat other guy became a pilot as well. He flew P-38 Lightnings in the Pacific. He died fighting the Japanese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was no emotion to the statement. It was simply a fact. This kid he went to high school with was blown to pieces in the skies over some forgotten South Pacific island, and he was just gone. That was the world in which he lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.10.06\u202fPM-1024x690.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.10.06\u202fPM-1024x690.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.10.06\u202fPM-400x270.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.10.06\u202fPM-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.10.06\u202fPM-768x518.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.10.06\u202fPM.jpg 1276w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This B-17 Flying Fortress took a flak hit to the nose that killed the bombardier. It nonetheless still miraculously limped back to base. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I once asked this man to tell me about his most memorable mission. He said he was in a low formation over Italy when somebody screwed up. The upper bomb group dropped their ordnance, and one errant five hundred pounder struck his Fort just ahead of the cockpit. The bomb did not explode, but it tore the nose off of his airplane, taking his bombardier and nose gunner with it. These were two of his closest friends in the world, and they died horribly five feet in front of his face. He wrestled with the mangled airplane for two interminable hours before landing it safely back at base. He told me this story as though he was describing the weather. There was no bravado or pride. He was simply relating facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-connections-of-words\">Connections of Words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I sat mesmerized with him and a dozen or more others, all of whom came to see me for medical care. In my mind\u2019s eye I tried to visualize the scene\u2014the sounds, the smells, and the fear. In each case I\u2019m sure my efforts were woefully inadequate. Some emotions are so intense they just don\u2019t translate well into words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"867\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.53.12\u202fPM-867x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.53.12\u202fPM-867x1024.jpg 867w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.53.12\u202fPM-254x300.jpg 254w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.53.12\u202fPM-127x150.jpg 127w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.53.12\u202fPM-768x908.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.53.12\u202fPM.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This vibrant young Russian officer died mere minutes after this picture was taken while fighting the Germans near Kiev.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>World War 2 was the first of humanity\u2019s countless scraps to be thoroughly documented. All involved knew what they were doing would be studied, dissected, and potentially venerated for generations to come. Cameras were bulky and awkward by modern standards, but they were still available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-personal-connection\">Personal Connection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My wife\u2019s grandfather fought in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He dropped out of school in ninth grade to feed his family during the Depression, but he was a mechanical savant. He took a nice German camera off of a captured Wehrmacht officer and found undeveloped film in his Battalion S2 Intelligence section. He improvised a darkroom using an Army raincoat and a red lens flashlight and carefully cut the film by hand to fit his liberated camera. He scored a few chemicals and processed his own negatives the same way. After he died we found a shoebox full of little pictures he had taken during the war. They were all intriguing, but he had never been willing to explain the details. Regardless, these images offer some fascinating insights into what his life was really like during those long years of combat in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"774\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM-1024x774.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM-1024x774.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM-397x300.jpg 397w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM-768x580.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM-1536x1161.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.11.27\u202fPM.jpg 1712w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joe Ronsenthal&#8217;s amazing picture of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the invasion of Iwo Jima is one of the most compelling images ever captured on film. It is widely accepted as perfect.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are literally countless images to have come from WW2. Some were arcane or tedious. Others, like the raising of the flag over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, were quite literally iconic. Each one tells a story. This story that follows was particularly compelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-plane\">The Plane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-1024x624.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-1024x624.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-400x244.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-150x91.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-768x468.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-1536x937.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.12.19\u202fPM-2048x1249.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Douglas A-20 Havoc was an advanced and capable twin-engine single-pilot attack aircraft developed early in WW2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>July 22, 1944, was a Friday. 1LT James Knarr and his gunner, SSG Charles Reichley, were up early to preflight their Douglas A-20G-25 Havoc medium bomber. Theirs was one of a dozen Havocs assigned to the 387<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Bombardment Squadron of the 312<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;Bombardment Group. They were slated to attack a sprawling Japanese seaplane station and barge depot on the island of Kokas in the South Pacific. Their aircraft was loaded with 115 kg bombs optimized for attacking small ships in the harbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM-1024x709.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM-1024x709.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM-400x277.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM-150x104.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM-768x532.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM-1536x1063.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.44\u202fPM.jpg 1872w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The A-20 didn&#8217;t seem to get as much press as other similar Allied planes. However, more than 7,000 copies were produced. Around half of these went to the Soviet Union.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Douglas A-20 Havoc was not as well-known as were the B-17 Flying Fortresses or B-24 Liberators. It even took a back seat to twin-engine medium bombers like the B-25 Mitchell and B-26 Marauder. However, the A-20 was a potent and effective ground attack platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First flown in January of 1939, the A-20 was designed from the outset as an attack plane. It was powered by a pair of 14-cylinder Pratt and Whitney R-2600-7 Twin Cyclone radial engines, each producing 1,700 horsepower. By war\u2019s end some 7,478 airframes had rolled off the lines.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"738\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.17.05\u202fPM-1024x738.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.17.05\u202fPM-1024x738.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.17.05\u202fPM-400x288.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.17.05\u202fPM-150x108.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.17.05\u202fPM-768x553.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.17.05\u202fPM.jpg 1360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Low-level strafing and bombing attacks were the A-20&#8217;s specialty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-technical-details\">Technical Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By 1944, the G-model A-20 was being used in the Pacific for low-level attacks against Japanese shipping. Under these conditions the bombardier and his vaunted Norden bomb sight were superfluous. As a result, these Havocs had their noses fared over and the bombardier position replaced with half a dozen Browning .50-caliber machineguns. The typical attack profile involved approaching a target at wavetop level and then skipping bombs into the sides of Japanese ships all the while sleeting the decks with massed machinegun fire. The Havoc was remarkably effective in this role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"779\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.18.51\u202fPM-1024x779.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.18.51\u202fPM-1024x779.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.18.51\u202fPM-395x300.jpg 395w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.18.51\u202fPM-150x114.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.18.51\u202fPM-768x584.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.18.51\u202fPM.jpg 1360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The trim and narrow cockpit of the A-20 Havoc was laid out like that of a fighter plane. Unlike other American twin-engine bombers, the A-20 was designed to be flown single-pilot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Without the bombardier, the typical crew of the Havoc was just the single pilot and a top turret gunner. With the assistance of their crew chief, 1LT Knarr and SSG Reichley made their mount ready for the day\u2019s mission. Everything about the plane was armed, fueled, and in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-mission\">The Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"696\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.51.37\u202fPM-1024x696.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.51.37\u202fPM-1024x696.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.51.37\u202fPM-400x272.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.51.37\u202fPM-150x102.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.51.37\u202fPM-768x522.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-1.51.37\u202fPM.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This remarkable series of photos was shot during a low-level bombing mission over the island of Kokas in Western New Guinea in 1944.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The approach to the target was unremarkable. The weather was perfect, and visibility was unrestricted. The limitless blue of the South Seas skies formed a placid backdrop to the unfettered carnage that was soon to come.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CPT Jack Klein was flight lead. 2LT Melvin Kapson was piloting the second ship. 1LT Knarr\u2019s Havoc, tail number 43-9432, was third. The Havocs delivered their bombs just as they had been trained to do, raining death and destruction down on the Japanese barges and crews held at anchor in the harbor. However, by the time the attack planes turned on their egress the Japanese defenders had found their wits. Before they had a chance to close their bomb bay doors, the Japanese antiaircraft guns were clawing up toward them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.00\u202fPM-1024x685.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.00\u202fPM-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.00\u202fPM-400x268.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.00\u202fPM-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.00\u202fPM-768x514.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.00\u202fPM.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">These low-level, counter-shipping missions were incredibly dangerous.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The formation was tight by design. Flying close meant concentrating firepower and shock effect. This also got the attacking aircraft in and out quickly, minimizing their exposure to ground fire. However, it still wasn\u2019t fast enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tragedy\">Tragedy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One burst of antiaircraft fire connected with 1LT Knarr\u2019s starboard engine. Both big radials were firewalled during the attack. 1LT Knarr was coaxing every bit of power out of the plants and every scrap of speed out of the plane. Suddenly the number 2 engine sputtered and died streaming oil. The big 11-foot, 3-inch propeller briefly windmilled.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In such close quarters and at such low altitude, there was just no time. 1LT Knarr was unable to get the prop feathered before the big plane began to roll. The ten-ton medium bomber snapped to the right, its wingtip contacting the smooth azure waters of the bay. In a literal instant, what had previously been a state-of-the-art attack plane manned by a pair of American aircrewmen was transformed into 20,000 pounds of debris. And just like that, 1LT Knarr and SSG Reichley were dead, literally pulverized in the impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-assassination-of-the-saudi-king-faisal-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud-and-a-little-donald-trump-for-flavor\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\">The Assassination of the Saudi King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pictures-are-worth-a-thousand-words\">Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>CPT Klein had been taking photos of the mission. His camera was remarkably advanced for the time and was capable of sequential frames. As luck would have it, his images captured the final seconds of 1LT Knarr\u2019s airplane. The sequence became one of the most compelling of the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"793\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM-1024x793.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM-1024x793.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM-387x300.jpg 387w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM-768x595.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM-1536x1190.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.13.13\u202fPM.jpg 1668w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Advances in technology during WW2 allowed more of the action and drama to be recorded than was the case during previous conflicts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>52,173 Americans died in aerial combat in WW2. Many fighter pilots like my friend\u2019s high school classmate perished alone in the rarefied upper atmosphere. Others died as part of a crew with their friends by their sides to the last. The vast majority perished in anonymity, their sacrifice memorialized by nothing more than a heartfelt letter to loved ones from heartbroken friends or overwrought commanders. However, 1LT Knarr and SSG Reichley had their final moments immortalized. Even some eight decades later, those haunting images move me to my core.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\" title=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is difficult to appreciate the scope of World War 2. We modern folk simply have no frame of reference. It was death, tragedy, and destruction on a scale beyond our imagining.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":199490,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,772],"tags":[102,2836,1323],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-199468","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-will-dabbs","9":"tag-feature-articles","10":"tag-will-dabbs","11":"tag-world-war-ii"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"History has some really fabulous stories and I love learning them, but a picture is worth a thousand words.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It is difficult to appreciate the scope of World War 2. We modern folk simply have no frame of reference. It was death, tragedy, and destruction on a scale beyond our imagining.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/will.dabbs.9\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-04T03:55:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-04T03:55:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-03-at-9.06.31\u202fPM.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1562\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1136\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta 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However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\\\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.word-monkey.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/will.dabbs.9\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/drwildmanmd\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/willdabbs\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words","description":"History has some really fabulous stories and I love learning them, but a picture is worth a thousand words.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words","og_description":"It is difficult to appreciate the scope of World War 2. 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