Please help identify this aircraft!

[k-pp]

The following link will take you to a snapshot of my grandfather leaning against a motorcycle under what I presume to be an Allied aircraft. I'm guessing it's Allied because of the tattered tail fin.

Can anyone identify the plane?

http://community.webshots.com/photo/849 ... 2514yhSCYV


In the context of other photographs I have, the time period is probably the summer of 1940 in France or Belgium, but I'm open to surprises.

Thanks.

[ctschatz]

It could be this;

http://www.military.cz/usa/air/war/bomb ... b2u_en.htm

Vought SB2U Vindicator


The SB2U combined biplane technology with a monoplane layout. It was a very important advance for the USN when it entered service, but already obsolete in 1940. Some were nevertheless used in WWII, with little success. The additional weight of combat equipment had very adverse effects on the performance of the SB2U.
General characteristics SB2U-1
Primary function dive bomber
Power plant One Pratt&Whitney R-1535-96 engine
Thrust 818 HP 610 kW
Wingspan 42 ft 12.80 m
Length 34 ft 10.36 m
Height 10.2 ft 3.12 m
Speed 250 mph 402 km/h
Ceiling 27,400 ft 8,350 m
Range 1,000 miles 1,610 km
Armament 2x 7.62mm machine gun, 454 kg bombs
Crew Two
Date deployed 1937

[k-pp]

Thanks ctschatz.

Does look a lot like it, doesn't it. I never thought to look at American warplanes. The various bits seem to match, and as a dive-bomber it would explain the bomb holding clamp thingies under the wing.

A google search under Vought SB2U Vindicator led to

http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/W ... d_info.htm

which says the Vindicator was sold to the British as a Chesaspeake. A search under Vought SB2U Chesaspeake led to

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/APS/1958.htm

In 1940 however, it seems France was the only country to fly the plane in Europe, where it saw service with the French Fleet Air Arm. The British only introduced it in 1941. The markings of the French Vought is the one you gave at the link

http://www.military.cz/usa/air/war/bomb ... b2u_en.htm


If this is the correct plane, could the photograph have been taken somewhere at an airfield in northeastern France, say Amiens? Does anyone know whether the French flew these planes from dry land and from where?

Thanks!

[Stahlhelm]

The aircraft was probably captured. Keep in mind that most French aircraft that wasn't destroyed during the blitz was used later in the war by the Germans themselves.

[KampfgruppeMeyer]

The following link will take you to a snapshot of my grandfather leaning against a motorcycle under what I presume to be an Allied aircraft. I'm guessing it's Allied because of the tattered tail fin.

Can anyone identify the plane?

http://community.webshots.com/photo/849 ... 2514yhSCYV


In the context of other photographs I have, the time period is probably the summer of 1940 in France or Belgium, but I'm open to surprises.

Thanks.

definitely allied. i will chack my sources and get back to you

[k-pp]

Thanks for comments so far.

I don't think the plane, if captured from the French, was in service with the Germans at the time of the photograph, because the tail fin has no skin on it. I presume this would make it too difficult to fly. I'd be interested to know though if the Germans ever did fly this particular (captured) model for whatever purpose!

However, reading about this plane type and the fact it was a noisy and obsolete rattler by 1940, would it not have been simply scrapped?

I guess the photograph was taken July or August 1940 in Belgium or northern France.

[Stahlhelm]

On the flip-side, on the ground, the Germans used captured R35s and other useless tanks against the American invasion, which could all be considered "obsolete rattlers".

I'm sure, even if they were not used in combat, the Luftwaffe had several in servicable condition, and probably used them when the occasion presented itself.

[Panzermeyer]

Hello,

French vehicles (but also guns and several planes) were much more used than you think I guess, by the Germans and several allies (Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia ...) Have a look on these threads please :


About tanks and vehicles :
http://www.thirdreichforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=23596

About planes :
http://www.thirdreichforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=30530

For me the plane is a French Air Fleet Vought SB2U Vindicator .... in May about 24 of them were operationnal and used like other Air Fleet planes (LN.411 etc.) in attacks against the German columns.



Best regards,

David

[k-pp]

Thanks David.

Still grateful for any information on the airfields these planes were flown from by the French in May/June 1940!

[k-pp]

Thanks David.

Still grateful for any information on the airfields these planes were flown from by the French in May/June 1940!

[Panzermeyer]

In French service the type was designated the V-156F Vindicator and 40 were produced for the nation, of which only 25 were actually delivered I think (not totally sure). It was generally used during Mid 1940 for the hopeless task of trying to stem the German armoured invasion. The British had 50 Vindicator in their Fleet Air Arm and called them Chesapeake MkI if I am right. Apparently the French had 13 V-156F based in Hyères (escadrille AB.1) and 12 V-156F based in Alprech (escadrille AB.3) in dive bomber units. Composition of the French Air Fleet in May 1940 : http://france1940.free.fr/aeronaval/aero_may.html

David

[k-pp]

Thanks for the link David.