They Stole Guns From Crashed Planes And Won The War

Описание: In late 1942, PT boat crews at Guadalcanal faced an impossible problem: Japanese supply barges were immune to their torpedoes. The solution came from the wreckage at Henderson Field—37mm automatic cannons salvaged from crashed P-39 Airacobra fighters. What began as desperate improvisation became the most successful field modification adopted by the U.S. Navy in World War II.

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DISCLAIMER: This documentary is based on verified historical records, combat reports, and naval archives. Where specific details are uncertain, we have noted this in the narration. All statistics are from post-war U.S. Navy analysis and Japanese records.

REFERENCES
U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships - PT Boat Combat Effectiveness Analysis 1942-1945
Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 Action Reports - October 1942 through February 1943
Lieutenant Commander Alan R. Montgomery Service Record
Lieutenant John M. Searles Navy Cross Citation - December 9, 1942
Bureau of Ordnance Technical Manual - 37mm M4 Aircraft Cannon
Bureau of Ordnance Technical Manual - 37mm M9 Naval Cannon
Colt Patent Firearms Production Records - M9 Cannon 1943-1945
Japanese Daihatsu-Class Landing Craft Specifications - Imperial Japanese Navy
Vice Admiral Shigeru Fukudome Post-War Interview - Philippine Supply Operations
PT Boat Museum Archives - Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts
National Archives - Henderson Field Aircraft Loss Records 1942
Elco Naval Division Production Records - PT Boat Construction 1943-1944

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