Hip-shooting at a Zero??!

R

Rob Pincus

New member
I hope some of you took (or are taking) time out of your busy lives to enjoy TCM's brithday tribute to the movies of Frank Sinatra today. Lots of old guns, including Sgt. Warden hip-shooting Japanese Zeros with a .30 cal in From Here to Eternity.

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-Essayons
 
In the South Pacific in WWII, the co-pilot of a B-24 had bailed out, and the Zeros were strafing the aircrew in their chutes. He was struck in the arm. He drew his 1911-A1, and played dead. A zero came up next to him, nearly stalling, and the guy in the chute blasted several shots at the pilot. One hit him in the head and killed him.

The co-pilot was captured, and treated well by the Japanese, as his heroism in shooting down a zero with a .45 was admired.
Walt
 
Remebered a WWII question today - In saving Private Ryan the linguistics private was told NOT to salute Officers. Fair 'nuff BUT aren't those TWO SHINY BARS on the 2nd Lewies helmut an invite for a sniper ? Any WWII buffs out there have a comment on the removal or camoflauging of the "shoot me !" bars
 
HS: Yeah, I noticed that when I saw it the first time. I chuckled to myself but didn't think anything of it. I mean, considering that I was never a part of WWII, I didn't know what to think of it.
 
SB- I heard the same story as Walt told. Can't remember where I saw it, but it was recently. If it really happened, I wonder how much he had to lead a 350 mph airplane?
 
USAF Col. Owen Baggett (ret.), currently living in San Antonio, TX, was a 2d Lt on a B-24 on March 31, 1943. The bomber was shot down and the crew bailed out. Japanese pilots commenced to strafe the crewmen as they descended by parachute.
Baggett pretended to be dead. A Japanese pilot (aircraft canopy open) put his Zero in a near stall within feet of Baggett's chute. Baggett fired four shots from a .45 automatic at the open cockpit. The Zero stalled and spun in. The Japanese pilot's body (thrown clear of the wreck) was found to have a single bullet in his head.
Read the entire story in the "Valor" column for July, 1996 in Air Force Magazine.
Available at http://www.afa.org/magazine/valor/0796valor.html

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[This message has been edited by Dennis (edited 12-14-98).]
 
In "Pvt Ryan" there are lots of tactical gaffs, like everyone walking in bunches and yakking it up without getting ambushed or losing the whole squad to a single incoming round. I guess such stuff is "required" Hollywood mechanisms so that story elements can be revealed more easily if someone just talks about it. Also, showing groups is probably better visually than just having a single guy walking along. Funny that such a film was done by Speilberg (sp) who is said to support gun-control yet is supposed to have an enormous collection of Class III weapons. Also, in "Schindlers' List", ol' Stevie CONVENIENTLY omitted how Oskar (sp) Schindler provided GUNS and training to his Jewish factory workers so that they could defend themselves! Hmmm.
 
Spielberg does not support "gun control," though he hasn't been the biggest voice in support of RKBA arms, either.

He particpates in a very few celebrity shoots every year and has been "coming out of the closet" more and more in the last few years.

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-Essayons
 
Rob,

Thanks for the info on Spielberg. I had been led to believe he was a big time gun-grabber like most of the Hollywood liberals. I still won't pay to see his movies because he is definately a Slick Willy supporter, but at least I can watch his stuff on TV without too much guilt.
 
Spielberg was on the cover of GunGames several months back. Pretty good article. As I remember it he's big into shotgun sports.
 
Most of the "celebrity shooters" are shotgunners. There is a real unerground tradition to shotgunning in hollywood (and washington, dc...). going back to the orginal Bogart rat pack and following through to their heirs, Sinatra's pack. The Las Vegas Gun club has a great collection of old photos from the good ol' days of celebs coming to town to perform and hitting the range.

I have had the pleasure on several occasions to discuss those Good ol' Days with actor Robert Stack (former olympic shooter). He shot with all the big stars of the 50's and 60's. He still attends a few celeb events everyyear and shoots very well.

There are now over 50 Celebrity shooting or hunting events held every year, and many celebrities guest on hunting TV shows.

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-Essayons

[This message has been edited by Rob (edited 12-16-98).]
 
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