The flying boat that saved thousands of pilots and sank dozens of enemy submarines | PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina—a flying boat nicknamed the "pigboat" for its ungainly appearance and slowness—became one of the most important multirole aircraft of World War II, sinking over forty enemy submarines and saving tens of thousands of lives. Its history began with aviation pioneer Reuben Hollis Fleet, who founded the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in 1923. The PBY Catalina participated in every major operation, from the discovery of the battleship Bismarck to the Battle of Midway. Special Black Cat squadrons terrorized the Japanese fleet with night attacks, and rescue versions of the Dumbo rescued thousands of downed pilots and sailors from the water.
Key moments in the video:
— The founding of the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation by Reuben Fleet in 1923 and the development of the Model 28 in response to the Japanese threat after the 1933 invasion of Manchuria
— The prototype's record-breaking nonstop flight from Norfolk to San Diego in September 1935 and the mass production of over 3,300 aircraft by the end of the war
— The discovery of the battleship Bismarck by British Catalinas on May 26, 1941, and the decisive role they played in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, in discovering the Japanese fleet
— The creation of the legendary Black Cat squadrons, painted matte black, for night operations against the Japanese Tokyo Express on Guadalcanal beginning in late 1942
— The destruction of nearly two-thirds of all submarines sunk by the Americans, including 25 of the 60 Japanese submarines, saving tens of thousands of lives Operation Dumbo
Music: Eyes of Glory — Aakash Gandhi, Duty Calls — Rod Kim. Photos and videos are taken from archive.org and are in the public domain.
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