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Satisfaction
Plus
Joseph Hirsch
#26
Oil on canvas, circa, 1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-ET
There are no severer critics of squadron performance than men
who constitute Navy ground crews. When performance is high, it
is the ground crew which exudes self-satisfaction. This trio of
navy machinist's mates put on expressions of pleased smugness
as they critically observe fighter squadrons wheel aloft in formation.
Their job is done; every engine purrs like a cat.
Pilot
in Blackface
Joseph Hirsch
#3
Pen & Ink, circa, 1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-FC
The Navy pilot, if unprotected from icy blasts while on cold-weather patrol, might suffer serious frostbite. To prevent facial freezing and maintain efficiency of air crews, wind masks are provided. Aerial observation and scouting requires sharp observation, and sometimes it is necessary for the airman to open ports or push aside the cockpit enclosure for unimpeded vision.
Training
in Homicide
Georges Schreiber #10
Watercolor,1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-JC
The rear seat gunner of a Navy dive bomber or torpedo plane carries
a heavy burden. His task is to ward off enemy fighters, usually
faster and trickier than his heavier bomber. That's why training
in Navy flexible gunnery gets so much emphasis. Here a naval petty
officer puts a group of gunner candidates through closely directed
firing drill. The man at the gun is still a bit awkward--but he'll
learn.
On
the Mark
Joseph Hirsch
#6
Charcoal, circa, 1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-FF
In a few months he will be sighting at the Japanese rising sun
as his bull's-eye. For the present, however, this Navy Gunnery
candidate, chin braced on hand, lets loose with a few bursts on
the gunnery range under the critical eye of an instructor. The
rear seat gunner has written a distinguished chapter for himself
in the story of naval aviation during this war.
The
Man in the Rear Seat
Georges Schreiber #6
Oil,1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-IY
The Rear Gunner's spot, as on these SBD Dive Bombers, is a lonely,
but vital one. It is the man in the rear sear who fights the rear
guard action protecting his pilot while bombs are aimed at the
target. His flexible machine guns have scratched scores of enemy
fighters on the Pacific tally sheets
A
Navy Catapult Barks
Georges Schreiber #12
Watercolor, 1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-JE
An observation-scout is air-borne from a catapult at the naval
seaplane base, Pensacola, Florida. This action took place on the
beach as part of training for naval aviation cadets and pilots
in operational training. The plane is the Vought-Sikorsky OS2U,
used in land-based operations and catapulted from cruisers or
battleships to scout the enemy and to spot gunfire. With its crew
of two, it can carry small bombs, scout relatively large areas,
and when equipped with pontoons, land in rough waters.
The
Dunkers
Georges Schreiber #3
Watercolor & crayon, 1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-IV
Eyes aloft, three members of a Navy beaching crew pull on their neck-high "boots" preparatory to beaching, the observation-scout spiraling down to a water landing. The rubber suits protect the crew from the chill of icy water in beaching operations before the airplane is towed up the beaching ramp by a tractor. In southern waters, or in warm water, the crew usually discards rubber dunkers for bathing shorts and a sun tan.
Beachcomber,
Navy Style
Joseph Hirsch
#4
Charcoal, circa, 1943
Gift of Abbott Laboratories
88-159-FD
Clad in rubber suit, this member of a Navy seaplane beaching crew sits and meditates while awaiting a call to action. The beaching crew must wade into the water at seaplane beaching ramps and attach lines and beaching gear necessary to haul flying boats onto the ramp.
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Collection Branch01 August 2001