un link curioso:
http://www.daveswarbirds.com/cactus/cactus.htmno dejeis d leer la historia (muy breve) que hay bajo la foto del Pby5A Catalina...
The Catalina was used for long-range reconnaisance and rescue work. Being slow, sluggish, and poorly armed, it was generally not considered a combat aircraft. However, an event during the Guadalcanal campaign changed this somewhat. The PBY-5A pictured above was the personal aircraft (nicknamed the "Blue Goose") of General Geiger; it was used to ferry supplies to the Marines on the island. One day it brought a pair of aerial torpedoes, one under each wing, back to the island to help re-supply the Avengers stationed there. Unfortunately, the Avengers were all out-of-action when the PBY arrived, and a Japanese fleet was approaching with enough troops to retake the island. Realizing that their backs were against the wall, Major Jack Cram (General Geiger's junior aide and personal pilot) had the Catalina rigged with manual releases for the still-slung torpedoes, and took the lumbering amphibian in a suicidal attack on the Japanese transports. Incredibly, he and his crew not only survived the attack, but he scored a hit on a transport. Shot up and pursued by Zeros all the way back to Henderson Field, he managed to safely land with 175 bullet holes in his plane. General Geiger berated him for abuse of government property, but promptly wrote out a recommendation for the Navy Cross for his aide. (See Page 2 of "The Men" section for a picture of Major Cram and to read about this incident in Cram's own words.)