WIX Archives
Re: RIP: Doolittle's Navigator Hank Potter
Posted by Ron Henry on Thu Jun 06, 2002 01:34:54 PM
In reply top RIP: Doolittle's Navigator Hank Potter posted by JohnH on Mon Jun 03, 2002 09:02:00 AM
: I was sad to open up the LA Times today and read of the de
: ath of Jimmy Doolittle's navigator on the Tokyo Raid, Hank
: Potter... I met Potter in 1992 on the USs Ranger when the
: y launched two B-25s to mark the 50th anniversary of the D
: oolittle Raid off of San Diego. In what to me now and then
: was a strange coincidence, I just happened to make my way
: up top on the island of the ship to take some photos look
: ing down on the first 25 as it was about to take off... St
: anding next to me was Potter, who granted me a brief inter
: view...as I was there to write a story for Atlantic Flyer
: that was also published in Wingspan in England. It was suc
: h a thrill to be there and what a great story to have met
: him like that!!!
:
: JH
Your experience meeting Henry Potter was very similar to one that I had. I went to several CAF shows at Harlingen in the 2nd half 1970s & early 80s. One small hangar was always filled with trade booths selling all sorts of aviation related goodies. One year, at a booth selling paintings, I was looking at a very good painting of the B-25s launching from Hornet. There was an oldish guy also looking at the picture. I think I said something like "Very nice painting" and he said "Yes, that's me there - second on the deck" !!!!
God - I thought - straight out of the history book !! Sadly, I can't remember his name.
:
: From Aeronews.net:
:
: Col Henry Potter, Doolittle Raider
: One of America?s first heroes of WWII died on Memorial Day
: of respiratory failure. Retired Air Force Col. Henry A. P
: otter navigated the lead aircraft in Jimmy Doolittle?s Apr
: il 18, 1942, attack on Japan.
: Though the raid did little damage militarily, its effect o
: n morale was significant on both sides. For Americans, it
: marked the nation?s first offensive action following the D
: ec. 7, 1941, surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
: The raid stunned the Japanese, who felt their home islands
: were immune to attack. As a result, the Japanese pulled m
: any units off the front lines and reserved them for defens
: e.
: Potter, born Sept. 22, 1918, in Pierre, S.D., was commissi
: oned in July 1941 following completion of navigator traini
: ng and was assigned to the 17th Bomb Group at Pendleton, O
: re. Following four months of intense training, which featu
: red short-field takeoffs and over-water navigation, Potter
: and his B-25 Mitchell bomber reported aboard the aircraft
: carrier USS Hornet.
: The plan was for the Hornet to maneuver to within 500 mile
: s of Japan. Following the attack, the 16 land-based bomber
: s would continue on into China to land at friendly airfiel
: ds, from which they would continue operations against the
: Japanese.
: Unfortunately, the Hornet was spotted by Japanese fishing
: boats and ?Dootlittle?s Raiders? were forced to take off 2
: 50 miles farther from Japan than planned. With the limited
: range of the B-25, that meant the planes would not be abl
: e to reach their landing sites in Chuchow, China.
: With (then-Lt. Col.) Doolittle at the controls, Potter?s b
: omber was the first to lift off the crowded carrier deck,
: bound for Tokyo. After dropping four incendiary bombs in a
: manufacturing area, Potter navigated his aircraft to an e
: scape route over the North China Sea. When the bomber fina
: lly ran out of fuel, the crew bailed out. Potter suffered
: the crew?s only injury -- a sprained ankle.
: After rescue by Chinese troops, Potter eventually returned
: to the United States and the 17th BG. He completed a comb
: at tour in North Africa, flying the B-26 Marauder, then fi
: nished the war as an instructor in B-17 Flying Fortresses,
: B-24 Liberators and B-29 Superfortresses. Potter retired
: from the Air Force in 1970, but remained active in the Con
: federate Air Force and the Doolittle Raider Association.
: Surviving Raiders honor fallen comrades with a toast in a
: private ceremony at each annual Doolittle Raider reunion.
:
: According to tradition, a silver goblet engraved with Pott
: er?s name will be turned upside down to mark his death. Th
: e goblets are kept on display at the U.S. Air Force Academ
: y in Colorado Springs (CO), between reunions. Of the 80 go
: blets, 24 remain upright.
: [Thanks to Tech. Sgt. Scott Elliott, Air Force Print News
: --ed.]
: FMI: http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0801/doolsb1.html, http
: ://www.af.mil/news/airman/0801/dool.html