Kings of Camouflage: Cuttlefish

I still like shows about animals. I haven't matured much since pre-school. Here's a VERY good Nova documentary on the cuttlefish. It is now my favorite cephalopod.

The Planes of Pearl Harbor

Last night I finished Days of Infamy by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. It was an amazing novel and I recommend it to anyone who loves history. I thought I'd post some picture of the planes that are discussed in the book, mostly because I keep telling my Dad about them :)

The Grumman F-4 Wildcat was the primary fighter used by the US. The Japense surprised the US with their new Mitsubishi Zero, which was faster and more maneveurable than the Wildcat. Fighters engage other planes. For example, when the USS Enterprise is under attack by dive bombers and torpedo bombers, Wildcats were launched to blunt the attack. Attacking forces will include fighters in their forces to protect their bombers.

Dive Bombers' purpose is to attack enemy ships above the waterline. During this time period, dive bombers would be famous for their near verticle descent in order to accurately place the bomb. The US used the SBD Dauntless whereas the Japs used the Aichi Val.

Torpedo Bombers attack enemy ships below the waterline. The common tactic around Pearl Harbor would be for torpedo bombers to fly very low, often only five to ten feet above the ocean. This would allow them to be level when launching the torpedos. Obviously, this opens bombers up to attack from above. They were often considered sitting targets for enemy fights. The US employed the TBD Devastor; while the Japs, the Nakajima Kate.

I'm sure I'll be posting updates as technologies progress.