Sunday, April 26, 2015

L-Birds: A silent asset of World War II

L-Birds, as they are called, became a vital part of reconnaissance during World War II as an artillery spotter, military errand runner, transporter of war administrators, and carrier of critically injured soldiers. The aircraft were the eyes of the military---communicating real time enemy locations by radio.




The Liaison plane doesn't look special. In fact, it's small and cheaply made. Yet, it was an aircraft that was a big military asset in World War II.

"This represents what I call the little guy," says Gene Jensen. "The common foot solider--if you were--who didn't gain a lot of glory and a lot of recognition. But he played a key part in the war and bringing it to a successful conclusion."

Jensen is with the Alamo Liaison Squadron. They are putting on a airshow about the wartime airplane on April 25 at Cannon Field in San Antonio.

"We want people to come and see them, learn about them, learn about their history," says Jensen.

L-Birds, as they are called, became a vital part of reconnaissance during World War II as an artillery spotter, military errand runner, transporter of war administrators, and carrier of critically injured soldiers. The aircraft were the eyes of the military--communicating real time enemy locations by radio.

Jensen says the enemy would honker down because they knew a military pounding was not far behind.

The planes don't carry sexy war stories. In fact, some of the inexpensive planes were made of paper and a metal machine. They run on gasoline. The airplanes don't require a landing strip. They can land in a field, on a beach, and nearly any strip of land.

L-Birds are know to bounce up and down on landings like grasshoppers. Some people even refer to the plane as such.

They were winged solutions that silently soared into history's pages.

"We see great stories and they are wonderful stories and they're good about the bombers, the fighters, and even the transports," says Jensen. "But nobody ever paid attention to these little guys because they were quietly going about their job."

Original article can be found here: http://www.13wmaz.com





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