RSS Feed
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Stag One blazed trail
It prevented Navy pilots from being shot down during World War II bombing missions against heavily fortified Japanese military positions in the South Pacific islands. Retired Lt. Bob Bothfeld served in the U.S. Navy as a member of Stag One, a top-secret unit responsible for the development the TDR-1 Assault Drone and its deployment in the Pacific Theater from August 1943 to October 1944. He, along with 19 others, celebrated their accomplishments at a reunion on Pensacola Beach in November. Bothfeld graduated from Tufts College in 1943 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He helped build the cutting-edge weapon that many at the time believed impossible to make. "We started in Clinton, Okla., and moved to Traverse City, Mich., and Monterrey, Calif., before being stationed in Guadalcanal in the South Pacific," Bothfeld explained. The TDR-1 Assault Drone was equipped with cameras in the nose that allowed the pilots to aim the weapon directly at its target. Because it was remote-guided, the TDR-1 was capable of hitting enemy targets while generally keeping the crew out of harm's way. "Most people didn't think it would be possible, but we made it possible," Bothfeld said. "The main thing we were trying to do was eliminate most of the risk for the pilots." The TDR-1 was loaded with a 2,000- pound bomb, and its development laid the groundwork for the remote-guided missiles or "smart bombs" the U.S. military uses on today's modern battlefield. As you can imagine, there were many challenges and near disasters during the development of such forward-thinking technology. "In Traverse City, we lost control of one of the drones, and we couldn't shoot it down," Bothfeld recounted with a chuckle. "It flew around for a long time, and we were sure it was going to crash somewhere in the city. Luckily, it stalled, and a strong wind blew it out into the bay where it crashed into the water." Bothfeld survived a near disaster in Guadalcanal during a testing exercise. "When we were in the islands, one of the planes caught fire. We thought the pin on the bomb had rattled out," Bothfeld said. "Man, I've never seen so many people clear out that fast. We were climbing over each other trying to get far away from the plane. "The bomb disposal crew moved in and took care of it. They knew that the pin hadn't fallen out, but we sure did." Despite the few mishaps, the TDR-1 made it into combat where a pilot riding in a control aircraft fitted with the necessary control devices guided it at enemy targets. It served the Navy with an impressive record that boasted a 46.5 percent target-hit rate with no KIAs, MIAs or POWs. There were also no injuries to any of the personnel or damage to or loss of the first-line control aircraft. Despite the success of the program, it was scrapped in October 1944 after less than two years of service. The crew didn't receive the public credit it deserved, however, until decades later when its top-secret efforts were de-classified. In 1981, the first Stag One reunion was held in Washington D.C., and the group has enjoyed 17 more since — four of them in Pensacola. "I haven't been to all of them," Bothfeld said. "They didn't even find me until the fourth or fifth one." In addition to the joy of reuniting with old friends, Stag One veterans were treated to a tour of the National Naval Aviation museum, VIP seats at the Blue Angels Air Show and a riding tour of Pensacola's three historic districts. "We were really taken care of very well," Bothfeld said. "The captain of the station was very accommodating. He let us watch the air show from the comfort of his chalet right on the flight line." The last known remaining TDR-1 Assault Drone is on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard NAS Pensacola. "Seeing the plane is great because we all worked on it," Bothfeld said. "I probably helped construct the one you see at the museum." |
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
)