The German column was advancing toward the overwhelmed American troops. The panzer
grenadiers were aboard armored vehicles and flanked by Panther tanks. The vanguard had
already clashed with the American GIs and cornered them near a bridge. There was no way out for them.
The Germans, slowly but steadily, made their way into the broken Allied lines, which, outnumbered,
were in dire need of air support. But it was not possible, both parties had
suspended air operations due to the intense fog. But, then, the unthinkable happened. The GIs,
battered and exhausted, were about to surrender when the skies cleared
and heard an aircraft approaching. One of the German gunners from the rear then noticed how
a boring old L-4 Grasshopper reconnaissance monoplane raced through his comrade’s lines
as if it were making a bombing run. Before the German could realize what
was happening, he fell to the ground with a concussion. Then came the sound of thunder
and the emerging smoke from several of the armored vehicles that were now in flames.
He stumbled and rose, only to hear the distant cheering from the GIs. As the Grasshopper got
away, the German turned to the sky in amusement when he realized what had just happened:
his lines had been decimated by six bazookas mounted on a silly little plane.
Long before the apparently innocent L-4 Grasshopper put the German forces
in an unexpected pickle, another iconic aircraft bore the brunt of
the German onslaught during the Battle of Britain: a brave Spitfire Mk1a named X4009.
Flown by Australian ace of aces Pat Hughes, the unique aircraft achieved 17 victories
before being shot down and then recovered as a wreck; today, it rests with the Hunter
Fighter Collection, destined for a glorious restoration. And you can own a little piece!
Inspired by "Dirty Dozen" watches worn by World War 2 pilots,
the X4009 Collection by REC Watches is an exclusive set of three distinctive models,
crafted from the very aluminum of Hughes’s legendary Spitfire. When you purchase one
of these stunning wristwatches, not only will you be wearing a piece of history,
but you will honor the hero by helping restore the fuselage of his beloved mount.
What’s more, each mesmerizing piece will bear unrepeatable scratches and combat wounds,
as the fuselage aluminum, unsuitable for restoration, finds a new purpose!
Wear this limited-edition timepiece with pride by going to www.recwatches.com and
acquiring your favorite model. And we’ve got an exclusive offer for you! Get a
15-percent discount only for Dark Docs viewers by using the promo-code “DARK.” Don’t miss out!
The History Teacher Goes to War Charles Carpenter was born in
August 1912 in Edgington, Illinois. After graduating from Centre College in Danville,
Kentucky, he began teaching History. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941,
Carpenter was already married, had a daughter, and was teaching at Urbana High School.
In early 1942, Carpenter enlisted in the United States Army like the tens of thousands of young
patriotic Americans eager to avenge the Japanese strike. However, Carpenter saw himself serving
in a different theater and fighting a different enemy: the Third Reich´s unstoppable war machine.
Carpenter was commissioned with the rank of second lieutenant and completed flight
training to become a reconnaissance pilot. He was assigned to General George Patton’s 3rd Army as an
artillery spotter for the 4th Armored Division. The history teacher turned pilot was tasked with
scouting to gather intelligence about enemy disposition and guide American artillery.
Carpenter was pleased with his job as an artillery spotter. It was fairly safe. Enemy troops
rarely fired against his inoffensive and unarmed reconnaissance airplane to avoid being detected.
Nonetheless, as the war continued, Carpenter grew weary of his passive role as a spotter and sought
to participate in more active combat roles. He had witnessed the horrors of war from
above the clouds and was desperate to make a change. He decided to modify his civilian
airplane and fit it with bazookas to take the fight against the might of German panzers.
The L-4 Grasshopper Carpenter was assigned
to the 1st Bombardment Division following the Allied Invasion of Normandy. The Army’s
L-4 Grasshopper aircraft was the lieutenant´s war horse. It was a slightly modified version of the
civilian Piper J-3 Cub, an American design from the Piper Aircraft company that debuted in 1938.
The L-4 was a simple strut-braced monoplane costing just $2,500. It had an approximate
weight of 1,220 pounds and a length of 22 feet. L-4 Grasshoppers had a cruising speed of over 80
miles per and could fly at 1,500 feet to spot the enemy. The monoplane was extremely versatile for
reconnaissance missions, leading to the production of more than 5,400 units for military use.
The aircraft had no armor or weapons; the only difference between its civilian counterpart was
its olive drab, plexiglass skylight and rear windows for increased visibility.
Carpenter could remain airborne for over three hours and fly at low altitudes and
as slow as 38 miles per hour to accurately gather intelligence for his artillery spotting duties.
During the siege of Lorient in August 1944, Carpenter heard stories of pilots hanging
weapons from their liaison airplanes to support ground troops fighting German infantry and armor.
Carpenter obtained permission from his superiors to install two M1A1 bazookas to the side of his
aircraft. After testing, Carpenter installed four more bazookas. On the side of his L-4,
Carpenter painted the name “Rosie the Rocketer” to honor the women working in aircraft factories and
set out to test his new armament in combat. Bazooka Charlie
Carpenter´s bazookas fired one rocket-propelled anti-tank grenade with a battery-ignited toggle
switch. The L-4 had a panel from which the pilot could decide to fire a single
bazooka or all of them at once. The M1A1 bazooka could penetrate
up to three inches of enemy armor, enough to put a Tiger tank out of commission if
the rocket was fired from a 30-degree angle. German Panthers and Tigers were invincible
from the front but not from above, where their armor was thin. Carpenter exploited
this during his artillery spotting missions. Carpenter´s attack maneuvers were simple but
risky. No one thought an unarmed L-4 could fight head-on against armored formations of panzers.
In an article, Carol Apacki, Carpenter´s daughter, would later write: (QUOTE): “It was
like a sparrow trying to attack an elephant.” After spotting an enemy tank from above,
Carpenter’s L-4 would quickly descend at an angle, fire the rockets, and drive away
before the enemy realized what hit him. Carpenter began to immobilize tanks with
his reckless tactics, earning him the nickname “Bazooka Charlie” after word got around that
he had knocked out several armored cars and immobilized one Tiger and one Panther tank.
Carpenter´s exploits attracted the attention of the press, making him a relatable presence
in the US public, where he was known as the History teacher turned soldier.
During one occasion, he said: (QUOTE) “Some people around here think I’m nuts, but I just believe
that if we’re going to fight a war, we have to go on with it 60 minutes an hour and 24 hours a day.”
The Bald Eagle Bazooka Charlie was promoted to
Major and became General John S. Wood’s private pilot, besides his artillery support missions.
The Major soon had more free time to fight against German armored units. And he did it
so diligently that the Germans began to fire when they saw his Grasshopper in the sky.
The pilot's exploits led the enemy to classify every L-4 as a threat to avoid tank casualties.
The once peaceful reconnaissance missions soon turned into a matter of life and death,
but that did not stop Bazooka Charlie from his rocket strikes.
Like a bald Eagle, the L-4 monoplane kept harassing the enemy from above, avoiding
small arms fire when approaching its targets. After returning from one of his missions,
Bazooka Charlie told a Stars and Stripes reporter that: (QUOTE)
“Word must be getting around among the Germans to watch out for Cubs with bazookas on them. Every
time I show up now, they shoot with everything they have. They never used to bother Cubs.
Bazookas must be bothering them a bit.” In September 1944, the American forces
were battling Heer armored forces in the Battle of Arracourt near Nancy,
France. Heavy fog had concealed the enemy units as they attacked American troops nearby.
Visibility was low, and air support was unavailable in the area to avoid
friendly casualties. Bazooka Charlie was in the skies but could not provide
support until the fog dissipated by noon. Around this time, Major Carpenter spotted
an American support unit trapped under a bridge. The men were pinned down by a
company of German armored tanks and some Panzers. Shrapnel, explosions,
and machine gun fire had immobilized the US infantrymen, and their situation turned dire.
Mad Major Bazooka Charlie propelled himself
into the heat of the combat without hesitation. The Major emptied his six bazookas during the
first pass, but the enemy kept advancing. He raced to friendly lines to reload and
returned to the bridge for a second pass. Despite the increasing German casualties,
they kept advancing toward the GIs, forcing the Major to return for a third reload.
During the desperate mission to save his countrymen, Bazooka Charlie fired 16 rockets
at the enemy while being fired upon, immobilizing several armored vehicles, including two Panthers.
The rest of the German troops retreated from the battlefield, allowing the support unit
to survive. Carpenter´s tenacity that day earned him a new nickname, “the Mad Major.”
In another of his exploits, Carpenter was inspecting a possible landing field aboard a
Jeep near Avranches when a German unit attacked. The soldiers nearby tried to locate the enemy,
who attacked from multiple locations. The Mad Major jumped into a nearby Sherman tank
and manned the Browning machine gun. While providing support fire with a
hail of bullets flying by, Carpenter shouted to the GIs, inspiring them to
leave cover and push back the German soldiers. The soldiers and the Sherman began to advance
toward the enemy, concentrating their fire and opening gaps in their formation. The
Mad Major turned leader of men directed the fire of Sherman and the infantrymen,
forcing the Germans to retreat. Fueled by adrenaline, the GIs and
the Mad Major went after the enemy. While firing against the Germans,
Carpenter came upon Allied forces and accidentally fired at a bulldozer tank, blowing off the blade.
The Mad Major was put under arrest and threatened with a Court Martial,
but the decision was overturned by General Patton, who stopped the trial and awarded
Bazooka Charlie with the Silver Star for bravery. Patton said Carpenter was: (QUOTE) “The type of
American fighter he wanted in his army!” Postwar
When the war ended, Bazooka Charlie was officially credited with destroying six tanks,
two of which were Tiger I tanks, but had immobilized more than a dozen.
In addition to the Silver Star, Carpenter was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and awarded the
Bronze Star, the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Upon his return to the US, Carpenter returned to his work as a history teacher
and was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Doctors gave Mad Major two years to live,
but the rugged pilot went on to live to the age of 53, enjoying what he loved the most: teaching.
Before you too get back to work, remember to make the most of our exclusive offer
to get a 15-percent discount by using the code “DARK” and take a little piece of history home
with you. Get your own X4009 Collection wristwatch now at www.recwatches.com.