I invite Aviation History readers to visit the Web site flightoftheresolution.org to learn more about the crash. I also urge anyone who would like to share their memories of BCPA or that tragic accident to contact me at vhbpe @yahoo.com.

Christopher O’Donnell
San Mateo, Calif.

Mighty Mars Nearly Torpedoed
Regarding the January issue’s article “The Mighty Mars,” by E.R. Johnson, I was on a crew at the Naval Mine Warfare Test Station at Solomons, Md., across the Patuxent River mouth from NAS Patuxent, in July 1945 when the first JRM-1 flying boat was being moored there. We were testing what was at the time a secret weapon, hydrophone-equipped air-dropped torpedoes. Ordinarily, these “fish” headed toward a sound-emitting float about a quarter mile away. But when the JRM-1 was running up its four engines, the torpedoes headed for the Mars instead of the sound float. Fortunately, the fish were outfitted with positive buoyancy noses in­stead of torpex-filled explosive chambers—and they ran out of fuel just before reaching the JRM.

Eric Emory
Katonah, N.Y.

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