18. The Pilot Who Took Out Tanks by Strapping Bazookas to His Plane
During WWII, US Army Major Charles Carpenter, also known as “Bazooka Charlie” and the “Mad Major”, was assigned to the 4th Armored Division in France as an artillery observer. Flying a military variant of the Piper Cub, the L-4H Grasshopper, Carpenter’s job was to spot German artillery positions, then fly back to base – his plane had no radio – and report the position. Carpenter wanted more excitement, however, so he decided to take out the enemy himself. As he would later tell a reporter, Carpenter’s idea of war was to “attack, attack, and then attack again“.
The L-4H carried no weapons, and had a combined pilot and cargo capacity of only 232 pounds. That was enough for Carpenter, who strapped six bazookas to his airplane, three beneath each wing, and went Nazi hunting. Within a few weeks, Bazooka Charlie, flying his modified plane, now nicknamed Rosie the Rocketer, took out four German tanks and an armored car. By war’s end, Carpenter’s toll had risen to six tanks, several other armored cars, and assorted vehicles.