Nathan Gordon, the Consolidated PBY Catalina, and a Medal of Honor Flight

When many people think of World War II naval aviation in the Pacific, aircraft such as the Grumman F4F Wildcat or the Vought F4U Corsair often come to mind. Large, slow flying boats like the Consolidated PBY Catalina, however, played vital roles for naval operations, including launching airborne attacks, anti-submarine patrols, delivering supplies, and performing air rescue. Although missions in these roles may not often be remembered, February 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most extraordinary flights of the PBY Catalina during World War II.

The U.S. Navy has depended on flying boats since the dawn of aviation. Their ability to take off and land on water gave Navy planners a versatile way to deploy aviation assets to support their fleets. They provided an aeronautical capability any place that featured a deep enough body of water. In fact, flying boats proved to be essential during World War I for long range anti-submarine patrols. One of the first major flights accomplished by the US Navy following that conflict was that of the Curtiss NC-4 flying boat, which completed the first trans-Atlantic flight in May 1919. The Navy continued to use flying boats throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and several squadrons were at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked on December 7, 1941. Although some may have considered the PBY Catalina to be outdated at the outbreak of World War II, they provided a very durable airframe for long-range flights.

During World War II, the PBY Catalina proved versatile in several roles. They were excellent for anti-submarine patrols during the early days of the Battle of the Atlantic. With a range of almost 3,000 miles and excellent visibility, Catalinas could fly for great distances with a large crew (seven to nine sailors) searching for German U-boats. Catalinas could then either call in additional ships to attack the submarines or attack themselves with their multiple machine guns or bombs. They were also excellent at long-range reconnaissance and proved to be a critical component to the American victory at the Battle of Midway. On June 3, 1942, Catalinas from Navy patrol squadron VP-44 were the first to spot the Japanese fleet sailing to attack Midway Island and launched some of the first attacks against the enemy fleet. PBY Catalinas continued to perform critical patrol missions throughout the battle by keeping track of the Japanese fleet, allowing U.S. carriers to direct attacks that eventually led to the destruction of four Japanese carriers.

PBY Catalinas also proved to be a useful attack platform during the multi-month battle of Guadalcanal from late 1942 to early 1943. Several Catalinas were painted black and referred to as “Black Cats,” conducting night attacks against Japanese shipments during the battle. Catalinas could fly long distances at low altitudes and attack ships carrying troops and supplies at night, often surprising Japanese commanders. These missions greatly helped reduce the effectiveness of the Japanese attacks on the island and allowed the U.S. to keep possession of the island and its critical airfield. One of the most underrated roles of the Catalinas, however, was its search-and-rescue capability.

The huge expanses of the Pacific Ocean proved to be extremely hazardous to pilots whose planes were damaged in aerial combat or suffered mechanical difficulties. If a pilot could not return to an airfield on an island or to a friendly aircraft carrier, they had no choice but to attempt to ditch their aircraft in the sea and survive in a life raft. The long range, durability, and great visibility that allowed Catalinas to be successful in other roles also made the aircraft excellent for search-and-rescue operations. The ability to land on and take off from the water also meant they could directly rescue downed pilots without the need to call in additional assets. It was this role that led to the only Medal of Honor mission ever conducted in a PBY Catalina.

On February 15, 1944, Lt. j.g. Nathan Green Gordon of VP-34 was flying his PBY Catalina Arkansas Traveler in support of the U.S. 5th Air Force attack on Kavieng, located on New Ireland island. They were tasked with flying “Dumbo” missions that day, which was the name given to search-and-rescue missions. During the attack, several U.S. planes were shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire, resulting in several crews ditching their aircraft in the water near Kavieng. Gordon landed his PBY Catalina four times under intense enemy fire to pick up stranded aircrew in the water or in small life rafts. In total, Gordon picked up 15 aircrew and flew his very overloaded plane back home without issue. Gordon was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, and the details of his rescue were recorded in the citation for the award:

“For extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty as commander of a Catalina patrol plane in rescuing personnel of the U.S. Army 5th Air Force shot down in combat over Kavieng Harbor in the Bismarck Sea, 15 February 1944. On air alert in the vicinity of Vitu Islands, Lt. (then Lt. j.g.) Gordon unhesitatingly responded to a report of the crash and flew boldly into the harbor, defying close-range fire from enemy shore guns to make 3 separate landings in full view of the Japanese and pick up 9 men, several of them injured. With his cumbersome flying boat dangerously overloaded, he made a brilliant takeoff despite heavy swells and almost total absence of wind and set a course for base, only to receive the report of another group stranded in a rubber life raft 600 yards from the enemy shore. Promptly turning back, he again risked his life to set his plane down under direct fire of the heaviest defenses of Kavieng and take aboard 6 more survivors, coolly making his fourth dexterous takeoff with 15 rescued officers and men. By his exceptional daring, personal valor, and incomparable airmanship under most perilous conditions, Lt. Gordon prevented certain death or capture of our airmen by the Japanese.”

Although not as fast or maneuverable as many aircraft of World War II, the PBY Catalina provided critical service during the conflict and was the most produced flying boat by the end of the war. PBYs continued to serve after the war, in both commercial capabilities carrying people and goods to areas without concrete runways, as well as well as in firefighting capabilities.  The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum acquired the last surviving PBY-5 in the early 1960s, which had entered service on February 28, 1943, and provided invaluable training in Pensacola, Florida. It can still be seen on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, where it is on loan as a memorial to all those who bravely flew the skies in the greatly underrated flying boat that served numerous roles to bring about an Allied victory.