Aircraft Combat Art and History

Illustrations and historical references of iconic warplanes like the Hawker Hurricane and Spitfire, showcasing aerial combat.

Workings of a Japanese Kamikaze suicide bomber captured by Allied forces in the Pacific in 1945. Date: 1945

A scourge of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War: the British Hawker Hurricane fighter plane. Date: 1940

The famous British Spitfires Flying in Formation. Each machine gun can fire at the rate of over 6,000 cannon and machine gun bullets per minute

DF-SC-85-09683. Country: Unknown

How a Zeppelin climbs when attacked from below by anti-aircraft guns. 1915

Two of the Army's tremendous army armada, one of the super flying fortresses and a mighty air transport as they pass in the clouds during air maneuvers , Airplanes, Military maneuvers, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

US Air Force Lockheed P-38 'Lightning' shooting down a German aeroplane during the Second World War. The 'Lightning' was a highly successful twin-engined escort fighter, with a top speed of 360mph and a range of at least 1000 miles. This illustration was painted by C.E. Turner, the Illustrated London News' special artist, from sketches made at an American airfield in Britain, 1944. Date: 1944

Details of the RAF's new gyro gun sight, which makes every fighter pilot an accurate marksman. By means of two simple adjustments in action, the gun sight ensures accuracy of fire at maximum speed and range, doubling the efficiency of fighter aircraft. Date: 1944

Workings of a Japanese Kamikaze suicide bomber captured by Allied forces in the Pacific in 1945. Date: 1945

The ingenuity of German scientists applied to the war in the air. Illustrating the methods and machines exploited and used by the Germans during the Second World War. Date: 1945

French aircraft (breguet Lancant), dropping bombs on German positions during world war One. 1916

Join the Air Service.

Britain's Horsa glider -- the mount which carried the airborne spearhead of invasion to Normandy on D-Day, Second World War. The Horsa's undercarriage is jettisoned before landing, and on touching down its fuselage is instantly detachable to permit the swift unloading of troops and supplies. Date: 1944

Me109 - Tactical Poster 109. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

French 'spad' shoots down a German plane

DF-SC-86-05742. Country: Unknown

Artwork: "The Last of a Breed F-102" Artist: Henry Lozano. Country: Unknown

The bomber that beats the fighters: details of the famous American Flying Fortress, in use during the Second World War. The Boeing B17E, latest version of a first-class daylight precision bomber, whose 0.5 inch machine guns made it the terror of the Luftwaffe. Date: 1943

Halberstadt's mural at the Fortress Monroe, Virginia , Soldiers, Artillery Weaponry, Military facilities. The Massachusetts WPA Federal Art Project Photograph Collection

How a Whitley night bomber is assembled in section, speeding up aeroplane production by simplification during the Second World War. Date: 1941

Nosegunner on Bomber.

Coast Guard Invasion Coxswain. This image depicts artwork of a Coast Guard-manned landing barge, drawn by Coast Guard Combat Artist Jack B. Gildersleeve.

Money and munitions: an illustrated armament catalogue. Pictures showing the various costs of the weapons used during the Second World War, ranging from a battleship at 8,000,000 to a hand grenade at four shillings. Date: 1941

"Fuego de San Telmo producido durante el regreso de un avión alemán tras el bombardeo de un puerto de la costa inglesa". Pie de foto textual en una de las páginas interiores de la revista "Signal", ejemplar número 4 (febrero de 1941) de la versión española (SP 4). Esta revista se publicó entre abril de 1940 y abril de 1945, siendo el principal órgano de propaganda del ejército alemán durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. A partir del número 8 de 1941 se publicó una versión íntegra en español, identificada con el código SP.

Deeds of gallantry in the running sea and air fight in the English Channel during the Second World War. Date: 1942

events First World War WWI aerial warfare German and British plane colliding in dogfight photograph coloured 1918,

Artwork: "German Bomber Maintenance" Artist: H. Recksiegel. Country: Unknown

Artwork: "Chariots of Fire" Artist: Loren Blackburn, US Air Force Art Collection. Country: Unknown

The Mustang: fastest army cooperation plane in the world, in use during the Second World War. A hard-hitting, amazingly fast reconnaissance aircraft. Date: 1942

DF-SC-89-11130. Base: Unknown

British Tanks: No. 3. Light tank Mark VIB. A sectional drawing of a light British tank which proved its fighting ability on various fronts during the Second World War. Date: 1941

American Bomber attacks Japanese Convoy.

Don't Give the Rear Gunner a "Sitter". Country: UK Artist: Leslie Carr Printed By: Greycaine, Ltd.. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

One of the Magnificent British Fighters. Artist: Roland Davies. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

Methods of air attack and defence at sea explained: showing how the Navy has countered the bomber. The main forms of air attack on warships: height-bombing and dive-bombing, attack by torpedo bombers, and how the three types of attack are met. Date: 1939

#colorourcollections Aircraft over cliffs sketch, 1939-46 Catalogue reference INF 3/167 (B) colorourcollections, colourourcollections

DF-SC-85-07687. Country: Unknown

Artwork: "Esquadron 201," The 201st Mexican Fighter Squadron, Mexican Expeditionary Air Force Artist: Ginny Sherwood. Country: Unknown

Artwork: "British Mosquito Fighters Attack Rail Lines in France", ink, 10"x 15". Artist: Herb Mott. Catalog Number: D.21.7.46. US Army Art Collection. Country: Unknown

'You should know' . . . What the German troop-carriers look like in the air. 1940

RAF American fighters during the Second World War: the Airacobra and the Tomahawk. Orthodox and unusual design of two American machines in service with the RAF. Date: 1942

President Roosevelt's promise is fulfilled as the American Liberator bomber arrives in Britain during the Second World War. Including a photograph (bottom right) of a Liberator which has landed at an English aerodrome. Date: 1941

The Sphere -- The Worst Air Torpedo Attack Of The War (Continued). A New Trick By The Naval Gunners - Firing at the water to make the tracer shells ricochet upwards, to hit the low-flying German bombers!. The diving Heinkels and Junkers, at the end of the battle with the Convoy, streaked for home followed by myriads of shells (to say nothing of the Sea Hurricanes which had also entered the fray). Those that dived low to the sea to avoid the higher bursts of the anti-aircraft shells were met with a cunning trick by the British naval gunners: the Oerlikon guns were so ranged that the cerise tracer shells were made to ricochet off the water and strike up into fuselage and cockpit. Mr. Arthur Oakshott, Reuter's correspondent, saw at least one Junkers come to a sticky end by this method. To ricochet bullets is, apparently, just a " knack "-like the boy at the seaside who sends stones skimming over the wave-tops!. October 17, 1942.

Province of Son-Tai, Tonkin, Indochina merchants or small outdoor restaurants, installed under straw shelters, by the way , Léon Busy in Indochina (French - Province de Son-tai , Tonkin , Indochine Des marchands ou des petits restaurants en plein air , installés sous des abris de paille , au bord du chemin). Landscape, outdoor restaurant, catering , hotel industry, Nature , environment, economic activity, Indochina, tonkin, landscapes - from Hanoi, path to Ngai - Son

DD-ST-85-06512. Country: Unknown

The lay-out of the Short 'Stirling', the largest operational bomber in service in 1942, with the royal air force, showing at a glance the many problems in engineering, labour and man-hours involved in its construction. The Stirling was a four engined bomber in use at the start of World War II. It had a relatively short service life as a bomber, from 1941 to 1943 when it was replaced by the Halifax and Lancaster. 1942

Silhouettes of military aircraft...at an RAF training school during the Second World War, 1941. Creator: Charles Brown.

The original Bikini Atoll target: the fleet of more than 70 warships at anchor in the lagoon awaiting their fate. The fleet included famous American and ex-enemy warships, most of which, with the bull's eye battleship Nevada, remained afloat after the atom bomb explosion on 30 June. Date: 1946

A Zeppelin raider is caught in the searchlights over the countryside Date: 1915-16

Air Raid Precautions': Set of 50 cards issued by WD & H0 Wills, Britain 1938, in preparation for the anticipated coming of World War II. Gloucester Gauntlet Interceptor Fighters.

DF-SC-88-02338. Country: Unknown

Artwork: "Raiding Leuna Oil Refinery" Artist: Alfred Vetromile (US Air Force Art Collection). Country: Unknown

DF-SC-85-07673. Country: Unknown

How gliding training helps the war pilot during the Second World War: utilising clouds. Date: 1940

New German air raid tactics during the Second World War, forced upon them by RAF victories: huge fighter escorts for a few bombers. Date: 1940

Britain's Shock Troops Raid the Enemy Coast. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

La Fortaleza Volante. Artist: Bob Williams Contributor: Coordinador de Asuntos Interamericanos. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

British Women Help to Destroy German Planes. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

U. S. Gold Depository, Ft. Knox, KY. , Military facilities, Commercial facilities, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

The deadliest weapon in naval warfare during the Second World War: the torpedo's intricate mechanism and modus operandi of firing. Date: 1942

We Hit the Axis. Country: England Printed By: Chromoworks, Ltd. Contributor: Her Majesty's Stationery Office; Ministry of Supply. 1942 - 1945. Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Special Services. 3/9/1943-9/15/1945. World War II Foreign Posters

Aviator in High Altitude Flight. ca. 1941, Selma, Alabama, USA, Students at the Advanced Flying School, Craig Field, Selma, Ala., receive instruction in maneuvers at high altitudes. Here is an Aviation Cadet wearing Oxygen Mask in his advanced trainer 20,000 feet above Craig Field.

''Combat Aerien; Devant les hangars d,une escadrille de chasse', 1918. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" L'Illustration, Paris, 1924.

Increasing aircraft range: auxiliary fuel tanks fitted to fighters and bombers, essential to long-range air attacks during the Second World War. Date: 1942

DF-SC-85-03776. Country: Unknown

Two views of the British 17-pounder anti-tank gun, in use during the Second World War. One side view and a view showing two guns in action against German tanks. 1944

Radar and Electronic Warfare 1939-1945 Naval Radar: Diagram to show the operation of radar at sea in trapping enemy bombers. Aircraft have been caught in the Radar beam of a warship. Plane 'A' which is not fully in the beam, is seen by the radar operator as the smaller inverted 'V' in circle, but plane 'B' in the full beam is seen by the radar operator as the largest inverted 'V' on the right circle. The 'hump' on the left is the radar transmission signal.

Boeing B-17S Of The 8Th Air Force Lined Up And Waiting For Combat As Replacements For Strategic Bombers, England.

DF-SC-88-02326. Country: Unknown

Searchlight command: the men who point the way for Britain's anti-aircraft guns and night fighters during the Second World War. Details of incoming enemy raiders are passed to searchlight batteries, which cooperate with ground and air defences. Date: 1944

One of several German attacks on North Sea fishing trawlers, later countered by arming them: the Croxton outrage. How the unarmed Croxton was machine-gunned and bombed until she sank. The Germans used a favourite manoeuvre, explained in the diagram inset (top right), in this infamous attack. Date: January 1940

Mass bomber raid on Cologne Description: Official war art by W. Krogman, gouache on board. The painting imagines a bombing raid on the German city of Cologne. The city's cathedral is clearly visible. It survived the war, despite being hit dozens of times by Allied bombs. Some more information about this image can be found on our Your Archives site. However we don't know anything about the artist. If you have any information you can add it here or in the comments below. Date: Second World War germany, aircraft, cologne, bombing, secondworldwar, ministryofinformation, airministry

The ingenuity of German scientists applied to the war at sea. Illustrating maritime inventions and tactics introduced by the Germans during the Second World War. Date: 1945

Mural, air station blimp design , Lobsters, Bombs, Submarines, Government officials, Tōjō, Hideki, 1884-1948, Mussolini, Benito, 1883-1945, Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945. The Massachusetts WPA Federal Art Project Photograph Collection

A German 'Albatros' fighter is fired on from the enemy lines

DF-SC-89-11408. Country: Unknown

Striped Camouflage -- A striking picture taken recently showing the maneuverability of the Blackburn "SKUA" fighter-dive-bomber, and showing its striped camouflage. The machines are being supplied in quantities to the Fleet Air Arm. September 5, 1939. (Photo by LNA).

Artwork: "Bomber Over the Atlantic Top Gun Turret" Artist: Muller-Gera. Country: Unknown

fighter aircraft of the German air force on manoeuvres 1936

U.S. Army Air Corps c. 1930

Artwork: "B-17 Leaving for United States," 1945. - Artist: Hans Helwig. Catalog Number: 26.3.45. (U.S. Army Art Collection). Country: Unknown

Artwork: "Tiger Two" Artist: Jay Ashurst, US Air Force Art Collection. Country: Unknown

Tanks, airplanes! Engines! Power to the Red Army! by Pokarzhevski, Pyotr Dmitryevitsch (1889-1968)/ Russian State Library, Moscow/ Russia/ Colour lithograph/ Soviet political agitation art/ 104x70/ Poster and Graphic design

DF-SC-89-11417. Country: Unknown

Artwork: "COL. Noel F. Parrish, commanding officer, Tuskegee Army Flying School, and the First Black Pilots to Receive Wings in The Air Corps - 1942: LT. MAC Ross, LT. George S. Roberts, CAPT. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., LT. Charles DeBow, and LT. Lemuel R. Curtis."- Artist: Roy LaGrone EXACT DATE SHOT UNKNOWN. Country: Unknown

RECORTABLE EJERCITO ESPANOL. Location: EXPOSICION DE LA GUERRA CIVIL ESPAÑOLA. MADRID. SPAIN.

Join the Air Service - Learn & Earn, World War I

Boeing B-17S Of The 8Th Air Force In Practice Formation Over England.

DF-SC-89-11123. Base: Unknown

Artwork: "Joie de Vivre, For Some People". Artist: Lock. U.S. Air Force Art Collection. Country: Unknown

DF-SC-89-11171. Base: Unknown

World War I, air battle between an English Biplane and a Gigantic German Biplane, 1915

020802-N-1272P-001. Base: Naval Air Station Patuxent River State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: VX-23

War album 40, Figure 11025.

Artwork: "AWACS, Tinker Air Force Base" Artist: Phillip Renaud. Country: Unknown

Back Them Up! (Submarines), Ships at War

Poster, 'Smash'Em Up but Theirs not Ours', Early 1940s, Wellington, by C.M. Banks Ltd. Gift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967.

Digitally restored vector war propaganda poster. This vintage World War Two poster features American PT boats attacking a Japanese warship at night. It declares - Full Speed Ahead, Produce For Your Navy, Victory Begins At Home!

World War Two British propaganda poster during the Battle of Britain 'My Goodness - My Guinness'

Battle of Gettysburg #1, Civil War - USA

One of the U. S. Navy's giant aircraft carriers and protecting bombers , Aircraft carriers, Bombers, Tichnor Brothers Collection, postcards of the United States

of 2