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Historic Military Aircraft Incidents

Dramatic images of aircraft, including crash landings and operational scenes featuring military planes in various combat zones.

Officers Apprise Damage And Enlisted Men Go About Their Work. 'The Angel Of Mercy' Brought The Crew Safely Through A Rough Belly Landing After An Equally Rough Mission Over Northern Italy. Nazi Flak Knocked Out The Hydraulic System And Only One Wheel Co

Douglas A-20, "Lady Jean" which crash-landed at Youks Les Bains, Algeria. The A-20, while on a mission against enemy targets, was damaged by flak and made the crash landing with wheels up and one wing bomb still attached. 31 December 1942.

A mechanic sweeps the snow off a Curtiss C-46 during a snowstorm at Ladd Field, Alaska, 12 February 1944.

A Chinese Soldier Guards A North American B-25 At An Airfield Somewhere In China. 16 September 1942.

Officers Apprise Damage And Enlisted Men Go About Their Work. 'The Angel Of Mercy' Brought The Crew Safely Through A Rough Belly Landing After An Equally Rough Mission Over Northern Italy. Nazi Flak Knocked Out The Hydraulic System And Only One Wheel Co

A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 401St Bomb Group Rolls Down The Runway At An 8Th Air Force Base In England After A Bombing Mission Over Enemy Installations In Europe, 29 April 1944.

A Boeing B-17 With Damaged Wing After The Plane Made An Emergency Landing At Overland Farm, Kent, England. 2 February 1944.

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Yankee Doodle" "Chennault's Pappy" "Just Nuthin" And "General Ike" Are Lined Up For Inspection At The 91St Bomb Group At A Base In Bassingbourne, England On 9 April 1944.

A French Aircobra of Coastal Air Force takes on a bomb for another job against the shipping of Hun needs to carry the freight that crippled rail lines can't handle any more. ITALY.

One Of The Giant Three-Bladed Propellers Was Torn From Its Hub On The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'General Ike' By A Near-Hit Flak Burst On A Bombing Mission Over Germany. The Heavy Blades Scarred The Engine Cowling And Ripped Into The Metal Fuselage,

Battle Damaged North American P-51 'Dever Belle' Of The 364Th Fighter Group At 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 15 February 1945.

When Lt. Donald M. Schliemann Was Landing The Boeing B-17 'Twan-N-G-G' After The Mission Over Munster, Germany, The Landing Gear Buckled And The Plane Careened Off The Runway Coming To A Stop On The Perimeter. Here, Men Of The 401St Bomb Group Inspect Th

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "My Son Bob" Of The 381St Bomb Group Stationed At An 8Th Air Force Base Near Ridgewell, Essex County, England, 12 Sept. 1944.

An Ordnance crew loading two thousand pound bombs on a B-24 Liberator somewhere in England. (Kodachrome #2384)

Wreckage Of The North American P-51 'Boogie'S Burner' (A/C 44-14190) Of The 364Th Fighter Group, 67Th Fighter Wing, Which Crashed At Its 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 16 May 1945.

Lt. Ford In His Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'E-Rat-Icator' At An Airbase In England. 452Nd Group. 27 March 1945.

The Glass Nose Model Douglas A-26 "C" Warms Up Its Engines Before A Take-Off From Its Base In France. The "Greenhouse" Is Occupied By Both Navigator And Bombardier. A Pilot And Gunner Round Out The Four Man Crew.

North American P-51 Mustang Under The Tail Of A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Brest, France.

Service Soldiers In The 9Th Air Force 'Sweat Out' The Combat Planes Using Advanced Landing Strips In France For Refueling And Rearming Purposes. The Men Can Completley Re-Arm And Gas-Up A P-47.

The Douglas A-20 'Butch' Of The 410Th Bomb Group, Parked At A 9Th Air Force Base In England. 22 June 1944.

A Chinese Republic P-43 Is Refueled At Kunming, China, Before Take-Off On A Mission. S/Sgt. R. Mocklin, Royalton, Pennsylvania And Sgt. J.L. Freeman, Canton, Illinois, Both Of The American Ferry Command, Talk To A Chinese Airman While The Plane Is Being G

With Chinese Military Guard Standing Close By, Ground Crew Of The 14Th Air Force Work On A North American B-25, Preparing It For Another Raid On Enemy Installations.

ITALY--Surveying the "Miracle fort" after its safe landing, crew members of a 15th AAF base find it hard to believe that the plane reached home 600 miles away despite the fact that it was ripped wide open in the waist section by enemy flak.

This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Stella" Which Crash Landed In A Field In Nr. Bournemouth, Hants, England, Is Being Repaired By Members Of The Mobile Repair Unit Of The 8Th Air Force Service Command. 28 April 1943.

Douglas C-47S Of The 93Rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 439Th Troop Carrier Group Lined Up At An Airfield Somewhere In France, 3 March 1945.

General George Kenneys' Boeing B-27 "Flying Fortress" On Yontan Airstrip, Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto. This Picture Was Made When The Commanding General Of The Far Eastern Air Forces Visited The 308Th Bomb Wing - 7 July 1945.

Air Force Personnel, Using Mops, Sponges, Etc., Wash Down The Boeing B-29 'Special Delivery' At A Base On Saipan, Marianans Islands. November 1944.

Battle damaged Boeing B-17...

Damaged Propellers Of The North American P-51 'Coffin Wit' Wings' (A/C 44-14259) Resulted From A Crash Landing At The 364Th Fighter Group Base, 67Th Fighter Wing At 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 13 October 1944.

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

The monsoon season in India was a weather element the Air Force had to contend with. Here a Douglas C-47 with one wheel stuck in the mud had to be pulled out with the use of a hoist and a tractor. 12 September 1944.

Lt. Murphy And His Crew Chief Pose On The Wing Of Their North American P-51 'Jersey Bouncer' Of The 364Th Fighter Group At An 8Th Air Force Base In England. 20 December 1944.

Boeing B-17 "Flying ofrtress", 8th Air force, England. Some of the planes return pretty severly damaged but American planes have what it takes.

FRANCE-Lt. George Gauthier, French Republic P-47 Thunderbolt pilot flying with First Tactical AF, climbs into his fighter bomber to take off on an early morning mission over the German lines on the western front. Lt. Gauthier is 25 years old

"BOOMERANG", The Consolidated B-24 Liberator that completed 50 missions against the Nazi from bases in the Middle East, North Africa and England.

Republic P-47 'Thunderbolts' Of The 318Th Fighter Group Taxi Down Strip On Ie Shima, Ryukyu Retto.

Sgt. Ray Buerger of Kenton, Ohio and Sgt. Marcellus Caldwell of Dayton, Ohio, are pictured as they assemble an L-4 Piper Cub to be used in Liaison and observation work by U.S. Army Units. These tiny planes are assembled and flown directly to front

A Lockheed P-38 Covered With Snow After A Snowstrom At Ladd Field, Alaska, 12 February 1944.

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,ARMAMENT War

Unloading emergency rations for the fighters in Western Desert.

At Sunset, A Northrop P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter Awaits The Arrival Of The Crew Which Will Take Her Out On A Patrol Or Interception Mission Far Out Over The Water Which Surrounds Her 7Th Aaf Base In The Marianas.

Consolidated B-24 (A/C No. 449059) Crashinglanded At An Air Base Somewhere In India. 2Nd Air Transport Squadron.

Due To Collapsed Nose Wheel, This Consolidated B-24H Crash Landed At Raf Base At Beccles, Suffolk, England. 14 July 1944 (Aircraft No. 42-95020).

Consolidated B-24 'The Merry Max' Shown After Crash Landing At Station 133, England. November 1943. (A/C No. 42-7713).

This Gaily Painted Leadship Is Used At An 8Th Air Force Base Somewhere In England To Organize Formations As Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"Of The 379Th Bomb Group Take Off On Missions Over Enemy Territory. 24 July 1944.

A fork lift truck and pallet used for loading jeep into a C-47 "Skytrain" at Nichols Field, in the Philippine Islands. 30 June 1945.

That mud plays no favorites is quite apparent from this photo of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter-bomber being towed out after its landing gear bogged down in overshooting the runway on its Belgium-based airfield. "General Mud" is as ofrmidable

This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Was Damaged Beyond Repair When 500 Pound General Purpose Bombs Exploded While Being Loaded Into A Plane. 28 May 1943, England.

Coming To A Stop At Its Parking Place On Amendola Field, Italy, The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Marishka' Of The 97Th Bomb Group Is Met By An Ambulance In Case There Are Any Wounded Aboard. The Plane Has Just Returned From The 2 April 1944 Raid On Ger

Aircraft, Burma, India &Troops & PARATroops,MEIKTILA War

The "Flying Nurses" who will serve with Maj. General C.L. Chennault's 14th AAF have arrived in China. On flying status, the comely young ladies will serve on the aircraft that evacuate the wounded from the forward areas.

Combat Crew Of The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force, Beside The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Wee Willie". England.

BLACK WIDOW COMES IN LOW--One of the first 13th AAF Black Widows to arrive at Puerto Princesa buzzes the strip preparatory to peeling up, dropping his wheels, and landing. 421st Night Fighter Squadron.

A strafed and burned Jap "Sally" is shown where it was hit on the San Manuel taxi area. The tractor in the foreground was trying frantically to pull the plane to a protective revetment on the heel of the surprise attack. Air Force planes wreaked

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'The Betty L' Of The 381St Bomb Group Stationed At An 8Th Air Force Base Near Ridgewell, Essex County, England, 30 May 1944.

Looking Like Some Weird Insect Whose Neck Has Been Broken, This Battle-Damaged P-51 Veteran Of 63 Missions, Was Landed By Its Pilot At An Airfield In The Mediterranean Theater.

Upon Receiving The Green Light From The Control Tower These North American P-51 "Mustangs" Of The 353Rd Fighter Group Will Roar Down The Runway And Take Off From Their English Base For Another Escort Mission Over Enemy Territory. December 1944.

Preparations For The Invasion Of France -- Members Of The 439Th Troop Carrier Group Load Equipment On A Cg-4 Glider Prior To Departure From An Airbase Somewhere In England. 4 June 1944.

A Northrup P-61 'Black Widow' Night Fighter Of The 9Th Air Force, Takes Off From A Base Somewhere In France For A Sortie Against The Enemy. 27 September 1944.

Rc-103 Antenna And An/Arn-5 Antenna On A Consolidated B-24 Used In Localizer-Glide Path Instrument Landing System. England.

Office Equipment And Supplies Of The 63Rd Air Service Group Are Loaded Into A Douglas C-54 Of The Air Transport Command, From A Finger Lift. Kadena Airstrip, Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto, 30 August 1945.

A Douglas DB-7 light bomber is checked by the ground force.

First Army Photos Of The Bombing Of Hickam Field, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. Wrecked P-40, At Belows Field, Machine-Gunned On The Ground.

Photograph of SB2C Helldiver Bomber Airplane.

British Boston Bomber lands at an airfield in Tripolitania, Libya after completing another sortie. These Bostons are playing a great part in the shuttle service raids against the Axis armies.

Lockheed P-38 Fighter-Bombers, Each Carrying Two 500 Lb. Bombs, Taxiing Out For A Take-Off On A Dive-Bombing Mission. This Specific Mission Was An Armed Reconnaissance On Tank And Motor Transport Of Von Runstedt's December Salient, Which At This Time Was

A Republic P-47 Of The 56Th Fighter Group, Based At Norfolk, England, Is Shown As It Took Off From Its Base To Lend Fighter Escort To Heavy Bombers On A Mission Over Enemy Territory. 31 October 1943.

Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" Taking Off From Yontan Airstrip On Return Trip To Its Base In The Marianas. This Plane Landed At Yontan After Being Damaged In An Air Raid Over Japanesean. 9 August 1945. Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto.

A Consolidated B-24 Liberator Of The 2Nd Bomb Division 8Th Air Force - One In A Formation Of Liberators Enroute To Bomb Nazi Installations Somewhere In Europe, 24 November 1944. 389Th Bomb Group.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Fields & Installations,MISCELLANEOUS War

Aircraft, Burma, India &Troops &Paratroops

Waterproofing materials are removed from partially assembled Lockheed P-38s at Maison Blanch, Algeria, on 31 March 1944. The planes will be assembled by men of the 36th Air Depot Group.

Ground Crew working on...

Members Of The 775Th Engineer Patroleum Distribution Company Unload Pipe Sections From A Douglas C-47 Of The Combat Cargo Squadron At Myitkyina, Burma. The Pipe Was Flown From India. 10 August 1944.

Boeing B-17S Of The 94Th Bomb Group On Their Way To A Raid On Paris, France. 15 Sept. 1943.

An 8Th Air Force Boeing B-17 Crew On Their Way To Interrogation After Returning From A Mission Over Frankfurt, Germany. Europe, 5 February 1944.

Damaged by flak in a raid over Ploesti, Rumania, this B-24 Liberator made it back to the home base in Italy for a crash landing. The photo shows a close-up of the battered nose.

Down At The Line With The Men Who Keep 'Em Flying, Major General C.L. Chennault, Commanding General Of The 14Th Air Force, Talks Over Mechanical Details Of One Of The Fighter Planes That Have Rolled Up A Ten-To-One Victory Score Over The Japaneses. He Is Talk

The First Planes To Operate From The Airfield At Matching, England, Were Martin B-26S, Shown Here Before Take-Off On A Mission.

North Africa-This ME 109 craked up in the North African desert after being shot down during a tangle with a U.S. fighter plane.

Ground Crew Members Of The 9Th Fighter Command, Based At Boxted, England, Fit An Auxiliary Fuel Tank To The Wing Of A North American P-51 Before Take Off On A Mission Over Enemy Territory.

Wreckage Of The Douglas A-20 'Miss Sue' (A/C No. 193) Which Crashed At Its 9Th Air Force Base In France On 4 August 1945.

Ground crew extinguishes fire on crashlanded ofrt (Boeing B-17) piloted by 2nd Lt. Jack W. Watson, Indianapolis, who all alone, brought ship back from 8th AF attack on Oschersleben, 11 Jan 1944, after he ordered crew to bail out when plane caught

The Consolidated B-24 "Liberator," "Sexy Sue," At An Airfield On Funafuti Island, Ellice Islands, April 1943.

Mechanics Check One Of The Engines On A Consolidated B-24 Liberator Of The 43Rd Bomb Group, At Nadzab, New Guinea. 25 May 1944.

A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 615Th Bomb Squadron, 401St Bomb Group, Crashed With A Full Load Of Bombs Near The Gettesmere Buncher In England, 23 January 1945. There Were No Fatalities.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Maintenance,REFUELING War

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 6Th Emergency Reserve Squadron Equipped With Radar Unit. Notice The Attached Rescue Boat, Used To Rescue Crews Shot Down At Sea. Florida Blanca Airstrip, Luzon, Philippine Islands - 27 June 1945.

New Style Paint Job On A Republic P-47 Of The 78Th Fighter Group At 8Th Air Force Station F-357 In Duxford, England. 26 August 1944.

Mechanics Of The 547Th Night Fighter Squadron On Lingayen Airstrip Service And Check Their Airplanes. Night Flying Requires Plane Crew Members To Sleep In The Day Time While Crew Chiefs Service And Check Planes During The Day, Assuring The Readiness Of T

Lt. Gude And Crew Of The 381St Bomb Group Pose Beside The Martin B-26 Marauder 'The Mad Russian'. 386th Bomb Group, England. 15 September 1944.

Men Of The 324Th Service Group Prepare To Move This North American B-25 Out Of The Drifts To Ashes And Cinders So Mechanics Of The 340Th Bomb Group Can Overhaul It. Note Holes In The Fabric Covered Surfaces And Collected Ashes And Cinders On Topside Of P

Field take-off control officer 2nd Lt. Jerome R. Mau of Chicago, Ill., shown flagging off some 8th AAF P-51 Mustangs from an English-based airfield in flights of four at a time. This mission was a long range bomber escort-note, auxilary wing fuel

Tripolitania, Libya-Crews of British Boston bombers lie around on the sand near their aircraft while standing by for service in the Shuttle Service missions against the Axis Armies.

20 mm Cannon damage done by enemy fighter to the rudder of Boeing B-17 Flying ofrt, "Skunkface." Gunner of the "Skunkface" is S/Sgt. Marvin McGraw, 27, of Tipple, West Virginia. 379th Bomb Group.

At The 1St Strategical Air Depot Near Honington, England, A Salvage Crew Prepares To Hoist The Fuselage Section Of A Wrecked Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" In Order To Move It To The 'Graveyard' For Salvage. 1943.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Jeannie' At An Airbase Of The 452Nd Bomb Group. England, 22 May 1945.

North Africa-The punctures in this U.S. Fighter were caused by 20 mm cannon shells in a recent battle with ME 109's over the Western Desert. The pilot, Capt. George D. Mobbs of Wooster, Ark., was severely wounded during the combat but brought his

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Black Widow' Of The 381St Bomb Group Stationed At An 8Th Air Force Base Near Ridgewell, Essex County, England, 26 Nov, 43.

Vultee L-5 'Sentinel' Over Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto.

Republic P-47 Lands At Meeks Field, Iceland. 2Nd Service Group, 9 September 1943.

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