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Historic Military Aircraft Operations

Images of American bomber aircraft, crew interactions, and maintenance activities during WWII, featuring diverse airfields and supplies.

After This Douglas A-20 Boston Bomber Landed At An Advance Air Base In Southern France With A Load Of Supplies And Gasoline, American Ground Crewmen Siphoned Out As Much Gas As Possible, Leaving Only Sufficient Fuel For The Bomber To Return To Its Base.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress", 'Old Ironside' At An Airbase In England, 20 September 1943. 388Th Bomb Group, 563Rd Bomb Squadron.

DANGEROUS IF YOU DON't KNOW HOW--A skillful pilot of a Martin B-26 Marauder bomber brings his ship in on one engine but the pilot (since listed as missin in action) feathered the propeller and flew back more than 100 miles to the base to make a safe

Damage To Enemy Airplanes On The Bad Abling Airdrome, Germany, May 1945.

The Leading Destroyer Of Railroad Cars Among Pilots Of Major General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'S 9Th Af, Maj. Wilfred B. Crutchfield, Squadron Commander Of Madisonville, Ky., Brings His Record Up To Date. He Is Shown Painting The 17Th Freight Car Emblem On His

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.

Aircraft, Burma, India &ELECTRONICS,RADAR War

A Douglas C-47 Of The 54Th Troop Carrier, Piloted By Lt. J.F. Dailey, Crashed When It Overshot The Runway On Angaur Island, Caroline Islands, 23 October 1944. Both Landing Gears Were Torn Away, The Right Engine Nacelle Was Torn From The Wing, The Other E

Armorers Load Ammunition In The Nose Of A Lockheed P-38 Lightning Of The 94Th Fighter Squadron, 1St Fighter Group, At An Airfield Somewhere In Italy.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Parked On The Airfield At Celone, Italy. 6 Nov. 1944.

Colonel Conrad F. Necrason Of The 7Th Bomb Group, Stationed At Pandaveswar Army Air Base In India, Welcomes Brig. General Howard C. Davidson For An Inspection Tour Of The Base. 1943.

An Endless Line Of North American P-51'S Of The 78Th Fighter Squadron, 15Th Fighter Group At Their 7Th Air Force Base On Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands. 10 March 1945. 15Th Fighter Group

The air crew, ground crew and armourers of "Hell's Angels," a Boeing B-17 Flying ofrtress, operating from England. Major Kirk R. Mitchell, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Commanding Officer of the Squadron is in the jeep. The quiet looking little job on

A Mechanized Hoist Is Hooked Tp A Propeller Which Men Of The 27Th Air Depot Group Are Removing From A Fighter Plane At The Port Moresby Air Depot, Papua, New Guinea. 1 October 1943.

Pilots Of P-47 Fighter Planes Study A Map Of Future Operations To Be Carried On From The Landing Strip Upon Which They Made Their First Landing In France. 15 June 1944.

Victorious Pilots congratulate each other on their successful mission. Left to right: 2nd Lt. Harold Lentz, 122 Evergreen Ave., Salem, Oregon shakes hands with 1st Lt. Leonard P. Stephan, 2417 S. Adam St., Fort Worth, Texas. 2nd Lt. Howard A.Gillian

Martin B-26 "Marauder", damage to plane caused by flak hit to landing gear lock

Aircraft, Burma, India &Maintenance,

The Yr-4 Helicopter Hovers Over The North Amerian B-25 Before Returning To Its Base. The Pilot Removed The Principal Insturments From The B-25 Cockpit And Painted A Large X On The Wing To Prevent Pilots Reporting The Wreck As A New One.

Pilot And Ground Crew Of The 367Th Fighter Group, Beside Their Lockheed P-38 'Steven Vincent' At An Air Base In France. 11 October 1944.

Air Force Pilot In The Cockpit Of The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt 'Miss Mary'. Note Rocket Guns Attached To The Wing. Saipan, Marianas Islands, 9 July 1944.

ENGLAND-M/Sgt Robert Hinman of Madison, Wisconsin, crew chief of the Liberator "Liberty Lib" inspects the large hole in the tail of the bomber caused by a flak burst.

T/Sgt. Walter C. Marvin (Photographer) Of 5206 Holly Hills, St., St. Louis, Mo., And Capt. Ralph D. Steakley (Pilot) Of Jefferson, Ohio, Who Flew The First Photo Reconnaissance Mission Over Japanesean On November 1944, Discuss The Mission. In The Background Is

ENGLAND-Loading a trailer into a 9th Air force glider before D-Day.

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,WRECKS War

8Th Af B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 100Th Bomb Group Wing Toward Germany, 28 February 1945.

In Preparation For A Bombing Mission Over Tokyo, Japanesean, An Armorer Moves Bomb Dolly Holding A 500 Lb. Incendiary Bomb Under The Fuselage Of A Boeing B-29 "Superfortress". Isely Field, Saipan, Marianas Islands, November 29, 1944.

Trucks, jeeps, gasoline trailer units and all sorts of heavy freight go over the Hump of the Himalayas in Curtiss C-46 Commandos. Here Chinese help Gis unload a truck onto a home-made ramp, at an India-China Division ATC base.

Men Of Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'K-304' (A/C No. 224732) Check Over The Plane In Preparation For The Next Mission. China.

Curtiss C-46S Of Major General Paul L. Williams' U.S. Troop Carrier Forces Ready To Take Off On The Epic Airborne Invasion Of Rese-Wesel, Germany.

A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Crashed Into Another "Flying Fortress" At An 8Th Air Force Base In England, 6 July 1944. Both Planes Belonged To The 401St Bomb Group. (A/C Nos. 42-39932 & 42-31037).

The Volcania munitions...

Colonel William T. Seawell's Crew Have Just Returned From A Successful Bombing Operation Over Germany. They Are Awaiting A Jeep Which Will Take Them To The Interrogation Where They Will Enjoy 'Java And Sinkers' While Being Questioned. 401St Bomb Group A

Front View Of Nose Of Lockheed P-38 Lightning Plane With K-29 Aerial Camera In Nose. Italy.

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS, CHINESE War

Armourers of the United Army Air Forces at work on the guns of a Kittyhawk fighter airfield in Tripolitania, Libya.

Alaska-Major C.J. Larsen, C.O. Fighter Squadron preparing for take-off.

Armorers Load Rocketer On A Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Of The 12Th Af, At A Base In Italy.

The flak torn wing of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator "Glass House" is inspected by the pilot (fight) 1st Lt. Louis Novotny, Wilberton, Okla., and the co-pilot 2nd Lt. Robert A. Olson, 1008 Caledonia , St., Butte, Mont., after their return from a

England-Cpl. Wm. Naville, of New Albany, Ind., puts the finishing touches on a voluptous girl on the nose of a Boeing B-17 Flying ofrtress named "Dame Satan." Naville studied commercial and fine art for nine years.

The famous 11th Bomb Squadron based at Kweilin, China. At the outbreak of World War II this squadron was sent to the Philippines, but before they reached their destination, the Japaneses were already occupying the Island. Thus the squadron was forced

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Lined Up At 8Th Air Force Station 167, England, 12 Jan 1944.

Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron-152 personnel, SSgt. Milton Deiss and Gunnery Sgt. Edward J. Daigle, are seen in this photograph making minor adjustments to the starboard engine of a KO-130 Hercules aircraft. The adjustments were made following a troop lift during the Vietnam War.

A Waco Cg-13 Glider At A 9Th Troop Carrier Command Base Somewhere In France. 21 March 1945.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Troops &Paratroops

Crash Landing Of The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Sweet Melody' (A/C No. 42-107097). 303Rd Bomb Group, England. 11 June 1944.

The front window of the upper turret of the B-17 was punctured in the submarine yard mission at Kiel, May 14.

A Former American Volunteer Group Curtiss P-40 Is Overhauled By S/Sgt. E.L. Sullivan Of Boise, Idaho. This Was The First Plane To Bring Down A Japanese Plane After The 23Rd Fighter Group Took Over At Kunming, China. 26 September 1942.

Cpl. Leroy Turner, of Altoona, Pa., (left and Sgt. Henry A. Bucko, of Hammond, Ind., caught wheeling out a bomb trailer with a 500 pounder under the nose of a P-51 Mustang "Yahootie Too" for loading on the plane flown by 1st Lt. John R. Bernert

Crew Members Of The 92Nd Bomb Group Receive A Last Minute Briefing In Front Of A Boeing B-17 Prior To Taking Off On A Mission From Their Base In France. 11 October 1945.

The First Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Look Homeward Angel' To Land On Bolo Strip, Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto. Based At Guam, The Plane Was Returning From A Bombing Mission Over Japanesean When It Was Forced Down By Damage To The #4 Engine. (Flak Cut The Oil Line,

On 18 April 1942, Airmen Of The Us Army Air Forces, Led By Lt. Colonel James H. (Jimmy) Doolittle, Carried The Battle Of The Pacific To The Heart Of The Japaneseanese Empire With A Surprising And Daring Raid On Military Targets At Tokyo, Tokohama, Yokosuka, Na

Lt. P. Pettit Standing Beside His North American P-51, The 'Princess Pat'. England. 17 February 1945.

Project 18 - Operation Crossroads (Bikini) Test Activities. B-29 Bomb Drop Aircraft. Photographs of Atmospheric Nuclear Testing at Pacific Island and Nevada Test Sites.

Chinese Troops Get Their Gear Ready Prior To Boarding This Curtiss C-46 "Commando" At An Air Base Somewhere In China.

This 12Th Air Force North American B-25 'Mitchell', A Veteran Of 70 Missions Came Back With Its Nose Blown Off By A Hit From A Nazi Anti-Aircraft Shell. The Burst Instantly Killed The Bombardier. The Crippled Bomber Came Home In Formation After The Attack

Chinese Coolies Complete Runway At Kunming Army Air Base, China, So That Bombers, Such As The Consolidated B-24 Shown Here, Can Take Off To Blast Japaneseanese Military Installations. 1340Th Aaf Base Unit, 2 March 1945.

A Consolidated B-24 Liberator of the Bombardment Group, commanded by Col. Charles B. Westover of College Park, Ga., takes off from its base in England with a bomb bay full of supplies to be parachuted down to airborne troops battling east of the

Brig. General William M. Gross Attends The Christening Of The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Our Bridget" At The 91St Bomb Group Base In Bassingbourne, England.

6' Barbette carriage model 1900 with shield removed , Arms & armament. Records of U.S. Army Operational

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Homing Pigeon" Of The 401St Bomb Group At An 8Th Air Force Base In England, 28 August 1944.

Mechanics Check One Of The Engines On A Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" Of The 63Rd Bomb Squadron, 43Rd Bomb Group, At An Airbase Near Nadzab, New Guinea. 1944.

Lockheed P-38 of the 1st...

Men Are Shown Refueling Belly Tank Of A Lockheed P-38. These Planes Are Seen Somewhere In New Guinea. 28 February 1943.

Men unload supplies from a Curtiss C-46 which crashed after taking off from Poltava Airbase, one of the shuttle mission bases in Russia. 6 February 1945.

Patients Who Have Been Evacuated From A Combat Area In A Douglas C-47 Ambulance Plane Of The 803Rd Air Evacuation Transport Squadron Are Loaded Into Waiting Ambulances At Calcutta, India. Note The Plane Marked With The Chinese Insignia (Background).

Mechanics Of The 439Th Troop Carrier Group Repair A Douglas C-47 At Their Base Somewhere In England. 7 May 1944.

Mission #2-St. Omer-ofrt...

Aircraft, Burma, India &Aircraft, SINGLE,VULTEE War

This Japaneseanese Zero Crashed On An Airstrip In The Korako Area, Three Miles South Of Aitape, New Guinea. 22 April 1944.

A Belly Fuel Tank, Converted To Serve As A Carrier For Life Raft Which Can Be Dropped To Ditched Fliers, Msgt Thomas Walker Is Shown Here Attaching One To The Wing Of A P-51.

An armorer cleans the 50 cal machine guns in the nose of a North American B-25 of the 500th Bomb Squadron, 345th Bomb Group, parked on Clark Field, Luzon, Philippine Islands. 25 June 1945

A Consolidated B-24 Of The 2Nd Base Air Depot Is Refueled At An Airfield In Lancashire, England. 10 March 1944.

Lockheed P-38 of the 1st...

Chinese Coolies Gather Curiously Around A Douglas C-47 At Nanning, China, 15 June 1945.

Allied Servicemen Receive Instructions On Repairing Airplanes At Burtonwood Repair Depot, Warrington, England. Shown, Checking Instruments And Electrical Connections On A P-51 Mustang Are (Left To Right) F/Sgt. R.A. Wellersman, Margate, England; S/Sgt. A

1St Lt. Richard P. Sulzbach Of 1706 Rebecca St., Sioux City, Iowa, Grins As He Rcalls The Terrifying Experience To Lt. Colonel Harold J. Whiteman, 739 W. Lynwood Ave., San Antonio, Texas. Lt. Sulzbach, While On A Strafing Mission, Flew Too Low And Was Fo

Motor Boat Is Made Fast To The Pontoon Of An Amphibious L-1 Plane Of A 10Th A.F. Liaison Squadron While The Patient Is Made Ready For Transfer Into The Aircraft. Soliders Wounded While Fighting The Japaneseanese In The Burma Jungles Were Transported To The Am

A Curtiss P-40 Lands At Munda Field, New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands After It Was Captured By The American Forces. 14 August 1943.

This Me-100 Was Among The Planes Found By The Allied Armies At An Airfield Near Brunswick, Germany. The Plane Had Long Before Ceased To Serve The Retreating Germans, Due To An Insufficient Amount Of Fuel, Caused By Repeated Bombings On German Oil Product

Martin B-26s of the 34th Bomb Squadron, 17th Bomb Group, parked on the runway at an airfield somewhere in the Mediterranean Area.

Incoming cargoes at an international airlines terminal in Prestwick, Scotland present an assorted variety. Pictured here is one of the oddest, a German prisoner who was flown in from one of the battle fronts. 16 March 1944.

Final Orders. This image depicts a Coast Guard pilot getting last second orders of enemy submarine activity.

Douglas C-47's And Cg-4 Gliders Of The 439Th Troop Carrier Group Lined Up Along The Runway At An Air Base Somewhere In England. 7 June 1944.

These two air corps soldiers are really battling the elements. A continous and heavy rainfall has turned this base in Italy into a sea of mud. The covering that is placed on the tail of this B-24 Liberator of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,RESCUE War

PERSONNEL

Royal Air Force- Italy, the Balkans and South East Europe, 1942-1945. An aircrew of No. 40 Squadron RAF gather by their Vickers Wellington Mark X at Foggia Main, Italy, before setting off on a night bombing mission.

Capt. Don M. Beerbower, Hill City, Minn., the leading 9th Air force Ace who was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action sits in the cockpit of his North American P-51 Mustang Fighter-Bomber plane at a 9th Air force base somewhere in France.

Here Is A Sad Testimony To The Trite Truism That When Wars Are Fought Men Must Bleed And Die. A Casualty Is Removed From A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 401St Bomb Group After A Mission Over Europe On 7 July 1944. England.

DF-SD-07-26060. Base: Camp Williams State: Wisconsin (WI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Damage to side window of upper turret of () Boeing B-17.

The Republic P-47 'Stinky Poo!' (A/C 42-23482) Of The 353Rd Fighter Group Made A Belly Landing At Its Base In England After Returning From A Mission Over Enemy Territory. 14 October 1943.

Chinese Troops Who Will Be Flown To The Burma Frontier To Fight With General Joseph W. Stilwell's Forces Board A Curtiss C-46 At Yunnanyi Air Base In China. 1944.

Aerial View Of North American P-51 "Mustangs" Of The 78Th Fighter Group On The Line At 8Th Air Force Station F-357 In Duxford, England. 7 June 1945.

A Member Of The 410Th Bomb Group, Lifts A Bomb To The Wing Rack With The Use Of A Wing Bomb Cradle. 9Th Air Force Base In England, 22 May 1944.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Fields & Installations,CONSTRUCTION,Air Fields War

Aircraft, Burma, India &Troops &Paratroops

A Pilot Of The 94Th Fighter Squadron, 1St Fighter Group, Discusses With His Crew Chief The Repairs Needed For The Lockheed P-38 Lightning Parked In The Background At An Airfield Somewhere In Italy.

This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Hikin' For Home" Of The 91St Bomb Group Wings Its Way Over Fleecy Clouds On A Practice Mission On 18 June 1944. Europe.

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