← Military & Defence

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.

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

A Curtiss P-40 used by the RAF, is shown after it made a crash landing near San Stephano, Sicily. The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and large shells which on a strafing mission over German lines. 3 August 1943.

Personnel Of The 493Rd Bomb Group Loading Food Supplies Into The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Bomb Bay Of Blues' Preparatory To 'Food Mission' Flight. England, 7 April 1945.

A Glider Of The 9Th Troop Carrier Command Loaded With Litter Patients Prior To Take Off From Airfield At Remagen, Germany, 22 March 1945.

North Africa-Veteran of 21 missions, "Sheepherder" is hauled in to the Reclamation and Salvage Yard aboard mobile float to be dismantled and valuable parts reclaimed for reissue.

Aircraft, Burma, India &MEDICAL, EVACUATION,Air War

Kuma class cruiser taking...

Maj. Gen. Robert B. Williams, Albany, Tex, Division Commander, Saying Goodbye.

A Wounded Crew Member Of The 401St Bomb Group Is Moved From The Plane - A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" At An 8Th Air Force Base In England. He Was Injured During Raid Over Kiel, Germany, On 22 May 1944.

Fire Fighters Use Foamite To Extinguish Flame In The Wing Of A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 303Rd Bomb Group, England. 20 October 1944.

ENGLAND, March 21, 1945-Fire fighters working to extinguish fire fast consuming the left wing of a Boeing B-17 Flying ofrtress. Only one member of the plane's crew was slightly injured.

Radio Installations Located In A Converted Cargo Plane At 1340Th Aaf Base Unit (Atc), Kunming Army Air Base, China, 11 February 1945.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Maintenance, ASSEMBLY OFPLANES War

American military personnel in Vietnam performing routine maintenance on helicopters on July 24, 1962. This image captures the dedication and attention to detail required to ensure the reliable operation of these crucial assets during the Vietnam War.

German Messerschmitt 262A-1 Jet Propelled Fighter At An Airfield Somewhere In Germany. 2 April 1945.

The Consolidated B-24 "Liberator," 'The Green Hornet', At An Airfield On Funafuti Island, Ellice Islands, April 1943.

Low Altitude Reconnaissance Photograph Of Bernburg, Germany.

A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Lands At Andrews Field, Great Saling, England While The Presentation And Dedication Ceremony Of The Field Is In Progress. The Field, Built By The 819Th And 816Th Engineer Aviation Battalions, Is Being Handed Over To The 8T

North Africa-Lt. Graham removes the fuse from a German 500-pound bomb at a captured bomb dump in North Africa.

Covered with fire-smothering chemical foam, a battered Martin B-26 Marauder bomber of the 12th AAF based in Italy, lies quietly on its belly after bringing its crew back safely from an attack on a German troop concentration in Italy. A fire-fighting

A Cg-4A Glider Of 9Th Troop Carrier Command Comes In For A Landing At Remagen, Germany To Pick Up Wounded Personnel. 21 May 1945.

A Douglas C-47 transport plane is unloaded at Gibraltar Airfield. Note the Rock of Gibraltar in the background. 2 October 1943.

A line of burned out enemy airplanes on the airfield at Castel Benito, near Tripoli, Tripolitania, Libya. 26 January 1943.

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,CREWS War

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

Aircraft, Burma, India &Troops &Paratroops

Consolidated B-24 'Jerk'S Natural' Of The 8Th Air Force. England.

These Two British Ground Crew Men Change The Magazine Of An Aerial Camera That Will Be Placed In The Fuselage Of A Spitfire That 'Spies' On Enemy Activity From The Air. Italy

When A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Lands In The Mud, It Generally Makes A Pretty Good Impression. Two Maintance Crew Members Of The 401St Bomb Group Are Busy Trying To Un-Mire The Wheels After One Of The Planes Landed Off The Runway Coming In From A Ra

Vehicles Of The 817Th Engineer Aviation Battalion Roll Off An Lst (Landing Ship Tanks) During Landing Operations In Italy, September 1943. The Curtiss P-40 (Foreground) Was Shot Down By Mistake By Our Anti-Aircraft; The Pilot Suffered Only A Slight Scrat

Types Consolidated Bombes. April 14 1940. (Photo by Wide World Photos Inc.).

High ranking U.S. and French officers attend the dedication of the Douglas C-47 "Yardbird II" at Maison Blanch, Algeria, on 21 August 1943. 36th Air Depot Group.

Men Of The 340Th Bomb Group Jack Up The Tail Of A North American B-25 Which Was Damaged During The Eruption Of Mt. Vesuvius On 23 March 1944. Note Fragmentation Bombs Uncovered And Cleaned Off.

Air Base in the Caribbean. Nurse Lt. Jane Jordan, New Glasgow, Va.; Nurse Lt. Irene Gukeisen, Parkston, So. Dakota; and Nurse Lt. Myrtle Miller of Lansing, Mich. These nurses have been on foreign service since shortly after Pearl Harbor

Aviation 994 - XF 85. January 01, 1950.;Aviation 994 - XF 85.

Project 22 - Operation Castle (Bikini/Enewetak) Test Activities. F-84G Decontamination. Photographs of Atmospheric Nuclear Testing at Pacific Island and Nevada Test Sites.

DF-SD-07-26059. Base: Camp Williams State: Wisconsin (WI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A Ground Crew Team Of Four Airplane Mechanics Ready A Consolidated B-24 Liberator Engine For A 'Quick Change' As They Work Feverishly In The Bitter Cold, While In The Background Appear Warbirds In The Stillness Laid Idle By Jack Frost And Heavy Snows. It

She's Rolling, And The Starter 'Hits The Deck' As The Big Army North American B-25 Gathers Speed Down The Flight Deck Of The Uss Hornet. Speedy, Heavily Armed And Armored, These Bombers Left A Wide Path Of Destruction Through The Industrial Centers Of Japanese

A Wounded Soldier Of The 9Th Troop Carrier Command Is Tranferred From An Ambulance To A Douglas C-47 At An Air Base Somewhere In Germany. 21 April 1945.

An Air Special for an Iceberg. A step in the first known systematic attempt of man at destroying icebergs from aircraft is the lifting of 1,000 pound thermate bomb to the underwing of a Coast Guard plane by ground crew airman of the International Ice Patrol force at Argentina, Newfoundland. It is part of a research project of the Ice Patrol force to determine deterioration effects on icebergs from intense heat of bombs. The bomb here is a cluster type enclosing many small thermate bombs, each capable of burning at a temperature of 4,300 degrees Fahrenheit, half the surface temperature of the sun. Using a standard operational type Coast Guard UF-2G amphibian plane (ordinarily used for patrol, search and rescue work), Coast Guard Ice Patrol airman dropped twenty cluster bombs of thermate and lesser heat producing petroleum types one at a time on selected icebergs in the foggy Grand Banks of Newfoundland. These destruction tests were made in June, and the height of this year's severe ice

This Control Tower At A Former Luftwaffe Base In Germany Damaged By 9Th Af Bombing, Will Serve, When Repaired, Northrop P-61 Black Widow Night Fighters Now Using The Field. As Fast As The Germans Are Driven From Their Fields, Medium, Light And Fighter Bo

Department of Air. Lined up against the thick, gathering clouds of North-West Australia in its "wet" season, these Liberators of the R.A.A.F. make an impressive array of strength. Fully manned by R.A.A.F. personnel, they have made many successful long-range missions against the Japanese, including the devastating attack recently on the Siman-Mendalan power plant in Java. April 17, 1945. (Photo by Department of Air).

Royal Air Force- Operations in the Middle East and North Africa, 1940-1943. Handley Page Halifax B Mark II Series I, W1176 'ZA-Z', of No. 10/227 Squadron RAF while based at Fayid, Egypt, in flight over the Western Desert.

World War II Fighter Ace Gregory "Pappy" Boyington (left) visits his old squadron during the Vietnam War in July 1967 at an undisclosed location. Boyington's presence serves as a morale booster for the pilots and crewmen, showcasing the connection between past and present military generations.

Two British GI's roll a 500 lb bomb away from a Consolidated B-24 of the 15th AAF which flew the explosives up from Italy.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Pistol Packin Mama" At An Airbase In England, 2 November 1943. 388Th Bomb Group.

An 8Th Af Consolidated B-24 Liberator Of The 448Th Bomb Group Comes In For A Landing At Its Base In England After Completing Bombing Mission To Swinemunde, Germany Docks In Support Of Russian Troops Advancing In Eastern Front.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Rothernithe'S Revenge' Of The 381St Bomb Group Stationed At An 8Th Air Force Base Near Ridgewell, Essex County, England, 7 Sept. 1944.

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

7Th Air Force Officer Congratulates Pilot Of The Consolidated B-24 Liberator 'Curley Bird' Upon Completion Of 40 Missions. Marianas Islands. Aircraft Serial Nember Appears To Be 44-40683

Poll photo collection. War volunteers in Malacca and Indonesia. A soldier and an officer for an airplane. 1946

A Mobile Radio Unit Is Installed In A Jeep. 323Rd Bomb Squadron, 91St Bomb Group. Bassingbourne, England, 22 May 1943.

Medics Of The 9Th Troop Carrier Command Load Wounded Soliders Into A Glider Prior To Evacuation At Remagen, Germany. 22 March 1945.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Troops &Paratroops

North Africa-This group of Tail Booms, removed from various speedy P-38 fighters similar to one shown in background, have each seen action in aerial combat, but after thorough examination, parts or entire booms will again be fitted to the after

Project 22 - Operation Castle (Bikini/Enewetak) Test Activities. Radsafe Men Test Project 6.4 Aircraft (F-4U). Photographs of Atmospheric Nuclear Testing at Pacific Island and Nevada Test Sites.

Artwork: "Medical Ingenuity" Artist: Joseph Hirsch. Country: Unknown

U.S. Coast Guard plane sets forth over the ice-crusted mountains of Alaska in the endeavor to spot the wreckage a missing aircraft. If, and when the survivors are sighted, a para-rescue squad will drop into the decolate area to administer first aid and to guide the victims to safety. The para-rescuers are equipped and trained to live for days in the icy wilderness. June 29, 1945. (Photo by The New York Times Overseas Service).

T/Sgt. Ernest L. Gratton of 95 Precourt St., Manchester, N.H., checks over a P-51 Mustang "Katie"-of the 9th AF Fighter Group which took over a German airfield in France after it was captured by Allied forces. That sign on the wall means

Msgt. J.P. Wellmaker Cleans 50 Cal. Guns On A Boeing B-17 As An English Farm Wife Herds Her Ducks Away From The Plane. England.

Brig. General Carlyle H. Ridenour of Pasadena, Calif., a bomber wing commander of the 15th Air Force, congratulates ground personnel on the anniversary of a veteran fighter group's first year of combat. General Ridenour spoke informally in front of a

A French Shepherd, His Son And Dog Stand Watch Over Their Flock At The Edge Of A Field Used By The Germans Until Bombed Out By The Allied Pilots. Douglas A-20 'Havocs' Can Be Seen In The Background. Villaroche, France. 2 October 1944.

Nike missile launcher

Project 26 - Operation Dominic (Johnston Island/Christmas Island/Maui, Hawaii) Test Activities. Scrubdown of B-57 radioactive cloud sampler aircraft at Barbers Point. Photographs of Atmospheric Nuclear Testing at Pacific Island and Nevada Test Sites.

AM-484 , Ships, Naval Vessels, Boats, Naval History, Navy

A super-flying cannon: the new 3-inch Mitchell bomber gun. The heaviest aeroplane gun yet known: a striking addition to the B25's formidable armament during the Second World War. Date: 1943

This is the "beofre-and-after" of how a plain, garden-variety U.S. Army jeep was transofrmed into the "jeep of the future" by men of an ordnance motor repair outfit at a U.S. Army 8th Air force bomber station in England. Working for six weeks in

A Martin B-26 Marauder of the 12th AF flies low over railyards in Florence to inspect the results of attacks by its sister ships. ITALY.

The Target The Us Air Force Tried Not To Hit In Berlin, Because We Wanted It For Post-War Use, Was Big, Egg-Shaped, Tempelhof Airdrome. It Is How Hq Berlin Air Command, Home Base For Various Aaf Units With Personnel Totalling 2,500. Tempelhof Eagle'S Sw

The Final Victory Weapon Finnish. 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

of 3