World War II Aircraft Missions

Photographs showcasing WWII aircraft in flight formations and bombing operations, highlighting the strategic military operations of the era.

A visual lesson in precision bombing, this view shows one element of First Tactical Air Force B-26's attacking a target in southwestern Germany. The first planes of the V-shaped formation have dropped their bombs on reaching the the objective and as

122 aircraft-formation intact-Boeing B-17 planes.

A visual lesson in precision bombing, this view shows one element of First Tactical Air Force B-26's attacking a target in southwestern Germany. The first planes of the V-shaped formation have dropped their bombs on reaching the the objective and as

Northrop P-61 'Black Widows' In Flight. Saipan, Marianas Islands, January, 1945

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 8th Air Force send their bombs plummeting through clouds on to the important railway marshalling yards at Mainz, Germany. Eerie white vapor trails make a split rainbow over the target as the first of the bombers

On The 20Th Of April 1945 A Crew Of The 9Th Troop Carrier Squadron, 7Th Air Force Flew To Okinawa To Spray The Island With Ddt To Rid It Of Mosquitos, Fleas And Lice. Within Two Weeks All Of Okinawa And Also Ie Shima Had Been Sprayed. Photo Shows A Doug

The clouds are clearing for the French personnel of these Martin B-26 Marauders, operating with a veteran American wing of the Tactical Air force. American pilots and ground crews instructed the fliers of free France to fly with the fast Medium

Boeing B-17s returning from Lille-Vapor trail.

formation of Consolidated B-24 Liberators flying to target on D-Day. ENGLAND.

Boeing B-17, Part Of A Formation Of "Flying Fortress" Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Enroute To Blast Vital Targets In Germany As Part Of The Plan To Pulverize All Vitally Important War Objections. Posen, Germany Was The Target Of This Mission, 24 Feb. 1944. A

While Far Below A Convoy Of United Nations Ships Steam Toward England, A Group Of 9Th Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder Medium Bombers Head For Europe To Further Pound Hitler's Crumbling Defense System.

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

In one of the most unusual action series of the air war, this ill-fated Martin B-26 Marauder of U.S. 9th Air Force was photographed by cameraman of a Combat Camera Unit just before and during the catastrophe which occurred as the armada of medium

HUNGARY--After completing it's bomb run over Budapest Farencvaros Railroad yards on 14 July 1944, this Boeing B-17 Flying ofrtress was the victim of a direct hit by flak. Five of the crew were seen to have bailed out, and the plane crashed

The War in the Far East- the Burma Campaign 1941-1945 Air Force Operations: Consolidated Liberator B Mark VIs of No. 356 Squadron RAF heading for their base at Salbani, India, after bombing Japanese positions on Ramree Island (in background) prior to its occupation by the Allies on 21 January 1945.

Forts Ride Again...This Formation Of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Enroute To Blast German Targets In France As Part Of The General Plan To Pulverize All Vitally Important War Objectives. Dunkirk, France Was The Target Of This Mis

Lockheed P-38 Lightnings of a Fighter Group of the 15th Air Force fly in battle formation, high in the clouds over Italy as they act as escort bombers that smash the enemy's war machine on his home ground.

9th Air force North American P-51 "Mustangs" in flight.

North American P-51 Mustangs Fighters Escorting Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Iwo Jima.

Boeing B-17's en route to bomb Dorneir assembly plant at Meulan, France. (25 miles approx. from Paris).

An Important Factor In Stopping The Attempted German Counteroffensive On The West Coast Of Italy Late In December Was This Attack By North American B-25 Mitchells Of The 12Th Aaf On Enemy Barracks At Aulla Near La Spezia On 28 December 1944. Hits Were Sc

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" ready to crash over area south of Dunkirk, occupied France.

A Consolidated B-24 Of The 43Rd Bomb Group In Flight In The Vicinity Of New Guinea.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses returning from Munster, Germany on November 11, 1943.

Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 458Th Bomb Group Release Their Bombs Over Bielefeld, Germany. 24 Feb 1945.

Forts Ride Again...This Formation Of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Enroute To Blast German Targets In France As Part Of The General Plan To Pulverize All Vitally Important War Objectives. Dunkirk, France Was The Target Of This Mis

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Winged Their Way Towards The German V-2 Launching Sites In Occupied France, As The Heavy Bombers Continued Their Daily Poundings Of Nazi Military Installations, 26 March 1944. Taken By S/Sgt Jack S. R

Aircraft, Burma, India &Aircraft, SINGLE, North American War

Marianas Based Northrop P-61 Black Widow Night Fighters Are Shown Flying In Formation On A Daylight Training Mission. When On A Night Patrol Or Interception Mission, The Night Fighter Is Strictly A Lone Hunter.

Bombs Away! A String Of Bombs Is Released By A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress", Part Of A Formation Attacking Enemy Installations At Nove Zamky, Hungary On 7 October 1944.

A Martin B-26 Marauder of the Ninth Air Force--one of a formidable force which struck at a Nazi military objective in northern France on 9 May 44, plough through this menacing curtain of enemy flak to make its bomb run. But a steady course was held

Lockheed P-38 Lightnings Were A Familiar And Welcome Sight To Heavy Bombers Of The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force, Headed For The Target At Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. 18 March 1944. Altitude 24,000 Feet.

ofrtresses (Boeing B-17) of the U.S. Eighth AF drop their bombs on a smoke marker during one of their recent missions hitting targets behind the enemy's lines.

The Nazis Have Released Smoke Screens In An Effort To Hide Their Railroad Yards As Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Fly Over The Target At Bremen, Germany, Prior To Release Of Bombs. 8 Oct 1943.

Formations Of Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"Fly Above A Cloud Formation While On Practice Bombing Mission Over Molesworth, England. 6 September 1943.

High Above A Dense Layer Of Clouds, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 381St Bomb Group Wing Their Way Toward The Target Of The Day In Enemy-Occupied Territory. Europe.

The Volcania munitions...

FIGHTER-ON-BOMBER--Five of these weird German contraptions were sighted flying over Belgium by fighters of Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle's 8th AF. These planes consist of an FW 190 fighter mounted on top of a JU 88 bomber. Lt. Bernard H. Howes

Consolidated B-24 'Liberator' Of The 15Th Air Force Hit The Target At Konigsberg, Austria Despite Heavy Smoke Screen. 1944. Note Heavy Barrage Of Flak.

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" of the 8th Air Force releasing load of incendiary bombs over Oscherleben, Germany.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses en route to bomb Nazi Marshalling Yards and Synthetic Oil Plants in Germany, Sept. 25, 1944. 452nd Bomb Group.

Europe - Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Drop Bombs On Enemy Installations.

Over The Netherlands -- 9Th Troop Carrier Command'S Douglas C-47S Loaded With Paratroopers Head For Drop Zone During The Invasion Of Holland. 17 Sept. 1944.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Of The 381St Bomb Group, En Route To Bomb Enemy Installations Somewhere In Europe.

With Bomb Bay Doors Open, A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 91St Bomb Group Approaches The Bomb Run Over The Target Somewhere In Europe. 5 August 1944.

A Japaneseanese Fighter Attack On A Boeing B-29 Formation Over Japanesean. Twin-Engined Japaneseanese Fighter (Nick) Scuttles By A Superfort's Wing (Top Center) During A Head-On Attack.

This Boeing B-17 Of The 463Rd Bombardment Group, 772Nd Bombardment Squadron, 15Th Air Force, Carries Out Its Mission Over The Oil Refinery At Ruhland, Germany On March 23, 1945, Despite The Smoke Screen Which Hovers Over The Target.

Anefo photo collection. Bomdropping above Japan. 1945. Japan

Consolidated B-24 Liberators Wing Their Way Over Clouds During A Mission On Saarbrucken, Germany.

Bombing Of The Herman Goering Steel Works At Linz, Austria, By Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" Of The 15Th Air Force. 451St Bomb Group.

Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 2Nd Bomb Division, Drop Their Bomb Load On Enemy Installations Somewhere In Europe. 24 November 1944.

This Martin B-26 Marauder of the 12th U.S. Army Air Force has just received a direct hit by an 88 mm flak shell during an attack on enemy coastal defense guns in Toulon Harbor, southern France. With the right engine sheared off but still turning and

High above the Vulturno River, a formation of North American B-25 Mitchells of the Northwest African Air Forces drops its load of bombs on German installations.

The Rate Of Casualities Were Low As Paratroopers Jumped From C-47 Over The Camalaniugan Air Strip, Luzon, In The Philippine Islands. One Person Was Killed When His Chute Failed To Open; And 56 Others Were Injured. This Particular Plane Was In The Second

Hit By Flak After Completing Its Bomb Run Over Porto Santo Stefano, Italy, On 12 May 1944, This Consolidated B-24 Liberator Of The 15Th Air Force, Flew With Its Formation For Seven Minutes After Losing Part Of Its Tail, Then Split 'S' Anumber Of Times, E

SIX DAYS THAT SHOOK GERMANY-When the six days ended, every one of the factories attacked had been seriously injured, and some of the most important ones had been all but obliterated. A U.S. Army bomber of the 8th Air Force is seen over the target

Silhouette of Boeing B-17s during raid on factory at Brussels, 15 Aug. 1943.

The Martin B-26 'The Yankee Guerrilla' Of The 386Th Bomb Group Wings Its Way Towards The Target Of The Day - An Enemy Installation Somewhere In Europe - On 1 June 1945.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Landing exercises I Infantry Brigade 7-December Division in Tjilinting. Exercises on Java's North Coast. The bridgehead is formed and the troops present therein are supplied by the ML from the air. Parachutes come to the packages with ammunition and food. May 1947. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Leaving a target several thousand feet below engulfed in smoke and flames, a trim, speedy A-20 Havoc light attack bomber of the U.S. 9th A.F. is shown streaking for its base in England after a recent attack against one of Hitler's defenses on the

Formation of North American B-25's over the Western Desert, Egypt.

Iwo Jima, Bonin Island Group - Skimming Over The Sparkling Sea, These Northrop P-61 'Black Widows', The Night Defenders Of Iow, Are Seen On A Practice Run.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force, Enroute Toward Cognac, France, Fly At 18,000 Altitude - High Above The Heavy Cloud Banks. 31 Dec. 1943.

High In The Sky Over Austria, These Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 15Th Air Force Leave Vapor Trails To Mark Their Passing. The Following Is Crossed Out The Sun Is Bright And Reflects From The Propellor Tips, Making Another Pattern. One Such Refl

A formation of B-25 Mitchells of the 12th AAF on their way to blast targets back of the Anzio beachhead.

Republic P-47's-Six of them flying "Line Astern" high over England shortly after their introduction as the death dealing machines of the Eighth Fighter Command.

Starving Dutch Population 'Bombed With Food' -- Streaming From The Bomb Bay Of A Low-Flying Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of U.S. 8Th Af 390Th Bomb Group Are Cases Of U.S. Army '10 In 1' Rations, Each Containing Three Meals For 10 Men. Eight Hundred Tons

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force, Released Its Load Of Bombs Over Target In Cognac, France. 31 December 1943. (Altitude 18,000 Feet)

Captured Japaneseanese "Zero" In Flight Over An Airfield In China. February 1943.

Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. Westland Whirlwind, P6985 'HE-J', of No 263 Squadron RAF based at Exeter, Devon, banking away from the camera to reveal the paint scheme introduced on fighter aircraft from 27th November 1940. This consisted of sky under-surfaces, spinners and 18-inch rear fuselage band, and port wing, painted in black semi-permanent distemper.

A Formation Of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Of The 381St Bomb Group, En Route To Bomb Enemy Installations Somewhere In Europe, Are Silhouetted Against A Blanket Of Clouds.

Martin B-26 Marauders of the 1st Tactical AF striking a blow at the Heidelberg marshalling yards in Germany, on 23 March 1945. The bombs are bursting dead on the target--cutting all through tracks to the Mannheim area; destroying workshops; sidings; and

Tail was shot away by a rocket from a German fighter, after this Boeing B-17 attacked Villaorba airfield in northeastern Italy on 18 March 44. The tail gunner was blown out but his chute opened. Plane made base.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Photos with the article 'Experiences in a Mustang coffin' in the magazine Werkbroeders. Aerial recording of a Mustang. October 20, 1948. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

A Large Formation Of 401St Bomb Group Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses"Heads For Home Base In England After Bombing Enemy Installations At Dresden, Germany On 23 April 1945.

French Train as NATO Paratroopers at Pau. Photographs of Marshall Plan Programs, Exhibits, and Personnel

The Dieppe Raid, 19 August 1942 Bombs being released from a Douglas Boston bomber over the target area.

North American B-25 Mitchells of the 12th AAF passing over Jugoslav on their way to bomb Split.

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.

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Rebel's Revenge" (A/C No. 750), Attached To The 323Rd Bomb Squadron, 91St Bomb Group At Bassingbourne, England, Flies Over The Countryside On A Practice Mission On 25 September 1943.

This Consolidated B-24 Liberator Bomber Of The 15Th A.F. Drops A Load Of Fragmentation Bombs On The Aidrome At Neuberg, Austria On 26 March 1945. Heavy Bombers Of The 15Th A.F. Keep The Luftwaffe Ineffective By Smashing At His Airdromes. 460Th Bomb Grou

Bombs Released By Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 467Th Bomb Group, Follow Smoke Markers Down To Enemy Installations At Monheim, Germany. 15 Oct. 1944.

A Martin B-26 Marauder breaks away from its target at Thaleischweiler, Germany, behind the Siegfried Line four miles north of Pirmasens, as explosive clouds of smoke at the extreme left of the picture rise above an important enemy supply road feeding

B-29's Of The 500Th Bomb Group Led By Colonel John E. Dougherty And Maj. D.W. Thompson, Head Past Fuji Towards Target 357, The Mitsubishi Aircraft Factory On The Western Edge Of Tokyo On One Of The First Missions Directed At Japanesean's Aircraft Industry.

Formation Of Douglas A-20S Enroute To Bomb Northeim Marshalling Yards, Northeim, Germany On April 7 1945.

Martin Marauder B-26's protecting the allied landing during the invasion of Anzio, Italy.

A puff of smoke and four flaming motors--all that remains of a Boeing B-17 Flying ofrtress that exploded over Hungary during the first U.S. bomber-shuttle to Russia. This was the only bomber lost.

An 8Th Air Force Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 318St Bomb Group Wings Its Way Over Fleecy Clouds, En Route To Bomb Enemy Installations In Europe.

Aircraft, Burma, India &Aircraft, SINGLE, North American War

Lockheed P-38 Napalm Bombing Near Ipo Dam, Luzon, Philippine Islands.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Exercise drops of stocks by plane. C47 Dakota. November 1947. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Bell P-39S Ready For Take-Off On A Mission To Africa From The 91St Bomb Group Base In Bassingbourne, England On 10 March 1943.

Formation Of Republic P-47 'Thunderbolts' Of The 353Rd Fighter Group Buzz Their Home Base In England.

A Douglas A-20 'Queen Julia' Of The 410Th Bomb Group, Enroute To Release Its Bombs On An Enemy Installation Somewhere In Europe.

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