World War II Aircraft Operations

Images depict military aircraft and crews in action during WWII, showcasing pilots, mechanics, and bomber maintenance in black and white historical photography.

Lt. Scalpone, pilot of the 90th Photographic Reconnaissance Wing, steps into the cockpit of his Lockheed F-5 at an air base somewhere in North Africa.

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

An Inprovised Bomb Shackle On An L-4 Airplane That Flies In Support Of The 158Th Infantry. The "Bombs" Are Bazookz Shells. January 1945.

Photo Reconnaissance pilot, 1st Lt. Russel J. Myktyn of Central Falls, R.I., checks his cameras before leaving a 9th Air Force base in France. With him are Cpl Robert C. Aldridge (center) of Manchester, N.H., and Sgt Frank A. Shortino (right) of

ITALY-Bombers require loving care and speedy attention from ground maintenance men to keep 'em flying. Here an engine crew works wurely and swiftly to repair flak damage.

A Crew Member Of The 91St Bomb Group Look Over The Wing Of A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Damaged By Flak During A Mission On 9 October 1943. The Plane Is Attached To The 401St Bomb Squadron, 91St Bomb Group At Bassingbourne, England.

Capt. Thomas H. Winburn of San Antonio, Texas, shot down two of the 23 Japanese planes destroyed by American fighter pilots over Wau, New Guinea, on Feb. 6, 1943. The U.S. airman scattered a large enemy formation without the loss of a single fighter.

Standing on the flooded runway of this Mediterranean Allied Air Force base in Italy is this Flying Officer as he makes a minor adjustment to the bomber. The continuous rain turned this field into a sea of mud.

Lt. Jack F. Rasmussen And Lt. Eugene B. Lancaster, Pilots Of The 318Th Fighter Group, Inspect Damage To Top Of Gun Compartment On North American P-51 "Mustang". The Plane Was Piloted By Lt. Lancaster During Mission Over Japanesean. Note Damage To 50 Cal Mach

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

Lt. Scalpone, pilot of the 90th Photographic Reconnaissance Wing, steps into the cockpit of his Lockheed F-5 at an air base somewhere in North Africa.

Colonel David 'Tex' Hill Of Hunt, Texas, Air Ace Of The 'Flying Tigers' Gets Into His Plane Just Before Take Off On A Mission From His Base Somewhere In China. 2 Oct. 45.

1st Lt. Paul Mathews (left) talks with T/Sgt. Milo Rethmeier, crew chief of this Martin B-26 Marauder "G.I.KID," based on Sardinia. Lt. Mathews is a flight leader of a medium bomber group of the 12th Air Force. 1944.

Frank Stanton

Completing the transfer on a Douglas A-20 a Russian Officer (Right) signs paper presented by Col. Edward H. Porter (center) American commanding officer at Abadan, Iran.

A Camera Is Installed In A Republic P-43 To Be Used As A Reconnaissance Plane. China, 15 September 1942.

David Baker of the 49th Fighter Group beside his plane at an airbase somewhere in New Guinea.

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,CREWS War

Toni Frissell with Major George S. "Spanky" Roberts at Ramitelli, Italy, March, 1945, Toni Frissell, Antoinette Frissell Bacon, Antoinette Frissell

1St Lt. J.E. Brasher, Rfd #2, Box 330A, Roswell, New Mexico, Of The 82Nd Fighter Squadron, 78Th Fighter Group, Poses In The Cockpit Of His Republic P-47 'Nice Kitty' At 8Th Air Force Station F-357, In Duxford, England. 3 April 1944.

Capt. Robert S. Johnson, Lawton, Okla., Eighth Fighter Command Thunderbolt pilot, returns to base and is greeted by his crew chief after bringing down three enemy interceptors to increase his total score to 22 and make him the high scoring ace in

The picture shows two combat pilots that prepare the start.The pilot in the back receiving hand grenades.At the plane you see a holder with air bombs. The picture shows two combat pilots that prepare the start.The pilot in the back receiving hand grenades.At the plane you see a holder with air bombs.

At the ATC's European Division terminal in Scotland, a wounded American is carried aboard a C-54 by way of home-designed steel ramp. In two parts, bottom section alone loads C-47s.

Capt. Gerald E. Budd, 105 -- 11Th Ave., Baltic, Michigan, Of The 84Th Fighter Squadron, 78Th Fighter Group, Shakes Hands With A Member Of His Ground Crew After Returning To 8Th Air Force Station F-357, In Duxford, England, From A Mission Over Enemy Territ

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

Flight Officer H. Judson Hollock of LaHabva, California, is shown at the controls of a Lockheed P-38 at an airbase near Tripoli, Tripolitania, North Africa. 18 June 1943.

Ground Crew Of The 94Th Fs, 1St Fg, Pose On Their Lockheed P-38 Lightning At An Airfield Somewhere In Italy.

W.E. Schofield, Pilot Of The 364Th Fighter Group, 67Th Fighter Wing, Poses In The Cockpit Of His North American P-51 At 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 20 February 1945.

Capt. John S. Litchfield, Aurora, Nc, Pilot, And His Crew Chief, T/Sgt. Robert Elkins, Los Angeles, Calif., Pose Beside Their Lockheed P-38 Lightning 'Sweet Pea' At An Air Base In Italy.

Lockheed P-38 of the 1st...

A Chinese Soldier Stands Guard In Front Of The C-47 Used To Supply Weather Stations. China.

Chinese refuel B-29 after an emergency landing at Liangsham, China. This plane had to be refueled by pouring gasoline from drums into five gallon cans and then poured directly into the tanks.

M/Sgt. Harold W. Andresen Tunes Up Engine Of A Vultee L-5 Of The 163Rd Liaison Squadron, Attached To The 10Th Army; Lt. William E. Bergelin Listens To The Steady Hum Of The Engine. Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto. 1945.

North Africa-Men load bombs on Curtiss P-40's of the 9th AF's 57th Fighter Group, before they take off on a mission to Russia. 1943.

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 Hapanese Empire With A Surprising And Daring Raid On Military Targets At Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Na

Mechanics Of The 322Nd Bomb Squadron, 91St Bomb Group, Overhaul A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" At A Base In Bassingbourne, England. 2 October 1943.

Sgt. E.P. Mcswain, Mechanic Of York, South Carolina, And T/Sgt. Neal C. Colbert, Crew Chief From Lakeland, Florida, Clean The Glass Enclosure Of The Northrop P-61 Black Widow 'Wabash Cannon - Ball Iv' Night Fighter Of The 9Th Air Force. France. 27 Sept.

Major R.W. LaRogue, Winston Salem, N.C., left, greets Major Lawrence R. Denney, Chicago, Ill., after he made the first landing on a new airstrip constructed in Germany by the IX Engineer Command. Major LaRogue is a group operations officer in a Ninth

Aircraft, Burma, India &Operations War

A Ground Crew Of The 99Th Fighter Squadron, 332Nd Fighter Group, Tunes Up The Engine Of One Of The Squadron'S Curtiss P-40 "Warhawks" At A Forward Base In North Africa. The Squadron Is Participating In The Action Against Enemy Installations In Sicily.

Life in a US Army Base: Evreux. Photographs of Marshall Plan Programs, Exhibits, and Personnel

Ground Crew Of A Boeing B-29 Of The 462Nd Bomb Group, Xx Bomber Command, Turning Over The Motor Before Take-Off On Mission 9 To Anshan, Manchuria. India.

Wreckage Of The Curtiss P-42 (A/C #41-13445) Which Crashed At An Airfield In Iceland. 2Nd Air Base Group, 15 April 1942.

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

England - Intelligence Officers And Bomber Command Are Concerned With The Before-And-After Of A Bombing Mission. Photography Is A Regular Part Of Such A Job, And When 9Th Air Force Marauders Strike, The Fighting Cameramen Are On The Spot; They Take Pict

Armorers Of The 16Th Fighter Squadron, 51St Fighter Group, Assemble Guns For A Curtiss P-40 At Peishihwa, China, 21 October 1942. They Are, Left To Right: S/Sgt. P. Koerner, Hagerstown, Maryland; Sgt. Allen Russell, Kansas City, Missouri; Sgt. R.L. Hake,

This Was All That Was Left When An Oil Line Broke And The Propeller On The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 401St Bomb Group Could Not Be Feathered By The Pilot, 1St Lt. Richard C. Mccord (Left). As A Result Of This The Propeller 'Windmilled' Until I

Lt. Armour C. Miller Of The 94Th Fighter Squadron, 1St Fighter Group, Stands Beside His Lockheed P-38 Lightning At An Airfield Somewhere In Italy.

Italian aviator Francesco Baracca posing next to the Nieuport 13 with which he shot down his first enemy plane near Medeuzza, on 7 April 1916. For this event he was decorated with the Silver Medal of Military Valour. 1910s

Mechanics Work On A Boeing B-29 Superfortress Which Has Blasted Tokyo At The Guam Air Depot In The Marianas Gp.

Robert V. McHale of the 49th Fighter Group beside his plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea.

Staff meadow Kiss before the climbing.

A Pilot Of The 94Th Fighter Squadron, 1St Fighter Group, Stands Beside His Lockheed P-38 Lightning "An Old Soldier Never Dies" At An Air Base Somewhere In Italy.

France-1st Lt. John J. Donnelan of New York, a pilot of a Piper L-4 "Cub" in the artillery, flies over enemy lines spotting positions and relays them back to his units.

2nd Lt. Joseph Carperelli, 95 Park Ave., Harrison, New York talks with his crew chief, S/Sgt. John Gilson, Hamburg, Iowa. Lt. Carparelli flies one of the new North American A-36 fighter-bombers that proved itself in the Sicilian campaign.

Aircraft, Burma, India &PRISONS &PRISONERS War

Claims To Have " Travelled At 1,143 M.P.H."Photo Shwos: Lt-Col Marion Carl with his Douglas rocket-powered Skyrocket.A U.S. rocket aircraft pilot claims to have recently flown a Douglas rocket powered Skyrocket at a speed of 1,143 miles per hour.The Pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Marion Carl reached the speed of 1,143 M.P.H. after the aircraft was dropped from the bomb bay of a superfortress at 32,000 Ft.He Ignited the rockets and flew upward. At 68,000 Ft. He Levelled off and started Downward, reaching the peak speed at 48,000 feet. September 10, 1953. (Photo by Paul Popper)

The Ground Crew Of The Republic P-47 "Scotty Bill" Wish Their Pilot, Lt. W.F. Steit, A Successful Mission, Prior To His Take Off From An English Base. 352Nd Fighter Squadron, 353Rd Fighter Group.

Sgt. Arthur B. Raymond, ball turret gunner from Oak Park, Illinois, at his position in his plane before take-off from his base somewhere in North Africa. 29 July 1943.

1St Lt. John R. Shoup Of Boulder, Colo., Bombardier On The Boeing B-17 "The Duchess" Points With Justifiable Pride To The Number Of Bombing Missions And Enemy Planes To The Plane'S Credit. Lt. Shoup Is A Member Of The 324Th Bomb Squadron, 91St Bomb Group

ENGLAND-Cpl Jerome Hutchins of High Point, N.C., and S/Sgt Finnon King, Bonneville, Miss. work on the tail of a B-24.

Major Charles W. Sweeney, Pilot Of B-29 'Bockscar', Which Atom-Bombed Nagasaki, Japanesean. Through A Curious Error, Caused Perhaps By The Removal Of The Names From The Planes, The Official Communique Stated That 'The Great Artiste' Carried The Bomb On 9 Augu

Aircraft, Burma, India &BOMBLOADING War

Royal Air Force Flying Training Command, 1940-1945. An instructor shows a pupil pilot how to fasten his parachute safety harness, in front of a De Havilland Tiger Moth at No. 7 Elementary Flying Training School, Desford, Leicestershire. Both wear 1930 Pattern flying suits.

Men Of The 11Th Bomb Squadron, 341St Bomb Group, Load A 2000-Lb North American B-25 Engine On A Transport Plane At Kunming, China, To Be Transported To India For Repairs. 27 October 1942.

Bengt Nordenskiöld on Inspection of F 2, 1942 The Head of Air Force, Bengt Nordenskiöld on Inspection of F 2 Roslagens Flight Fleet. Nordenskiöld in fly overall is under aircraft wing and get help to put on parachute ..

Coast Guard Anti-Submarine Patrol. This image depicts Coast Guardsmen loading a potent depth bomb on a Coast Guard Patrol Plane.

Armorers Of The 14Th Air Force In China And A Chinese Guard Take A Few Minutes From Their Duties To Get A Quick Look At The Latest Edition Of "Yank", A Gi Magazine.

Lt. Grahma Of The 339Th Fighter Group, Stands Beside His North American P-51 'Miss Max' At An 8Th Air Force Base In England. 1 September 1944. Station F-378.

Before the Flanders Operations; King Albert leaves by plane to visit the front lines in Yser', 1917. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" L'Illustration, Paris, 1924.

First Lieutenant E. V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker, 94th Aero Squadron, American ace, standing up in his Spad plane, near Rembercourt, France, U.S. Army Signal Corps, October 1918

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Action Tegal. Cleaning the windshield of a reconnaissance plane. 24 July 1948. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies, Purwokerto, Tegal

Capt. George W. Humbrecht, St. Louis, Mo., a photo reconnaissance pilot, sits in his plane ready to take off on another mission from a base somewhere in North Africa. He has received both the American and British D.F.C. for his outstanding

Aircraft, Burma, India &CREWS,FIGHTER War

Capt. Eisenhart Sitting On The Wing Of His North American P-51 Mustang, The 'Bonny Bea'. England - 16 July 1944.

Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" (Aircraft No. 8771) Of The 381St Bomb Group, Undergoing Repairs After A Falling Bomb From Another Plane Hit The Wing And Part Of The Fuselage During A Mission Over Enemy Territory. England, 25 February 1945.

Colonel Brooks, Commanding Officer Of The 1St Scouting Group, 91St Bomb Group, Seated In The Cockpit Of His Plane To Taking Off From The Base At Bassingbourne, England, On Another Mission.

After Returning From A Mission Over Nazi Installations In Europe On 5 November 1943, The Waist Gunner On A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Puts His 50 Cal. Machine Gun Into The Truck Which Will Take Him, The Radio Operation (Shown) And Other Crew Members To

Claws For The Eagle. This image depicts belts of machine gun bullets loaded into a Coast Guard Plane.

Aircraft, Burma, India & INDIA,RELIGION War

Capt. Chapman And An Unidentified Crew Member Stand By The Nose Of A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 401St Bomb Group At An 8Th Air Force Base In England, 7 November 1944.

The Royal Navy during the Second World War A Fairey Swordfish on the snow-covered flight deck of the merchant aircraft carrier MV ANCYLUS. Note the engine cover on the aircraft.

FRANCE-British G.I. shakes hands with American G.I. (in plane) as French G.I. (right) looks on, in Lyons. Plane is Consolidated B-24 Liberator of the 15th AAF.

Brig. General Frank O.D. Hunter Shakes Hands With Capt. Hendricks After Returning From The 381St Bomb Group'S First Mission Over Enemy Territory On 22 June 1943. General Hunter Flew With The Group.

After The First Bombing Mission Over Tokyo, Japanesean, Gunners Clean Their Guns And Mechanics Check Over One Of The Boeing B-29 "Superfortresses"' Which Took Part In The Mission. Saipan, Marianas Islands, November 1944.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. Aviator poses BJI Piper L-4J Cub Grashopper. 1946. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

US Fortress 'bearded Beauty' Force-lands at Royal Naval Air Station. 22 January 1943, Lee-on-solent Naval Air Station. The Captain of the American Flying Fortress which made a forced landing at a Royal Naval Air Station, with Captain M S Thomas, DSO, RN, and two other British Naval officers.

S/Sgt Guy T. Hiatt, Covington, Ky. Left waist gunner on "Idiot's Delight" flying his 21st mission, was saved from serious injury when a piece of flak over Berlin hit the ammunition belt of his gun. One 50 cal bullet was exploded and another badly

Aircraft, Burma, India & Training

Fire Fighers Spray Foamite On The Burning North American P-51 (A/C 44-13993) Of The 364Th Fighter Group, 67Th Fighter Wing, Which Crashed At The 8Th Air Force Station F-375, Honnington, England. 26 August 1944.

Boeing B-17F "Flying ofrtress" 20 mm shell hit on tail turret

Maintenance Of A Vultee L-5 At Cub Field No. 7 On Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto. The Plane Is Flown By The 163Rd Liaison Squadron, Attached To The 10Th Army. 1945.

Mrs. Keith Miller. April 03, 1928.

Maj. George E. Preddy, of Greensboro, N.C. an 8th Air force fighter pilot stationed in England, who shot down 6 German planes on one mission. Maj. Preddy is one of the top scoring American fighter pilots in the ETO with 24 1/2 shot down in the air

Flight Lt Douglas and Flying Officer Murdoch in Plane. gelatin silver prints, black-and-white prints

Members Of The 2Nd Service Group Load A Transport Plane At An Air Base Somewhere In Iceland. 23 February 1944.

War album 106, picture 32566.

An Unidentified Pilot Of The 367Th Fighter Group, Poses Beside His Lockheed P-38 'Wee Willy' At An Air Base In England. 3 June 1944.

Major Thompson, Pilot (Left), And An Unidentified S/Sgt. Admire The Painting On The North American B-25 'Gorgeous Georgetta' Of The 81St Bomb Squadron, 12Th Bomb Group, Somewhere In India.

Capt. Frank Kappeler, Navigator From Alameda, California, Is Shown In His Plane Before Take-Off For A Mission From His Base At Colne, England. He Is A Member Of The 323Rd Bomb Group. 21 July 1943.

Installation Of Safety Pins And Bomb Bay Tanks On A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 381St Bomb Group At 8Th Air Force Station 167 In England. 5 January 1945.

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