Air War #4

Hawker Hart “blue R” stands guard and loaded with bombs during warm-up before take-off. At F 19, Swedish Volunteer Corps in Finland, January 23, 1940. Military personnel at work with the aircraft. Åke Mörne and Björn Bjuggren in the airplane.

Bristol Blenheim top turret gunner of the Finnish Air Force.

Captured Ilyushin Il-4 (earlier designation DB-3F) (DF-25) medium bomber in Finnish service, 1 April 1944.

Captured Ilyushin Il-4, Finnish Air Force.

Captured Ilyushin Il-4, Finnish Air Force.

Captured Il-4 with LaGG-3 in foreground in Finnish service.

Circa 1940: Fiat G.50 in Finnish markings (FA-11).

Fiat G.50 II Series, Finnish air force (FA-17).

Caudron C.714, Finnish air force.

Caudron C.714, Finnish air force.

This Soviet lend-leased P-40M (USAF 43-5925) was captured by the Finns during the Battle of Leningrad. Piloted by Soviet pilot, Sub. Lt. V.A. Ruevin from 191st fighter squadron, on 27 December 1943, it made a forced landing on the frozen surface of Lake Valkjarvi, Karelian Isthmus. The Finns captured it in perfect condition. It was overhauled at the Mechanics’ School and delivered to HLeLv32 on 2 July 1944. It was used till 12 February 1945. It was not used in combat flights however, due to lack of manuals and parts. The two letters “KH” on the fuselage possibly stood for the Finnish words “Koe Hävittäjä” (Test Fighter) or even Kittyhawk

Curtiss P-40M Warhawk, KH-51, LeLv 32, Finnish Air Force, Mensuvaara, August 1944, captured from the Soviets and the only P-40 in Finnish service.

Bristol Blenheim Mk I of the Finnish Air Force.

B-17 Flying Fortress "The Memphis Belle" is shown on her way back to the United States, June 9, 1943, after successfully completing 25 missions from an airbase in England.

The crew of the B-17F "Memphis Belle", which returned from its 25th operational mission in May 1943. All of the crew received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. In all of its missions, there was only one casualty, a leg wound to the tail gunner.

The crew of the B-17 Flying Fortress "Memphis Belle" is shown at an air base in England after completing 25 missions over enemy territory on June 7, 1943. They are, left to right: Tech. Sgt. Harold P. Loch of Green Bay, Wis., top turret gunner; Staff Sgt. Cecil H. Scott of Altoona, Penn., ball turret gunner; Tech. Sgt. Robert J, Hanson of Walla Walla, Wash., radio operator; Capt. James A. Verinis, New Haven, Conn., co-pilot; Capt. Robert K. Morgan of Ashville, N. C., pilot; Capt. Charles B. Leighton of Lansing, Mich., navigator; Staff Sgt. John P. Quinlan of Yonkers, N. Y., tail gunner; Staff Sgt. Casimer A. Nastal of Detroit, Mich., waist gunner; Capt. Vincent B. Evans of Henderson, Texas, bombardier and Staff Sgt. Clarence E. Wichell of Oak Park, Ill., waist gunner.

The B-17 Flying Fortress "Memphis Belle" visiting Patterson Field on a War Bond campaign during World War II.

The crew of the "Memphis Belle" as luncheon guests of Congressman Snyder and Mrs. Snyder in the House of Representatives Dining Room, together with the members of Mr. Snyder's Committee on Army Appropriations; 18 June 1943.

Boeing B-17F "Memphis Belle" fully restored and on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force.

Boeing B-17F "Memphis Belle" fully restored and on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force.

Italian Fiat G.50 and German Messerschmitt Me 110 (3U+CS) of Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG 26) in flight, North Africa, 1941. (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-425-0338-16A)



A U.S. Army Air Force student pilot in an North American AT-6 Texan trainer "attacks" a USAAF Lockheed B-34 during gunnery training; circa 1942/43.

It is believed this photo shows Coronado BuNo. 7073 after touching down in Tokyo Bay on 29 August 1945 while carrying Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Marine Corps Commandant Alexander A. Vandegrift to the Japanese surrender ceremonies. (National Naval Aviation Museum)

Tuskegee pilots during training with a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.

VMF-121 on 11 May 1943: First Row (left to right): Leeds, Klas, Pierce, McPherson, Rodes, Harlan. Second row: Snee, Schmitt, McCardy, Gordon, Porter, Morace. Third row: McEvoy, Trenchard, Barron, Baker, Wilcox, Schneider, Bryson. Fourth row (standing): Andre, Linde, Vroome, Hay, Whittiker, Shuman, Ford.

Richard I. Bong with his girlfriend Marge in the cockpit of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

Pilots of the 48th Fighter Squadron just after arriving at Youks les Bains, 21 November 1942. Back row, left to right: Lts. Yates, Eubank, Sorensen, Tollen, Beimdiek, Ethell, Goebel, Carroll, Bestegen, Schottelkorb, and V. Smith. Front row: Capts. Wroten, Bing, Walles, Watson, and Lts. Shipman and Ziegler.

The one-two punch of carriers and planes scores a hit as the USS Wasp (named for the carrier lost at Guadalcanal) brings down a Japanese D4Y off the Ryukyus on 18 March 1945.

Last minute briefing for the Polish crew of a Vickers Wellington bomber.

Lieutenant Robert Faurot, 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, made the first P-38 kill in the Southwest Pacific.

Brigadier General Ira Eaker and reporters.

Brigadier General Ira Eaker and reporters.

Lieutenant Virgil H. Smith, 48th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, scored five aerial victories during his first month in combat over North Africa. Smith became the first P-38 Ace of the war when he shot down his fifth enemy aircraft on December 12, 1942.

Dick Bong and Ernie Ambort in the Philippines. Ambort started his scoring with a Val on 31 October 1944. Insigne of the 9th Fighter Squadron on sign.

“Crashed Gliders—the landing zone at Ranville, 1944.” The wrecks of several crashed gliders; different parts of the aircraft are separated from the body and strewn on the ground.

Col. Thomas Lanphier on the left engaging in typical pilot conversation with Maj. John Mitchell in front of a P-38.

Major Bill Leverette, left, commanding officer, 37th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, led eight P-38s against 25 Stukas with Ju 88 escorts attacking British shipping near the Dodecanese Islands, 9 October 1943. Leverette shot down seven of the enemy, and the other P-38 pilots, including Bob Margison (right), accounted for ten more.

P-38 pilot Captain Thomas J. Lynch, commanding officer, 39th Fighter Squadron, on the wing of his P-38, killed in action in March 1944, with 20 confirmed victories.

Major Richard I. Bong, 49th Fighter Group.

Major Richard I. Bong, 49th Fighter Group.

John Rogers, Sr., with his P-40, was one of the original members of the 99th Pursuit Squadron.  He was well-known for his outstanding ability as a dive bomber pilot.

John O'Neill, 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, 8 victories, in the cockpit of his P-38.

Lt. Herbert “Stub” Hatch with his P-38 'Mon Amy' with 5 kill markings.

9th Air Force P-38 Lightning fighter-bomber pilots leave the briefing tent at their base in Belgium before going out on another mission to eliminate or neutralize German strong points holding up the advance of U.S. ground troops.

Lt. Richard L. Bong in the cockpit of his  Lockheed P-38 Lightning, New Guinea, 6 March 1943.

Replica of Lt. Gerard Bruggink's B-339C at the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, Netherlands.

Replica of Lt. Gerard Bruggink's B-339C of the ML-KNIL at the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, Netherlands. ML-KNIL: The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force (Dutch: Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger or ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until 1950. It was an entirely separate organization from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The unit was founded in 1915 as the "Test Flight Service" (Proefvliegafdeling-KNIL, PVA-KNIL). In 1921, it became the "Aviation Service" (Luchtvaartafdeling-KNIL, LA-KNIL), before finally receiving the designation of ML-KNIL on 30 March 1939. In 1950, following Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, its bases and facilities were handed over to the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU).

Replica of Lt. Gerard Bruggink's B-339C at the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, Netherlands.

Brewster B-339C of the Vligtuig Groep V, ML-KNIL, Java, Autumn 1941.

Japanese Ki-77(A-26) carried on USS Bogue, 25 December 1945.

Captured Japanese A6M5 Zeros on board USS Copahee on their way to the US from Saipan, July 1944.

Fieseler Fi 156C-2 Storch, WL-IWFT, Luftwaffe, Poland, circa September 1939 to October 1939. Fieseler Storch wearing a paramilitary WL registration, photographed in Poland during or shortly after the German invasion - the stricken aircraft is a Polish Karaś light bomber, perhaps aircraft 8 of 41 Eskadra Rozpoznawcza.

Caudron C.714, Groupe de Chasse I/145. This unit was composed of exiled Polish airmen.

Caudron C.714 fighter plane of Groupe de Chasse I/145, June 1940.

Ground staff personnel of No. 30 Servicing Unit, Royal New Zealand Air Force, overhauling a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura patrol bomber on Green Island, 21 December 1944.

Line-up of Nationalist aircraft after the Spanish Civil War includes Ju 52 transports and Savoia-Marchetti S.M. 75 bombers.

Lt. George Preddy with his P-40 Kittyhawk.

P-47 Thunderbolt (HO-P, 42-8500) nicknamed "Cripes A'Mighty" of the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group.

Members of the 352nd Fighter Group gather around P-51D Mustang (HO-P, 44-13321) nicknamed "Cripes A' Mighty 3rd", flown by Major George Preddy after he had claimed six Me 109s, 6 August 1944.

George Preddy with his parents during a 30-day leave in September-October 1944.

Truck, Bomb Service, M6, 1½-ton, 4x4, used to tow bomb trailers and lift bombs on and off trailers.

Truck, ½-ton, 4x2, Bomb Service, M1 (Ford 19Y/Marmon-Harrington).

USAAF bomb trailer.

M5 Bomb Trailer and M2 Chemical Trailer.

Bomb trailer and fuel tankers.

Bomb truck.

M5 Bomb Trailer.

M1 Bomb service truck: 1941 Ford 19-Y 1½-ton, 4x4 (G085).

A pair of Chevrolet M6 1½-ton 4x4 Bomb Service Trucks with M5 Bomb Trailers, south side of Pier 1, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Newport News, Virginia, 6 August 1943. 

Tractor, Crane, 2-ton, M3, used by the Army Air Forces to perform light towing and lifting operations.

Tractor, Crane, 6-ton, M4, used by the Army Air Forces to lift aircraft engines into engine mounts.

Tractor, Crane, 2-ton, M5, used by Aviation Ordnance companies.

Tractor, High Speed, 7-ton, M2, used by the Army Air Forces to tow equipment over rough terrain.

Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada, December 1942: U.S Airmen pull a fuel trailer with an M2 High Speed Tractor on the U.S. Air Base in Goose Bay, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada.

A CG-4A glider is about to leave the ground in tow of a Douglas C-47 of the Ninth Troop Carrier Command, during a snatch pickup at a glider marshaling area in Wesel, Germany. Note the tractor towing another glider into position for another snatch pickup. 17 April 1945.

Cletrac tractor with P-47 Thunderbolt, France.

P-47 being towed by Cletrac tractor.

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