Photos WW2 US Forces

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With one wing gone, a B-29 falls in flames after a direct hit by enemy flak over Japan. 1944-45

 

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OTD in 1942, US carrier forces and their escorting surface ships conducted aerial bombardment and naval artillery attacks on the Imperial Japanese Navy garrisons in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands.

 

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Fifth Division Marines on Iwo Jima.

 

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B-24H Liberator bomber “Blue I” (41-28853) of 783rd Bomb Squadron, 465th Bomb Group, US 15th Air Force exploding in mid air after being hit by anti-aircraft fire (Flak) over German, November 20, 1944. Lieutenant Colonel Clarence Jack Lokker, on his last mission, was leading B-24’s to their target at Bleclihammerm, Silesia, Germany. While over the target the plane received a direct hit and blew up. Some of the crew were able to bail out before the explosion.

• Pilot: Lieutenant Colonel Clarence J. Lokker – Killed in Action
• Copilot: Captain Milton Duckworth – Prisoner of War
• Navigator: 1st Lieutenant Joseph Kutger – Prisoner of War
• Radar: 1st Lieutenant Joseph Whalen – Prisoner of War
• Bombardier: 1st Lieutenant Robert Hockman – Prisoner of War
• Bombardier: 2nd Lieutenant Grosvenor Rice – Killed in Action
• Radio Operator: Staff Sergeant Edmund Miosky – Killed in Action
• Engineer/Gunner: Technical Sergeant Lee Billings – Prisoner of War
• Waist Gunner: Sergeant James Bourne – Prisoner of War
• Top Gunner: Sergeant Jack Rabkin – Killed in Action
• Tail Gunner: Sergeant Paul Flynn – Killed in Action

 

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Grumman F6F-3 "Hellcat" fighters of fighter squadron VF-10 “Grim Reapers,”landing on the USS Enterprise after strikes on the Japanese base at Truk, 17-18 February 1944. Flight deck crewmen are folding planes' wings and guiding them forward to the parking area.

 

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P-40 Warhawks of the “Flying Tigers”- The First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Republic of China Air Force, ca. 1941-42

 

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“Axis Nightmare,”B24-D Air Corps Serial 41-24138 flew as part of the 373'd Bomb Squadron, 308th Bomb Group of the 14th Air Force in the China-Burma-India Theatre

On February 1, 1945 took off from Hsinching Airfield in China on a flight bound for Jorhat Airfield in India. This B-24 was empty, returning to Jorhat Airfield following a cargo mission. The weather was cloudy at 27,000' with severe turbulence and icing conditions above 15-17,000'.

This bomber was on course "ABLE" last position report was being over Likiang, China, the following bearings were shot from Kharagpurat 1938z, 232 deg. class 2 at 1946z, 234 deg. class 1 at 2013z, 235 deg, class 1 Piardoba on 183 at 2034z, 270 deg, class 2. Aircraft didn't acknowledge these bearings. Airbase at Likiang received distress call at 1930z last contact at 2034z somewhere southwest of Fort Hertz valley.

The B-24 was last contacted by Kharagpur air ground radio. Reportedly, this B-24 was low on fuel and might have force landed. When it failed to land, this bomber was reported as Missing In Action (MIA).

Search

Afterwards, search aircraft based at Mohanbari, India searched for this aircraft unsuccessfully.

Memorials

The crew was officially declared dead on February 3, 1946. All four are memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

 

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Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless of VB-6 launches from USS Enterprise, CV-6, for a raid against Marcus Island, 1 February 1942

 

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SS Robert Rowan (Liberty ship K-40) explodes amongst the Sicily invasion fleet. Hit with three bombs by JU-88 bombers on July 11, 1943. All 421 soldiers and sailors safely abandoned ship before the many tons of ammunition exploded. She was torn in half and burned for two days.

 

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Assembly of a group of Mk. 30 mounts for single 5"/38 guns.

 

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Troops go over the side of a Coast Guard-manned combat transport to board LCVPs at Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, as the landing gets under way. Nov, 1943

 

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B-17G Flying Fortresses of the US 15th Air Force amid anti-aircraft flak bursts during a bombing run over Graz, Austria, 4 Mar 1945.

 

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P-61 Night Fighter "The Virgin Widow" of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron. Saipan, 1945.

 

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Members of the Japanese-American 442nd Infantry Regiment stand at attention while their citations are read in France on November 12, 1944,

 

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B-29 “Thunderbird” of the 6th Bomb Squadron, 29th Bomb Group going down after being hit by flak while bombing an aircraft factory near Tokyo on August 8, 1945. All but two of the crew were lost in the crash. One was captured, tortured and executed and the other was captured, but survived.

These were among the last US servicemembers to die in the war, which in some ways is especially tragic. To make it that far and to be so close to making it through only to die the day before the 2nd atomic bomb was dropped. Hostilities ended about a week after this photo was taken and missions were still being flown until then, so lives were still being risked.

 

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B-25 Mitchell bomber “Peggy Lou” and other B-25s of the 321st Bomb Group flying from Solenzara, Corsica bombing San Michele railroad bridge in the Brenner Pass region of northern Italy, 10 Mar 1945

 

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Operation Tidal Wave - an attack by the USAAF, (based in Libya and Southern Italy) on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator in the image was named 'The Sandman' by her crew. It was a very costly operation, on both sides.

 

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An M3 Lee of “F” Company, 2nd Batalion, 13th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division in Tabourka, Tunisia. Late 1942 or early 1943.

 

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A FM2 (N-27) aircraft, coming in for a landing on USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95), either missed or broke an arresting hook and crashed into planes parked on the bow. Here N-27 crasher into N-33 pushing it over the bow, 19 December 1944. N-27 crashed into N-33, and both went over the bow. Ensign Woods, pilot of N-33, is seen lying on the deck amid flying wreckage of planes.

Ensign Woods, pilot of N-33, who was sitting in his airplane, was thrown clear, is being carried by stretcher to sickbay.

 

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A B-29 Superfortress from the 468th Bombardment group dropping a load of high explosives on Hatto, Formosa on 18 October 1944