Photos WW2 US Forces

[BravoZulu]

F-4U Corsair flown back to base after a dogfight off southern Kyushu, Japan. June 1945.

 

[uktabber]

That looks like a midair result with that Jap!!

 

[BravoZulu]

Grumman F4F Wildcat in the hangar deck of the USS Ranger, October 1942.

 

[BravoZulu]

Grumman F6F Hellcat naval fighters on the deck of Lexington-class aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) as fire erupts after being hit by a Japanese kamikaze off Iwo Jima, 21-Feb-1945.
It's worth noting that the elevator lines painted underneath the aft Hellcat are actually fake and meant to draw bomber / kamikaze aircraft away from the real elevators further aft.

 

[BravoZulu]

Pfc Edward Shea (of 27 Wentworth Street, Dorchester, Massachusetts) fills up his jeep in the sunshine at the petrol station in Burton Bradstock, Dorset. According to the original caption, the gas station has been taken over by the army. Pfc Shea is helped by local boys Freddy and Chris Kerley, Barry Kneale and Billy Hubbard: one boy works the petrol pump, one holds back the seat, one holds the hose and another cleans the windscreen''.

 

[BravoZulu]

Martin B-26B Marauders of the 320th Bombardment Group during a bombing raid on the railroad bridge at Albenga, Italy. 12 April 1944

 

[BravoZulu]

Okinawa saw some of the most brutal fighting in all of World War II . The Japanese knew how to defend themselves well with underground tunnels and mutually supported defensive positions like Sugar Loaf Hill.

Sugar Loaf Hill was just a small mound of earth but it took the lives of countless Marines mentally and physically - to the tune of 2,662 men from physical injury including death , and an additional 1,289 men were pulled off the line because they broke down mentally. Back then it was called combat stress but we referred to it now as PTSD .

It took the Marines 11 attempts to take Sugar Loaf Hill and decimated squads down to 1 or 2 people after assaults.

 

[BravoZulu]

Operation Reckless, Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, 22 April 1944: LVTs head for the invasion beaches at Humboldt Bay, as light cruisers bombard in the background. The ship firing tracer shells in the right center is USS Boise (CL-47). Just ahead of her is USS Phoenix (CL-46).

U.S. Navy landing craft, loaded with troops, approaches the beach at Hollandia, New Guinea. In the background shell bursts from the preliminary bombardment can be seen. April 1944

 

[BravoZulu]

Boeing B-29A Superfortress from 6 Bombardment Group, 24 BS - incendiaryjourney June 1,1945 mission to Osaka, Japan.

 

[BravoZulu]

An LCT(R) - Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) - in action off Juno assault area, 6 June 1944.

 

[BravoZulu]

Flames sear a Japanese pillbox from a US M3 flame-throwing tank during the American advance on Bougainville Island in the Northern Solomons in the South Pacific. 28 April 1944

 

[BravoZulu]

Ordnance men arm an F4U-1D Corsair of Fighting Squadron (VF) 84 on the flight deck of USS Bunker Hill (CV 17) in preparation for a mission against Japanese defenses on Okinawa. 20 April 1945

 

[BravoZulu]

M3 Lee tank of D Company, 2nd Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, US 1st Armored Division at Souk el Arba, Tunisia, 23 Nov 1942.

 

[BravoZulu]

Vought OS2U Kingfisher taxis towards the recovery sled for recovery by the battleship USS South Dakota (BB-57) 29 April 1943

 

[BravoZulu]

Douglas B-23 Dragon aerial pick-up test over a Waco CG-3A glider on April 28, 1943

 

[BravoZulu]

840th Bomb Squadron B-17F "Whizzer II" 42-5786 just after being hit by flak over a marshalling yard at Nis in Yugoslavia on April 15th 1944.

None of the crew survived the incident:

Pilot: 2nd Lieutenant James O. Preston – O-690979 – 22 Years – Killed in Action

Copilot: 2nd Lieutenant Harry L. Johnston – O-759373 – 21 Years – Killed in Action

Navigator: 2nd Lieutenant Jesse D. Gresham – O-757938 – Killed in Action

Bombardier: 2nd Lieutenant Gordon G. Lindholm – O-698306 – 22 Years – Killed in Action

Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Staff Sergeant John C. Toutant – 11114308 – 30/31 Years – Killed in Action

Gunner/Engineer: Staff Sergeant John T. Cieslak – 36297261 – 19/20 Years – Killed in Action

Radio Operator: Sergeant James E. Cooper – 34665857 – 20 Years – Killed in Action

Gunner: Sergeant Harold J. Pierce – 18051255 – 21 Years – Killed in Action

Waist Gunner: Sergeant Albert H. Cline – 33563970 – Killed in Action

Tail Gunner: Private Jack Brown, Jr. – 6396357 – 25 Years – Killed in Action

Eyewitness statement from a crewman on another bomber:

I was flying in No. 7 ship of No. 6 Box of which ship No. 786 was flying No. 6 position. The pilot of this airplane was Lt. Preston.

As we turned to the right, apparently onto the target, the flak became very accurate, and to the best of my knowledge Lt. Preston suffered a direct hit in No. 3 tank which immediately exploded, and at that time the right wing came off and the plane immediately began a sharp diving turn to the right.

I was forced to dive to the right to avoid being struck by Lt. Preston’s plane, which at the time was burning fiercely. I saw no chutes.

 

[BravoZulu]

Operation Reckless, Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, 22 April 1944: LVTs head for the invasion beaches at Humboldt Bay, as light cruisers bombard in the background. The ship firing tracer shells in the right center is USS Boise (CL-47). Just ahead of her is USS Phoenix (CL-46).

U.S. Navy landing craft, loaded with troops, approaches the beach at Hollandia, New Guinea. In the background shell bursts from the preliminary bombardment can be seen. April 1944.

 

[BravoZulu]

Boeing B-29A Superfortress from 6 Bombardment Group, 24 BS - incendiary journey on June 1, 1945 mission to Osaka, Japan.

 

[BravoZulu]

B-24D Liberator "Betsy" from 321st BS, 90th BG, 5th AF on a mission to Wewak, New Guinea, 24 February 1944.

 

[colin traveller]

Quote -

In the US, 1944, Gunnery Sergeant (he was a Sgt in 42) John Basilone demonstrates how he fired the machine gun on 24-25 October 1942.

Basilone fired 2x M1917 heavy machine guns during his Medal of Honor actions. Situated 2 ft apart he would roll between the two, firing and loading. He kept his pistol on the ground beside him. The gun he brought over to that bunker was mounted on a 1919 machine tripod to give it a lower profile.

Unlike the Pacific HBO series he did not fire it off a sandbag and was not in the seated position.