Photo of the week
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This weekends photo.
A nice shot of presentation Spitfire IIb,"Sumbawa", she flew with 303 (Warsaw-Koscuisco) Sqn RAF,and was written off on the 2nd July 1941,when she overturned when landing on soft ground, at RAF Martelsham Heath, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England .
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This weekends extra.
Taken on Morotai, Halmahera Islands 1945 a nice close up of a 457 Sq Spitfire RAAF._SQUADRON_RAAF_OPERATING_WITH_THE_FIRST_TACTICAL_AIR_FORCE_RAAF.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds "SQUADRON RAAF OPERATING WITH THE FIRST TACTICAL AIR FORCE RAAF")
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This midweeks photo.
A rather forlorn looking Messerschmitt Bf-110 in Germany. A P-47 Thunderbolt of the 514th Fighter Squadron (blue nose trim), 406th Fighter Group is in the background._406th_Fighter_Group_is_in_the_background..jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
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This weekends extra.
A ground crew man of the 358th Fighter Group guides a taxiing P-47 Thunderbolt in France (serial number 42-75102).jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Constituted as 358th Fighter Group on 20 Dec 1942. Activated on 1 Jan 1943. Trained with P-47's. Moved to England during Sep-Oct 1943.
Began operations on 20 Dec 1943 and served in combat with Eighth and, later, Ninth AF until V-E Day. Engaged in escort work until Apr 1944 to cover the operations of bombers that the AAF sent against targets on the Continent. Dive-bombed marshalling yards and airfields during Apr to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy. Continued attacks on enemy communications and flew escort missions during May. Escorted troop carriers over the Cotentin Peninsula on 6 and 7 Jun, and attacked bridges, rail lines and trains, vehicles, and troop concentrations during the remainder of the month. Moved to the Continent in Jul and took part in operations that resulted in the Allied breakthrough at St Lo. Continued to fly escort, interdictory, and close-support missions during the allied drive across France and into Germany, earning four citations before the end of the war.
Received first DUC for operations from 24 Dec 1944 to 2 Jan 1945 when the group not only supported Seventh Army by attacking rail lines and rolling stock, vehicles, buildings, and artillery, but also destroyed numerous fighter planes during a major assault by the German Air Force against Allied airfields.
Received second DUC for 19-20 Mar 1945, a period in which the 358th destroyed and damaged large numbers of motor transports and thus hampered the evacuation of German forces that were withdrawing from the area west of the Rhine.
Received third DUC for performance between 8 and 25 Apr 1945 when the group attacked enemy airfields in the region of Munich and Ingolstadt, engaged the enemy in aerial combat, and supported advancing ground forces by attacking such targets as motor transports, tanks, locomotives, guns, and buildings.
Received fourth citation, the French Croix de Guerre with Palm, for assisting in the liberation of France. Returned to the US in Jul 1945.
Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945. -
This midweeks photo.
Lt. General George Kenny's aircraft,Boeing B-17E "Sally" Aircraft Serial Number 41-2633, Was the only Flying Fortress In New Guinea with Its natural aluminum finish. Taken at Port Moresby, New Guinea. 20 March 1943.
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This weekends photos.
Taken at Fliegerhorst Deelen,1943,Fw 190A's from II/JG 1
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This weekends extra.
Gloster E.28/39 W4041/G take off on trials with tufted wing roots, camera above port wing tip and small fins on tailplane.
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This midweeks photo.
A good shot of Russian Tupolev T.B.3 (ANT-6) URSS 2237.This five/six seat heavy bomber was initially powered by four 680 h.p. M-17 BMW VI engines and could carry a 2,200lb bomb load. The T.B.3 had a range of 620 miles and a maximum speed of 124 m.p.h. Four machine gun positions gave protective armament. Later models were fitted with two 830 h.p. M-34 engines.
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This weekends photo.
Short Stirling Mark I, N1601 'E', of No.1651 Heavy Conversion Unit,at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire.
