Picture Thread for WW2 Aircraft

[VR-DriftaholiC]

A lot of car forums I frequent have similar so I figured one here to skim through would be awesome. Throw up anything related to WW2 aviation 

 

Ground Rules:

 

1. No posts or replies without a new picture. 

2. No breaking rule #1

 

[Mysticpuma]

Okay, here's a couple of images I shot in the mid 1990's.

 

First image is as follows:

 

Al McLean, Curator of the RAF Cosford Museum (when the image was taken) looks over bullet and cannon damage in the fuselage of a Handeley Page Hampden bomber which was bought down in Finland in 1942 by Me 109 fighters.

A gunner and navigator were killed but the pilot bought the plane down into a pete bog, but during the landing broke both his legs. The Co-pilot was ordered to try and reach the safety of Switzerland but was captured by the germans who also took the pilot prisoner. Both served out the war in a POW camp. The plane was bought back to the UK in 1992 and then to the museum in 2002.

 

Second image:

 

Sam Hardy from Kinver and who was a Sergeant in the Worcester Yeomanry and who took part in Operation Varsity, returns to the inside of a  Horsa Glider stirring memories of how his glider crash landed at came to a skidding halt next to a group of 60 German soldiers. What he didn't realise at the time was that they had been taken prisoner by Americans shortly before. If they hadn't, the Glider he was in would have been destroyed by an 88mm Cannon they were manning next to the landing area.

 

Cheers, MP

Edited March 26, 2014 by Mysticpuma

[Bladderburst]

[[Wolf]ArcaneRebel]

[SYN_Ricky]

 

Yak-9U, took this picture at an airshow at the local airdrome.

[Bladderburst]

 

I'd really love to see it in IL2.

[VR-DriftaholiC]

[Heliopause]

[DD_bongodriver]

 

The contents of my fantasy hangar

[Feathered_IV]

 

Buffalo wings

[[Wolf]ArcaneRebel]

Certainly fitting, if you know what i mean?  lol

 

Edited April 18, 2014 by Tacoma74

[VR-DriftaholiC]

Bringin the boooze 

Edited April 22, 2014 by driftaholic

[[Wolf]ArcaneRebel]

Probably the coolest ceiling fan on the planet lol. I've seen lots of small scale reproductions but this looks like the real deal. Not exactly energy efficient... but who cares?

 

Edit: Evidently it's originally off of a DC-6. Not a WW2 plane but still cool as hell.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Tacoma74

[Herbs107]

[Corto]

 

Brewster B-239, Finnish Air Force

[VR-DriftaholiC]

Edited April 23, 2014 by driftaholic

[sturmkraehe]

What a beautiful image of the Sea Fury - one of my favorite piston engine planes.

 

A highly dramatic and terrible picture of an A20 hit by flak over France (interesting for comparing to the flame depiction in BOS).

 

Edited April 23, 2014 by sturmkraehe

[VR-DriftaholiC]

[II./JG27_Rich]

 

[VR-DriftaholiC]

[DB605]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Herbs107]

More

[Corto]

 

 

Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 "Hien" at Cape Gloucester airfield on the island of New Guinea 1944

[DB605]

Gotta love those Kawasaki's, mean looking birds in a good way.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2014 by DB605

[DB605]

Here's some Finnish air force planes from continuation war:

 

Moranes:

 

 

Blenheims:

 

 

 

 

Finnish SB bomber searching russian submarines:

 

 

 

LOTS of great quality color pics from continuation war there: http://sa-kuva.fi/

Edit, correct link added.

Edited April 27, 2014 by DB605

[StarLightSong]

 

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
1st Lt. Joe R. Hollaway, Jr. with his P-47D named "Hairless Joe, 2nd" (CP-H) from the 367th FS, 358th FG, 9th AF. He has his arm through the shell hole made by a German fighter's cannon, somewhere over France.

 

The following posts indicate that this photo post made by the original pilot "Joe" who was able to link up with a fellow pilot because of it. The Internets and such.

From the P-47 Pilots Assoc. website.... amazing
looking for buddies (msg id: 2421)
my name is capt. joe roy hollaway jr. i flew with the 358th fighters group 367th fighter squadron over in europe. i realize that since im 89 years old that it might be hard to find anyone who was there but my daughter wanted me to give it a try. My plane was called "hairless joe"
Posted By: joe roy hollaway (hollysharp60@gmail.com) on 05/11/2012 1:24:26 PM EST

www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?p=*&c=_incGuestbookL...

Harry Polny
2y
Way to go Joe, that was anawesome picture. The prop must have shook the hell out of you on the back to the field! It's great to hear from someone that was there, thanks for sharing Joe.

William Davis
1y
Great photo Joe, I just stumbled upon your picture. I have a good friend, Rae Preston, originally from Macon, GA who flew with the 367th from England and later France. I have lunch often with him and talk about his days as a P-47 jockey. He returned to the States in Nov. 1944. Did you know him?

William Davis
10mo
What a lucky break, I was able to get Joe and Rae Preston together via telephone. Two old warriors, P-47 drivers who flew together over France were able to reconnect and relive some of their experiences from WW2. It was wonderful to reconnect these good friends of yesteryear.
 

Edited April 28, 2014 by JJJudyJoYstickr

[Mysticpuma]

 

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

1st Lt. Joe R. Hollaway, Jr. with his P-47D named "Hairless Joe, 2nd" (CP-H) from the 367th FS, 358th FG, 9th AF. He has his arm through the shell hole made by a German fighter's cannon, somewhere over France.

 

The following posts indicate that this photo post made by the original pilot "Joe" who was able to link up with a fellow pilot because of it. The Internets and such.

From the P-47 Pilots Assoc. website.... amazing

looking for buddies (msg id: 2421)

my name is capt. joe roy hollaway jr. i flew with the 358th fighters group 367th fighter squadron over in europe. i realize that since im 89 years old that it might be hard to find anyone who was there but my daughter wanted me to give it a try. My plane was called "hairless joe"

Posted By: joe roy hollaway (hollysharp60@gmail.com) on 05/11/2012 1:24:26 PM EST

 

www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?p=*&c=_incGuestbookL...



Harry Polny

2y

Way to go Joe, that was anawesome picture. The prop must have shook the hell out of you on the back to the field! It's great to hear from someone that was there, thanks for sharing Joe.



William Davis

1y

Great photo Joe, I just stumbled upon your picture. I have a good friend, Rae Preston, originally from Macon, GA who flew with the 367th from England and later France. I have lunch often with him and talk about his days as a P-47 jockey. He returned to the States in Nov. 1944. Did you know him?



William Davis

10mo

What a lucky break, I was able to get Joe and Rae Preston together via telephone. Two old warriors, P-47 drivers who flew together over France were able to reconnect and relive some of their experiences from WW2. It was wonderful to reconnect these good friends of yesteryear.

 

 

That sir...is why I love reading forums like this

[StarLightSong]

 

North American P-51 Mustang
"Bonnie B" (FT-E)
P-51B-1-NA Mustang
s/n 43-12375
353rd FS, 354th FG, 9th AF
Was assigned to Capt. Don M. Beerbower (O-730341) KIA
Buried in Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal, France (Plot A, Row 30, Grave 42)
He was promoted to Major before his death.
Photo taken at Criqueville Airfield,France (A-2).
 
Maj. Beerbower was lost in this aircraft on August 9,1944. While on a fighter sweep in the Reims,France area he took the squadron down to strafe a German airfield. On their second pass his plane took hits in the wing and fuselage, then went into a straight vertical climb, stalled and dove straight down into the ground. Beerbower jetisoned the canopy during these manuevers and managed to get out of the aircraft, only to hit the tail. He never opened his chute. The plane crashed 500 meters south of St. Thierry,France.

 

 

From an amazing collection of USAF history posted on Flickr... 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

[StarLightSong]

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675033413_Captain-Beerbower_9th-Air-Force_United-States-airmen_camouflage-netting_Bonnie-B

has some video footage of Capt. Beerbower getting out of taxide Mustang.

 

One more before bed, I love this head on Marauder shot although the story like so many is bittersweet.

 

 

Martin B-26 Marauder
"Fightin' Cock" (ER-X)
B-26B-20-MA Marauder
s/n 41-31765
450th BS, 322nd BG, 9th AF
 
This aircraft was written-off after crash-landing on on August 12,1944. It had received flak damage while over France and had its electrical system, generators and hydraulic systems shot out. The crew nursed it back to the base (Great Dunmow,Essex, USAAF St. 485) and got the gear cranked down after the pilot ordered the enlisted men to bail out. While trying to land the plane skidded off the runway and into the control tower, killing both pilots.

Edited April 28, 2014 by JJJudyJoYstickr

[79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer]

To the bitter end: While deemed obsolete everywhere else, Hurricanes were doing ground attack missions against the Germans in the hand of the People’s Liberation Army of Yugoslavia at the war's end.

 

[Skoshi_Tiger]

 

Popendetta Airfield, New Guinea 

[DB605]

 

Captain Jorma Karhunen, august 1943. 31 1/2 victories total.

 

 

Lieutenant Hans Wind, august 1943. 33 1/2 victories at the moment when pic was taken, 75 total.

Edited April 28, 2014 by DB605

[=J13=Schlag]

ALSIB- Alaska-Siberia

 

[johncage]

 

The contents of my fantasy hangar

they probably came up with the idea of twin boom after seeing planes fly in close formation like this./raaaid

Edited April 28, 2014 by johncage

[VR-DriftaholiC]

[[Wolf]ArcaneRebel]

[VR-DriftaholiC]

[Corto]

Klemm Kl 35

and:

 

and Me 262:

 

and Condor:

 

[DD_bongodriver]

Very difficult to find decent pics of this rare beastie, it's a shame because I think she's a beauty, the Warwick is basically an enlarged Wellington, My uncle flew these in WWII with coastal command.

 

[VR-DriftaholiC]