Pacific War Aviation Artwork- (not screenshots/game images or real life photos) - Share your favourites

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Kawanishi H8K by Koike, Shigeo

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OS2U Kingfisher On Final by David Rawlins

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Workhorse Of The Fleet by Mark Karvon

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Yokpsuka D4Y2 by Masami

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"Bloody Tuesday" by Jack Fellows 

November 2, 1943 - Simpson Harbour, Rabaul Elements of the 71st Bomb Squadron, 38th Bomb Group, 5th United States Army Air Force attack Japanese shipping, delivering serious losses to the Japanese forces at Rabaul ...but at considerable cost to themselves: eight B-52s and nine P-38s lost, and many other aircraft damaged.

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"The Sword and the Pen" by Jack Fellows

 

Regardless of which is the mightier, both the sword and the pen were in the air over the busy Japanese-occupied harbour at Rabaul on the day that history records as "Bloody Tuesday". Former child actor and now Hearst International News Service correspondent, Lee Van Atta had become known in the 5th United States Army Air Force as a daring risk-taking reporter who, like Ernie Pyle and others, liked to be in the thick of the action to get a better feel for what he would report via INS. Sitting in the navigator's seat directly behind pilot Capt. Richard "Dick" Ellis, with Lt. John Dean, copilot to Ellis' right, young Lee Van Atta rode out the storm of fire and destruction over Simpson Harbour in a B-25D nicknamed "SEABISCUIT" to write his stirring account of the battle on the return trip from Rabaul. This was not the first trip to Rabaul for Van Atta-on October 12th he rode behind command pilot Major John "Jock" Henebry and copilot, Lt. Edward Murphy in Henebry's B-25D strafer nicknamed by Henebry "NOTRE DAME DE VICTOIRE". This aircraft was lost on the Nov. 2 mission but all of Henebry's crew were rescued by a PT boat off Kiriwina Island in the Trobriands. The 12 October mission pitted Henebry's aircraft against the determined Japanese anti aircraft gun crews defending the airfields at the Rabaul area airfields at Rapopo and Vunakanau, whereupon he also had written an equally-stirring account of the battle.

In the picture, 90th Bomb Squadron, 3rd Attack Group pilot Ellis with Van Atta seated just behind Ellis have loosed a 1000 Lb bomb on a Japanese merchant ship and in the background, 90th Bomb Squadron pilot Chuck Howe's B-25 nicknamed "HERE'S HOWE" can be seen running the gauntlet of anti-aircraft fire as well. On the return trip, Howe escorted Henebry's crippled aircraft to a safe ditching off Kiriwina Island. On November 2, 1943, the 5th USAAF lost 8 B-25's (11% of the attacking Mitchell's) and 9 P-38's in exchange for 15 enemy ships sunk and 22 others damaged.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Mysticpuma

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"1st Lt. Robert Hanson over Keravia Bay, January 1944" by Jack Fellows

1st Lt. Robert Murray Hanson, USMC-R arrived in the South Pacific in June 1943 and his daring tactics and total disregard for death soon became well known. A master of individual air combat, he downed 20 enemy planes in six consecutive flying days. He was commended in the citation accompanying the Medal of Honor for his bold attack against six enemy torpedo bombers, November 1, 1943, over Bougainville Island, and for bringing down four Zeros, the premier Japanese fighter, while fighting them alone over New Britain, January 24, 1944.

A member of VMF-215 flying the F4U-1 Corsair, the ace was shot down twice. The first time, a Zero caught him over Bougainville Island. Bringing his plane down on the ocean, he paddled for six hours in a rubber life raft before being rescued by the USS Sigourney (DD-643). His second and fatal crash occurred one day before his twenty-fourth birthday. He was last seen on February 3, 1944, when his plane crashed into the sea after a cancelled (due to overcast) fighter sweep mission over Rabaul, New Britain. He was attempting to destroy a lighthouse on Cape St. George, Southern New Ireland, that often gave the fighter group trouble by firing flak at the fighter group as they passed the lighthouse. His squadron leader Capt. Harold L. Spears watched as he attempted to land his damaged plane in the water during rough seas. His plane cart wheeled when one of the wings grabbed a wave and the plane disintegrated. He had no time to escape the cockpit, thus sank with his plane. He was subsequently declared KIA

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"Boxed in" 1ST LT. Jefferson Deblanc, VMF-112 Medal of Honor by Jack Fellows

Medal of Honor Citation:

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR to

FIRST LIEUTENANT JEFFERSON J. DEBLANC-UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE

For service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Leader of a Section of Six Fighter Planes in Marine Fighting Squadron ONE HUNDRED TWELVE, during aerial operations against enemy Japanese forces off Kolombangara Island in the Solomons Group, 31 January 1943. Taking off with his section as escort for a strike force of dive bombers and torpedo planes ordered to attack Japanese surface vessels, First Lieutenant DeBlanc led his flight directly to the target area where, at 14,000 feet, our strike force encountered a large number Japanese Zeros protecting the enemy's surface craft.

In company with the other fighters, First Lieutenant DeBlanc instantly engaged the hostile planes and aggressively countered their repeated attempts to drive off our bombers, persevering in his efforts to protect the diving planes and waging fierce combat until, picking up a call for assistance from the dive bombers under attack by enemy float planes at 1,000 feet, he broke off his engagement with the Zeros, plunged into the formation of float planes and disrupted the savage attack, enabling our dive bombers and torpedo planes to complete their runs on the Japanese surface disposition and to withdraw without further incident.

Although his escort mission was fulfilled upon the safe retirement of the bombers, First Lieutenant DeBlanc courageously remained on the scene despite a rapidly diminishing fuel supply and, boldly challenging the enemy's superior number of float planes, fought a valiant battle against terrific odds, seizing the tactical advantage and striking repeatedly to destroy three of the hostile aircraft and to disperse the remainder. Prepared to maneuver his damaged plane back to base, he had climbed aloft and set his course when he discovered two Zeros closing in behind. Undaunted, he opened fire and blasted both Zeros from the sky in short, bitterly fought action which resulted in such hopeless damage to his plane that he was forced to bail out at a perilously low altitude atop the trees on enemy-held Kolombangara.

A gallant officer, a superb airman and an indomitable fighter, First Lieutenant DeBlanc had rendered decisive assistance during a critical stage of operations, and his unwavering fortitude in the face of overwhelming opposition reflects the highest credit upon himself and adds new luster to the traditions of the United States Naval Service.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

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"Corsair!" by Jack Fellows 

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"Pacific Powerhouse" by Jack Fellows

In less than a year, the Fifth USAAF went from providing Japanese pilots with target practice and humorous material for Japanese radio broadcasters to an overwhelming and merciless adversary – proven beyond dispute during the Allied air action against the Japanese naval supply and troop convoy that sought to reinforce the Japanese Imperial Army garrison at Lae, New Guinea.

  On 2 – 4 March 1943, in the strategically important Battle of the Bismarck Sea, the Fifth USAAF fielded heavy and medium bombers with fighter cover to attack the IJN convoy.  As the last bombs fell from 7,000 feet, 13 Australian Bristol Beaufighters strafed at deck level and 12 B-25C Mitchells led a skip-bombing attack.  One RAAF Beaufighter from the Thirteenth Squadron strafed the destroyer Arashio as the Third Attack Group’s Captain Robert Chatt, his B-25 Chatterbox, newly modified with eight .50-caliber machine guns in the nose and fuselage sides, skipped a 500-pound bomb into the Arashio’s bridge fatally damaging the Japanese destroyer, and causing it to veer out of control into the ship in the immediate background, the IJN transport Nojima, causing its loss, as well. After this overwhelming defeat, the Japanese navy no longer attempted to re-supply the garrisons they maintained in the SWPA by daylight convoy missions.

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"Mission to Babo" by Jack Fellows

Although the Japanese-held airfield at Babo, on the Vogelkop Peninsula of Dutch New Guinea had become a backwater in the war in the Southwest Pacific, enough enemy activity remained that the 5th USAAF planners considered it necessary to raid the facility on 9 July, 1944, and risk the fearsome defensive anti-aircraft capabilities of the area. Thus, 24 A-20's from the 312 Bomb Group were tasked with executing a low-level surprise raid in hopes of neutralizing the remaining offensive capability of the airfield.

We see here the third flight over the field, as elements of the 389th Bomb Squadron run the gauntlet of a thoroughly alerted defensive anti-aircraft organization, whereupon flight leader Hedges (foreground) loses both wingmen to the defending Japanese.

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"Mission to Iwo Jima" by Jack Fellows

Strategically located halfway between Japan and Saipan in the Marianas Island Group, Iwo Jima was an important waypoint for the Japanese resupply efforts as they were losing ground in the Pacific. The U.S. invasion landings on the island of Saipan took place on June 15, 1944, and would have been threatened significantly more by Japanese aircraft had not steps been taken at the same time to neutralize logistical waypoints such as was on Iwo Jima. US Navy Task Group 58.4, with carriers ESSEX, LANGLEY, and COWPENS were sent north to deal with the Japanese airfields on Iwo Jima, and others in the Bonin and Volcano island groups.

Lt. David A. Marks, USN, CO of VT-32 (USS LANGLEY CVL-27, Carrier Air Group 32) is seen here exiting the target airfield area on Iwo Jima after having successfully delivered his bomb ordinance-and having had his Grumman Avenger TBF-1C hit by defensive anti-aircraft fire on the dive toward the target. Marks' good friend and rear-seat observer, Lt. Harold G. Payne Jr., USNR was mortally wounded by this AA which also caused extensive structural damage to Marks' Avenger. Marks was able to successfully recover on LANGLEY and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in this mission and for having led VT-32 on many missions over the Bonins and Marianas.

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"Victory Over Tanamerah Bay" by Jack Fellows

Richard Ira Bong's third confirmed aerial victory on 12 April 1944, over Tanahmerah Baai, near Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea Flying on this mission with the 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, 5th USAAF. Lieutenant Adams is in the P-38 (farthest) from the viewer. The aircraft impacting the water is a Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Allied code named; OSCAR), as is the Japanese aircraft in the background. On this mission Bong was flying a P-38J nicknamed Down Beat, crewchief Sam Scher. It was on this mission that Bong became the first Army Air Force pilot during WWII to exceed World War I American Ace Eddie Rickenbacher's aerial victory record. Ironically, at the time of this event, Rickenbacher was fighting for his life in a raft in the Pacific Ocean after his aircraft went down at sea.

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"An Omen" by Jack Fellows

As it is within the Japanese character to pay attention to the symbolism that is woven by happenstance into the events of each day, the sudden early morning appearance of a Martin Marauder hurtling at prop tip height down the flight deck of the AKAGI may have seemed to Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo that this unlikely intruder's act was an omen of some significance. For the six months since the surprise attack on the United States' Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy had rampaged, nearly unmolested, across the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean all the way to the Indian Ocean, and South China Sea, unopposed, except, briefly at the Coral Sea. By the end of this day, the 4th of June, 1942, the fortunes of the Imperial Japanese Navy will have taken a dramatic reversal, placing them on the defensive for the rest of the war. Aboard Akagi, the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy's huge Midway strike force, the vaunted Kido Butai, Nagumo must have felt considerable confidence in his fleet's capacity to capture Midway, and in the process smash the remnants of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet and most particularly the carriers that the Kido Butai had missed at Pearl Harbor six months earlier, on the 7th of December, 1941. Chuichi Nagumo knew as well as anyone that the sheer size and intricate complexity of the Midway Operation increased the likelihood of the unexpected, and that no one, including the architect of this and the Hawaii Operation, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, possessed the prescience to divine the outcome of such an enormous undertaking. And so it would be that Chuichi Nagumo would be likely paying attention to the symbolism served up by that morning's events. On Midway, a coral atoll, consisting of several tiny islands , a patchwork defense of Marine Corps, Navy and Army attack, bomber, and patrol aircraft waited for the arrival of the huge Japanese invasion fleet that US Naval code breakers discovered to be on their way. Among this eclectic mix were four B-26 Martin "Marauder" fast medium bombers, now equipped to carry aerial torpedoes, two from the 38th Bomb Group and two from the 22nd Bomb Group, both from the fledgling 5th USAAF. Although the island was to endure a terrific pounding by the attack bombers of the Kido Butai's four fleet carriers Nagumo's strike force the Midway-based defenders put up a desperate but spirited attack on these carriers setting into motion a series of circumstances based on Admiral Nagumo's misreading the Midway-based attackers' numbers and capabilities. His decision to re-arm his four carriers' attack aircraft with ordinance intended to destroy land targets was based on the notion that his carriers were still threatened by Midway's aircraft when, in fact, except for some Army B-17s , effectively, Midway's aerial defenders were all but wiped out in the first round. The self-confident Japanese Naval planners could not have imagined that the US Naval Intelligence unit was busily reading their most secret naval communications and that the Americans had laid an ambush at Midway as a result of this compromise. Even so the Japanese were superior in the number of ships, most notably the number of aircraft carriers, and just as important, the combat-readiness of the carrier aircrews. Furthermore, at the time Midway Atollthat Lt. James Muri was hurtling down the flight deck of Akagi, mere feet away from Nagumo, in a desperate attempt to gain some respite from the attentions of Akagi's CAP Zeroes, Kido Butai reconnaissance aircraft had yet to sight any of the US Fleet, but would shortly do so. The shocking discovery of the three US carriers would then give Chuichi Nagumo the reason to once again unload the land attack ordinance that was now aboard the waiting armada of aircraft littering the flight decks of Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu, and Kaga, and proceed to reload them with ordinance more suitable for attacking ships. This fateful decision was responsible, more than anything else, for the US Navy's stunning defeat of the Imperial Japanese Naval forces during the Battle of Midway, for the Americans had already launched their attack aircraft. Had not the Midway-based attack been so spirited, and had not Lt. Muri so audaciously buzzed the Admiral, the decision to re-arm the Japanese attack aircraft for another trip to Midway, may well not have been made, and the critical launch timing between the opposing fleets would have been sufficiently altered to have created a vastly different outcome. By the end of the day, all four of the Japanese carriers had been destroyed, the USS Yorktown was the only carrier loss suffered by the United States Navy.

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"Incident off Tsushima" by Jack Fellows

A strenuous defensive effort was undertaken by crewmen of two U.S. Navy VPB-109 PB4Y-2 Privateers when their aircraft neared Tsushima, southwest of Pusan, Korea, on 15 May 1945.  The had inadvertently flown into airspace protected by the 343rd Naval Air Group, an elite Imperial Japanese Navy air group, which attacked repeatedly in a long-running battle as the bombers labored to distance themselves as far out to sea as possible.  Two Shiden-Kai fighters (Kawanishi N1K2-J), code-named “George” were claimed destroyed by the VPB-109 gunners during the battle

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"Action over Salamaua" by Jack Fellows 

On 30 April 1942, during the running fight after a low-level strafing mission over Salamaua, New Guinea, Major George B. Greene Jr., commander of the 35th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group of the 5th USAAF, piloted a P-39D and was the first American Bell Airacobra pilot to score an aerial victory over an enemy fighter. Greene, in the foreground engaged and downed Flight Petty Officer Hideo Izumi, a nine-victory ace. Fighter ace Boyd "Buzz" Wagner, 5th Fighter Command, shown in the background also scored aerial victories against Zeros of the famed Tainan Kokutai during this mission.

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"Incident off Ni'ihau" by Jack Fellows 

Shortly after 0800 on December 7, 1941, word was received aboard the heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA-26) that Pearl Harbor was under attack. Northampton was part of a task force which had just delivered a US Marine fighter squadron to Wake Island and was enroute back to Pearl Harbor. At about 1115 two Curtiss SOC scout floatplanes (5CS-2 and 5CS-4) were launched off Northampton after their crews had been assigned a search sector which took them near the Islands of Kauai and Ni’ihau. At about twenty minutes after launch and at a position approximately fifteen miles west of Kauai, the two search aircraft were attacked by an enemy IJN Zero, described in the Northampton after-action report as being grey, or light khaki in color with a “wide red band” on the fuselage and a “large red ball” between the cockpit and the tail.

This description would have described an aircraft from the IJN Akagi Air Group, but subsequent investigation convincingly suggests that it was from the Kaga Air Group, rather that Akagi. The enemy aircraft repeatedly attacked the two scout aircraft from Northampton (seven times), all unsuccessful due to the flight discipline of the Northampton pilots, and on the seventh attack Northampton gunner RM-1 Rob’t. P. Baxter hit the attacker with defensive machine gun fire which caused the Zero to break off the attack and retreat toward the Island of Ni’ihau, apparently crashing into the sea just offshore. It is believed that  this is the aircraft which was seen in the company of another Zero (from the Hiryu Air Group) over Ni’ihau somewhat earlier. The extraordinary story of the Hiryu aircraft and pilot, Airman First Class Nishikaichi Shigenori’s crash landing and subsequent actions on Ni’ihau have already been well-documented, but the Kaga Air Group pilot’s identity and the location of his final resting place so far remains uncertain.

 

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"Iwo Jima - The Life Raft" by Jack Fellows 

Located halfway between the main Japanese home island of Honshu and the American airfields in the Northern Marianas, the island of Iwo Jima was considered to be equally useful to both the Americans and the Japanese. The cost of dislodging a well dug-in Japanese defense force would prove to be much more costly to the United States than had been envisioned by US Naval Intelligence, which had over-optimistically predicted the capture of Iwo Jima would take only one week. Operation Detachment as the amphibious landings and subsequent capture of the Japanese airfields was called, took two months rather than one week. The necessity of Operation Detachment's enormous cost is still being debated. More than 26,000 US casualties, including 6,800 killed, and the aircraft carrier, USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) was sunk. Additionally, Japanese casualties amounted to over 20,000, only in this case they were all killed, with only 206 POWs. Exemplifying the ferocity of the battle, 25% of the 82 Medals of Honor awarded to the USMC during WW II were awarded to participants of the Iwo Jima campaign. A total of 27 Medals of Honor were awarded to the Marines and Navy participants, 22 to Marines and 5 to US Navy Hospital Corpsmen. Regardless of the position taken in the debate over the need for the assault on Iwo Jima, a number of advantages accrued to the victors. The detractors of Operation Detachment have benefitted from hindsight, of course, but the facts remain that for those airmen in trouble above the Pacific on the route from the Marianas to Japan, the value of the Marines' and Navy's sacrifice is beyond debate. The number of B-29s and crews saved from destruction by enemy fighters over Japan because of the P-51 escorts which sortied from Iwo Jima after its capture is unknown, but nonetheless may be considerable. Longevity of B-29 aircrews shot down over Japan was generally measurable in minutes, even after a safe parachute landing, due to the hostility of the Japanese populace. Of value as well were the lessons learned about what to expect in the future in the way of Japanese resistance to the projected landings on Okinawa, Kyushu and Honshu in the near future. The same was true for calculating the future efficacy of pre-landing naval bombardment against well dug-in defenses, and the folly of future optimism regarding the cost of assaults upon the home islands. Much of the reverence for the heroism of the Marines held today by American civilians can be directly traced back to the huge sacrifices made on Iwo Jima. In the painting we see a 73rd Bomb Wing B-29 rounding Mt. Suribachi at Iwo Jima's southern extremity and take a southerly heading to its base in the Northern Marianas after safely refueling on Iwo Jima. 

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"Caught in the Widows Web" by Jack Fellows 

During the night and early morning hours of 29-30 December, 1944, Major Carroll Cecil (”Snuffy”) Smith became the top-scoring night fighter pilot of all of the United States Army Air Forces, in all theaters during WW II in the skies over Mindoro Island, Philippines Territory. Depicted above is the final moment prior to Smith leveling-out directly behind the Ki-84 being flown by Imperial Japanese Army 29th Air Regiment pilot, Sgt. Akira Kusano, and firing the Black Widow’s four deadly 20 mm cannon at point-blank range. Kusano was completely unaware of the danger, which was underneath his aircraft in the early morning light, one mile above Mindoro. Major Smith, commanding officer of the 418th Night Fighter Squadron was tasked with tackling the many Japanese night intruders, which had been interfering with the Army’s efforts to establish airfields on Mindoro. On this night major Smith’s radar operator, Lt. Phil Porter, vectored him toward a contact which turned out to be an

“Irving” upon making visual contact. Smith shot this one down in flames, creating a welcome show for the men on the Allied ships below that had been bearing the brunt of over 400 Japanese sorties flown into the area between 18 December and 7 January (1945) in opposition to the landings and against the supporting ships. Shortly thereafter, Smith was vectored to

another radar contact which also turned out to be an “Irving”. This one was also destroyed after visual contact had been made.

 

After returning to base to refuel, Smith’s P-61 was hurriedly returned to patrol, without even replacing the 20 mm ammunition which had been used earlier since Smith felt that it was unlikely that they would encounter additional Japanese aircraft. However, shortly after returning to his patrol area Smith was again vectored toward a bogey which was slowly flying at only 500 feet above the water, a dangerous altitude to accomplish an interception on a very dark, moonless night. This contact was a “Rufe” floatplane, which exploded after a short burst of 20 mm and dove into the sea. Less than an hour later Smith was vectored to the night’s fourth bogey, as dawn approached. By the time contact was made it was almost full daylight and Smith was unsure of how much 20 mm ordinance remained onboard. This contact was the Ki-84 “Frank” depicted above, and although Smith had not seen one before, he knew instantly what it was. The Ki-84 was the best fighter aircraft in the Japanese Army Air Force, Successor to the Ki-43 and very dangerous, should its pilot become aware of Smith’s approach. Because of this and the fact that Smith was unsure of how much ammunition remained for his use, he closed the range to point-blank before firing: “I stayed below and closed to 75 feet. I opened fire and saw the awesome results of four 20 mm cannon hitting an aircraft. The Frank simply disintegrated, and the pieces flew into the sea, with me trying to avoid the Debris”...Smith flew P-70s (Douglas A-20s converted to night fighters) B-25s and converted P-38s while assigned to the 418th NFS. His first two confirmed aerial victories were in the P-38 but Smith said that the Black Widow was always his favorite.

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"Tiger!" by Jack Fellows

 

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"Lone Survivor" by Jack Fellows

At about 0830 during the initial attack on the various Pearl Harbor facilities targeted by the attacking Japanese, a line survivor of the devastation at the Ford Island seaplane hangars escaped the carnage and went on the hunt for the Japanese Fleet. Patrol Squadron 23 pilot Lt. James Ogden, with a quickly -picked crew which included VP-23 commanding officer LCDR Massie Hughes, quickly launched PBY-5 #3 and headed at minimum altitude across the Waipio Peninsula towards Barber's Point and the open sea. Their hair-raising escape from Ford Island was successful and culminated in a twelve hour-long patrol, returning at about 2030 and making an uneventful landing in pitch-black conditions a Pearl/Ford Island.

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"501st Bomb Squadron Mission to Saigon" by Jack Fellows 

Central to the success of the 5th USAAF during the war in the Pacific was commanding general George C. Kenney’s grasp of the importance of long-range tactical operations with all types of  aircraft: bomber, fighter, transport, and photo reconnaissance. Well before April 1945 the 345th  Bomb Group had become masters of long-range minimum-altitude bombing operations and  great pride was taken by all squadrons in having accomplished what  had seemed impossible  earlier in the war. By this time General Kenney was CG of both the 13th USAAF and the 5th, now a combined operation in the SWPA called the Far East Air Forces, and Kenney was  unhappy with the 13th Air Force medium bomber groups’ apparent inability to reach assigned  targets in French Indochina, particularly Japanese shipping concentrated in the Saigon area, so he chose to show them how it should be done by assigning the April 18th mission to a crack  medium bomber group, the 5th’s  345th Bomb Group, the Air Apaches.

 

 The Air Apaches group commander at the time was Col. Chester Coltharp, an officer with a  reputation for getting what seemed impossible to others accomplished, but sometimes these  successes were costly. Coltharp was to lead elements of the 501st and 499th Bomb Squadrons on April 28th to bomb and strafe Japanese shipping targets located just east of Saigon, about 30 miles up the Dong Nai River from where it enters the South China Sea. To do this, the necessary logistical elements for such a long range mission were loaded aboard the fifteen B-25s of the 499th and 501st squadrons at San Marcelino (near Manila) and taken south  to Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island, which is considerably closer to the target area, Saigon. After departure from Puerto Princesa early in the morning, two 499th  (Bats Outta Hell) B-25s  left the formation with mechanical problems, leaving 13 aircraft to finish the strike. Col.  Coltharp led in the 501st B-25 “My Duchess” to landfall at Phan Thiet, about 100 miles WNW of Saigon.

 

There they proceeded inland so as to reach the target just north of Saigon and then flew downriver to egress toward the South China Sea and hopefully safety, as this area was one of the most heavily defended Japanese strongholds in SE Asia. The primary objective of this anti-shipping strike was a 5,800 ton freighter known to be anchored alongside a riverbank defended by numerous antiaircraft defenses.

 

Assigned the task of attacking the ship was one of the youngest pilots in the 345th Group, 20  year-old 1/Lt. Ralph E. “Peppy” Blount, Jr. who was leading the 501st’s third flight. Blount’s aircraft, B-25J-11 #43-36199 is seen in the picture after having released his 500 Lb. bombs, one hitting the vessel amidships, another hitting the well deck and detonating, and the third  landing long, exploding against the riverbank. Following Blount, his wingman, 2/Lt. Vernon M. Townley, Jr., whose aircraft was already afire from having been hit by flak while approaching the target, still managed to line up on the ship and release his ordinance, then was hit by another  flak burst, snap-rolled over and dived inverted into the ground, killing all aboard. Blount’s #199,  also hit by flak was able to continue to attack target vessels downriver, next shooting up a large sailing vessel which left a seven-foot long piece of its mast imbedded in the horizontal stabilizer. With substantial structural damage to his aircraft, Blount had to struggle for the next  five hours to reach Palawan, 750 miles distant, which he did with only a few gallons of fuel  left in the tanks. The 501st Bomb Squadron successfully attacked and destroyed the targets assigned to it but at a high price, three B-25s and their crews were lost on this mission, one  which was to earn this squadron a Distinguished Unit Citation. 

 

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"An Expensive Mission" by Jack Fellows 

On 5 January, 1943, the B-17F San Antonio Rose (Serial No. 4-124458) took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby, leading a 12-ship bomber formation from the 90th Bombardment Group to bomb the harbor at Rabaul. The "Rose" was last seen descending with its left outboard engine smoking, and was lost, never to be recovered

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"The Joker" by Jack Fellows

Elements of the 312th Bombardment Group, or the "ROARIN' 20'S" sweep across Japanese-occupied Clark Fiels near Manila, on the island of Luzon, PT., 14 January, 1945. Lt. R.W. Cleveland, 387 Bomb Squadron, flying an A-20G sporting a winning poker hand with the face of Batman's nemesis, "the Joker", narrowly avoids colliding with the squadron commanding officer, "Jake" Alsup's mortally wounded A-20, which was hit by accurate anti-aircraft fire put up by the many AA emplacements that dotted the former US Army airfield.

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"Ormoc Bay - A Dangerous Place" by Jack Fellows 

Elements of the 312th Bombardment Group, or the "ROARIN' 20'S" sweep across Japanese-occupied Clark Fiels near Manila, on the island of Luzon, PT., 14 January, 1945. Lt. R.W. Cleveland, 387 Bomb Squadron, flying an A-20G sporting a winning poker hand with the face of Batman's nemesis, "the Joker", narrowly avoids colliding with the squadron commanding officer, "Jake" Alsup's mortally wounded A-20, which was hit by accurate anti-aircraft fire put up by the many AA emplacements that dotted the former US Army airfield.