Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Post #42.
B-25J , 38BG stripped down for transport / ferry duties to Australia, photo taken in PI 1945 (probably Luzon); replaced "Hardship" (ex-"Filthy Lil"). Unfortunately on unpainted B-25s or with camo removed serial was often not re-marked. Insignia is a bald eagle over a setting sun with the 4 squadron emlems added-- 71BS "Wolfpack", 405BS "Green Dragons", 822BS "Black Panthers", 823BS "Terrible Tigers". Pilot was usually William J. Smith.
They don't seem to have used letters or numbers but squadron colours were on tail top or bottom( white-green-yellow-blue).


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks again Nick.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

POST 45.
Photo 1. B-29 42-93846 (505BG Tinian) K- Tri. 4.
Photo 2. B-29 44-70070 (9BG Tinian) Circle X 16. Added a caricature Japanese.
Photo 3. B-29 42-94042 (6BG Tinian) L-Tri. 40 then Circle R/40. Crew originally flew "Forever Amber" damaged at Kobe June 5. Pirate insignia for previous service in the Caribbean.
Photo 4. B-29 44-70124 (6BG Tinian). Circle R 60.
Photo 5. B-29 42-94067 (9BG Tinian) X Tri. 35.
Photo 6. B-29 don't know her. Possibly re-named?
Photo 7. B-29 42-24917 (29BG Guam) ex.-330BG. Square O 50.
Photo8. B-24J 90BG "Jolly Rogers" ( named for c/o Col. Arthur H. Rogers, hence skull-crossbones) the crew member wears the unofficial insignia; all 4 squadrons had unofficial emblems, " Asterperious", "Moby Dicks", "Bombs away", "Black Pirates". This is the 320BS "Moby Dicks". Later had skull-crossbones on squadron colour tails.


All these B-29s survived.
Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks again Nick.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

This is a B-24D-65 with nose turret added at a Modification Centre, originally to go to Thirteenth AF as an SB-24 radar "Snooper" but diverted to China and 308BG; lost on a flight from Suichwan to Chengkung near Kunming. 5 crew bailed and returned (MACR 10059).
374BS markings, yellow rudder and triangle and tail number 482. The "mouth" evidently based on a colour photo widely distributed and several Eighth AF B-24s copied this style. Mostly yellow.


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Nick

You dont give any s/n but I assume you mean 42-40503 which went missing 26 Nov 1944?

I have very bad info regarding the rather elusive SB-24D. Ten were so modified in 1943.
I also know that some B-24J were mod to SB-24J

Some general info has been published but I have no list of all aircraft so modified.

Anything you can add?

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-40822.html
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/44-41078.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/peacel...bie/5732902816
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-63805.html
https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/m...4-42-73446.cfm
42-40838 (868th BS, 13th AF) lost Jun 26, 1944 From Unknown Cause Over The Southwest Pacific Ocean While on a Radar Snooper Mission to Truk Atoll Micronesia. All (10) Crew Were Killed. MACR 7181.
Operated directly under auspices of 13th AF HQ, carrying out classified missions, and did not have a group assignment


https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-100271.html
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-100273.html
https://asisbiz.com/il2/B-24/307BG/p...h-site-01.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...bard-philbrick


If you type in SB-24 in the upper right Search box (Enhanced by Google) you will get quite a few hits for the SB-24 serial numbers.
https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/index.html

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Revi
Appreciated!!
Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Don't know the total but couldn't have been many in the 2 squadrons; 63BS /43BG received 13 in Oct. 43 on N. Guinea and the 868BS was down to 12 with 13 crews in July 45 in the Phillipines (I think PFF by then).
STUDY 120 (p.200+) has the 868th formation but no mention of totals....


https://www.dafhistory.af.mil/Portal...090522-059.pdf


The SCR "A" radar in a B-24D / SB-24....
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN.../Radar-p70.jpg


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks again Nick.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Hi Stig. You might like to make a note of these SBs from "b24bestweb".


42-100271 SB-24J (868) "Lady Jane"
42-40833 SB-24D (868) "Coral Princess"
42-73446 SB-24J (868) "Libby Raider"
42-40832 SB-24D (868) "Devil's Delight"
42-63805 SB-24D-1 (868) "Sergeant Stripes Forever!"
42-40838 SB-24D (868) "Madame Libby the Sea Ducer"
42-73396 SB-24J (868) "Ready Willing and Able"
44-41464 SB-24L (868) "Lady June II"
42-40836 SB-24D (868) "Miss Bubbles"
44-50397 SB-24M (868) "Hell's Belle"
44-42131 SB-24M (868) "The Worry Bird"
42-40822 SB-24D (868) "Bum's away!"
42-40819 SB-24D-1 (868) "Rude Nude"
44-50395 SB-24M (868) "395"
44-50780 SB-24M (868) "780"
44-42107 SB-24M (868) "107"
44-50308 SB-24M (868) "308"
44-40941 SB-24J (868) "941"
42-40815 SB-24D (868) "The Joker"
44-50972 SB-24M (868) ""972"
44-51584 SB-24M (868) "584"
44-41357 SB-24J (868) "Our Baby"
44-40899 SB-24J (868) "Lady Luck II"
44-40902 SB-24J (868) " Rough and Ready"
42-100268 SB-24J (868) "Sunsetter"
44-40942 SB-24J (868) "Wonder Gal"
42-100273 SB-24J (868)
44-41078 SB-24J (868)
42-40651 SB-24D (868) "Ramp Tramp"
.................................................. ..


42-40503 SB-24D-1 (308BG) "Jungle Pussy"
44-41290 SB-24J (307BG) "Gremlin's Delight"
44-40938 SB-24J (307BG) "Nana"
44-40934 SB-24J (307BG) "934"


There are a few others, full serial u/k.
Regards
Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

The original 13 B-24s in 63BS / 43BG (apparently on inventory as B-24Ds though with SCR night blind-bombing radar would presumably be SB-24Ds) were late Consolidated models, as the "Scott Project"; the Sqn. c/o in 1943. Hence named "Seahawks" with appropriate tail insignia. Serials were:
42-40896 "Art's Cart"
42-40 955 "At Ease"
42-41053 "Kentucky Virgin"
42-41058 "Lady Luck"
42-41050 "Mallet Head"
42-41051 "Pitti-Sing"
42-40904 "Queen of Hearts"
42-40475 "The Swan"
42-41049 "Who's next"
42-40686 "Liberty Belle"
42-40972, 42-41041, 42-41043.


Several in both squadrons were originally intended for the 1st. Search-Attack Group at Langley Field but the Navy took over these duties in Aug. 43 as an order of June 10 1943; " It is primarily the responsibility of the Army to provide long-range bombing forces---for operations from shore bases in defence of the Western Hemisphere and for appropriate operations in other theatres".
They were in Sea-search scheme, Neutral grey / white then re-painted OD / NG.


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick!!
Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/20581493905...Bk9SR4rQiOTIZg
https://www.ebay.com/itm/36594950303...Bk9SR4zQiOTIZg
https://www.ebay.com/itm/37655741990...IAAeSwT45oyydh

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

POST 59.
Photo 1. B-24D (Mod.) 42-72785 "Sad Sack" 90BG ( from "Sad Sack" comic) originally a D-155-CO in OD / NG but stripped and jaws added, some remnants of paint left here. Red tail =320BS "Moby Dicks" with last 3 of serial as standard. Salvaged in Nov. 44.


Photo 2. C-54 (VC-54E) 44-9027 "BATAAN" used by Gen. MacArthur from April 45 replacing his B-17E; at Atsugi near Yokohama 30 Aug. 45 when he arrived to assume command of Allied Forces.


Regards
Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Nick
Out of curiosity, since none of my second hand sources, mention MacArthur's C-54E as a VC-54E,
what is your source for that? The IARC?
Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Not official but both these refer to 44-9027 as VC......


https://www.uswarplanes.net/c54.pdf


https://bataancampaign.wordpress.com...cho-of-bataan/


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick

So, second hand sources as well.
My guess is that somebody just assumed the aircraft was designated VC-54E due to,
should we say, its "improved" interior.

Would be interesting to see what the IARC says.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Hi Stig. There's a data panel and McArthur's stars added to 44-9027 here; I blew it up but not quite clear to me though I see the serial. Probably says C-54. Also an analysis of US Occupation, several mentions of C-54s but not "Bataan".
Regards
Nick


https://donmooreswartales.com/wp-con...normile002.jpg

https://history.army.mil/Portals/143...acarthur-4.pdf


Incidentally my post above is in wrong forum. I blame my age.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick

All I can see is a blur.... :)
Also I doubt if the USAAF/USAF actually changed the initial data writing on the aircraft.
Perhaps the USAF did later on.

Anyway it is not really a big deal - rather the opposite I guess, since I don't really see
any "masses" on TOCH rushing forward to either confirm or deny....:D

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/37667856043...8AAeSwRydpDSg8
https://www.ebay.com/itm/37667855453...YAAeSwd0tpDSbl
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15744592027...0AAeSwmpBpDSVv
https://www.ebay.com/itm/15744591816...cAAeSwzv1pDSL2

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

POST 67.
All 330BG at N. Field Guam 1945. From mid-45 a map of N. America on right side with plane name on left; "City" flag on map. Designator "K" in bright yellow mid-July most planes, "K" and number on outer cowls.


Photo 1. 42-94032 "My Gal the II" Square K-14 "City of Petersburg"( formerly "City of San Jose"). Survived.
2. 42-94016 "City of Jersey City" / "McNamara's Band" Square K-13. Black unders for night missions. Survived.
3. 42-93970 "City of West Palm Beach" Square K-26; survived to 307BG post-war.
4. 44-69795 "City of Grass Valley" / "Busty Babe Bomber", Square K-14 ; crashed at Agana (Guam) on return from Mission 65 to the Koriyama chemical plant 12 April 45. Apparently names not on as this was first mission.


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thank you for your efforts.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Nick

We have a problem here (or rather two)
1) According to Robert Mann 'City of San José' was 42-63517
4) Since I doubt 330BG were operating two B-29A both coded K-14 I would say the aircraft
seen is the same one as under 1) ie 42-94032
Mann claims 44-69795 was coded K-44

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Hi Stig. Been sorting through the 330th inventory. Seems there were 2 - K-14s with 3 crews assigned them (Ziegele / Locks / Hiles). First was written off in crash on Guam (44-69795, first mission, Ziegele).
Second was 42-94032 "City of San Jose", Locks crew; Hiles' crew flew 42-93980 (K-8) "City of St. Petersburg", when she was grounded they took over 42-94032 K-14 as "My Gal the II". I did get one wrong " City of St. Petersburg".
The 330th roster doesn't have a K-44 assigned, there was a K-43 44-69799, lost 13 April from Tokyo.


Regards
Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Well Nick

I don't have any "rooster of 330BG" access so I can't argue with that.
However it certainly disagrees with what Robert Mann published in his B-29 book
Is this "rooster" online somewhere?
Main problem is, as I see it, there is no photo evidence since either you get a photo of the front
(no s/n visible) or the rear (usually neither s/n nor name visible)
So what remains is to put together known unit codes (Square K + digits in this case)
From experience I know that so called first hand sources are not always 100% reliable.
I don't know in this case which sources Mann used (he lists an awful lot of sources in his book),
but I doubt he chose his code digits out of the blue, so basically what remains are either
your source is a printing error or Mann's is. I have no way of telling which one is, although
I have made a choice with regard to K14 (see below)

But if we take the problems I listed and first look at my thoughts about pic no 4
My assumption is that whoever took the photos located by Ed did so either just before the
end of WW 2 or just after.
Thus pic 4 falls outside the scope of being lost 12 April 1945 meaning it is far more likely
to be 42-94032 than 44-69795
Admittedly, since Mann says 44-69795 initially was K43 it feels odd it should have suddenly gained K44
Codes K43 and K44 would have been within the same BS while K14 means it was transferred to
another BS within the BG, so yes I agree with your source and I have corrected Mann's K44 to K14
but I still believe pic 4 was 42-94032 :)

With regard to if the names were painted or not on 44-69795 when it was lost on 12 April,
I would say, yes they were! Aircraft was delivered to 330BG 31 Jan 1945 so there was ample
time to decorate the aircraft.

I also agree that more than one aircraft used the same unit code, so no problem with two
K14 or any other digit combination, but as I said above, not at the same time!

When it comes to which names the individual aircraft had your source and Mann's differ.
I have no way of knowing why that is so, which means I find it useless for me to argue with your
source. :)

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Stig. I'm sure you are right about photo 4; she has a yellow letter, they only started from about mid-July so not 795 lost in April. Unless there was a third K-14 (pretty sure there wasn't) this must be 032. The crash photos of 44-69795 show an unpainted letter, just masked off.
42-94032 "My Gal the II" photo 1 has 30 missions with "THE END" after the 30th, which would have been late-war.
Not a big deal really! Regards
Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Agree Nick

But sometimes it is good fun.... :D

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

POST 75.
1. "Mary Ann" B-29 42-24494 (468BG at Kharagpur, India) she crashed with engine failure on 17 Jan.45 at A7 Pengshan their forward base in China; this was XXBC Mission 29 to airfield on Formosa. Early markings 2 rudder stripes and comet in Sqn. colour white (792BS).
2. "Bengal Lancer" B-29 42-24487 (468BG in India); 2 blue rudder stripes and white comet with blue star, 793BS colour. To Tinian 5/45 and marked Triangle "I" -32. Returned to US as War Weary.
3. "Phyllis J of Worcester" B-24J 44-40228 (90BG Philippines 1945) named for pilot's wife. Blue fin (319BS) with "228" and red-white rudder stripes. Survived.
4. "Hope-full Devil" B-29 42-63482 (505BG Tinian) ditched in sea 9 March 45 on XXIBC Mission 40 to Tokyo, out of fuel; crew OK. Had cartoon of Bob Hope with bomb; early designator K-Triangle plane number (?).
5. "Dead Jug" B-29 post-war (19BG Okinawa), "jugs " were B-29 cylinders which caused some problems; artwork is a "Hillbilly" with whiskey jar under a tree. Red nose band, nose-wheel door and tail tip; black tail band and 93BS Indian insignia dating back to WW1 on Spads.


Nick

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Nick

42-24494 crashed 14 Jan 1945 after bombing Kagi AB at Formosa. On the 17th it was the 29th XX BC
mission

Cheers
Stig

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Thanks Nick and Stig.

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Post 77.
Hi Stig. I corrected the Mission number just before your post. I'm pretty sure "Mary Ann" crashed on the 17th., Mission 29 (Shinchiku). There were no losses from 58th.Wing on the 14th to Kagi though the 73rd.Wing lost 5. The only loss from 58th. on the 17th. was her. Note the lists here; Bob Mann, Joe Baugher and Kenn Rust agree too.
Enjoy your holiday.
Regards
Nick


https://studylib.net/doc/9060648/468...dia-losses---b


https://www.20thaf.org/groups/ac%20data/468th_AC.htm


https://user.xmission.com/~tmathews/...ars-4501b.html

Re: Allied aircraft photos
 

Hi Nick

That is odd you quote Robert Mann as also stating the loss date as the 17th, since he was
my secondhand source I checked. (My issue is from 2004)

On page 17 he lists the date as the 14th
On page 126-127 he lists all the aircraft which took part on each mission

Mission 28 (14th) 42-24494 is listed
Mission 29 (17th) 42-24494 is NOT listed

Any first hand source available? We can dismiss Joe Baugher since I doubt he made any research
in first hand sources. I have some books ny Ken Rust, but none of them quote any s/ns

Cheers
Stig