Browse Collections (58 total)

Operation Varsity Low-Level Resupply

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One of three low-level missions flown by the 44th BG - of their 343 wartime missions.

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Strike Photos & Mission Maps

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Mission maps, or track charts as they were often referred, were passed out to airmen during a pre-mission briefing. They commonly denoted the dog…

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Nose Art

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A bomber was officially known by a serial number, but its nose art told of its identity - its personality. Crews gave their bomber a moniker, which…

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Crew Photo

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10-man crews typically manned B-24s. This included four officers and six enlisted men. Crews were typically referred to by the Pilot’s last names.…

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Control Tower

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The Control Tower was a standard feature at all 8th Air Force bases during WWII.

All missions were orchestrated from the Control Tower, and it was…

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Ordnance & Bomb Store

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The ordnance company at Shipdham was responsible for handling every bomb - inspecting, arming, moving to the airfield, and loading them into bombers -…

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Formations in Air

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Heavy bombers flew in formation, mostly commonly in "the combat box" conceived early in the air war. It consisted of multiple 12-bomber groups flying…

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Ploesti Low-Level Mission

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The most famous of all 343 missions flown by the 44th Bomb Group on August 1, 1943. Called Operation Tidal Wave - the goal was to hit oil refineries…

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