Misc Images

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Did I say lackey? I meant "Assistant Poster Monkey".

DW

[_AH_Gonzo]

Love the recruitment poster Dark!

[_AH_z5o]

lol, remove before flight,,,,love it

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

This could make a nice pic fora sig,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vegaseddie/5968501560/sizes/l/in/photostream/

[_AH_Nimble]

Ho Ho... Hogan..... let me compliment you on your taste!!!!  thumbs up bud!!! :happy-112:

[_AH_Prop]

Super Chuck Norris

[_AH_Nimble]

That wasnt chuck norris... the was" super DARK WOLF"  !!!!!!!!

[_AH_Autorotate]

found this, not sure what it's from...

[_AH_Autorotate]

The 39th Fighter Squadron, a part of the 35th Fighter Group, was a Sierra Hotel sort of outfit during World War 2 and was in things pretty much from the beginning, although their rise to fame really didn't get started until after their assignment to New Guinea. Here's a flight of their P-38s buzzing the strip at 14-Mile; note the gas bags hanging off the port wing stations only. Those aux tanks, along with everything else in the Southwest Pacific, were in short supply and were only used as required to support each particular mission.  Rocker Collection


The 39th did a stint at Milne Bay prior to moving to Port Moresby. This Lightning appears to be poised and ready to go, but the severe tail-down attitude indicates that she's lacking ammunition for her guns, rendering her harmless for the time being. The laundry line in the right-hand background of this shot provides a telling indication of the conditions the 39th had to endure while in New Guinea. Pretty much everything was make do and they, along with all the other 5th AF fighter units, made things work with what they had.  Rocker Collection


This P-38 had the luxury of a revetment made from logs, which protected it from bomb blast and splinters. Of course, that revetment wasn't much use against heat, rain, insects, or poisonous snakes, all of which were present in great abundance. It was, as we've said so many times in the past, a nasty little war.  Rocker Collection


When aviation historians mention Charles King everyone immediately thinks of his P-39, but he flew P-38s as well. Here's his Number 27 parked in the mud at Port Moresby. We can't say it enough; this environment wasn't the exception, it was the rule. Those guys were hot, dirty, dead tired, and sometimes sick, and they got in the airplane day after day and flew the missions in spite of it all. They got the job done, and sometimes they died in the process. We owe every one of them. Rocker Collection


Here's "Japanese Sandman II" at 14-Mile Strip. She's a fairly famous airplane and this is the way we're used to seeing her, relatively clean and ready to go get The Bad Guys.  Rocker Collection


Even famous airplanes step in it once in a while. Here's another shot of "Sandman", but this time she's off the taxiway and partially mired in the ever-present New Guinea mud, and with a badly-mangled port wing to boot. The Japanese were a skilled and aggressive enemy, determined in their opposition, but you could get away from them once you were out of the immediate combat area. There was no way to avoid the lousy weather, or the mud. Everybody paid the price.  Rocker Collection


You could call it courage, or guts, or anything else you wanted to, but the guys who flew in the Pacific, particularly in the rough days of 1942 and 1943, were a pretty special bunch of aviators. Here's Curran Jones from the 39th looking ready for parade beside his Lightning.  Rocker Collection


And Paul Stanch. The uniform's fairly clean but those boondockers tell the story.  Rocker Collection


Here's Walter Beane with part of his ground crew at 14-Mile. The P-38 has proven itself to be a bear to keep flying in the comtemporary warbird circuit. Keeping them in the air was business as usual in 1943. Rocker Collection


Charlie King poses for the camera at 14-Mile, looking like he just stepped out of the shower. They say the camera doesn't lie, but sometimes it fibs a little bit.  Rocker Collection


This shot's a little bit closer to the truth. We'll leave today's essay with this shot of Ken Sparks posing with his damaged P-38. Look at his face; you can see the exhaustion. Have we ever mentioned that it was a crummy war?  Rocker Collection


Here, two DUKWs perform a new role — as the pontoon propellants for an "aircraft ferry." Under a system developed by the US Office of Scientific Research and Development, two DUKWs were joined at the center, allowing an aircraft (in this case a P-38 Lightning) to be positioned on the center span. Obviously the system could only work on calm seas.

[_AH_Nimble]

really enjoyed those P38 pictures..... so many folks...especially younger ones dont realize just how much was sacrificed by our military guys in WW2

[CPS_GreyFox]

Excellent P-38 pics. Thanks for posting them :)

[_AH_Gonzo]

 :i-m-with-stupid-0101:

[_AH_Autorotate]

an amazing photo.  :drinking-43:



direct link for HD image --> http://i.imgur.com/KD4PC.jpg

the report on the attack

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Pretty horrific flak hit.

DW

[_AH_Nimble]

I was reading somewhere.... that a great deal of the damage done to the cities was caused by the Flak itself....  guess some of it fell back to earth and detonated ??? :help-sos-sos-29402: