BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl World War II Memorial -- Event: V-E Day 70th Anniversary -- Arsenal of Democracy Fly-Over

DC -- Natl World War II Memorial -- Event: V-E Day 70th Anniversary -- Arsenal of Democracy Fly-Over:

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Description of Pictures: Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover
* Trainer Formation (Boeing Stearmans, Piper L-Birds, North America T-6s/SNJs, Cessna/Beech Twin Bomber Trainers)
* Pearl Harbor (Curtis P-40 Warhawks,
* Doolittle Raid (North American B-25 Mitchells)
* Guadalcanal Campaign (Bell P-39 Airacobras, P-63 Kingcobras)
* Battle of Midway (Consolidated PBY Catalinas, Grumman F4F/FM-2 Wildcats, Douglas SBD Dauntless)
* Yamamoto Shootdown (Lockheed P-38 Lightnings)
* Ploesti Raid (Consolidated B-24 Liberators, North American P-51 Mustangs)
* Escorting the Bombers (North American P-51 Mustangs)
* Big Week (Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses)
* D-Day (Douglas C-47/R4D Skytrain, B-26/A-26s)
* Marianas Turkey Shoot (Grumman TBM Avengers, Grumman F6F Hellcat, Grumman F8F Bearcats, Curtis SB2C Helldiver)
* Battle of the Bulge (Republic P-47 Thunderbolts)
* Iwo Jima (Vought FG-1D Corsairs)
* Final Air Offensive (Boeing B-29 Superfortress)
* Missing Man Formation to “Taps” (TBM Avenger, Mix of Fighter Aircraft)
The above and individual configuration descriptions were from http://ww2flyover.org/flyover-formations/

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. WW2FL1_150508_034.JPG: Trainer Formation America Trains For War When President Franklin D. Roosevelt made his speech first describing America as the Arsenal of Democracy in December 1940, many people well understood that war was on the horizon. In preparation for this anticipated war the American Industrial complex was mobilized to produce modern weapons, not least of which was the airplane – with automobile manufacturers even pitching in. With aircraft production steadily on the rise, who would fly these new aircraft? Schools to train airmen were rapidly established across the United States. Hundreds of Thousands of Americans would answer the call to serve in the air, undergoing rigorous training to prepare them for a different kind of war. Featured Aircraft: Boeing PT-17 Kaydet Known affectionately by its crews as the Stearman in reference to the original producer of this aircraft, the Boeing PT-17 is perhaps the most iconic trainer aircraft of the war years. Its Bi-plane configuration and powerful engine made it a capable aircraft, with its duel cockpits and controls it was also an excellent teaching platform. At the controls of this aircraft young men who would later carry the war to skies over occupied countries could learn the basics of flight in relative safety. In addition to serving with the Army Air Forces the Stearman also served with the Navy, where it was officially identified as the N2S. Many military aviators would make their first solo flight in a Stearman. Featured Aircraft: North American AT-6 Texan During the war, the ready availability of fuel and aircraft inside the continental United States meant that American pilots could enjoy the highest standard of training in the world. Many other Allied nations even sent their men to train in the U.S. for this reason. Training of American airmen was divided into 3 stages, Primary, Basic and Advanced, with each phase featuring its own associated aircraft – which gradually rose in complexity. The AT-6 in many instances was the ultimate trainer aircraft for those pilots who had been selected to fly fighter aircraft. It was in this type that they would even master the art of dogfighting. With their total flight time approaching 200 Hours, pilots eagerly awaited transition to combat aircraft. Featured Aircraft: Beech AT-11 Kansan Training aircraft Crew Members was as important as training pilots. Many of the larger aircraft used during the war require multiple crew members to operate and defend their aircraft. Specialized aircraft, often derivatives of small commercial transports came to the fore front of this field. The Beech Model 18, saw its wartime derivative – the AT-11 used extensively in this role. Navigators, Gunners, Bombardiers and other crew members would train for their various specialized tasks separately, only being united a few short weeks before being deployed. Bombardiers who were increasingly critical to a war hinging on a massive strategic bombing campaign knew the AT-11 well, for over 80% of them trained onboard one. Also Including: Assembled Trainers and Liaison Aircraft While the 6,000 Fairchild primary trainers produced during the war are dwarfed in number by the 10,000 Stearmans produced, they are no less critical to the narrative of the war. In many cases, the need to share the burden of manufacturing aircraft meant that several different aircraft types would be used in similar training programs. Accompanying the flight of training aircraft will be the liaison aircraft, a range of small aircraft used by the military for forward observation – spotting for friendly artillery, identifying enemy troop movements, and evacuating critically wounded soldiers. In one particular instance, Charles Carpenter (then a major) equipped his L-4 Grasshopper with Bazookas, scoring an estimated 14 kills against German tanks, six of which were confirmed and two of which were the fearsome Tiger I. Trainer Formation Aircraft Type: Boeing PT-17 Kaydet- North American AT-6 Texan – Beech At-11 Kansan – Assembled Trainers and Liaison Aircraft Organization: Several pilots and organizations will participate in the formation. Greg Dexter; Dan Haug; Will Loving; Tom Malone; Tom Malone; Mike Ginter / Dave Kahley; John Mazza Jr.; Mike Pangia; Jim Koch; John King (Flying Circus); Juston Currier; Rick Conn; Dave Brown; Frank Isbel; Mike Kuhnert; Tom Inman; Mark Denest; T.R. Proven (HGR Museum); Jerry Smith ; CAF Rio Grande Valley Wing; CAF Jayhawk Wing; CAF Bucket of Bolts Group; CAF High Sky Wing; CAF National Capitol Squadron; CAF Old Dominion Squadron ; John Coradi; Chuck Tippett.
2. WW2FL1_150508_071.JPG: Trainer Formation Boeing Stearmans Piper L-Birds North America T-6s/SNJs Cessna/Beech Twin Bomber Trainers America Trains For War When President Franklin D. Roosevelt made his speech first describing America as the Arsenal of Democracy in December 1940, many people well understood that war was on the horizon. In preparation for this anticipated war the American Industrial complex was mobilized to produce modern weapons, not least of which was the airplane – with automobile manufacturers even pitching in. With aircraft production steadily on the rise, who would fly these new aircraft? Schools to train airmen were rapidly established across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of Americans would answer the call to serve in the air, undergoing rigorous training to prepare them for a different kind of war.
3. WW2FL1_150508_159.JPG: Ploesti Raid Consolidated B-24 Liberators Into the Smoke and Flames Officially known as Operation Tidal Wave – the Ploesti Raid was organized targeting Romanian oil refinery complexes around the town of Ploesti which was a major center for the production of Axis petroleum products being used in the War. It was thought that if a sizable force of bombers could fly to Romania from an Allied base – that their bombs could disrupt oil production and bring the war to a more expedient end. The attack was deemed unsuccessful because it lead to no curtailment of overall product output, even though the refinery complexes were set ablaze and damaged by the raid. Raids on the complexes continued throughout the war, with varying degrees of success.
4. WW2FL1_150508_164.JPG: Doolittle Raid North American B-25 Mitchells The War Comes to Japan Pearl Harbor was followed swiftly by Japanese attacks across the breadth of the Pacific. Defeat after defeat beset American forces. Wake Island, the Philippines – one by one the forward outposts fell. Something had to be done to shatter the Japanese sense of invincibility, but with the enormous distances across the Pacific, compiling a plan was difficult. What was produced was a child of necessity, where Army medium bombers intended for use on land would take off from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Bomb key Japanese cities and head on to land in China. The mission itself faced tough decisions and harsh consequences, but went down in the history books as a spectacular triumph
5. WW2FL1_150508_200.JPG: Pearl Harbor: A Sleeping Giant Awakens December 7, 1941 would bring the United States screaming into the ever expanding global conflict. There is no one event which galvanized the people of the United States more so than the sudden and deliberate attack the Japanese launched on U.S. forces in Hawaii. It was their intention to wipe out the Pacific fleet in its anchorage, which had been thought to be impervious to torpedo attack from the air. By mid-day that fateful Sunday it was clear, the anchorage could be attacked – and the fleet could be brought to the brink of destruction. From amid the flames and wreckage however, a terrible resolve began to fill the most powerful nation on earth. A Sleeping Giant had been awakened. Featured Aircraft: Curtis P-40 Warhawk America was caught by surprise on the morning of December 7, as air raid sirens rang out across Pearl Harbor, many were still in their bunks. Realizing the desperate situation they were in, several pilots rushed to their airfields, hoping to effect some sort of defense in their P-40 Warhawks – the Army Air Force's front line fighter at the time. Two of the pilots, Maj. George Welch and Lt. Col. Ken Taylor were returning from a Christmas Party and managed to make it into the air, each claiming several enemy aircraft during the course of the morning. Against all odds, some small victory had been snatched, by resolute Americans, from what was otherwise a resounding defeat. Even as Pearl Harbor was shocking Americans, there were some who had seen the writing on the wall, and had elected to join the war on their own much sooner. These men, who had volunteered to fight alongside the Nationalist Chinese forces, against the Japanese became known as the Flying Tigers – or more formally, the American Volunteer Group. Identified by the iconic shark's teeth found on the nose of their P-40s, these men who would fight valiantly – were a credit to the United States, and remain an indelible mark on the history of China today.
6. WW2FL1_150508_224.JPG: Doolittle Raid: The War Comes to Japan Pearl Harbor was followed swiftly by Japanese attacks across the breadth of the Pacific. Defeat after defeat beset American forces. Wake Island, the Philippines – one by one the forward outposts fell. Something had to be done to shatter the Japanese sense of invincibility, but with the enormous distances across the Pacific, compiling a plan was difficult. What was produced was a child of necessity, where Army medium bombers intended for use on land would take off from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Bomb key Japanese cities and head on to land in China. The mission itself faced tough decisions and harsh consequences, but went down in the history books as a spectacular triumph. Featured Aircraft: North American B-25 Mitchell Named for Maj. Gen. Billy Mitchell, a galvanizing force in the history of the Air Force, the B-25 would gouge its way onto history book pages at the hands of another such man – Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, then a Lieutenant Colonel. Doolittle himself chose to lead the first Retaliatory strike on the Japanese Home Islands. On April 18, 1942 Doolittle was the first to take off the USS Hornet, his 15 B-25s in tail behind him. While the damage they inflicted was superficial in their targeted cities, the bravery of the men who performed the raid, and the sudden appearance of Allied bombers over their major cities shattered Japanese feelings of invincibility – the first event to foreshadow their ultimate downfall.
7. WW2FL1_150508_275.JPG: The Battle of Midway: Turning the Tide In the Pacific Hot on the heels of the Doolittle Raid, the U.S. Navy's carrier forces had begun to actively seek the Japanese carriers, hoping at each opportunity to even the playing field. While the encounter at Coral Sea was costly for both sides, it had cost the U.S. as much as it had gained. Something would need to happen to give the United States an edge. This edge was gained when Naval intelligence who had been deciphering pieces of Japanese coded transmissions determined that the next Japanese attack would fall on the tiny Midway Atoll. An invasion which would certainly be supported by the Japanese Carriers. Midway would be the bait – and the trap would be sprung by the USS Enterprise, USS Yorktown, and USS Hornet. In the final accounting of the Battle, the U.S. lost one carrier, to the Japanese four (each of which had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor) – a resounding victory, and a turning point in the Pacific War. Featured Aircraft: Grumman F4F Wildcat A stout airplane, the F4F Wildcat was outperformed by its Japanese Adversaries in almost all areas – however, the Wildcat was built tough – so tough that Grumman earned the nickname "Iron Works." In the early days of the war, Wildcat pilots had been cautioned to avoid the Japanese fighters if possible – however, enterprising pilots developed techniques that would turn the Wildcat into a lethal dog-fighter. One of the most well-known of these tactics was the Thach Weave, developed by then Lieutenant Commander John "Jimmy" Thach. It involved a pair of Wildcats weaving between one another, catching their pursuers in deadly fire from each of the Wildcats in turn. Featured Aircraft: Douglas SBD Dauntless Responsible for the sinking of more ships than any other aircraft during the war, the SBD Dauntless was described by its crews as "Slow but Deadly." The Dauntless itself was designed as a divebomber, a task which placed a huge strain upon the crew who flew it. The aircraft would approach enemy ships at a high altitude, enter a steep dive releasing the bomb at the opportune moment, leaving the pilot trying to pull out before hitting the target or the ocean. The massive forces applied to man and machine in this task lead many to label the two man crew "Dauntless" rather than the airplane. At Midway, three of the four Japanese carriers sunk were destroyed within 6 minutes by Dauntless's. The fourth was attacked later in the day. Featured Aircraft: Consolidated PBY Catalina One of the unlikely heroes of the Battle of Midway was the ungainly PBY Catalina and its crews. These aircraft were designed for long range patrols. With a high mounted wing holding a considerable amount of fuel – they could stay in the air for hours, which is what it would take to locate the Japanese fleet steaming for Midway. Even though the U.S. Navy knew the Japanese were coming they could not be sure from which direction, and how many ships they would actually be bringing. The PBY provided them this information. In addition to its remarkable service in the Pacific, the PBY was used extensively across the globe, often for submarine hunting – a role at which it proved to be very successful.
8. WW2FL1_150508_286.JPG: Consolidated PBY Catalina
9. WW2FL1_150508_324.JPG: Douglas SBD Dauntless
10. WW2FL1_150508_356.JPG: Grumman F4F Wildcat
11. WW2FL2_150508_001.JPG: Yamamoto Shootdown: Lightnings Strike Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the architect of Japanese Naval strategy in the Pacific, and had personally planned the attack on Pearl Harbor – and when broken Japanese codes revealed that he would by flying around the South Pacific inspecting Japanese bases, American forces were eager to bring down his aircraft. On April 18, 1943 sixteen P-38s succeeded in intercepting and downing the admiral's airplane – which crashed into the jungle below. Featured Aircraft: Lockheed P-38 Lightning The P-38, known to the Germans as the Fork Tailed Devil actually enjoyed its most stunning success in the Pacific theater, where it accounted for the destruction of more Japanese aircraft than any other USAAF aircraft type. Issues with ventilation in the cockpit meant that P-38 pilots often preferred to fly in Shorts and Tennis shoes. Its impressive performance, long range and reliability made it a natural choice for the mission to shoot down Admiral Yamamoto, which was going to need an airplane with significant endurance, but with the ability to dogfight, since the admiral would certainly have a fighter escort.
12. WW2FL2_150508_017.JPG: Yamamoto Shootdown Lockheed P-38 Lightnings Lightnings Strike Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the architect of Japanese Naval strategy in the Pacific, and had personally planned the attack on Pearl Harbor – and when broken Japanese codes revealed that he would by flying around the South Pacific inspecting Japanese bases, American forces were eager to bring down his aircraft. On April 18, 1943, sixteen P-38s succeeded in intercepting and downing the admiral's airplane – which crashed into the jungle below.
13. WW2FL2_150508_040.JPG: Ploesti Raid: Into the Smoke and Flames Officially known as Operation Tidal Wave – the Ploesti Raid was organized targeting Romanian oil refinery complexes around the town of Ploesti which was a major center for the production of Axis petroleum products being used in the war. It was thought that if a sizable force of bombers could fly to Romania from an Allied base – that their bombs could disrupt oil production and bring the war to a more expedient end. The attack was deemed unsuccessful because it lead to no curtailment of overall product output, even though the refinery complexes were set ablaze and damaged by the raid. Raids on the complexes continued throughout the war, with varying degrees of success. Featured Aircraft: Consolidated B-24 Liberator The most produced Heavy Bomber in history, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator was designed to improve upon the Boeing B-17. It could fly further, faster and carry more bombs than its predecessor, but in spite of this it never truly replaced the B-17, with both continuing in service until the end of the war. The B-24 was used in every theater of the war, and when plans were being drawn up for Operation Tidal Wave B-24s were selected since they had the range to reach Romania from North Africa. 177 Liberators departed Libya – 88 would return, 55 of which had been battle damaged – 310 Airmen were killed during the mission. One B-24 returned to Libya with 365 bullet holes in the aircraft after flying a 14 hour round trip.
14. WW2FL2_150508_042.JPG: B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil North American P-51 Mustang
15. WW2FL2_150508_075.JPG: North American P-51 Mustang
16. WW2FL2_150508_088.JPG: Escorting the Bombers: Big Fight, Little Friends Pre-war bomber designs tended to focus on defensive armament – because their long range meant that they were expected to pass beyond the range of friendly escort fighters. In practice, this did not work – and U.S. bomber formations in Europe suffered staggering losses on their early missions over occupied Europe. Particularly horrific events stand out in history – The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission stands as an example of these early raids – where 60 bombers were lost in a single afternoon and 95 were heavily damaged leaving 557 men missing in action, about half of which had been taken prisoner by the Germans. Something had to change, and quickly – the U.S. was losing Air Superiority over Europe because of their enormous losses. Enter the Little Friends. Featured Aircraft: North American P-51 Mustang Originally designed by North American Aviation to fulfill a request made by the British Purchasing Commission, the first P-51 was taken from the drawing board to finished prototype aircraft in just 102 days. It first flew on Oct. 26, 1940. Shortly thereafter the British began to take delivery of the Mustang MK I, however it was the incorporation of the Rolls-Royce Designed Merlin engine which transformed the P-51 into one of the most impressive aircraft of the war. Its excellent performance above 15,000 feet, and long range (supplemented by drop tanks) meant that the Mustang could accompany bombers all the way to their targets and back. This had an immediate impact on Bomber operations and crew morale – with Bomber crews being emboldened by the presence of the "Little Friends" who were watching their back. More than just a morale impact, the Mustang had a measurable one as well – reducing bomber losses by 23% per mission in its first few months of operational service as an escort.
17. WW2FL2_150508_122.JPG: Big Week: Flying the Fortresses on the Offensive Formally known as Operation Argument, Big Week was planned as a series of attacks by allied strategic bombers flying from bases in England and Italy. It was intended to lay waste to the German aircraft production industry. The attack had almost no impact on the German aircraft factories and their production capabilities. The lasting impact of the Big Week was that the Luftwaffe's aerial defense squadrons had been nearly neutralized by the new P-51 Mustang. Approximately 17% of the Luftwaffe's trained defensive pilots were killed in a single week. Air superiority shifted to the Allies in February 1944, not because of destroyed factories, but because the Luftwaffe had a critical shortage of trained airmen. Featured Aircraft: Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress An enduring symbol of the Strategic Air War over Europe the B-17 was designed in the pre-war years to fulfill an Army requirement for large multi-engine bombers. It was designed to carry a significant bomb-load but it was also thought that the bomber should be able to defend itself from attack. To accomplish this Boeing's engineers continually added guns to the aircraft throughout the course of the war. Its solid appearance, bristling with Machine Guns lead a reporter to describe the airplane as a "Flying Fortress." Boeing latched on to the phrase immediately – trade marking it and applying it to the aircraft. The airplane generally featured a crew of ten, with each man operating as a cog within a well-oiled war machine. During Big Week the 8th Air Force flying from England lost 97 B-17s. While that number seems high, losses during Big Week stood at under 7% per mission – where they had rested at 30% consistently prior to the advent of the P-51.
18. WW2FL2_150508_168.JPG: D-Day: Falling Into France As the war progressed, it became increasingly obvious that it was necessary to open a Western front against the Germans, which would hopefully ease the pressure on the Soviets in the East – the Allied landings in Sicily and later Italy – had partially served this purpose, but the terrain there favored the strong German defense – and landing sites in Northern Europe began to be considered for an operation of unparalleled scope scheduled for Spring 1944. The start of the operation was delayed by planners – and later by weather – eventually occurring on June 6, 1944. Featured Aircraft: Douglas C-47 Skytrain Derived from the Douglas DC-3 – a civilian airliner produced in the pre-war years, the C-47 was a transport and cargo airplane which made a significant mark on the history of the war. In fact, when Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked which pieces of equipment contributed the most to total allied victory he said, The Atomic Bomb, The Bazooka, The Jeep and the C-47. He called them his "Tools of Victory." The characteristic shape of the C-47 when viewed from below lead the troops to call it the Gooney Bird, and was often a welcome sight – carrying ammunition, food and equipment into remote areas, while also evacuating the wounded. Its chores were certainly myriad – however, its role in the Allied airborne operations of the war saw it burned into the narrative of World War II. On the night of June 5, 1944, 822 C-47s dropped 13,100 Paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions into France. These men would be the vanguard of the largest amphibious invasion in history, which arrived at dawn – beginning the liberation of Europe.
19. WW2FL2_150508_217.JPG: Leyte Gulf: The Great Turkey Shoot The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a naval battle which eliminated the remainder of the Imperial Japanese Navy's carriers – completely marginalizing the threat they had once posed. The battle itself occurred alongside the sea-borne invasion of the Marianas Islands by the Marine Corps. Yamamoto's successor Admiral Koga sought to engage the U.S. Navy in a single battle which would see the U.S. Carriers destroyed. He imagined that catching them in the midst of an amphibious operation would be ideal – however advances in American training and equipment, meant that the airmen of Task Force 58 would deliver a knock-out blow to the Japanese instead. The Hellcat was a remarkable aircraft, and was more than a match for the Japanese aircraft arrayed against it. Though it was slower than the Corsair, its favorable carrier landing characteristics ensured that the type was well represented across the fleet. It was put to great effect by the men who flew it – producing 305 Hellcat Aces. It achieved a 13:1 kill ratio against the fearsome Japanese A6M Zero. 5,163 Japanese aircraft were brought down by Hellcats – 75% of the Navy's total in the Pacific. The Hellcat's role in protecting the fleet was evident during the battle of the Philippine Sea, where hundreds of Japanese aircraft were brought down during the fighting on June 19, 1944. When the decision was made to strike at the Japanese fleet late in the day, Hellcats would play a key role yet again. Of the 226 planes which conducted the U.S. counter attack during the "Turkey Shoot" 95 were Hellcats, not just escorting the heavier bombers – but carrying 500lb bombs of their own, hoping to get a crack at the Japanese carriers themselves. Featured Aircraft: Grumman TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger led a storied career throughout World War II, and indeed after. It was produced by Grumman as the TBF, and by General Motors as the TBM. Like so many aircraft from this era in history, the Avenger's first combat outing couldn't possibly have reflected the success it would come to enjoy, with 5 of the 6 aircraft which participated at Midway being lost. Some months later, during the battle for Guadalcanal, the Avengers would claim the Japanese Battleship Hiei, the first Japanese battleship sunk by U.S. forces during the war – and one of the ships which had participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. President George H.W. Bush was at the controls of an Avenger when Japanese Anti-Aircraft fire brought him down over Chichi-Jima – he survived when he was rescued by the USS Finnback, a submarine. Featured Aircraft: Curtiss SB2C Helldiver The final purpose-built divebomber to enter the Navy inventory, the Helldiver was a troubled beast, and often bore the brunt of derisive jokes from its crews. When called upon, however, the aircraft and its committed crews were certainly capable of making an impact on history. During the battle of the Philippine Sea, the U.S. counterattack had at its core, 51 Helldivers. The crews took off late in the day in search of the Japanese fleet, knowing that carrier operations after dark were exceptionally dangerous – by the time they had struck the Japanese, the sun had set – and to compound their issues many of the airplanes had run out of fuel, and had begun to ditch on the return flight. Aware of the peril faced by their airmen, the picket ships in the task force began to illuminate every light they had aboard, hoping to guide the airmen home to their carriers. Operations to rescue those who had ditched at sea began immediately – almost three quarters of which were successfully rescued.
20. WW2FL2_150508_236.JPG: Someone later told me that one of the planes in one of the formations had mechanical problems and had to veer off. I suspected this was the incident.
21. WW2FL2_150508_263.JPG: Battle of the Bulge: Defending the Line Contemporary media coined the phrase "Battle of the Bulge," for what Allied high command described as the Ardennes counteroffensive. It represented the last major German effort to push the western allies back before they could cross the Rhine. It was intended to drive a wedge into allied lines, separating the American forces from their Allies, and in turn from their supplies. The Germans imagined that by encircling four separate Allied armies, that they could sue for a peace with the Western Allies which would allow them to focus their resources on the Eastern front. Understanding that the effective use of Allied Airpower was the recipe for disaster, the Germans were careful to plan their operation around a period of poor weather. The force of the initial German attack on Dec. 14, 1944 sent U.S. forces reeling – the hard and fast blows being dealt by the German armored units meant that U.S. forces which weren't wiped out, were left without an effective way to regroup. Amidst the chaos however, some units held their positions, waiting for the weather to improve. Featured Aircraft:Douglas A-26 Invader
22. WW2FL2_150508_308.JPG: Iwo Jima: Fighting for Every Inch Understanding that conquering the vastness of the Pacific could take a very long time, and cost a huge number of lives the U.S. Armed Forces adopted a strategy of Island hoping, whereby they would skip past heavily fortified Japanese Islands, isolating them from supplies and reinforcements. This would allow the U.S. to access strategic islands across the Pacific without having to beat the Japanese back on every single island they occupied. One of the Islands identified to be captured was Iwo Jima – its black volcanic sand beaches would soon become the scene of horrific fighting, as the Japanese – against all reason, fought to retain every last inch of the island. Featured Aircraft: Vought F4U Corsair The Corsair, originally developed by Vought has become one of the most popular Fighter aircraft of the Second World War, however, its original debut as a Carrier-borne fighter was less than spectacular. The airplane had been intended to replace older naval fighter variants, but its difficult carrier landing characteristics caused the navy to pass many of the airplanes off to the Marine Corps' land based air support units. These quirks were eventually worked out, allowing the Corsairs to return to the Fleet's aircraft carriers – just in time to participate in some of the most grueling engagements in the war. The Palaus, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. It was here that the airplane earned a reputation as a "Mudfighter." Getting down and dirty to support troops on the ground. Its impressive performance characteristics also earned it a reputation as a Kamikaze hunter in these dark days.
23. WW2FL2_150508_333.JPG: Final Air Offensive: Onward to Victory Even as Nazi Germany surrendered in Spring 1945, the war looked set to continue into 1946, with no sign that the Japanese were going to relent. Allied forces knuckled down for what they knew would be a long slog against a seemingly intractable enemy, none of them knowing that August would bring a cataclysmic series of events which would force the Empire of Japan to its knees, ending the War, and saving millions of lives. Featured Aircraft: Boeing B-29 Superfortress Of the 3,970 Superfortresses produced during World War II, only one remains airworthy – and will be participating in this fly over to mark the end of the war. The B-29 was developed as a weapon which would allow the USAAF to strike at the very heart of Japan, flying further and higher than the bombers which preceded it. The advances in technology during the war, including remote controlled gun turrets and cabin pressurization did little to ease the grueling nature of the war for the crews, who were facing ramming attacks from the increasingly determined Japanese. Amidst the tempo of the nightly fire-bombing missions over Japan, one B-29 unit was training to use a single airplane, to drop a single bomb and end the war. On Aug. 6, 1945 the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb, nicknamed Little Boy on Hiroshima. Three days later, Fat Man was dropped on Nagasaki by the B-29 nicknamed Bockscar. Becoming aware of the terrible cost which would be brought by continued fighting – the Emperor of Japan would surrender his nation unconditionally – ending World War II.
24. WW2FL2_150508_346.JPG: The B-29 Superfortress flies over the Lincoln Memorial in the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover, a celebration of the 70th anniversary of end of the war in Europe.
25. WW2FL2_150508_383.JPG: The B-29 Superfortress flies over the Lincoln Memorial in the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover, a celebration of the 70th anniversary of end of the war in Europe.
26. WW2FL2_150508_392.JPG: Missing Man Formation: Honoring the Fallen Over 12 million Americans answered the nation's call over the course of the Second World War – 407,000 servicemen would pay the ultimate price for freedom. Meeting death on the ground and in the skies over war-torn continents, or in the seas between them, the cost of ultimate victory must never be forgotten. The Missing Man formation serves to remind us of those who sacrificed their future for that of our nation, and is a tradition which dates back to World War II. The symbolic moment when a single aircraft breaks formation and soars skyward, leaving behind the others, albeit with a missing man in their ranks.
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