World War 2 In Review: American warplane photo

P-40N Warhawk 'Little Joe II' at Kunming airfield in Yunnan, China, September 1, 1944.

Curtiss P-40N-40-CU Warhawk (44-47773), USAAF.

Maintenance on a P-40, China, 1943.

The Disney Bomb, a rocket-boosted bunker-buster. Developed by the British but only deployed by the USAAF. Post-war testing showed it could punch through 16 feet of concrete. In 2009 one was recovered from the roof of a German bunker in France, where it had embedded itself in 1945.

B-17 Flying Fortress “Fifty Packin Mama”.

B-17 Flying Fortresses from the 398th Bombardment Group flying a bombing mission to Neumünster, Germany, on 13 April 1945.

There are four 398th B-17 aircraft in this photo. Based on an analysis of aircraft numbers it is believed this photo was taken between the 398th's first mission on 6 May 1944 and 8 January 1945.

Here are the bounds of the dates:

Aircraft No. 1's demise indicates it must be before 2 March 1945

In a blow-up of Aircraft No. 2, the N7-Q is very visible. If 42-102469 N7-Q, then the date is before 8 January 1945. If 43-39038, then the date was 4 March or after. But Aircraft No. 1, indicates it must be before 2 March. Therefore, this aircraft must be 42-102469 N7-Q and the date before 8 January 1945.

Aircraft No. 3 could be either 42-102568 N7-N or 44-6573 N7-N but because of the range of dates no further information can be discerned as to the date of the photo.

Aircraft No. 4 is was either 42-107138 N7-T or 43-38631 N7-T. Based on a review of the dates, an N7-T aircraft was available the entire period from April 1944 until May 1945 and thus provides no further information as to the date of the photo.

In summary, it is concluded that the date is somewhere between the 398th's first mission on 6 May 1944 and 8 January 1945. It is possible by studying formation charts carefully that the exact date can be determined.

From the viewer's left to right the aircraft are:

Aircraft No. 1
Aircraft No: 42-97317
Tail Letter: P
Fuselage ID: N7-P
Group/Squadron: 398th, 603rd
Official Name of Aircraft: Little Max
Date of Photograph:
Photo Location:
Crew at time of Photograph: Unknown
Final Disposition of A/C: Assigned to the 398th on 28 April 1944. Repaired and transferred out of the 398th 2 March 1945.
Interpretive Comments: Six bombs can be seen dropping from this aircraft. In 14 Feb chart, not in 15 Feb 1945 formtion chart.

The next 3 aircraft were identified by their tail and fuselage letter:

Aircraft No. 2
Aircraft No: Two 603rd aircraft had this fuselage number N7-Q: 42-102469 N7-Q and 43-39038 N7-Q
Tail Letter: Q
Fuselage ID: N7-Q
Group/Squadron: 398th, 603rd
Official Name of Aircraft:
Date of Photograph:
Photo Location: Unknown
Crew at time of Photograph: Unknown
Final Disposition of A/C:
42-102469 N7-Q was active with 398th 3 May 1944 and then transferred out 11 Jan 1945 after last mission 8 January 1945
43-39038 was active with the 398th 4 March through 2 June 1945.
Interpretive Comments: This aircraft is just to the right of Little Max. Cannot find an N7-Q on 15 Feb chart, but did find 8121-3O-Q on 14 Feb 1945, but not N7-Q on either.

Aircraft No. 3
Aircraft No: Three 603rd aircraft had this fuselage number N7-N: 42-102568 N7-N, 44-6573 N7-N, and 43-39146 N7-N
Tail Letter: N
Fuselage ID: N7-N
Group/Squadron: 398th, 603rd
Official Name of Aircraft:
Date of Photograph:
Photo Location: Unknown
Crew at time of Photograph: Unknown
Final Disposition of A/C:
42-102568 N7-N was assigned 28 April 1944; assigned out 29 October 1944 after crash landing.
44-6573 N7-N was assigned 6 Nov 1944 out 13 Jan 1945 following 10 Jan 1945 mission
43-39146 N7-N was assigned to the 398th 3 Feb 1945; assigned out 26 May 1945
Interpretive Comments: This aircraft is the 2nd to the right of Little Max. In 14 Feb chart, not in 15 Feb 1945 formation chart.

Aircraft No. 4
Aircraft No: 42-107138 N7-T or 43-38631 N7-T
Tail Letter: T
Fuselage ID: N7-T
Group/Squadron: 398th, 603rd
Official Name of Aircraft:
Date of Photograph:
Photo Location: Unknown
Crew at time of Photograph: Unknown
Final Disposition of A/C:
42-107138 N7-T was assigned to the 398th 22 April 1944 and was MIA 21 November 1944.
43-38631 N7-T was assigned to 398th 23 Nov 1944; assigned out 26 May 1945
Interpretive Comments: This aircraft is the 3rd to the right of Little Max.

B-17s of the 603rd BS, 398th BG, 8th Air Force navigate through a flak filled sky over Germany, c. 1944/45. B-17 nearest camera is serial number 42-97317, N7-P, "Little Max" 603rd BS, 398th BG, 8th Air Force. Assigned to the 398th on 28 April 1944. Repaired and transferred out of the 398th 2 March 1945. Note the rectangular "smudge" on the vertical tail of this B-17 - wartime censorship or ?

Bell P-39 Airacobras at the factory.

Northrop P-61 Black Widow, "Midnight Mickey", with the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, is readied for a mission at East Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, September 1944. The SCR-720 radar’s parabolic dish antenna can be seen through the radome.

Northrop P-61 Black Widow (42-5536) "Husslin’ Hussy" of the 22nd Night Fighter Squadron, 9th AF.

Northrop P-61A Black Widow (42-5531), 1944.

Northrop P-61A Black Widow (42-5528) "Jap Batty" of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, Saipan.

Northrop P-61A-1-NO Black Widow (42-5527) "Moonhappy" of the 6th NFS, Saipan, 1944.

P-61A Black Widow (42-5526) "Nightie Mission" of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, Saipan.

Northrop P-61A Black Widow (42-5524) "Midnight Mickey" of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, Saipan, June 1944.

P-61A-1-NO Black Widow (42-5508) of the 419th NFS flying near Noemfoor, Schouten Islands, 1944.

P-61A-1-NO Black Widow (42-5506) of the 419th NFS taxiing at Carney Airfield, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, shortly after the P-61's arrival in early 1944.

Northrop P-61A Black Widow (42-5505) of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron on Guadalcanal is refueled for another mission, June 1944.

Northrop P-61A-1-NO Black Widow (42-5502) "Skippy" of the 421st NFS, at Tacloban Airfield, Leyte.

P-61A serial number 42-5486 undergoing cold weather testing at Ladd Field, Alaska.

YP-61 Black Widow (41-18882). The antenna of the radar set can be seen in the transparent nose. 1943.

Northrop P-61A-1-NO Black Widow (42-5507). Delivered to the United States Army Air Force. Assigned to 419th NFS, XIII Fighter Command, 13th AF. Shot down by AAA 1 1/14 mi se of Jolo Town, Jolo Island in Sulu Archipelago in Philippines, April 10, 1945. Both crew killed.

Douglas XTB2D Skypirate.

Douglas XTB2D-1 Skypirate.

Douglas XTB2D-1 Skypirate. 1 February 1944.

Lockheed C-60 Lodestars towing Waco CG-4A gliders over Texas.

The XB-39 "Superfortress" (serial number 41-36954) in flight in 1944. (USAAF photo)

XB-39 "Spirit of Lincoln".

Northrup A-17 Shrikes in formation, 3rd Attack Group, above New York City, 21 September 1937.

Soviet Yak-9 fighters and American B-17 Flying Fortress bombers of the 99th Bomb Group based in Italy, along with Soviet and American crews, at Poltava, Ukraine as part of Operation Frantic, 21 June 1944.

F4F Wildcats on Guadalcanal.

A Goose in the cabbage patch. Batavia NY, September 1945.

American Air Power in World War II Album