Mission over the Charente

system · August 2, 2021, 4:58am

American bomber in mission over the Charente, SW France, 12 August 1944. The aircraft is the Consolidated Vultee B-24J-200-CO Liberator s/n 44-41159, "159-P" of the 465th Bombardment (H) Group’s 782nd Bomb Squadron, based at Pantanella, Foggia Airfield Complex, Southern Italy, as part of 15th Air Force’s 55th Bomb Wing headquartered at Spinazzola, commander Brig. Gen. George R. Acheson. This aircraft was lost on the January 31,1945 during a bomb mission against the oil refineries at Moosbierbaum, Austria, and crashed near Budapest. The all bailed out safely and were taken POW. Victor Sierra

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://ww2incolor.com/gallery/us-army-air-force/49672/mission-over-the-charente

aussiefrog · July 25, 2013, 4:37pm

From what date onwards did the US airforce stop painting its bombers (and fighters?) and adopt the all metal look (lighter and more aerodynamic I assume?). Did the RAF ever envisage the same? Also I assume the Americans decided they could do away with camouflage because it got to the point where there weren’t enough German fighters left to hide from / and bomber fleets got too big to be hidden anyway. Is this correct?

system · August 2, 2021, 4:58am

victor_sierra · July 25, 2013, 7:12pm

Yes, VS

ThunderboltFan · July 26, 2013, 4:31am

Camouflage paint was deleted from US production plants from about early 1944 for the reasons stated. There was a lot of weight in all that paint but more importantly, painting slowed down production. Different types stopped being painted at different times but some aircraft being supplied to other nations were still being painted at the same time as bare metal aircraft were being made on the adjacent production line. Bubble-canopy Thunderbolts of the Brazilian Air Force operated next to bare USAAF P-47s that were from the same production block.