| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | These yellow identification stripes, 15 inches wide, were exclusive to USAAF aircraft operating in the Mediterranean theatre of war. This wounded B-24 is from the “Vulgar Vultures” of the 455th Bomb Group, based out of San Giovanni, Italy. Presidential candidate and Senator George McGovern flew with the 455th Bomb Group, completing 35 combat missions as a B-24 pilot.
Often referred to as the “Flying Boxcar,” the B-24 Liberator did the majority of heavy bombing for the 15th Air Force. Fifteen out of their twenty-one bomb groups flew the B-24.
Despite having a greater top speed, longer range, and a heavier bomb load than the B-17, the Liberator would never receive the admiration of the Flying Fortress since it was prone to catching on fire during battle and breaking in two during a wheels-up or water landing. The “Red Tails” earned the respect of the bomber crews they escorted due in part to the tactics implemented by their commander. Pilot Charles McGee remembers:
“In his briefings, B.O. (Col. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.) was very explicit about the way we operated. If enemy planes appeared to attack, the flight commander would designate who would go after them. The rest of us stayed with the bombers, doing S-maneuvers, and we were glad that we weren't bomber pilots, who had to hold a tight formation as they made their final runs over the target, through enemy flak and fighters.” | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Located in northern Italy, the Dolomite Mountains provided a natural, imposing barrier between Italy and Austria. Sometimes as high as 10,000 feet, wounded American aircraft would have to cross these mountains on their way back from targets in southern Germany. During World War I, these mountains were the site of fierce, peak to peak fighting between the Italians and Austrians. Capt. Charles McGee flies his P-51C “Kitten.” He recalls, “I christened it Kitten, which was my wife's nickname, and my crew chief, Nathaniel Wilson, kept it purring, too.” Kitten would be McGee’s mount for the later part of his 136 combat missions flown with the 332nd Fighter Group.
Upon his departing the combat theatre, “Kitten” was passed on to Lt. Leon Spears who was hit by flak over Berlin on March 24, 1945 and made a wheels-up landing in occupied Poland where he became a POW. Lt. Roscoe Brown pilots his P-51D “Bunnie,” named after his daughter. Roscoe scored two victories while flying this Mustang including an Me 262 jet over Berlin. In past instances, this aircraft has been wrongly attributed as Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.’s plane after he piloted it for a wartime publicity photo. The now-famous red tails of the 332nd Fighter Group came about almost by accident according to pilot Charles McGee: “As I understand it, red paint was what was readily available. I think on the first couple of planes they just painted the rudder, but one of the pilots in the 332nd said, 'That's not enough.' As it turned out, the gunners on the Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s loved it because they could easily tell who was friendly at high altitude over the target area.” | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |