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WW2 P-38 photos from private collection


BiggTim

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I thought you folks might like to see some WW2 photos I scanned from a friend's collection. They are high res scans of the actual photos, as the negatives no longer exist. This is the paint scheme I plan to paint my Trumpeter P-38 in, even though it is not flashy or well known.

 

My friend, Sgt. Archie "Lee" Stuck, was an assistant ground crew chief in the 428th FS ("Geyser Gang"), 474th FG, 9th AF during WW2, flying P-38s. These photos are of him and his crew mates and their Pilot, Lt. Robert O. Hanson, and I believe were taken in Schweinfurt, Germany in 1945.

 

Oddly, Lee told me that the J-25 they are standing in front of is not even their plane (note the rather ominous nose number - 666, funny huh?). One of their planes, an L-1, tail number 424659, nosed over in the mud at A-78 in Florennes, Belgium. To my knowledge, these pics have never been published. Enjoy!

 

 

666TCfixedorig_zps8c55dbab.jpg

 

CaptHanson_zpsddb33eea.jpg

 

659-8oclock_zps4a395e45.jpg

 

659crash-2oclock_zps2edb7693.jpg

 

659crash-6oclock_zps6651cc22.jpg

 

659crash-12oclock_zpse1bf64d9.jpg

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Would also appreciate your help in deciphering the colors of the 659 plane (the wrecked one). To the best of my friend's recollection, the nose and spinners were black, upper surfaces of nose and nacelles O.D., but the lower surfaces of the nacelles seems to be another color yet. Maybe red? The 666 plane also has another color painted on the air intake under the spinner, as is apparent in the close-up photo with just the pilot. I'm guessing that since that plane was in his squadron, maybe his was painted the same color? I believe the squares on the tail were also black. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

Tim

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wow - they are great pictures, thanks for sharing

 

I bet the nose-over one taken from the rear is an angle not captured very often so will be invaluable reference

 

think this bird may be from the same unit, coded W-F5 and the nacelles look like they are just a darker metal shade and maybe the intake fronts are black?

 

WIP220_zpsc9c53eab.jpg

 

I am sure more knowledgable folk that me will be along shortly to help..

 

Peter

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Wow, great picture, where did you find that?

 

This plane is definitely from the 428th FS, the dark colored square on the tail and the F5 were their squadron ID marks. The W is the pilot's personal mark, and I think I may be able to track down his name. It would also have been painted on the inboard side of the vertical tails like the one I posted.

 

I found a reference this afternoon that suggested the noses, spinners, and square on the tail may have been a very dark blue rather than than my initial suspicion of black. That would amke more sense, since if they were black you wouldn't be able to read the tail number. This picture makes it clear that the intakes below the spinners were the same color. I am waiting for confirmation of the dark blue color from the fighter group's official historian, so I'll post when I hear for sure. Thanks again for the great pic, I will add it to my reference collection!

 

Tim

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It would be interesting to know what happened. It appears both engines were either not turning or at idle based on the prop damage.  I really like how these shots show the weathering. The exhaust staining on the vertical stabs is really neat.

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Great photographs, and many thanks for sharing. I think the colour used on the spinners, nose, intakes, were black, and as Peter said the lower nacelle is just a different shade of natural metal.

 

F-5B-1-LO-Lightning2_zpsc691604e.jpg

Edited by Kagemusha
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  • 3 years later...

Need some help with this old thread. I know it's a long shot, but when I originally posted these photos, did anyone download them? I copied them from photobucket before the debacle, but I somehow seem to have lost them!! If anyone happens to have saved them, please let me know. I have a few other places to look yet, but I'm running out of options, and the originals may be hard to get again. Thanks,

 

Tim

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