Historic Aircraft Formations

Black and white photos of historic military aircraft in formation, highlighting the aerial strategies used during World War II.

The U.S. 8th AF joined the other Allied Air forces in a simultaneous attack of vast proportions on Feb. 22, 1945. Targets were communications lines at key points throughout Germany. Heavy bombers flew lower than usual to increase accuracy and confuse

Consolidated B-24 Formation Over England.

A formation of powerful...

It takes bad weather to keep North American B-25 Mitchells of Tactical Air Force on the ground. Since the first of the year, the Billy Mitchells have bombed more than one thousand targets in the Mediterranean Theatre and flown over 59,999 combat

The U.S. 8th AF joined the other Allied Air forces in a simultaneous attack of vast proportions on Feb. 22, 1945. Targets were communications lines at key points throughout Germany. Heavy bombers flew lower than usual to increase accuracy and confuse

Douglas A-20's (Havoc), light bombers of the 9th Air force cross the channel enroute to targets somewhere in France.

A Formation Of Boeing B-29 "Superfortresses"', Based On Guam, Marianas Islands. May 1945.

American Martin B-26 Marauders of the First Tactical Air Force in an encounter with their worst enemy over Germany. ... The weather! Small breaks in heavy clouds reveal only haze and snow-covered terrain, all obstacles in identifiying landmarks

North American P-51 Mustang Fighters Escorting Boeing B-29 Superfortresses. Iwo Jima.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Aviation day military aviation at Kemajoran airport. Fly show. Piper Cubs and / or Austers. March 9, 1947. Batavia, Indonesia, Jakarta, Kemajoran, Dutch East Indies

A Load Of Bad Luck Is Unleashed From North American B-25 Number 13 As Mitchell Bombers Of The Us 12Th Af Open Their Bomb Bays Over Nazi Troop Concentrations In Support Of British 8Th Army In The Lake Comacchio Area Of Italy. A Record-Breaking Number Of B

Forts Ride Again...This Formation Of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Enroute To Blast German Targets In France As Part Of The General Plan To Pulverize All Vitally Important War Objectives. Dunkirk, France Was The Target Of This Mis

Over The Netherlands -- 9Th Troop Carrier Command'S Douglas C-47S Loaded With Paratroopers Head For Drop Zone During The Invasion Of Holland. 17 Sept. 1944.

A Formation Of Boeing B-17S Drop Their Explosive Loads On The White Plume Of A Smoke Marker Dropped By A Mickey Lead Plane To Indicate The Location Of A Target Totally Obscured From Sight By Heavy Leayers Of Clouds.

Bombs from Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses dropping on Dijon.

With the props making a halo, this Douglas A-20 Havoc light bomber of the 9th AF evades flak during a mission that showered the railroad marshalling yards at Loubais, Belgium with high explosives.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 91St Bomb Group Approach Their Target At Tours, France For Another Death-Dealing Blow At Enemy Installations On 5 January 1944.

Douglas C-47's of the 317th Troop Carrier Group approach the drop zone; soon paratroopers will cascade earthward from these planes. 30 September 1944, Luzon, Philippine Islands.

The Royal Navy during the Second World War Six Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers from Lee-on-Solent Fleet Air Arm Station flying in line ahead formation. The Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber is a combination of dive and torpedo bomber, and is the newest to come into service with the Fleet Air Arm.

J 26 flying over clouds, 1945 . airplane J 26 from F 16 Uppsala flies over clouds.

Formation Of Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" Of The Vii Bomber Command Over Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, 3 August 1944. This Is A Practice Formation To Test New Formation Shown By Lt. Colonel Earl R. Task Of Aaf Board, Orlando, Florida.

Over The Netherlands -- 9Th Troop Carrier Command'S Douglas C-47S Loaded With Paratroopers Head For Drop Zone During The Invasion Of Holland. 17 Sept. 1944.

Marauders over Namur. Here are some of the hundred and fifty-odd B-26 Marauder medium bombers of the 9th Air force which on April 10th seriously damaged the railway marshalling yards at Namur, 35 miles southeast of Brussel, in Belgium.

Martin B-26 Marauders in...

A dramatic photograph of two Consolidated B-24 bombers as they fly over and bomb the Boram airstrip at Wewak, New Guinea. The crews of these Liberators are known as "Ken's Men" after a popular Fifth Air Force bomber command leader. Gen. Kenney's

After dropping their bombs on the target-Japanese installations south-east of the village of Bunawan on Mindanao in the Philippines-two Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" of the 494th Bomb Group leave the scene of disaster with knowledge that their

A Formation Of Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" Of The 2Nd Bomb Division, 8Th Air Force, Enroute To Bomb Enemy Installations Somewhere In Europe, 24 November 1944 Replaced With 1943. 392 Bomb Group.

Tunis, Tunisia-Axis planes...

Royal Air Force Coastal Command, 1939-1945. Three Bristol Beaufort Mark Is of No. 217 Squadron RAF based at St Eval, Cornwall, on patrol off the Cornish coast.

Aircraft, Burma, India &CHEMICAL ACTIVITIES War

"ALTHOUGH ONE MOTOR'S GONE"--That happens to be the case with this "Flying ofrtress" of the 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air force, though alone now, was part of a formation of heavies dispatched to attack German-held target at Cognac, France

Boeing B-17, One In A Formation Of 'Flying Fortresses' Of The 452Nd Bomb Group Enroute To Blast A Vital Target In Nazi-Occupied France As Part Of A Plan To Pulverize All Vitally Important War Objectives. Nazi Airfield At Bordeaux, France, Was The Target

The Royal Navy during the Second World War Six Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers from Lee-on-Solent Fleet Air Arm Station in flight. The Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber is a combination of dive and torpedo bomber, and is the newest to come into service with the Fleet Air Arm.

CAUSE AND EFFECT AT PLOESTI. May 5th 1944 raid of the oil refineries and railroad marshalling yards of the heavily defended city of Ploesti, Rumania, by Flying Fortress and Liberator bombers of the U.S. Army 15th Air Force. This is one fo the planes

Army Air Forces Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses flying over the Dneiper River, Russia, on their way to their new American bases in that country. They are part of the first American bombers to participate in a shuttle mission from Italy to Russia.

Flight show with aircraft B 18 During flight day at F 2 HÅE flight show with aircraft B 18 During flight day at F 2 Hänernäs 1945

A formation of P-38's buzzes the field as the fighter planes return to their base in Italy after escorting heavy bombers over Austria, to help ward off enemy interceptors. These planes, part of Maj. Gen. Nathan F. Twining's U.S. Army 15th Air Force

A Formation Of North American B-25 Mitchell Bombers Of The 12Th Af Drop Their Bombs On An Enemy Target While Flying In Tight Formation. Italy.

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

During A Mission By The 93Rd Troop Carrier Squadron, 439Th Troop Carrier Group From An Air Base Somewhere In France, Douglas C-47S Tow Two Cg-4 Gliders Each. 27 March 1945.

Royal Air Force Operations in the Middle East and North Africa, 1939-1943. Vickers Wellington Mark IC, T2837 'LF-E', of No. 37 Squadron RAF based at Shallufa, Egypt, in flight, photographed from another aircraft of the Squadron.

P-51 Mustangs Of The 8Th Af Return From An Escort Mission To Lutzkendorf, Germany, 9 February 1945.

9th Air force North American P-51 "Mustangs" in flight

FLIGHT OF THE "600"-Flying over scattered cumulus clouds, this flight of Martin B-26 Marauders, shown in the background, made up of medium bombers each with a hundred missions or more to its credit, release their bombs on an enemy panzer

Gliders Participating In The Invasion Of France.

More Bombs Away: As the tempo of the battle is increased so is aerial bombing intensified. A Martin B-26 Silver Streak Marauder of the 9th Air Force over Torigni, France, which lies behind the battle lines, bombs an important road intersection.

Boeing B-17 airplane dropping incendiary bombs over Germany.

'France Flies Again' Is The Motto Of The Men Of The French Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder Group, Which Is Operating In The Mediterranean Theatre. On The Nose Of The Silver Marauder Is The Cross Of Lorraine, Insignia Of The Fighting French, While On The F

Vintage photograph. US Navy anti-submarine planes, Martin P4M-1 Mercators flying in unison

Framed By The Wing Of A Sister Plane, A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 381St Bomb Group Presents A Pretty Picture As It Drones On Toward The Target In Europe.

English SE5s and Bristol fighters fly against German Albatross aircraft in the skies over Europe Date: 1914 - 1918

The Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Rebel's Revenge" Takes Off From The 91St Bomb Group Base At Bassingbourne, England Enroute To Bomb An Enemy Target On 30 June 1943.

A Douglas A-20 Of The 410Th Bomb Group Flies Over A Pock-Marked Airfield Enroute To Bomb Enemy Installations. France.

In The Skies Over An Eighth Air Force Fighter Base In England, North American P-51 Mustangs Peel Off To Land, While Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Fly On To Their Home Base. On The Ground, Ground Crewmen Are 'Sweating 'Em Out'. 353Rd Ftr Group, Raydon En

This Consolidated B-24 Of The 15Th Air Force, One Of The Heavy Bombers That Attacked The Important German Aircraft Factory At Weiner Neustadt, South Of Vienna, Austria, On 12 April 44, Is Shown Here, In This Remarkable Photograph, Flying Over The Battered

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses Of The 91St Bomb Group, 8Th Air Force, Enroute To Target At Andres, France. 24 December 1943. (Altitude 21,000 Feet).

ENEMY ACTION: As their small part of more than 500 bombers of the 8th AAF loosed more than 1200 tons of incendiary and high explosive bombs on the important port, industrial and railway city of Bremen on Dec 20th they encountered stiff enemy

formation of Boeing B-17s show vapor trails.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Parachutists in action during the 2nd police action. A Dakoto with registration number T-442 can be seen from the window of an aircraft, further two more aircraft. December 19, 1948. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

France - Flak Bursts Are Short Of This Fort As It Makes Its Way Toward Its Home Base After Bombing An Enemy Installation. The 15Th Air Force Continues To Dispatch Its Heavy Bombers To Blast Every Operational Enemy Target Being Operated By The Huns.

Two trim North American B-25 Mitchells of the 12th Air Force, part of a precision-bombing formation over the rail bridge near Torre Beretti, in Northern Italy, drop their bombs in neat rows of four. The bridge, a key communications link 50 miles

Royal Air Force Bomber Command, 1942-1945. Handley Page Halifax Mark II Series 1s of No. 10 Squadron RAF based at Melbourne, Yorkshire, gain height in the failing evening light while outward bound on a raid to Turin, Italy.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC 4th Infantry Brigade ready for advance to Wingi. Catalina flight. December 1948. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" Of The 2Nd Bomb Division, 8Th Air Force, Enroute To Bomb Enemy Installations Somewhere In Europe. 24 November 1943. 93Rd Bomb Group.

Consolidated B-24 Liberators Of The 26Th And 431St Bomb Squadrons, 11Th Bomb Group, Attacked Japanese Shipping In The Harbor At Chichi Jima, Bonin Islands On 19 November 1944. Here, A Formation Of The Liberators Roar Over A Wide Expanse Of The Ocean.

Paratroopers and parapacked supplies spill out of flak-filled skies over the drop zone in the Rees-Wesel area as the greatest ever airborne invasion gets under way. An armada of over 1,500 troop-carrier aircraft dropped 40,000 paratroops and glider-borne infantry to spearhead the British Second Army's Rhine crossing. March 27, 1945. (Photo by Topical Press)

A Douglas A-20 Havoc light bomber of the 9th USAAF is seen over enemy territory a few seconds before the fatal burst of flak hit the plane. Note black puffs of flak near one wing.

Speedy A-20 Havoc light bombers of the U.S. 9th A.F. are pictured leaving the coast of France for England after an attack recently on enemy targets in the low countries. These extremely fast attack bombers, which have been operating from England

Four A-4F Skyhawk aircraft assigned to the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team, fly over the Severn River during Commissioning Week ceremonies at the US Naval Academy. The mast of a sailboat is visible to the left. Base: Annapolis State: Maryland (MD) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Dirt and flame spurt as flak-damaged 8th Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberator plows into Holland field.

Heavy incendiary bombs, together with explosives, fall toward the city of Dresden, Germany, as U.S. 8th AF heavies attack the Saxony capital following the R.A.F. night blows. Crews members of the 8th AF reported fires still burning from the R.A.F.

Douglas C-47S Towing Cg-4 Gliders On A Routine Mission Somewhere Over France. 12 March 1945.

GLIDERS DOT THE GERMAN LANDSCAPE--Allied gliders dot the German landscape behind the German front lines on the Rhine. Parachute troops were dropped, 24 March 1945 in advance of the Rhine-crossing ground troops by 1500 transports and

High In The Sub Stratosphere Over German Territory, This Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" Of The 91St Bomb Group 8Th Af Etches Vapor Trails. The Target On This Mission Is Brunswick, Germany. 30 Jan 1944. (Altitude 22,000 Feet).

A Formation Of North American P-51 "Mustangs" Flies Over Installations At Its English Base As It Heads Toward Europe On An Escort Mission In February 1945.

Drawing showing Air Battle-German plane attacking Released BPR. Boeing B-17s.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Inspection requirement General P.L.G. Doorman 2e part Grote Oost (October 1946). airport. October 1946. Celebes, Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I night-fighter of No. 264 Squadron RAF, silhouetted against the clouds during a low-level pass over its base at Biggin Hill, Kent, April 1941.

A Consolidated B-24 Of The 8Th Af Drops Its Lethal Load On Coastal Military Installations At Royan, France During A Raid On 15 April 1945. Note The Smoke Marker Which Has Just Been Dropped Also.

Vintage photograph. F2H banshee jets VMF - 122

Martin B-26 "Marauders" of First U.S. TAF chalk up bull's-eyes on their target, rail yards at Haslach, Germany during the campaign to disrupt Germany's battered transportation system. Feb. 1945.

Advanced Hq. Ninth Air Force Service Command. 'Somewhere In France' - Here Is The First "Flying Fortress" To Land On An American Air Field In France. Coming In Over An American Beachhead Jammed With Invasion Shipping, It Landed On A Rough Landing Strip

Fieseler Fi 156 Storch over Koslowitschi Operation Barbarossa - German Invasion of Russia, 1941 - 15th Infantary Division of the Thuringia-Kurhessen Division

The Royal Navy during the Second World War Six carrier-borne Grumman Avengers of the British Pacific Fleet flying over Royal Navy ships whilst the aircraft were on their way to bomb Japanese targets.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Inspectorate General H.J. Curls by Indonesia. Two B-25 Mitchell bombers, seen from the Mitchell bomber with which general curls flies. May 1947. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

B-25 "Mitchell" bombers of the U.S. Army 5th AF cover the boats of the landing forces as they approach Cape Gloucester, New Britain Island, for an attack on Japanese positions.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, Of The 381St Bomb Group, Wing Their Way Toward Enemy Targets Somewhere In Europe.

World War II, German Stuka dive bombers over Poland, 1939

'Battles Returning from a Raid', 1939-1940, (1941). Creator: Unknown.

This silver Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the 15th AAF rides serenely over billowing clouds as it wings it way toward its target. B-17 Fortresses have been part of the heavy bomber formations that have recently been smashing at the Hun's oil supply

A squad of German spitfire aircrafts flying in formation. The spitfire, is the most renowned fighter aircraft during the second World War. Dated c1940.

Europe - A Formation Of Martin B-26 Marauders Of The 34Th Bomb Squadron, 17Th Bomb Group En Route To Target In German-Occupied Territory.

Photograph of the flight of Arvo 'Ansons' of a general reconnaissance squadron. The squadron is working in conjunction with a destroyer patrol. Dated 1939

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