Corsica, Alto airfield, base of the USAAF’s 57th Fighter Group from 24 March to 17 September 1944: remote area lifting hoist very mobile and used mostly for lifting P-47 Thunderbolt tail section, attaches to front of Cat, uses winch for power. Photo by the album of the Master Sergeant Fred M. Symmank, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Chief, 65th Fighter Squadron “Fighting Cocks”, 57th Fighter Group. Victor Sierra



Lifting the Thunderbolt

Sicily, Pachino or Scordia, Summer 1943: mechanics of the 64th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, USAAF, painting the Squadron insignia, the “Black Scorpions”, on a newly acquired bus. In reality the bus, an Italian-built Fiat 626, is a commandeered vehicle, likely to Regia Aeronautica. And also the compressor in foreground seem of Italian origin… Some photos taken when the 57th Fighter Group was deployed at Grosseto, Tuscany, show a similar bus: likely the same of this photo or another equally commandeered (the bus built over Fiat 626 chassis were many commons in the Italy of this time). As the USAAF’s units, also the 57th FG had a very rich abundance of vehicles, but, evidently, was short of bus… Notice in background a P-40 waiting, it to, the paint of the Squadron’s emblem. Victor Sierra

An Italian bus for the “Black Scorpions”

P-61A-1-NO Black Widow "Midnight Mickey" S/N 42-5524 of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, 20th Air Force July 19,1944.