Tirana airfield (Tiranë-Laprakë), Albania, 24 October 1943: the attack made by 36 North American B-25 medium bomber of the USAAF’s 321st Bombardment Group, 57th Bomb Wing, took-off from Grottaglie Airdrome, Southern Italy, loaded with 20 lbs fragmentation bombs. The American bombers raided the target from 10/11,000 ft observing about 25 enemies airplane in aircraft boneyard at NW and 25/30 other on field including 15 He 111 and Ju 52 at SW corner plus transports parked on field parallel to runway, and 5/6 around perimeter. 13 German aircraft was claimed destroyed. B-25 lost: none. Victor Sierra

Tirana airfield raided

Actor James Cagney christening the B-17 Yankee Doodle Dandy  at Framlingham Airfield England, 1944.
Source: United States Army Air Forces via the Eighth Air Force Archives.
Identikit: Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-95-DL Fortress 44-83884 "Yankee Doodle Dandy" 




Yanky Doodle Dandy

Northrop P-61B-2-NO "Black Widow" of USAAF’s 414th Night Fighter Squadron based in Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. The aircraft of the photo, #42-39486, was lost when crashed near Reggiolo, (Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy) in the night of April 22, 1945. At this time the 414th NFS, which replaced the their Beaufighters with P-61s in Dec.1944, were based at Pontedera, Tuscany. Victor Sierra