The return at home, Manduria Airfield, Southern Italy, of “Impatient Virgin II", a bomber of USAAF’s 721st Bomb Squadron, 450th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force, after an encounter with German fighters during a mission over Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on the May 31,1944. “Impatient Virgin II" is a B-24H Liberator Douglas-built (Douglas-Tulsa B-24H-15-DT Liberator, serial number s/n 41-28827, tail number 34). The 721st BS was deployed at Manduria from December 20, 1943 to May 12, 1945. Victor Sierra

A nasty experience

war in pacific

An American bomber B-24J Liberator trails smoke from interior left engine as it flies through heavy flak over Vienna. Excepting a lone air raid of Russian Pe-2s, 4 September 1942, Vienna was attacked by air only from 1944 when was reached by Allied bombers deployed on the bases of the Foggia Airfield Complex, Southern Italy. With a ring of anti-aircraft batteries set up around the city and three pairs of Flak Towers, Vienna was a very hard target for American bombers during WW2. The plane of this photo is a 451st Bombardment’s ship, 49th Bomb Wing, US Army Air Force. Based at Castelluccio Airfield, Foggia Airfield Complex, the 451st was one of the most decorated 15th Air Force’s units, but also one of the most battered: 135 B-24s lost in 216 missions.