Transporting WAVES by air, November 1944

WAVEs en route to Naval Air Station, Olathe, Kansas, in a Douglas R4D-6 transport plane, accompanied by their instructor, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) N.J. Merrill. Most of the enlisted WAVES are strikers for the rate of Specialist (Transport Airman).
Those present are (from left to right):
LtJG Merrill; Yeoman 2nd Class Carolyn Fish; Seaman 2nd Class Gale Collier; Seaman 2nd Class Margaret Chapman; Seaman 2nd Class Gloria Marx; Yeoman 2nd Class Helen Niravelli; Seaman 2nd Class Marilyn Wheeler; and Seaman 2nd Class Helen Ranlett.
Note cargo track in the plane's deck.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives collection.

Online Image: 118KB; 740 x 615 

Reproductions may be available through the National Archives
available at: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/prs-tpic/females/wave-ww2.htm

No seat belts

A Lockheed P-38 Lightning of 154th Weather Squadron, an unit of the USAAF’s 15th Air Force very little known like so is very little known its mission: the weather reconnaissance and the role of “lead missions”. Formed from an Arkansas National Guard unit as 154th Observation Squadron on 4 Jul 1942, afterwards 154th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter), 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 Nov 1943 and finally, after a cycle in North Africa, 154th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron was assigned to the Twelfth Air Force and finally to the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy, at Bari, taking over the duty of 15th Air Force’s Weather Reconnaissance Detachment which on 13 February 1944 flew the first mission in Italy, over Rome. The news unit’s official name was 154th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (Medium), formed on 12 May 1944 and equipped with Lightning’s versions P-38 and F-4 (Reconnaissance). The operations was centered on weather reconnaissance and the 154th instituted the concept of “lead missions” in which a weather/recon plane preceded Fifteenth Air Force heavy bombers by 50-75 miles to the target and/or on return from the target sending real time radio weather data to the trailing bombers. The 154th WRS was innovative in the installation and use of the K-24 aerial camera. The weather flights, take off before 06.00 a.m. was long from 3 to 4 hours at 20,000-30,000 feet. The “led mission” preceded a group of bombers of the 15th Air Force by about 30 minutes, regularly reporting weather conditions to the bomb group(s). With this information, decisions was made as to whether to continue the mission. In many instances the P-38 reconnaissance aircraft remained over the target area and returned to base with photos of the bombing results. The Engineering Section of the 154th converted an F-4 Lightning (photo version of the P-38) into an R-1 recon ship with the nacelle of the aircraft modified for carrying an observer and with window. Victor Sierra

Lead missions

A North American P-51D Mustang of 319th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Group "Checkertail Clan" parked on Italian airfield, perhaps at Rimini-Miramare or Mondolfo, in front of the Adriatic coast, Northern Italy, 1944 or most probably 1945. Note the PSP (Pierced Steel Planking) covering the ramp area. The 325th was one of four Fighter Groups attached to 306th Fighter Wing in turn part of 15th Air Force’s XV Fighter Command for strategic bomber’s escort. Already equipped with P-40 and P-47 the Squadron received the Mustangs on May 1944. On March 1945 the Squadron escorted the 15th Air Force’s heavy bombers raiding the Daimler Benz Tank Works in Berlin, the longest Mustang flight ever flown over Europe. On 18 April 1945, the 319th Squadron’s Commanding Officer, Major Johnson, shot down a Me-262, first victory over a jet aircraft of “"Checkertail Clan". Victor Sierra