8 July 1944: Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress of the 15th Air Force’s 5th Bomb Wing, at this time headquartered at Foggia, Southern Italy, flies with No. 4 engine feathered and right wing smoking likely battle damages on a mission to Zwölfaxing, Austria. Victor Sierra

Battle damages over Austria

Toulon, 6 August 1944: the end of a B-24 “Liberator” of the 376th Bomb Group’s 513th Bomb Squadron, 47th Bomb Wing, 15th Air Force, based at Manduria, Apulia, Southern Italy, hit by a 88mm shell on the right wing. Few second after this photo the plane was hit a second 88mm shell near the bomb bay killing five crewmen. The four survivors bailed out: three POW, another escaped the capture and was concealed until the liberation of the Southern France. Victor Sierra

End of a bomber

65th FS flightline, Grosseto airfield, Tuscany, Italy: the 57th Fighter Group’s 65th Fighter Squadron line vie by above, likely from a Stinson L-5 observation airplane. According the photo caption (from the Lt. James C. "Wabbit" Hare’s collection), «the 65th FS Armament house to right of flightline, half hidden behind wing strut of camera plane. 65th FS Operations house at bottom. Both houses still there, area now is public entrance to Grosseto Aeroporto. The Op's house is the "Podere Sant'Antonio"». The 57th Fighter Group, equipped with P-47D Thunderbolt, was based at Grosseto from 25 September 1944 until 28 April 1945. Today Grosseto Airport is an Italian Air Force’s MOB (Main Operating Base), placed in the NATO’s airbases network, location of the 4th Stormo “Amedeo Duca d’Aosta” with 9th Gruppo Volo (Flight Group), equipped with Eurofighter Typhoon, and 20th Gruppo, Eurofighter Typhoon’s OCU-Operational Conversion Unit with Eurofighter Typhoon two-seat. Victor Sierra