Consolidated B-24J "Ho Hum": 400th. Bombardment Squadron

     “Ho Hum”, a Consolidated B-24J (#42-109983) of the 400th. Bombardment Squadron (BS; the “Black Pirates”), 90th. Bombardment Group (BG; the “Jolly Rogers”). The 400th. BS was activated on April 15, 1942 and soon moved to Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, Michigan to commence conversion training on new model B-24 bombers (at this time, the B-24D). By the close of 1942, the 400th. BS was flying missions out of Queensland, Australia. Japanese targets in Palau, southern Philippines, New Guinea, and others felt the iron rain delivered by the “Black Pirates.” In January 1945, the 400th. BS moved to the Philippines, flying out of McGuire Field which was located on the Philippine island of Mindoro. From there, targets included Luzon and Formosa among others. The war, however, would end for “Ho Hum” and most of her crew on April 8, 1945. 

     Shortly after take-off for a mission against Japanese targets near Shinchin, Formosa, “Ho Hum” exploded and crashed into the waters off Penden Island. Rescue personnel who rushed to the scene were able to save 2LT Andre L. Sikes, SSG Drezol W. Gault, and SGT Richnel J. Shaut but the rest of the crew went down with the wreckage and their bodies never recovered. Killed were 2LT William P. Boceal, 2LT James C. Kotsakos, 2LT Charles F. Sinning, TSGT Alfred R. Foterson, TSGT Walter J. Schneider, SSG Adrian V. Tapscott, and CPL William G. Hatley. The survivors, all of which were classified as being in serious condition, were likely taken to one of the evacuation hospitals located in the Philippines (probably the 92nd. Evacuation Hospital) where they were stabilized and treated until they could safely be flown to the 13th. Station Hospital in Townsville, Australia to complete recovery. The cause of the explosion was determined to have been due to a failure somewhere in the fuel transfer system which moved fuel from one tank to another (a B-24 had eighteen fuel tanks).

     Today, the former site of the 13th. Station Hospital is partly occupied by the Holy Spirit Primary School. McGuire Field is today the San Jose Airport, having opened in 1951 following a renovation of the former airfield facilities after the abandonment of the field by the U.S. when World War Two ended. The 400th. BS was deactivated on January 27, 1946. It would be reactivated as the 400th. Missile Squadron on July 1, 1964 before being deactivated again on October 4, 2005. During these years, the unit was equipped with the LGM-30B Minuteman I, LGM-30G Minuteman III, and finally the LGM-118 Peacekeeper (better known as the MX Missile).

Consolidated B-24H “Darling Darlene”: 826th. Bombardment Squadron

     The Consolidated B-24H “Darling Darlene” belonged to the 826th. Bombardment Squadron, 484th. Bombardment Group, 49th. Bombardment Wing, 15th. Air Force. The bomber carried the serial number 42-52633. The nose art was painted by Joseph Dickman. Legible crew names include LT W.D. Rowland (navigator) and LT J.J. Petrie (co-pilot). The position behind the co-pilot was the radio operator/top turret gunner. The bomber was one of the original assigned to the 826th. BS and her crew chief was James Jones, Jr. The bomber was flown to Torretto Field on March 20, 1944. The airfield opened on February 1944 and was located a little under 9 miles from the Italian town of Cerignola. It would serve as the base of operations for the 484th. BG. The 826th. BS conducted long range bombing missions into Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, striking Axis infrastructure and military targets. 

     While on a mission on June 9, 1944, “Darling Darlene” suffered combat damage while over Munich, Germany which caused one engine to fail. The bomber put down at Vis Air Base on the Croatian island of Vis. Repairs were effected there and the bomber would return to Torretto Field. “Darling Darlene” would survive the war, returning to the U.S. on May 29, 1945. Torretto Field would be shut down and abandoned on August 1945, the land returned to agricultural use. 

     The 826th. BS would shift roles in May 1945 when it came under the control of Air Transport Command, the B-24s used as ferries for personnel and cargo transport. In July 1945, the 826th. was stood down.
 

The German 7.7cm FK 96 n.A.: Improvised Anti-Aircraft Gun

      As a weapon of war, aircraft came into their own during World War One (WW1). By the close of the war in 1918, airplanes were a far cry from their predecessors at the start in 1914. Not surprisingly, the means to combat airplanes and remove them from the skies evolved as well. Dedicated anti-aircraft guns did not come about immediately and so most of the major warring powers during WW1 devised ad-hoc apparatus to enable existing guns to point skyward. Field artillery was not designed to fire at high angle and so such guns did not have the ability to elevate the gun tube to such degrees. So, there was the need to raise the gun itself to allow for more elevation as well as provide enough clearance for the gun to recoil without hitting the ground. This particular German solution is quite elaborate compared to other, cruder apparatus. 

     The gun is the German 7.7cm FK 96 n.A. (neuer Art; meaning “new Style”) and it is mounted on a carriage which is fixed centrally on the ground. This allowed the entire contraption to be moved 360 degrees via a long pole set in the back (not fitted in this photograph) which was pushed by a portion of the crew. Elevation was set via the adjusting mechanism at the back of the carriage. This was accomplished by an artilleryman sitting in the seat above it and turning a wheel which would allow more rapid adjustment of the gun. This same man would also use the anti-aircraft gun sight to bring the cannon to bear and no doubt directed the crew members assigned to traversing the carriage. All told, the crew consisted of about eight men. Interestingly, this specific carriage design was used on other guns (as other photographic evidence shows) but it is possible that other images depict guns of the same unit (and thus locally fabricated) rather than an issued piece of equipment in use by other artillery troops. In short order, dedicated anti-aircraft guns and mounts would be constructed and used by Germany, France, and Britain prior to the cessation of hostilities in 1918.

Char B1 bis (n° 361) “Silvaner”: Knocked Out Near Pommery Farm

     From June 9-10, 1940, French forces were in action against German advances along the Asine and Retourne Rivers. In the effort to relieve beleaguered French troops in the town of Perthes, a two-pronged counter-attack to throw back the Germans was conducted. From the south, Lieutenant-Colonel Salanié led a mixed group of forces consisting of light tanks from the 45e BCC, elements of the 31e Régiment de Dragons Portés, and 1st. Company of the 41e BCC. The latter formation consisted of ten heavy Char B1bis tanks of which “Silvaner” was one. 

     The tank, built by AMX, was incorporated into the 1st. Company, 41e BCC on June 6, 1940, having started with the 3rd. Company, 49e BCC. At this time, the tank was commanded by Lieutenant Jean-Marc Dives and crewed by driver Sergeant Jean Rochet, radio operator Bocacci, and gunner Bois. On June 10, north of Juniville, the French force ran into elements of the 1st. Panzer Division and 2nd. Panzer Regiment. 1st. Company (commanded by Capitaine Billotte) rolled into action but was soon encircled by 2nd. Panzer Regiment forces near Pommery Farm. Surrounded and taking fire from German tanks, anti-tank guns, and even field guns using direct fire, the French tanks had little choice but to fight their way out and in so doing, lost four tanks in the skirmish of which “Silvaner” was one. 

     One shot went right into the driver’s cupola while another (not visible in this view) completely caved in the side armor around the driver’s compartment. Perhaps not surprisingly from such hits, Sergeant Rochet did not survive. The remainder of the crew was able to abandon the tank. All in all, the French launched the counter-attacks without the support of artillery or air support. The latter, due to the Luftwaffe having complete air superiority, allowed the Germans to bring French forces under fire and allow effective aerial reconnaissance which granted the Germans the ability to blunt and push back the French attacks.

The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard: The Bundeswehr's Potent SPAAG

      A West German crewman of a Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard (Anti-Aircraft Cannon Tank “Cheetah”), more commonly referred to as the Flakpanzer Gepard, shows off a section of linked 35mm ammunition for the Gepard's twin 35mm Oerlikon GDF automatic cannons. The advent of the jet aircraft in the ground attack role meant that existing self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs) which relied on visual (optical) sighting (also called “clear weather” systems) and manual fire controls were rapidly on the road to obsolescence. The deployment by the Soviet Union of the ZSU-23-4 “Shilka” (Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka; Anti-Aircraft Self-Propelled System) beginning in 1965 which featured the RPK-2 “Tobol” (NATO codename Gun Dish) radar linked to its four 23mm 2A7 autocannons was something that the West had to fear as no NATO country had anything comparable. The U.S. Army did have the T249 Vigilante, a radar-controlled 37mm six-barrel rotary cannon that was capable of spitting out 3,000 rounds per minute. Mounted on a modified M113 armored personnel carrier chassis, development of the T249 started in 1956, one year prior to the start of the ZSU-23-4 program. However, by 1962, the T249 was canceled in favor of the General Dynamics MIM-46 Mauler self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system. Meanwhile, Germany commenced work on the Flapanzer Gepard in 1963 with the first four prototypes being constructed in 1969. These prototypes tested both 30mm and 35mm automatic cannons and on June 25, 1970, it was decided that the Gepard was to utilize the 35mm Oerlikon GDF guns. A year later, a further twelve prototypes were built. The Gepard was not an inexpensive piece of equipment with one Gepard having three times the price of a single Leopard 1 main battle tank (MBT). On February 5, 1973, the approval of funds for the purchase of 420 examples was given and in September of 1973, Krauss-Maffei was contracted to construct and assemble the new SPAAG. The first Gepards entered Bundeswehr service beginning in December 1976.

     The chassis of the Gepard consists of a Leopard 1 MBT hull with only a minimal of design changes. The key changes included adding more batteries, slightly increasing the distance between the third and fourth road wheel, and adding a Daimler-Benz OM 314 4-cylinder auxiliary diesel engine into a compartment that originally housed ammunition for the Leopard 1's main gun. This auxiliary engine generates 66 kilowatts and provides power to two tandem Metadyn machines linked to a flywheel which controls the turret traverse and gun elevation drives, two 3-phase 380 Hertz generators that operate the ventilation, fire control, and radar systems, and a Model 300-A 28 volt DC generator for the Gepard's electrical system. 260 gallons of diesel fuel feed the engine and provides up to a maximum of 48 hours of continuous usage. The engine is the same as the Leopard 1, being a MTU built Model 838 10-cylinder multi-fuel engine that produces 819 horsepower which gives the Gepard a maximum speed of 40mph with an operational range of 340 miles. The chassis modifications were done by Krauss-Maffei and also Porsche.

     The twin 35mm Oerlikon GDF guns and the turret were designed by Oerlikon-Bührle with the guns having a muzzle velocity of 4,700 feet per second that give an effective range of 5,500 meters. Each gun is supplied with link belted ammunition with a mixture of 320 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition and 20 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition for a total capacity of 680 rounds. The combined rate of fire for the guns is 1,100 rounds per minute. Maximum gun elevation is 85 degrees with the maximum gun depression being 10 degrees. Fitted to the back of the turret on a retractable arm is the search radar developed by Hollandse Signaalapparaten while fitted to the front of the turret is the tracking radar, designed by Siemens. The search radar operates in the S band and has a 9 mile range while the tracking radar operates in the Ku band and also has a 9 mile range. In addition, the Gepard is equipped with a laser rangefinder. This provides the Gepard with all-weather fire-control. For self-defense, eight smoke grenade launchers are fitted to the turret, four per side. For protection, the turret has approximately 40mm of armor while the hull has between 50mm to 70mm of frontal armor, 35mm of side armor, and 25mm of rear armor. The armor type is RHA (rolled homogeneous armor).

     Today, the Gepard has been replaced in Bundeswehr service by the missile-armed Wiesel 2 Ozelot (“Ocelot”) Leichtes Flugabwehrsystem (Light Anti-Aircraft System). Brazil, Jordan, and Romania are the only current operators of the Gepard with Qatar to be the fourth with 15 expected to be in service by 2022 for anti-drone duties.

     As a note, the MIM-46 Mauler mentioned above ended up canceled in 1965. During the time of the Gepard's development, the U.S. came up with the M163 Vulcan Air Defense System (VADS) which utilized the General Dynamics M61 20mm 6-barrel Vulcan rotary cannon linked to a simple AN/VPS-2 range finder radar and M61 optical lead-calculating sight. Usage of a night vision sight allowed the M163 to have day and night firing capability. It was to work in conjunction with the missile-armed M48 Chaparral and thus between the two, short to long range engagements of enemy aircraft could be conducted. The M163 used the M113 chassis while the M48 utilized the M730 chassis, the latter a heavily modified carrier variant of the M113. In 1977, the U.S. Army started the M247 Sergeant York DIVAD (Division Air Defense) SPAAG project. Built on a M48 Patton tank chassis, the M247 was developed by Ford Aerospace and consisted of twin 40mm Bofors L/70 cannons in turret which also contained the search radar and the Westinghouse AN/APG-66 tracking radar. The entire M247 program was riddled with problems, not the least of which the M247 was built using as much “off the shelf” components as possible. Other problems included an easily jammed electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM suite), the inability of the M247 to keep pace with the M1 Abrams MBT, a turret which turned too slow to engage fast moving targets, a tracking radar which was incapable of detecting targets from ground clutter and had a slow reaction time, and huge cost overruns. After 50 vehicles were built, the entire project was canceled in August 1985. In the meantime, the U.S. Army kept on using the M163 and M48 Chaparral into the 1990s before the introduction of the M6 Linebacker and later, the M1097 Avenger.

Consolidated Liberator B Mk.VI "V-Victor": Accident Over Monfalcone

     British bomber crews, like their American counterparts, faced a multitude of dangers. Enemy fighters and fighter-bombers, anti-aircraft fire, and even mechanical issues all posed hazards. But another danger was “friendly fire” accidents and this photograph is evidence of that. On March 16, 1945, the Consolidated Liberator B Mk.VI (the British designation for the B-24H) “V-Victor” (code KK320) of No. 37 Squadron RAF (Royal Air Force) was part of a bombing raid on the ship and marshaling yards in Monfalcone, Italy. “V-Victor” was piloted by Squadron Leader Lionel C. Saxby while other members of the eleven man crew included Pilot Officer (P/O) G.T. Barker (navigator), K.H. Westrope (tail gunner), Wally Lewis (top turret gunner), and Cliff Hurst (radio operator). Included in the raid were bombers from No.70 Squadron RAF of which one of the aircraft was another Liberator B Mk.VI, “R-Roger”. Both squadrons were part of No.231 Wing RAF which itself was part of No. 205 Group RAF, flying out of Tortorella Airfield in Italy. As the bombers reached their targets over Monfalcone, at 12,000ft., they began to release their payloads that consisted of 1,000lb GP (General Purpose) bombs. It isn't exactly known if “R-Roger” or “V-Victor” drifted from formation but the pilot of “R-Roger” was not aware “V-Victor” was now almost directly underneath them.

     Two bombs from “R-Roger” struck “V-Victor”. The first bomb hit directly on the top turret, shattering it while crumpling the upper fuselage, and then passed through the fuselage, creating a significant tear in the aluminum skinning. Fortunately for Wally Lewis, he had not been manning the turret at the time but was actually struck by the bomb as it passed through the fuselage, the glancing blow enough to render him unconscious. Cliff Hurst, whose radio station was located near the turret, suffered numerous small injuries from the shards of metal that whipped through his compartment, helped by the buffeting winds howling through the shredded fuselage. The second bomb struck the port, inner engine, buckling the cowling to the point the winds ripped away several pieces. The bomb also skidded off the cowling and knocked the propeller off in addition to causing the engine to trail smoke. Immediately after the hits, “V-Victor” quickly lost altitude and entered into a dive. Some of the crew made ready to abandon the stricken plane but Squadron Leader Saxby was able to recover from the dive and piloted “V-Victor” back the 300 miles to Tortorella Airfield, landing the bomber without incident. The photograph shows “V-Victor” after landing, the crew and maintenance men examining the damage. Baxby can be seen in the fuselage gash while the navigator, P/O Barker, is looking over the wrecked turret from a hatch while a mechanic assesses the extent of the engine damage.

     Although the damage was significant, it wasn't too severe that it could not be repaired. However, “V-Victor” was written off on April 26, 1945. In part, the decision to not repair the Liberator could have been due to the fact that the squadron was relocating to Aqir, Palestine beginning on October 2, 1945 and not long after, in December 1945, moved to Shallufa, Egypt where No.37 Squadron was eventually stood down on March 31, 1946.

The British FV4401 Contentious: An Ambitious Airmobile Tank

     One of the more interesting post-World War Two tank designs was the British FV4401 Contentious. The intent of the FV4401 was to provide a light (up to 20-tons), easily transportable armored fighting vehicle (AFV) that could be air dropped and provide armored support for airborne and rapid deployment forces. There were two designs put forward under the FV4401 designation. The first was a one man, thinly armored vehicle fitted with two 120mm L6 WOMBAT recoilless rifles, the latter being used due to their light weight. Each L6 was equipped with a autoloader fed from a seven-round rotary magazine. This first design was more of a tank destroyer, akin to the Japanese Type 60 tank destroyer developed from 1956 to 1960. The second design is the focus here. 

     Work commenced on the two-man FV4401 (sometimes called the Contentious II) in the mid-1950s and the design had a number of novel features. For armament, the Ordnance QF 20-pounder (84mm) gun was initially selected as, at the time, it was a excellent gun and was also used in the British Centurion main battle tank (MBT). Rather than put the gun in a true turret from the outset, the gun was fitted into the hull of the prototype in a very limited traverse mounting. This kept the height of the FV4401 low and also saved weight. The gun was provided with an autoloader which could effectively fire twelve rounds per minute. To elevate and depress the gun, the FV4401 was fitted with suspension that could be raised and lowered and to provide additional traverse, the tank was turned in place. To speed aiming, the gun had an optical light pulse sight which was tied into a servo that allowed for automatic adjustment of the gun and monitored the alignment of the gun as a whole. This was akin to an early implementation of a Movement Reporting System (MRS). Both the commander and the gunner had complete driving and gunnery controls. For armor protection, the front glacis was to feature horizontal rows of metal ridges. The purpose was to break up incoming projectiles before they struck the armor proper. Behind this was a four foot empty space that was filled with diesel fuel. When full, the fuel provided the equivalent of twenty-four inches of armor and behind that was a 40mm thick back plate which separated the fuel compartment from the crew compartment. Components for the initial prototype, namely the lower chassis, were taken from a British FV4101 Charioteer medium tank, the road wheels from the FV300 series (a project for lightweight armored fighting vehicles), and for an engine, a Rolls-Royce B Range diesel engine was used. This engine series, topping out at 187 horsepower for the B81 model (as used in the FV430 AFV series), wasn't to be the final engine fit as the Contentious II was to use an engine developing between 300 to 500 horsepower. The FV4401 was envisioned that at the sacrifice of added weight, a turret could be fitted as well as be fully Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) sealed. The proposed turret was to be low in profile so as not to add significant height to the Contentious II.

     Sometime in the late 1950s, the FV4401 Contentious II prototype was completed. It was far more of a test vehicle for the adjustable suspension, gun mounting, and fire controls as the prototype was unarmored and the fuel tanks were situated outside the tank, secured to the track guards. The armor concept had been tested and showed that ignition of the diesel fuel following penetration did not occur. If a fire was started, the crew compartment offered some protection and it was planned to house the fuel within the space in armored tanks which would be able to contain any explosion. The explosion risk came more from the tank being penetrated when the fuel level was low and fumes were more in abundance within. To minimize fuel loss, the fuel in the front part of the hull were to be inside compartmentalized tanks. This novel armor, however, was not fitted to the prototype but would have had the Contentious II program continued and more refined prototypes produced. The 20-pounder gun was sighted to 2,000 yards and at that range, the Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) ammunition could penetrate 290mm of rolled homogeneous armor and at 1,000 yards, it could punch through 330mm of armor. This was more than enough to deal with two of the most common Soviet tanks, the T-54 and T-55. Ranging was accomplished by a pulse radar (seen here on the bracket above the gun). Despite the good performance of the 20-pounder gun, work was done on up-gunning the Contentious II with either a 120mm gun, a 155mm gun, or even a larger caliber gun.

     As for being air dropped, tests were done using steel constructed replicas in the general shape of the turreted Contentious II design starting in November 1956. They were deployed from a Blackburn Beverley heavy transport, the replicas fitted directly with skids and air bags as a form of impact cushioning. However, these tests were not overly successful, the steel showing significant damage from the landing forces despite the parachute braking and air bags. At least one of the damaged replicas ended up as a range target after impacting the ground, the test personnel seeing no worthwhile reason to recover it.

     The FV4401 Contentious II prototype was also tested at Lulworth Range in Dorset, England, against a 6X6 vehicle, the TV1000 Rhino, which was envisioned in a similar role as the FV4401 but using wheels. The TV1000 had stability problems, the rubber on the wheels wore out at an alarming rate, and the TV1000 used skid steering, much like a tank does, and thus offered little over the FV4401 which was deemed superior. 

     Despite the novel features and relative success during testing, the FV4401 was not put into production nor were further prototypes completed (some sources say at least two more were built) in the FV4401's final form. Had the FV4401 entered service, it would have given British airborne forces a significantly more advanced weapon in comparison to the U.S. M56 Scorpion which entered service in 1957 and would have also been superior to the Soviet ASU-57 airborne assault gun that began service in 1951.

     Today, the prototype shown in the photograph at Kirkcudbright Training Area survives to this day, able to be seen at the Tank Museum at Bovington in Dorset, England. Unlike the photograph, the FV4401 at Bovington is armed with a Royal Ordnance L7 105mm gun which was added for display purposes.

Northrop P-61B-1 "The Spook": 548th. Night Fighter Squadron

(U.S. Army Signal Corps)

     On April 20, 1945, the Northrop P-61B-1 Black Widow (serial number 42-39405) named “The Spook” was returning to Central Field located on Iwo Jima following a night patrol. Aboard was pilot Lieutenant Melvin Bode, radar operator Lieutenant Avery J. Miller, and gunner Staff Sergeant John Hope. “The Spook” was part of the 548th. Night Fighter Squadron (NFS), 7th. Air Force and tasked with performing combat air patrols and nocturnal escort operations for the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses of the 20th. Air Force flying out of both Saipan and Iwo Jima. Heavy fog obscured the landing field and so Lt. Bode decided to make a blind landing with the assistance of the airfield's AN/MPN-1 unit. The AN/MPN-1 (Mobile, Pulsed, Navigation aid) consisted of a 2 ½-ton 6x6 truck that mounted two PE-127 power units, an air conditioning unit, and spare parts for the radar trailer it towed. The trailer contained a radar set that provided range and azimuth data out to 30 miles and up to 4,000 feet in ceiling. In addition to the radar, the trailer housed HF (High Frequency) and VHF (Very High Frequency) communication to aircraft via a SCR-274 transmitter and BC-342 receiver. The operator, who had a booth inside the trailer, provided guidance to the pilot based on the radar readings. Unfortunately, “The Spook” was caught by a strong cross wind during the landing, causing the plane to drift. It clipped a parked P-61B (“Anonymous III”) before belly landing off the main runway. No injuries were sustained but it was the last flight for “The Spook” as the damage was too extensive to repair and so the aircraft was written off. The last entry known for “The Spook” was on June 6, 1949 where the aircraft was checked into Clark Field in the Philippines for reclamation (ergo, scrapping).

     The 548th. NFS was a fairly short lived unit. Activated on April 10, 1944, the unit deployed to Central Field, Iwo Jima in late January 1945 following months of training, patrol missions around Hawaii, and having to wait for their P-61 aircraft to be modified for operations in the Pacific Theater. Arriving at Central Field by the close of February 1945, the unit commenced long range patrols over the ocean. On several occasions, aircraft of the 548th. NFS encountered Imperial Japanese Air Force (IJA) Mitsubishi G4M bombers that more often than not, upon seeing the P-61s, jettisoned their payload and retreated. While this did not make for many kill scores for the unit, they were a deterrent which protected the airfields from attack. On June 13, 1945, the unit relocated to Ie Shima island near Okinawa and conducted nocturnal patrols over the Okinawa area and towards the end of the war, shifted to nocturnal intruder raids and conducting weather observations for B-29 bombers raiding the Japanese home islands. When the war ended, the ground personnel were reassigned to the Army of Occupation in September 1945 while the unit's aircraft were put into storage in Okinawa and Clark Field in the Philippines. All told, the 548th. NFS downed five enemy aircraft: three Mitsubishi G4M bombers, one Nakajima Ki-44 fighter, and one Nakajima A6M2-N floatplane. On December 19, 1945, the unit was inactivated. The unit was revived again as the 548th. Special Operations Training Squadron from October 15, 1969 to July 31, 1973 where the unit training pilots and crews of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in how to fly and operate the Douglas C-47 Skytrooper, AC-47 Spooky gunship, and to a lesser extent, the EC-47 Phyllis Ann electronic warfare aircraft. For a third time, the unit was revived, this time as the 548th. Combat Training Squadron on July 1, 1994 and it remains active to this day out of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana with a detachment based at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

     As for the P-61, it was the only “built from the ground up” night fighter deployed by the Allies during World War Two. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder, air-cooled, radial piston engines that drove 4-bladed Curtiss Electric constant-speed propellers. These engines gave the P-61 a top speed of 366mph at 20,000 feet. Armament consisted of four 20mm AN/M2 Hispano cannons in a ventral tray with 200 rounds per gun and four .50 caliber M2 Browning machine-guns in a remotely operated, 360 degree traverse upper turret with each gun provided with 560 rounds of ammunition. For ground attack, the P-61 could carry up to four bombs up to 1,600 pounds each or six 5” HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket) unguided rockets. Avionics included the SCR-720 search radar and the SCR-695 tail warning radar. A total of 706 examples of the P-61 were built and the type was retired from service in 1954. Only four aircraft are known to exist today and includes a P-61C-1 (serial number 43-8353) on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. It is painted in the livery of “Moonlight Serenade”, a P-61B-1 that was operated by the 550th. NFS.

     Finally, as a side, the coloration of “The Spook” was all black with red propeller spinners and cowl flaps with the propeller tips in yellow. The underside of the nose had a smiling pair of lips in red with white teeth, a white eye with a black dot and green iris with a gray bottom eyelid on either side of the nose and on the front, a white outline of a stylized human nose. The name of the aircraft consisted of “The” in white cursive with “Spook” in white with both of the “o” in the name being angry eyes with gray irises inside each “o”.

 

Northrop P-61A-1 "Nightie Mission": 6th. Night Fighter Squadron

(U.S. Army Signal Corps)

     The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first dedicated night fighter to be built and deployed by the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). It was also the first fighter to be designed with internally mounted radar equipment. Heavily armed with four forward firing Hispano M2 20mm cannons in the fuselage and a dorsal turret equipped with four Browning M2 .50cal. machine-guns, the P-61 saw service in all theaters in World War Two. 

     This photograph depicts “Nightie Mission”, a P-61A-1-NO belonging to the 6th. Night Fighter Squadron (NFS), being serviced in preparation for a mission. Sent to the Pacific Theater, the 6th. NFS operated from Saipan with the first sortie being flown on June 25, 1944. The primary mission of the 6th. NFS was to defend the Saipan airfields from Japanese attack given that Boeing B-29 Superfortresses were using Saipan as a launch point for attacks against the Japanese main islands. The 6th. NFS had a long history, being activated in 1917 then stood down in 1947. However, in 2017, the unit was reactivated as the 6th. Weapons Squadron and will be equipped with the Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightening II for the purposes of generating weapons instruction material for pilot training. 

     Returning to “Nightie Mission”, pilot 1LT Francis “Lil Ab” Eaton, Radar Operator 2LT James “Chief” Ketchum, and gunner S/Sgt. William Anderson, III claimed a kill of a Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” bomber on July 7, 1944. This would be the only kill “Nightie Mission” was to achieve. The aircraft was written off on August 5, 1945 due to extensive damage caused on the ground by a typhoon.
 

Leutnant der Reserve Paul-Georg Kleffel: 4./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3

     Born on September 7, 1920 in Billerbeck, Germany, Paul-Georg Kleffel's early life isn't much known and in fact, much of what we do know concerns his military career. In 1939, Kleffel joined the German Heer (Army), his qualifications permitting him to apply from the outset as a reserve officer (Reserveoffiziere). He was sent to one of the five Kriegsschulen (War Schools) within Germany to attend the standard eight week training course which Kleffel successfully passed, graduating with the rank of Leutnant der Reserve (2nd. Lieutenant) sometime in 1941. 

     Kleffel was posted to the 4./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3 (4th. Company, 3rd. Reconnaissance Detachment) which was part of the 3. Panzerdivision. The division was the third of the original three panzer divisions created by the German Army, being formed on October 15, 1935. The 3. Panzerdivision saw action during the invasion of Poland, combat in Belgium, and saw action during the Battle of France. Kleffel, however, did not go into battle with the division until Unternehmen Barbarossa (Operation Barbarossa), the invasion of Russia, that kicked off on June 22, 1941. 3. Panzerdivision was under the XXIV. Armeekorps as part of the 2. Panzerarmee which itself was under Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group Center).

     Kleffel remained with the 4./Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3 for the entirety of the war but curiously, much of his early combat career on the Eastern Front isn't well documented. In fact, the two volume series “Armored Bears: The German 3rd. Panzer Division in World War II”, written by veterans of the 3rd. Panzer Division, makes no mention of Kleffel until his actions in 1943-1944. What we do know is that his first position in the 4th. Kompanie was as a Zugführer (platoon leader). It was during this time that Kleffel was decorated with the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd. Class), Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st. Class), Nahkampfspange in Bronze (Close Combat Clasp in Bronze), and the Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal) which is more often referred to as the Ostmedaille (Eastern Medal). The latter, a campaign medal, was received for service in Russia between November 15, 1941 and April 15, 1942. On November 16, 1943, Kleffel (now a Oberleutnant der Reserve;1st. Lieutenant) was awarded with the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross). This decoration was received for either repeated acts of bravery under fire or for examples of exceptional military leadership. A part of the prerequisite to being awarded this medal was to already have earned the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse which Kleffel had.

     On April l13, 1944, now Kompaniechef (Company Commander) of the 4th. Kompanie, Kleffel and his unit was situated in a wooded area to the east of Orhei (today in the Republic of Moldova). There, they spotted Soviet infantrymen advancing through the woods and Kleffel understood that if the Soviets were allowed to establish themselves there, it would pose a very real threat to the German defensive lines to the south of Orhei. Without orders, Kleffel moved to attack, committing eight Schützenpanzerwagen (SPW), the term German officers used for the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 (Sd.Kfz 251) half-track. As the half-tracks crested a hill, Soviet anti-tank guns greeted them but skillful use of the terrain and mobility of the half-tracks allowed Kleffel to maneuver to the flank of the Soviet infantry where the machine-guns tore into the Soviet troops, sending them into a panic. Not one to pause, Kleffel pushed the attack against the routed infantry, chasing them despite driving into the effective range of the Soviet guns. The Soviet troops, part of a regiment, were decimated but before the Soviets could mobilize a counter-attack, Kleffel pulled his half-tracks back to his line. For this action, Kleffel was presented with the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross) on May 14, 1944. Kleffel, during his combat career, was wounded seven times though interestingly, his known decorations do not include the Verwundetenabzeichen (Wound Badge). Even if the injuries were relatively minor, it would have certainly been enough to warrant the Verwundetenabzeichen 3. Klass. In addition, sometime in the latter half of 1944, Kleffel was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain).

     Kleffel survived the war but whether he served any time as a POW is not known. He finished an apprenticeship and starting in 1949, he worked in the film industry until 1956 when he joined the Bundeswehr. Entering into service as a Hauptmann, in keeping with his rank from World War Two, Kleffel completed his general staff training and became the G3 (operations) staff officer for Panzergrenadierbrigade 13 from 1959 to 1963. He then spent a year at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr (Bundeswehr Leadership Academy) until 1964 when he transferred to, interestingly, the 3. Panzerdivision as their Chief of Staff. Promoted to Oberst (Colonel), Kleffel became a planner in 1968 at the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (Federal Ministry of Defense) until taking over as the commander of Panzergrenadierbrigade 16 whose command he held until April 30, 1972. Following that command, Kleffel moved to lead the III. Korps until September 1973 when he then assumed command of the 12. Panzerdivision until September 30, 1976. Kleffel would hold several other positions until he retired from the Bundeswehr on September 30, 1980. Bundeswehr decorations he received included the Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (Cross of Merit 1st. Class) in 1973 and the Großes Verdienstkreuz (Commander's Great Cross of Merit) in 1979.

     After retiring, Kleffel became the manager for Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (Johanniter Accident Aid), a Christian charity organization. He remained as manager until 1987. Paul-Georg Kleffel died in Bonn, Germany on February 19, 2020 at the age of 99.

     The photograph here is likely a postwar autograph card. It shows Kleffel as a fresh Leutant der Reserve as denoted by his schulterstücke (shoulder boards) and he is wearing the Dienstanzug für Offiziere (Service Uniform for Officers) in the Modell 1936 style, evidenced by the dark, blue-green collar. That is could be postwar is that the photograph is cropped in such a way as to not show the swastika of the adler (eagle) above the right breast pocket. The display of the swastika in Germany was banned following the approval of Strafgesetzbuch (Criminal Code), Section § 86a in the 1950s.

Hitlerjugendführer: Leader in the Hitler Youth

     In 1933, the Hitlerjugend (HJ; Hitler Youth) became the official youth organization of the NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; National Socialist German Workers’ Party). Starting at age 10, boys were expected to participate in the HJ and once in, received indoctrination on NSDAP ideology and as time went on, the HJ became a para-military organization with military training taking more and more precedence over more mundane activities such as camping. As German armed forces suffered more and more losses, it was only a matter of time before the HJ became a manpower pool to be tapped. At first, HJ boys took the places of adult firefighters, postal workers, railroad personnel, etc. who were called to arms. By 1943, plans were in place to begin using the HJ in combat, the most notable being the 12th. SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend. When the Volkssturm (the German militia) was organized in October 1944 and any man aged 16-60 was conscripted into it, HJ youth were among them. It was said that HJ combat squads fighting in the last gasp for Germany amongst the rubble during the Battle of Berlin in 1945 were the fiercest of fighters, in part to their entrenched ideological beliefs in German superiority.

     While not a great photograph, it shows an HJ leader (the HJ armband can just be seen on his left arm) with a full complement of para-military awards. On his right breast pocket is the HJ Proficiency Badge. This was considered a very prestigious award, showing both the physical and ideological proficiency of the wearer. On his left breast pocket is the round Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP (NSDAP party badge) which displayed his membership in the NSDAP and beside it is the HJ membership pin. Below the party badge is the political SA-Wehrabzeichen (SA Sports Badge) which was awarded for excellence in physical fitness and athletic competition. The final award is the Deutsches Reichs-Sportabzeichen (German National Sports Badge) which was the military equivalent to the SA Sports Badge.

     Interestingly, the German Sports Badge (first appearing in 1913) is still able to be earned today and is the oldest German decoration still being issued. Today, it is a civilian issued award, given through the Deutsches Sportabzeichen (German Olympic Sports Confederation). The award is open to German military personnel and military men and women from allied nations (including the United States) as well as civilians. To earn it in one of three grades (Bronze, Silver, Gold), points must be earned in five events which test swimming, jumping, endurance, speed, and physical strength. To earn the badge in Bronze, at least 4 points must be earned, Silver is a minimum of 8 points, and Gold a minimum of 10 points. The badge, as it was during the war, is still held in high esteem and its awarding is a requirement for admission into some German police services.

The Libyan Civil War: Rebel BMP-1 Turret Technicals

     Two Libyan rebel NSTVs (Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles) or “technicals” as such vehicles are known in professional military circles. During the Libyan Civil War, rebels made heavy use of technicals as did pro-Gaddafi forces. The rebels utilized technicals as a means to create high mobility vehicles to rapidly deploy troops as well as conduct hit-and-run engagements. Such vehicles were a necessity given the rebels had very little in the way of vehicles capable of mounting heavy weapons and genuine armored vehicles and tanks were a rarity in rebel forces. 

     These two technicals are fitted with turrets removed from BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles (likely taken from captured but non-functional BMP-1s). The turret houses a 73mm 2A28 "Grom" low-pressure, smoothbore semi-automatic gun along with a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. From other images of similar “tank trucks”, a square metal support frame is locally fabricated upon which the turret is placed, the entire support frame secured to the bed of the pick-up truck. It is unlikely the electric turret traverse is kept (no doubt to save weight) and so the turret has to be turned manually. One such truck, involved in the Battle of Galaa in June 2011, showed that when firing, the weapon operator manually loaded the gun (as the automatic loader was either not present or discarded) and dismounted the truck although a simple computer chair was situated beneath the turret for the gunner. The operator reached his arm up into the turret and used his hand to trigger the gun. Upon firing, recoil was experienced on the truck though not to a significant degree though how many shots the support frame could take before failing is not known. 

     It is doubtful that these “tank trucks” fire the gun while on the move and are more likely used as mobile, direct fire artillery as the gun can fire a high-explosive round in addition to a HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) round. In most cases, the 1PN22M1 6x/6.7x magnification image intensifying monocular periscope sight used by the BMP-1’s gunner is kept (seen to the left of the gun on the turret top). The flat rail on top of the gun mantlet is for the fitting of a 9M14 Malyutka (NATO codename AT-3 Sagger) ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) though no rebel “tank trucks” have been seen with a Sagger mounted.

The Russian OSV-96: The 12.7mm "Burglar"

(Mustafa Karali, Associated Press)

     Taken in 2012, a rebel fighter in Syria took the time to pose for Associated Press war photographer Mustafa Karali. He is holding a captured Russian OSV-96 sniper/anti-material rifle which had been seized from Syrian army forces during combat actions in the city of Maraat al-Numan. The OSV-96 is the refined and improved result of the initial rifle designated the V-94 “Volga” which was designed in the early 1990s by the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP in Russian abbreviation). 

     The OSV-96 fires a special 12.7X108mm cartridge (with the nomenclature of 7N34) to ensure accuracy at long range. If need be, the OSV-96 can fire more standard 12.7X108mm ammunition but typically at the cost of accuracy at range. The weapon uses a free-floating barrel and a sizable muzzle brake to reduce recoil. The weapon has a nickname, “Взломщик”, which means “Burglar” in English. 

     Entering service with Russian forces in 1996, users today also include India’s elite Marine Commandos (MARCOS), Belarus, Vietnam (who makes the rifle under license), and as illustrated by this photograph, Syria (rebels and government).