8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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42-67822
P-38 Lightning
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![French countryside, photographed through the nose of a P-38 Lightning of the 367th Fighter Group on landing. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 31 May 1945.' [stamp] and '354528 .' [censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'P-38s over the Seine. No.1 of a series of pix taken through the nose of the P-38 as it comes in to land. Scherschel LIFE.'
The view of the bombardier through the plexiglass nose of a Droop Snoot P-38 coming in to land. Note the bombardiers feet at bottom of frame.](http://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-456843.jpg?itok=DUDIJase)
French countryside, photographed through the nose of a P-38 Lightning of the 367th Fighter Group on landing. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 31 May 1945.' [stamp] and '354528 .' [censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'P-38s over the Seine. No.1 of a series of pix taken through the nose of the P-38 as it comes in to land. Scherschel LIFE.' The view of the bombardier through the plexiglass nose of a Droop Snoot P-38 coming in to land. Note the bombardiers feet at bottom of frame.
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"Droop Snoot" is what the boys call this P-38 which has given up its armament for a plexiglass nose, Norden bombsight, and bombardier. P-38 bombardiers are recruited from heavy bomb groups. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A23344-56268AC
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DROOP SNOOT-Ground crewman at a base in Belgium prepare to "bomb-up" a "droop snoot" P-38 Lightning fighter-bomber for another attack against enemy fortifications and strong points. This model of the P-38 is known as the "droop snoot" because of the glass enclosed nose. The plane carries a bombardier in addition to the pilot. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A05164-56914AC.
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Head on shot of - 'General view of Lockheed P-38 photo plane with gun sight aiming point camera mounted on bomb racks, and K-22 aerial camera in nose. ITALY'. Actually this a "Droop Snoot". a P-38 which has given up its nose armament for a plexiglass nose, Norden bombsight, and bombardier. P-38 bombardiers are recruited from heavy bomb groups. NARA Ref 342-FH-3A22940-56134AC.
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"Droop Snoot" is what the boys call this P-38 which has given up its armament for a plexiglass nose, Norden bombsight, and bombardier. P-38 bombardiers are recruited from heavy bomb groups.
Built by Lockheed as a P-38J, field modified at Langford Lodge into a 'Droop Snoot*' configuration.
* The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion entailed the removal of the nose armament and associated equipment to make room for a prone bombardiers position with the installation of a plexiglass nose, a Norden bombsight, side windows and an emergency hatch. The theory was for a formation of P-38's to drop their bombs on the formation lead 'Droop snoots' signal with the precision of the Norden bombsight ensuring the accuracy of the formations bombing. An idea championed by Lt Col Cass Hough and Lt Col Dan Ostrander.
Service
Units
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370th Fighter Group
Group
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479th Fighter Group
Group
The 479th was the last Fighter Group to join the Eighth Air Force, which they did on 14 May 1944. Known as "Riddle's Raiders", after their first Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Kyle L. Riddle, the Group flew escort and fighter sweep missions before D-Day.... -
55th Fighter Group
Group
The 55th Fighter Group were the first P-38 Lightning Group to go fully operational from England. The pilots flew long-range escort missions for bombers flying over occupied Europe and racked up 'kills' of their own by destroying enemy aircraft in... -
343rd Fighter Squadron
Squadron
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434th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
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485th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
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Base Air Depot 3
Misc
People
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Anthony Piscitelli
Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot, Pilot | 55th Fighter Group
Anthony Piscitelli was pilot of P-38 #42-67866. Hit by Flak while strafing the Coulommiers airfield on 10 April 1944. Killed in Action (KIA). His plane crashed at 200m from the Western edge of the Coulommiers-Voisins airfield (Commune of Maisoncelles... -
Bailey Williams
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 479th Fighter Group
Missions
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8th Air Force 296 and 8th Air Force Field Order 294
10 April 1944
Places
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Langford Lodge
Military site : airfield
Planned to be a Satellite Landing Ground for No. 23 Maintenance Unit at RAF Aldergrove, Langford Lodge was selected in October 1941 to be developed as an air deport for the maintenance and repair of USAAF aircraft. A scheme was devised whereby the... -
Nuthampstead
Military site : airfield
Built during 1942-43, Nuthampstead was the nearest Eighth Air Force heavy bomber base to London. It had three concrete runways, 50 loop hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. It was first occupied from September 1943 to April 1944 by the 55th... -
Wattisham
Military site : airfield
Built in 1938 as a medium bomber station with a grass airfield, Wattisham was occupied by the RAF until handed over to the Eighth Air Force in September 1942. The 68th Observation Group was the first American unit to occupy the station from October to...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Manufactured | Burbank, CA, USA | August 1943 |
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Built at Lockheed aviation as P-38J. |
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| Delivered | Long Beach, CA, USA | September 1943 |
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Delivered to USAAF. |
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| Crashed | Nuthampstead, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8, UK | 20 February 1944 |
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Taxiing accident Nuthampstead/Sta 131 Cat 3 damage, pilot Lt Anthony L Piscitelli, 20-2-44. 343FS 55FG 8AF Coded CY-R. |
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| Field modified | Langford Lodge, Ireland | April 1944 – May 1944 |
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Field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration. |
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| Crashed | Wattisham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7, UK | 26 August 1944 |
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Landing accident Wattisham/Sta 377, Cat 3 damage, pilot Lt Bailey A Williams, 26-8-44. 434FS 479FG 8AF |
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| Crashed | 02120 Guise, France | 3 January 1945 |
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Crashed due to bad weather Guise, France Cat 4 damage pilot 2nd Lt Roy H Napier KIA, 3-1-45. 485FS 370FG 9AF |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 13 November 2016 19:45:08 | Al_Skiff | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.station131.co.uk/55th/Pilots/343rd%20Pilots/Birtciel%20Frank%... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 January 2016 19:08:34 | Al_Skiff | Changes to markings, events, unit associations, person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbasn.asp?SN=42-67822 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 January 2016 22:23:18 | Al_Skiff | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer and description |
| Sources | ||
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbaat.asp?theAT=PB-38J&Submit3=Go |
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