P-47 Thunderbolts of the 8th and 9th Air Forces at Burtonwood, probably awaiting shipment back to the United States via Liverpool. Printed caption on reverse: 'USSTAF Photos- T/Sgt RE Lackenbach. FIGHTER PLANES GO HOME BY BOAT...- America's fighting planes, as well as her fighting men, are going home. A few of the fighter planes will stay in the ETO, but most of them are being returned to the States and will go into action again flying from Pacific Island bases against Japan. The P-47 thunderbolts, P-51 Mustangs, P-38 Lightnings and the P-61 Black Widows which flew cover for the heavy bombers and gave support to the ground troops, are high on the re-deployment priority list and already 300 have left the UK by boat for the US. Returning the planes requires the combined efforts of the air service command, Lockheed, the RAF and the British operational bases to Speke, near Liverpool, where they are dis-assembled, taped to protect them against the weather and the mounted on special trucks for the over [illegible] to the Liverpool dockside where they are loaded onto pocket [illegible] carriers for the Atlantic crossing. One hundred and forty-five first line fighters of the US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces parked in a dispersal area at Speke, England awaiting processing for re-deployment to the States and eventually service in the Pacific air war.None of the 145 P-47 Thunderbolts in the group have flown more than 100 combat hours and they still carry their guns and bomb racks.' Printed caption on reverse: U.S Fighter Planes Shipped Home for war against Japan. The majority of the fighter planes of the Eighth and Ninth U.S. Air Forces are being returned to the United States from bases in Great Britain and the Continent for use in the war against Japan, although an adequate force will remain in Europe to police the skies over U.S. occupation zones. The P-47 Thunderbolts, P-51 Mustangs, P-38 Lightenings and P-61 Black Widows which escorted heavy bombers over enemy territory and gave support to U.S. ground forces are high on the redeployment list and more than 300 have already been sent to the United States by ship. The planes are flown from their operational bases to Speke, near Liverpool, England, where they are [assembled?], taped to protect them against [the?] weather and then mounted on special trucks for [their?] journey to Liverpool docksides, where they are [loaded] onto pocket aircraft carriers for the Atlantic crossing. Redeployment of the planes require the combined effort of the U.S. air Service Command, aircraft corporation engineers, the Britis Royal Air Force and British and U.S. Maritime Services. PNA EA 74242 This Photo Shows: Parked in a dispersal area at Speke, 145 first-line fighte planes await processing for redeployment. None of the planes in this group have flown more than 100 combat hours and each still carries its guns and bomb racks. USTAFF Photo PRO-HQ-45-1001 SERVICED BY LONDON OWI TO LIST B CERTIFIED AS PASSED BY U.S. FIELD CENSOR.