UPL 19741

IMAGE

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Lockheed P-38J Lightning 'Droop Snoot*' 44-23517 personal aircraft of Air Commodore Alfred C H Sharp RAF, pictured at No 51 MU Lichfield, Staffordshire between 1946-48. * The 'Droop Snoot' field conversion entailed the removal of the nose armament and associated equipment to make room for a prone bombardiers/observers 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.

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Units

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: British
  • Unit: 1st Air Division Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)
  • Service Numbers: 19066
  • Highest Rank: Air Vice-Marshal
  • Role/Job: Air Liaison Officer

Aircraft

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 Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.'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.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 3 Headquarters (Eighth Air Force)

Locations

Revisions

Date:
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to caption
Date:
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesCreated entry with caption, unit associations, person associations, place associations and aircraft associations