UPL 19727

IMAGE

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Lockheed P-38J Lightning 43-28483 'Droop Snoots' 435th FS, 479th FG, 8AF with what was called a "Droop Snoot*" visiting the 457th BG home base Glatton. * 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.

Connections

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Units

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 Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published 30 Aug 1944.'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
  • Nicknames: Droop Snoots
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 3 479th Fighter Group 435th Fighter Squadron

Locations

The mission board of the 457th Bomb Group. Official caption printed on image: '(GM-299-2-457)(16/5/45)(Op's Board's).'
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Connington

Revisions

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