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Base Air Depot 3

Misc

  • Langford Lodge AF 597, Base Air Depot #3. Sited on the shores of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. Run initialy by Lockheed Corporation for the 8th AF.

    Langford Lodge AF 597, Base Air Depot #3. Sited on the shores of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. Run initialy by Lockheed Corporation for the 8th AF.

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  • A P-38 Lightning (CL-K) of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group fitted with a

    A P-38 Lightning (CL-K) of the 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group fitted with a "droop snoot" for bombing missions.

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  • P-38J Lightning 42-104075 field modified to 'Droop Snoot' * configuration and retained by Operational Engineering. Coded Q3-B. Nose art - Caricature of a crow with telescope dropping bomb, on a white circle. * 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.

    P-38J Lightning 42-104075 field modified to 'Droop Snoot' * configuration and retained by Operational Engineering. Coded Q3-B. Nose art - Caricature of a crow with telescope dropping bomb, on a white circle. * 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.

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  • Unidentified GI poses by the nose of an unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning of the 474th FG, 9th AF in the ETO.

    Unidentified GI poses by the nose of an unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning of the 474th FG, 9th AF in the ETO.

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  • Unidentified crew pose in front of an unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning. In the background lurks another P-38 and a Kubelwagon 'Under New Ownership'. L-R Bombardier, pilot.

    Unidentified crew pose in front of an unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning. In the background lurks another P-38 and a Kubelwagon 'Under New Ownership'. L-R Bombardier, pilot.

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  • Unidentified GI and civilian pose in front of unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning. Photo caption - 'A P-38J

    Unidentified GI and civilian pose in front of unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning. Photo caption - 'A P-38J "droop snoot" in England transformed to accommodate a bombardier operator'.

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  • Nice close up of unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning. Note the under wing bomb load of the port wing countered by the drop tank under the starboard wing.

    Nice close up of unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning. Note the under wing bomb load of the port wing countered by the drop tank under the starboard wing.

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  • A droop snoot P-38 Lightning (E6-Z) of the 370th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '370 FG, 402 FS, 9th AF, E6-Z.'

    A droop snoot P-38 Lightning (E6-Z) of the 370th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '370 FG, 402 FS, 9th AF, E6-Z.'

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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.

    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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  • Unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning in open maintenance facility somewhere in the ETO.

    Unidentified 'Droop Snoot' P-38J Lightning in open maintenance facility somewhere in the ETO.

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Structure

Part of
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Encompassing
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Previously was
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Became
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Connections

People

  • Harold Reichert

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Assigned to 322BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. 35 x combat missions. Ended Tour Duty (ETD). Assigned to BAD3. ...

  • James Renfrow

    Military | Private
    Suspended from the USAAF on 16 February 1944 and committed to Shepton Mallet disciplinary centre for leaving his station, stealing English money and wearing pilots wings, a purple heart and Master Sergeant's insignia on 4 January 1944.

  • Don Rohrabauch

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot
    Crashed in P47#42-8585 while on ferry flight from Sydenham to Langford Lodge crashing near Lyle Hill.

Aircraft

  • 41-23832 'Maggie'

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) was hit by flak in the target area , Wilhelmshaven, Germany 22-Mar-43. Losing altitude and falling behind the formation, it was attacked by fighers. Plane crashed into North Sea in the vicinity...

  • 44-23162

    P-38 Lightning
    Point of departure was A-11 airfield, Saint-Lambert, for recon of Mortain area, due to overcast reduced altitude and was hit by flak in starboard engine, pilot lost control and both occupants baled out, one parachute snagged tailplane and went down...

  • 44-23515

    P-38 Lightning
    P-38J field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration and fitted out with equipment and aerials for Elint** work. Detached to 192 Sqn*** RAF for Elint** missions. ...

  • 43-28479

    P-38 Lightning
    P-38J field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration and fitted out with equipment and aerials for Elint** work. Detached to 192 Sqn*** RAF for Elint** missions. ...

  • 42-68184

    P-38 Lightning
    Built as a P-38J by Lockheed, field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration as the first full prototype of type. Trials A/C, later used operationaly as well. Led formations of 20th and 44th FG P-38's on bombing raid 10-4-44. ...

  • 42-52744 'Ding Dong Daddy From Dixie' 'Capricorn'

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned to 834BS, 486BG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred in Jul-44 to 835BS. May have been transferred briefly to 493rd BG but definitely transferred to MTO 10 Mar 45 by BAD 3 and assigned to 98th BG. Salvaged 27 Apr 45.

  • 42-52762 'Scorpio'

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned 834th BS, Transferred to 833rd BS (4N F). After storage at BAD 3, Langford Lodge, Northern Ireland, it was transferred to MTO 14 Feb 45 and assigned to 465th BG / 781st BS (T). Sadly, its service in 15th AF was very short indeed because it was...

  • 43-28490 'Jeanne'

    P-38 Lightning
    Lt Col Roy W Forrest [Commanding Officer 388th BG] monitored Batty** project glide bomb mission from this A/C. Target Le Havre submarine pens. 13-8-44. ...

  • 42-104075 'Droop Snoot'

    P-38 Lightning
    P-38J Lightning field modified to 'Droop Snoot' * configuration and retained by Operational Engineering. ...

  • 44-23156

    P-38 Lightning
    P-38J field modified to 'Droop Snoot*' configuration and fitted out with equipment and aerials for Elint** work. Detached to 192 Sqn*** RAF for Elint** missions. "Reported to have been converted to radar search aircraft and operated by 36th BS (a radar...

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Citations

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Air Force
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Type
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Type category
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Nicknames
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Motto
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Insignia
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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
05 January 2016 19:50:14 Al_Skiff Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

AAM DB Entry.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:43 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

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