Project number - P-47
Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:01 pm
What is the relevance of the project number stencilled on the side of P-47's (and I assume other USAAF types) along with the model and serial numbers? Does the project number relate to a production block or something?
Re: Project number - P-47
Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:13 am
Project codes were a method to allocate aircraft production from the factory to the theater commanders. Ahead of the process was international diplomacy and agreements; CCS/JCS and Army/Navy allocations; a complicated system of war production boards, plant, resource and manpower allocations and the work of several organizations within HQ AAF, Commands and satellite branches and offices. In the end, what mattered was getting requirements met from aircraft plants, commercial modificatuion centers and Air depots to merge with crew requirments to fulfill or replace flying unit complements.
Author is Phil Marchese. He has traced some series of the codes relating to the TO and time but I can think of no way of pinning a project number to specific frame other then checking ARC card. Unfortunately even there the number happens to be omitted.
Author is Phil Marchese. He has traced some series of the codes relating to the TO and time but I can think of no way of pinning a project number to specific frame other then checking ARC card. Unfortunately even there the number happens to be omitted.
Re: Project number - P-47
Mon Apr 16, 2012 2:38 pm
Thank you greatgonzo for the reply, much appreciated.
Re: Project number - P-47
Fri Apr 18, 2014 3:46 pm
I have a question here too. Did Navy panes have the same Project Number system. And did they have ARC cards of their own too?
Re: Project number - P-47
Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:50 am
Great Gonzo, My understanding was that project numbers for aircraft heading west from the continental USA were stencilled on at the Port of San Fransisco. Can you confirm or deny this? Whilst the P-47 Project numbers are stencilled on reasonably professionally, the P-38 project numbers I have located are hand painted by brush on the inside of the left boom, very unprofessional. Also, some of the early B-25s to come to the SWPA have SUMAC stencilled on the nose (5th AAF Brisbane Australia), I believe the project numbers did away with the code word for the allocated destination(ie TEAK 5 AAF Port Moresby, New Guinea). Do you have any information on this? NASM do not have a comprehensive list of destination Codenames. I have previously unknown crashsites in PNG where the villagers have only brought in Project numbers, very frustrating.
Re: Project number - P-47
Mon Apr 28, 2014 5:05 pm
All I can do is add this information and give credits to Phil Marchese:
PROJECT CODES
Project codes were a method to allocate aircraft production from the factory to the theater commanders. Ahead of the process was international diplomacy and agreements; CCS/JCS and Army/Navy allocations; a complicated system of war production boards, plant, resource and manpower allocations and the work of several organizations within HQ AAF, Commands and satellite branches and offices. In the end, what mattered was getting requirements met from aircraft plants, commercial modificatuion centers and Air depots to merge with crew requirments to fulfill or replace flying unit complements.
Prior to March 1943, the project codes took several forms. I am not fully knowledgable of all these methods. Suffice to say that one form was 2 or 3 digit numericals codes; others were 1 or two digits preceeded by MK; yet another were mineral or flora code names; and still others were operational code names or projects named after the commander of the movement. By third quater 1942, five digit, numerical code numbers were in widespread use. I've seen these in the 10000-50000 range and used in connection with the mineral/flora area codes; e.g. 50107 POPPY for an allotment to the South Pacific. I suspect this sytem potentially was allocated use up to through the 80000 range.
By CY 1943 or prehaps with the AAF reorganization of March 1943, a new five digit system in the 9XXXX range was introduced for overseas projects. This sytem sometimes used an Alpha suffix, most commonly _R and -S although T and N have been seen. Others quoted as A or H seem to be a mis-read R. The 9XXXX range was broken down by area as follows:
90001 through 91999 : allocated to the MTO and CBI. The numbers reached into the 911XX or 912XX range by VJ-Day.
92001 through 93999: ETO including Eighth AF and the NE Europe Ninth Air Force. By 1945 the 930XX range was in use. I believe North Atlantic (Iceland/Greenland) garrison requirements are also in this range.
94001 onward was used for the Sixth Air Force areas and 95000 range was likely held in reserve for continuation.
96001 through 97999 was used for the Pacific areas as distinguished from the Asian areas of the air war against Japan. Thus the 5 (SWPA), 7 (CPA/POA), 11 (NPA), and 13 (SPA) numbered air forces were in this range as was the FEAF (5 & 13 AF cicra June 1944 and after 16 July 1945,also 7th AF). By 1945, the 97XXX range had been breeched and by V-J Day at least 972XX or perhaps even 973XX range were in use. One will find a few ETO 92XXX requirements diverted to the NPA (11 th AF).
98001 and likely 99XXX in reserve: The 20th AF requirements and support to it; later( 16 July 1945) to include the US Strategic Air Forces, Pacific (8th and 20th Air Forces). Included in the early phase is the XX BC (CBI) and the XXI BC (Marianias). The FEAF B-32 of the 312 BG(H) allocations also came through these allotments as did F-7; F-13, C-46; C-109 and other reccon and weather planes in support of the 20th AF.
Original overseas organizational unit movements most often did not have a suffix to the project number while Replacement allocations usualy were suffixed with an R. The S suffix usually represented a special project, sometimes of secret classification.
Domestic requirements were marked with a DOM XXX alpha-numeric project number and were suffixed with sequential alpha characters. Planes in photo units based out of OK or other special units based in the US would often be seen overseas with DOM projects, e.g.43-4157 DOM 278A to CBI (DAUB). DOM 784A included an A-26B 44-34209 for Columbia SC. Some DOM projects went into storage.
None of the above should be confused with Mod center project codes; base codes, contruction or contractor numbers, RCN "last threes" all of which were sometimes stenciled about the noses of AAF planes. By 1945, The Shipping destinations were sometimes stenciled in conjuction with the project numbers near the the manufacturers's data block stenciling; e.g. 96871-R LEFT P-38L-5-LO 44-25xxx) operationally assigned to the 475 FG.
DESTINATION CODES
A word regarding the destination codes... These codes were compiled in a post war document which included both Shipping Destination and Reclaimation Location codes. Many researchs overlook the distinction and tend to assign a granulatity to the Destination codes which in practice was used only in the reclamation location recording.
Thus LEFT, a SWPA destination continued in use until 1945 and signified a wider area, not merely a location in Aust. Ditto IRON replacements, planes alocated to units throughout the CPA, well beyond Ohau or the Territory of Hawaii (TH).
There is a book: Aircraft Record Cards of the United States Air Force: How to Read the Codes by Robert A. Mann, but I had no chance to lay my hand on it. However Smithsonian Institute turned out to be very helpful in decoding specific ARC cards. It only takes helluva time to get info across the ocean here , as they use traditional post.
PROJECT CODES
Project codes were a method to allocate aircraft production from the factory to the theater commanders. Ahead of the process was international diplomacy and agreements; CCS/JCS and Army/Navy allocations; a complicated system of war production boards, plant, resource and manpower allocations and the work of several organizations within HQ AAF, Commands and satellite branches and offices. In the end, what mattered was getting requirements met from aircraft plants, commercial modificatuion centers and Air depots to merge with crew requirments to fulfill or replace flying unit complements.
Prior to March 1943, the project codes took several forms. I am not fully knowledgable of all these methods. Suffice to say that one form was 2 or 3 digit numericals codes; others were 1 or two digits preceeded by MK; yet another were mineral or flora code names; and still others were operational code names or projects named after the commander of the movement. By third quater 1942, five digit, numerical code numbers were in widespread use. I've seen these in the 10000-50000 range and used in connection with the mineral/flora area codes; e.g. 50107 POPPY for an allotment to the South Pacific. I suspect this sytem potentially was allocated use up to through the 80000 range.
By CY 1943 or prehaps with the AAF reorganization of March 1943, a new five digit system in the 9XXXX range was introduced for overseas projects. This sytem sometimes used an Alpha suffix, most commonly _R and -S although T and N have been seen. Others quoted as A or H seem to be a mis-read R. The 9XXXX range was broken down by area as follows:
90001 through 91999 : allocated to the MTO and CBI. The numbers reached into the 911XX or 912XX range by VJ-Day.
92001 through 93999: ETO including Eighth AF and the NE Europe Ninth Air Force. By 1945 the 930XX range was in use. I believe North Atlantic (Iceland/Greenland) garrison requirements are also in this range.
94001 onward was used for the Sixth Air Force areas and 95000 range was likely held in reserve for continuation.
96001 through 97999 was used for the Pacific areas as distinguished from the Asian areas of the air war against Japan. Thus the 5 (SWPA), 7 (CPA/POA), 11 (NPA), and 13 (SPA) numbered air forces were in this range as was the FEAF (5 & 13 AF cicra June 1944 and after 16 July 1945,also 7th AF). By 1945, the 97XXX range had been breeched and by V-J Day at least 972XX or perhaps even 973XX range were in use. One will find a few ETO 92XXX requirements diverted to the NPA (11 th AF).
98001 and likely 99XXX in reserve: The 20th AF requirements and support to it; later( 16 July 1945) to include the US Strategic Air Forces, Pacific (8th and 20th Air Forces). Included in the early phase is the XX BC (CBI) and the XXI BC (Marianias). The FEAF B-32 of the 312 BG(H) allocations also came through these allotments as did F-7; F-13, C-46; C-109 and other reccon and weather planes in support of the 20th AF.
Original overseas organizational unit movements most often did not have a suffix to the project number while Replacement allocations usualy were suffixed with an R. The S suffix usually represented a special project, sometimes of secret classification.
Domestic requirements were marked with a DOM XXX alpha-numeric project number and were suffixed with sequential alpha characters. Planes in photo units based out of OK or other special units based in the US would often be seen overseas with DOM projects, e.g.43-4157 DOM 278A to CBI (DAUB). DOM 784A included an A-26B 44-34209 for Columbia SC. Some DOM projects went into storage.
None of the above should be confused with Mod center project codes; base codes, contruction or contractor numbers, RCN "last threes" all of which were sometimes stenciled about the noses of AAF planes. By 1945, The Shipping destinations were sometimes stenciled in conjuction with the project numbers near the the manufacturers's data block stenciling; e.g. 96871-R LEFT P-38L-5-LO 44-25xxx) operationally assigned to the 475 FG.
DESTINATION CODES
A word regarding the destination codes... These codes were compiled in a post war document which included both Shipping Destination and Reclaimation Location codes. Many researchs overlook the distinction and tend to assign a granulatity to the Destination codes which in practice was used only in the reclamation location recording.
Thus LEFT, a SWPA destination continued in use until 1945 and signified a wider area, not merely a location in Aust. Ditto IRON replacements, planes alocated to units throughout the CPA, well beyond Ohau or the Territory of Hawaii (TH).
There is a book: Aircraft Record Cards of the United States Air Force: How to Read the Codes by Robert A. Mann, but I had no chance to lay my hand on it. However Smithsonian Institute turned out to be very helpful in decoding specific ARC cards. It only takes helluva time to get info across the ocean here , as they use traditional post.