A little close air support never hurt ...

[Mark Allen M]

Napalm and low grade gas are dropped from Republic P-47's on a pillbox target during a demonstration of the fire bombs at Bastia, Corsica on 11 August 1944


Low level P-38 providing low level support


Corsairs providing close support for Marines.


Corsairs providing close support for Marines.


P-47 Thunderbolts attack a group of tanks during Operation Rainbow in West Germany c 1950


P-47 Thunderbolts attack a group of tanks during Operation Rainbow in West Germany c 1950


P-47 Thunderbolts attack a group of tanks during Operation Rainbow in West Germany c 1950


AD Skyraider of VMA-211 Onslow Beach NC c 1955


Two AD-5 Skyraiders give tactical support to Marine Infantrymen, during amphibious training at Onslow Beach, North Carolina c 1955


A-1H aircraft make a low level pass over Vietnamese tanks


January 27, 1957, FJ Fury jets of Marine Fighter Squadron (VMF) 312 roar over the beach at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina


North American FJ-2 Furys of VMF-312 during U.S.M.C. training at Onslow Beach, N.C. c 1957


A P-3A Orion pictured making a low pass of the U.S. Navy submarine Pickerel (SS 524) c 1965

[J. Thompson]

The two Skyraider's...wow!

[whistlingdeath77]

Hands down the corsair.......the best

[airnutz]

Have you run across any photos of land based CBI AAF aircraft loaded with depth charges? IIRC, dense jungle was good at absorbing conventional shrapnel until someone realized the concussion from depth bombs would be the ticket the Japanese couldn't hide from...the technique supposedly also worked for some of the caves.

[p51]

Great shots!
The ones with the Marines were kind of funny to me, they're all in the same pose through what had to be several different passes, and a flamethrower operator who looks way too close to that bazooka gunner.

[Mark Allen M]

Have you run across any photos of land based CBI AAF aircraft loaded with depth charges? IIRC, dense jungle was good at absorbing conventional shrapnel until someone realized the concussion from depth bombs would be the ticket the Japanese couldn't hide from...the technique supposedly also worked for some of the caves.

Depth charges loaded on a 459th FS P-38


Depth charges loaded on a 459th FS P-38


Armorers Load 250 Lb. Depth Charges Into Bomb Bay Of A North American B-25. Burma

[sandiego89]

P-47 Thunderbolts attack a group of tanks during Operation Rainbow in West Germany c 1950

As always great photos. I know you did not supply the caption, but I find the P-47 caption interesting. I would have thought that by 1950 there would not be a USAF unit in Europe using the P-47- or technically it would be F-47? Right? Seemed USAFE had the best, newest stuff.

I thought P/F-47's were retired from front line use in 1949, with a few guard units staying with the type until mid-1950's. Interesting.

By many accounts the F-47 would have been better suited that the liquid cooled F-51 for ground attack in Korea, but the Jugs seemed to have disappeared surprisingly quickly.... Perhaps the first victory of the "fighter mafia" ?

[airnutz]

Thanx Mark!

[Ken]

The previous shot of the B-25 late model C/D or G is very interesting. I wasn't familiar with that type of emergency escape hatch as shown. The window configurations on the A-G models always intrigues me and is my weakest area on those model B-25s.

And, not to make a post without mentioning the mighty A-1, the following is a LIFE photo. Did not see a caption for this one, but based on what I see I would take an educated stab that this is a Pleiku-based A-1E dropping on a target in the highlands of South Vietnam in 1966-67. It looks that the airplane is still carrying 2 M47 white phosphorus bombs and what is likely a SUU-14 CBU dispenser, possibly a napalm can. On the centerline is the older style drop tank in 2-tone camo commonly seen on Pleiku airplanes.