Aircraft that never wore invasion stripes ...

[muddyboots]

The gentleman was with No.149 Squadron which was part of No3 Group. So it could be.

29 April to 8 May 1945--Operatio Manna
and when it was done with operation Manna,

it was delivered to 622 Squadron some time between July 1944 and February 1945.

no markings at all on these guys...but were they even involved?

[img]http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/wwii/photos/gallery_006/B-17%20from%20390th%20BG%20releasing%[/img]

none on B17s butthat makes no difference, eh?

however...


no markings on horizontal or vertical...

[JDK]

On the Lancs: The two horizontal stripes on the tail were yellow and were applied to most Lancs carrying Gee-H radar.

Interestingly, a reference I have just been looking in shows a vertical red stripe on the fin (and blanked fin flash) - not sure why and the caption offers no reason. It's a B.1 RA530 of 57 Sqn, lost 20-21 March 1945.

On the Storch: James, I saw on the internet something were it said that Stalin was presented with a Storch and was so impressed that he ordered copies of it put into production (known variously as the Antonov OKA-38, N-2, or Shs). It was on the web so it must be true. Even if it is, it does not mean he flew in it.

Rats. I need proof. I'd like to get FDR in one too...

[muddyboots]

this is more like it. THey evidently DID have the markins then, but taht doesn't discount their being DDAY stripes. So James is STILL gonna have to look xoxoxo

[JDK]

Interesting. Another reference to tail stripes (different sort) for 'G-H master bomber'. The memory may not be perfect, but it work. Coff coff.

Google Book Link.

[JDK]

this is more like it. THey evidently DID have the markins then, but taht doesn't discount their being DDAY stripes. So James is STILL gonna have to look xoxoxo

Slow, these infantry types.

I've been, I've looked, I've shown three references and I've vici'd.

You might want to scroll up?

[muddyboots]

You tail stripes on the fiorst one seem to be not the same. They're more like 10 stripes on each stab.

There is one on the next page with more similar, but they're on the fornt of the stab.

Still not seeing any sign that all the aircraft in a squadron might carry these markings.

[JDK]

I think you need to go back further in the thread, MB.

You tail stripes on the fiorst one seem to be not the same. They're more like 10 stripes on each stab.

There is one on the next page with more similar, but they're on the fornt of the stab.

Looks 'the same' to me.

Still not seeing any sign that all the aircraft in a squadron might carry these markings.

They wouldn't. The G-H equipped aircraft would.

[muddyboots]

I tooootally missed that color photo. But the bottom pic was no. 149 Squadron, which is this fellows squadron, and it's got your yeller stripes on it. So it had to be GH equipped planes. 3 Group had about a third of it's aircraft GH equiped, so it could easily be why he's got so many in his photos. I bet he is looking at the picture and making a WAG as to what it is. You want to contact him?

[muddyboots]

that bird with the Varga on it is his plane. It's on the pic I posted first

[muddyboots]

Lancaster

[JDK]

As ever, interesting stuff thrown up, on the side.

Peter A's tail stripes are interesting. I can't see why any stripes would be needed for ferrying POWs back, as the shooting was over. But, as dhfan remarked, it WOULD make sense over Occupied Holland, where there was truce with the armed Germans. But I've not seen it before. I'll investigate further - tomorrow.

BTW, The Daks pic looks like a rather crude fake with the BBMF's Dakota, I think.

I tooootally missed that color photo. But the bottom pic was no. 149 Squadron, which is this fellows squadron, and it's got your yeller stripes on it. So it had to be GH equipped planes.

Is that yer $20 I hear? Nice one for Scott.

3 Group had about a third of it's aircraft GH equiped, so it could easily be why he's got so many in his photos. I bet he is looking at the picture and making a WAG as to what it is. You want to contact him?

I haven't even looked at his website yet. (But I will.) Why don't you? It's 2am here, and maybe I ought to go to bed...

Last edited by JDK on Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Dan K]

Never seen an FAA Corsair with them either.

I don't think Corsairs did, happy to be proven wrong. There were no USN Corsairs in theatre, and I don't think the RN one were around either.

But FAA Corsairs were in theater already with the home fleet, as raids with them escorting Barracudas against the Tirpitz were already being flown.

Which makes the Barracuda pic so intriguing. Were any Barracudas being used in a land-based capacity in the UK in June of '44, or were they all operating off carriers? If the latter, wouldn't their escorting Corsairs also be dressed in stripes?

[k5083]

BTW, The Daks pic looks like a rather crude fake with the BBMF's Dakota, I think.

You are correct, it is by an acquaintance of mine, Pat Spiers, whose gallery his here:

http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=611094

He doesn't mean to deceive anybody, he's just having fun and I'm sure he would be amused at having his pics mistaken for real in this forum.

August

[JDK]

Never seen an FAA Corsair with them either.

I don't think Corsairs did, happy to be proven wrong. There were no USN Corsairs in theatre, and I don't think the RN one were around either.

But FAA Corsairs were in theater already with the home fleet, as raids with them escorting Barracudas against the Tirpitz were already being flown.

Which makes the Barracuda pic so intriguing. Were any Barracudas being used in a land-based capacity in the UK in June of '44, or were they all operating off carriers? If the latter, wouldn't their escorting Corsairs also be dressed in stripes?

Good points. I'm not up on the Corsairs. Raids on the Tirpitz were against Norway, and thus I don't think applicable. The Barras may have been shore based, perhaps? The Swordfish were land based, but that's because the Barras had replaced them.

From a vague beginning, it's probing a very interesting thread!

Regards,

[dhfan]

Interestingly, a reference I have just been looking in shows a vertical red stripe on the fin (and blanked fin flash) - not sure why and the caption offers no reason. It's a B.1 RA530 of 57 Sqn, lost 20-21 March 1945.

A quick Google turns up that 57 Sqn was in 5 Group at that time. Same thing as the yellow bars but different Group?