Colorized WWII pics

SHAEF1944 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 3:47 am

I've found out colorizing these old pics can get a little addictive. Hope ya'll like 'em.

And see if you can supply the name ....

Link to mt Photobucket album where I have a few more, if anybodys interested...

http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc31 ... edBySHAEF/

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:15 am

Love those formation join up birds!!

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:15 am

Great! Love the ones of Gabby, O'Hare, Preddy and Pappy. Who is the pilot that downed 6?

SHAEF1944 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:35 pm

Alexander Vraciu ..... 19 total kills. This pic was taken June 19, 1944 during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, where Vraciu shot down 6 Judys in eight minutes.

I should add ..... 19 total air , another 21 destroyed on the ground.

Mudge · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:27 pm

Nicely done. You did, however, seem to be inflicted with some sort of psychedelic seizure on a couple of those B-17s. :wink:

Mudge the shocked :shock:

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:44 pm

Hey, must be my P-47! :lol:

jdvoss · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:47 pm

Great photos and I was impressed (overwhelmed) by the size of the US insignia on the underside of the wing on the P-47 (6th photo down).

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:51 pm

SHAEF1944 wrote:

Alexander Vraciu ..... 19 total kills. This pic was taken June 19, 1944 during the Marianas Turkey Shoot, where Vraciu shot down 6 Judys in eight minutes.

I should add ..... 19 total air , another 21 destroyed on the ground.

Thanks!

SHAEF1944 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2010 5:39 am

Mudge wrote:

Nicely done. You did, however, seem to be inflicted with some sort of psychedelic seizure on a couple of those B-17s. :wink:

Mudge the shocked :shock:

I blame it all on inadvertantly inhaling certain octane boosting chemicals while an airplane-crazed beardless youth. That's my story, and without a warrant or court order, I'm sticking to it. :lol:

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2010 6:16 am

I love them, great work. How is this done? The reason I am asking is that pic of the 305th BG B-17 that limped home is the same era as Liberty Belle and we are trying to nail down the color of the side letters. Right now we are thinking that they are gray. Thanks, and great work.

SHAEF1944 · **Posted:** Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:20 am

Technically, the software I use, basically you outline whatever you want colored, then adjust gamma and color filters, by adding or subtracting red, blue, and green, until you get the color right. Getting the color " right " is a bit subjective, as everybody knows .... that WWII Olive Drab, I've read, can be anything from a darker green, to faded brownish-green; I even read some guys in N. Africa state their planes faded to a purple color under the sun. Fuselage codes, nose-art colors, etc, just comes from research. And lacking anything definitive on color, I take whatever was common for the time frame of the photo, and lacking that, I claim artistic license. ( But I really DO make an effort to get it right. ) For example, the pic of Gentile's Mustang, I originally did with a white nose and spinner, thinking it was the time-frame before they were painted red. Somebody pointed out the kill markings on the plane matched a later time when the nose was red, so I went back and re-colored it. In the orig. B&W pic, that nose sure looked more white than red to me .....

SHAEF1944 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:32 pm

jdvoss wrote:

Great photos and I was impressed (overwhelmed) by the size of the US insignia on the underside of the wing on the P-47 (6th photo down).

The P-47 pictured was flying with the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron at the time. Only thing I can think is the HUGE underside national insignia was some sort of recognition feature. I've seen several 5th ERS pics, but none showing the wing undersides ( besides this one ) where I could tell if they all had the oversized insignia. Maybe somebody has pics ?

brucev · **Posted:** Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:49 pm

Outstanding work!

man I wish that TBF had been saved, it would make an outstanding memorial to the Battle of Midway and Torpedo Squadron 8 and especially to Jay Manning, the man who died in that rear turret.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sun Sep 05, 2010 4:18 pm

I'm disappointed that Pappy isn't wink'in at me!

Old SAR pilot · **Posted:** Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:09 pm

Mustang, the 365th Bomb Sqdn of the 305th appears to have white/gray (they're lighter than the underside gray) markings in the photo here:
http://www.305thbombgroup.com/305th%20Aircraft%201.html

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