Aleutian Islands in WWII, 1/72-1/48-1/32....

[michaelmaltby]

...an under-appreciated campaign, IMO

 

[Lucky13]

US Navy personnel freeing a PBY-5A Catalina aircraft from frozen waters in the Aleutian Islands at Kodiak Bay, US Territory of Alaska, May 1942-Jan 1943.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

...an under-appreciated campaign, IMO

Totally agree, which is why I'm looking around learning about the campaign....

Will snoop around regarding Iceland, Greenland as well later....

 

[Lucky13]

PBY-5A Catalina of the US Navy's 4th Air Wing in the Aleutians after running off the runway's steel matting, 1943-44.
Note the aerial depth charges mounted under the wings.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

Flight crews gather around a PBY-5A Catalina patrol plane on a Marsden Mat seaplane ramp in the Aleutians, 1944-45.
Note oil splatters on the hull from the notoriously leaky radial engines.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

OS2U Kingfisher on a seaplane ramp in the Aleutians, Territory of Alaska, 1943-45.
Note unusual National Insignia on upper right wing and Marsden matting on the ramp.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

A USN patrol PBY Catalina turned upside down by heavy winds at Dutch Harbor, Alaska, 2 Nov 1942.
Note another PBY askew in the left background.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

US Navy PV-1 Ventura aircraft of Bombing Squadron VB-135 and PBY-5A Catalina from another squadron at the Adak Island airfield, Aleutian Islands, US Territory of Alaska, summer 1943.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

The Aleutians Campaign

 

[Greg Boeser]

Brian Garfield - The Thousand Mile War
John Haile Cloe - The Aleutian Warriors: A History of the 11th Air Force & Fleet Air Wing 4, Part 1
a sequel - Mission to the Kurils
A fun read - Frederick Lyman - All this and Attu
The National Park Service has an excellent resource here Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area (U.S. National Park Service)
including unit histories Unit Scrapbooks and Histories - Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[Lucky13]

F5 photo reconnaissance aircraft on an airstrip at Amchitka, Aleutian Islands, 7th of May 1942; note C-47 transport aircraft in background.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

Lt Herb Hasenfus of the 54th Fighter Squadron standing in the cockpit of his P-38 Lightning during engine run-up at Adak, Alaska, in March 1943.
Note the artwork on the engine cowls.

Source: ww2dbase

 

[Lucky13]

Lockheed P-38G-13-LO Lightning 43-2313 (343rd FG, 54th FS) crashed at Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska on the 1st of May 1943.
Pilot killed.

 

[Lucky13]

North American B-25D-35 Mitchell 43-3685 (77th BS, 28th BG, 11th AF, based at Attu Airfield, Attu Island, in The Aleutian Islands, Alaska)
Landed on the 31st of October 1944 at Siberia, Russia due to rudder controls shot off by Japanese fighter causing excessive
drag making it impossible to make it back to base while on a mission to the Kuril Islands.
All (7) crew survived and were interned in Russia.
Released in 1945.
Fate of aircraft unknow.

 

[Greg Boeser]

Martin B-26 Marauder #40-1478
(73rd BS,28th BG, 11th AF) shot down by AAA over Gertrude Cove, Kiska Island Oct 15, 1942. 4 KIA

 

[Greg Boeser]

Martin B-26 Marauder 40-1387
(73rd BS, 28th BG, 11th AF) shot down by AAA from Japanese destroyer 30 mi NE of Kiska Island Oct 16, 1942. 4 KIA

 

[Greg Boeser]

Martin B-26 40-1370
(28th CG, 73rd BS) W/O in landing accident in bad weather at Naknek, Alaska Aug 16, 1942. 2 Killed

Photo Credit: John Pletcher - Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[Greg Boeser]

Martin B-26 Marauder 40-1381
(28th CG, 73rd BS) W/O in landing accident at Naknek, Alaska Aug 16, 1942.

 

[Greg Boeser]

Martin B-26 Marauder 40-1372
(28th CG, 77th BS) returned to States in early '43 after combat tour.

Photo credit: John Pletcher - Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[Wurger]