13's....

[Lucky13]

F-16A, Block 5, 78-0315....

IDFAF F-16A block 5 (original) #113 and a sistership both from 140 sqn are flying side by side.
Photo: Xnir

First of the eight to drop its bombs in Operation Opera. Callsigns was Izmel 1 and piloted by Ze'ev Raz.

 

[Viking1066]

Early Morning 13s from IJATRAI

 

[Lucky13]

William B Anderson, B-26 pilot, 456th Squadron, 323rd Bombardment Group....

Source: William B Anderson, B-26 pilot, 456th Squadron, 323rd Bombardment Group

Source: Martin B-26 Marauder WW2 bomber | World War Photos

Source: media-413321.jpg | American Air Museum

 

[Lucky13]

B-26B-50-MA 42-96013 No.99 Brinah flown by Lt. Russel Jones of the 444th BS, 320th BG

Source: B-26 320th Bomb Group Serial Numbers

 

[Lucky13]

Type: B-26B Marauder
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
Registration: 41-31713
Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Aircraft missing
Location: Irish Sea - United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Warton
Destination airport: Northern Ireland
Narrative: Lan27 Air Transport Group / 310 Ferry Sqn
CAPT MILLER, EVERETT LEE. From Slater, Missouri.
MIA 6-11-1943 as pilot of B-26B / #41-31713 / MACR 15489.
took off from Warton for a flight to Northern Ireland. Lost over the Irish Sea. Despite an extensive Air Sea Rescue search no trace of the aircraft and its crew were ever found. 4 KNO (Killed on a Non-Operational flight).
Captain Miller is commemorated on the Cambridge Cemetery Tablets of the Missing.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Tuesday 23 November 1943
Time: 13:04
Type: Martin B-26C Marauder
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
Registration: 41-34713
Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Blendecques - France
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Andrews Field, Essex, UK
Destination airport:
Narrative: Hit by bomb and crashed. MACR 1498.
The entire crew perished in the crash.

 

[Lucky13]

Date:Friday 25 February 1944
Time:11:26 LT
Type: Martin B-26B-35-MA Marauder
Owner/operator: 387th BGp /559th BSqn USAAF
Registration: 41-32013
MSN: TQ-P
Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Aircraft damage:Destroyed
Location:North Sea, 30 km off the Dutch coast - Netherlands
Phase:Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Chipping Ongar/AAF Sta.162 Essex
Destination airport:
Narrative: 'The Arkansas Traveller' was shot down by Luftwaffe fighters of Jagdgeschwader 2 & 26.

Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by launching massive attacks on the German aircraft industry. By defeating the Luftwaffe, the Allies would achieve air superiority and the invasion of Europe could proceed. The daylight bombing campaign was also supported by RAF Bomber Command, operating against the same targets at night.

On 25 February 1944, in the final "Big Week" mission, 823 bombers and 899 fighttrs of the Eight Air Force attacked avaiation industry targets at Augsburg, Stuttgart, Fürth, and Regensburg, the later target being also attacked from the south by B-17s of the Fifthenth Air Force.

Before the Eight Air Force formation crossed the Channel, 191 B-26s (five bomber group) were sent to attack airdromes in France, Belgium, and Holland. The purpose of these missions was to assist the heavies in their deep penetration by raising enemy fighters and engaging them. This would cause them to land for refueling and reaming at the time the heavies were crossing this section of occupied territory. 8th Air Force bombers were scheduled to leave Beachy Head at 1100 hours, their route over to Le Touquet for enemy landfall then flew in an easterly direction. All B-26 raids were planned to take place between 1045 and 1051 hours.

The 386th and 322nd BG were dipatched attack St. Trond airfield, Belgium, with Woensdrecht, Holland, as secondary target. The 323rd and 387th BG attacked Venlo airfield, Holland, and the 391st BG Cambrai / Epinoy airfield, France. These formations were escorted by RAF Spitfires, Mustangs and Typhoons.

The Venlo force bombed its objective, destroying three German aircraft on the ground: a Bf 109 G-6 and a Go 145 of IV./JG 3 and the Fw 190 A-6 WNr 470205 of Erprob.Kdo. 25. All were total losses (100% damage).

On the German side, controllers expected another large-scale deep penetration. At 1050 hrs, I./JG 26 and 4./JG 26 were scrambled but were not sent towards the heavy bombers over the Channel but were vectored north, towards the B-26 formations. The JG 26 pilots were heading for the St Trond force when the Venlo formation was spotted heading west, south of Walcheren.

The Allied crew reported being attacked by approximately twenty enemy aircraft just off the Dutch Coast at approximately 1124 hours. They attacked the last box of bombers, the 558th BS of the 387th BG. They were mostly FW-190's along with three or four Me-109's. The air battle lasted five to six minutes. The attacks were pressed home as close as 50 yards, from six, nine, and twelve o'clock positions simultaneously shooting down four of the Marauders, the B-26B 41-31648, 41-31660, 41-31671 and 41-32013. Many of the 387th crews stated their escort was adequate until they reached the enemy coast on the way out - no fighter escort observed at that time, the enemy planes jumped the last formation! The RAF escort was unable to intercept the German fighters. An He 177 was shot down by four pilots of 331 (Norwegian) Sqn near St Trond, which was protected by intense Flak who shot down and killed one of the victorious pilots. The Spitfire escort then reported nine Marauders of the Venlo force were attacked before the RAF could engage the enemy. One Spitfire opened fire without results. According to one report six German planes were destroyed during this raid, so it is probable that B-26 gunners claimed five (or six) victories.

Lt Karl Willius, the Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 26, led his Staffel in a quick attack before the escort could react and claimed himself two B-26 shot down as his 43rd and 44th victories. A third was claimed by Ofw. Hans Heitmann of 4./JG 26 as his 10th victory. Lt Georg Kiefner of 1./JG 26 claimed another damaged, but was hit in one wing by return fire. His ammunition exploded but he put his Fw 190 safely down at Maldegem. At roughly the same time, between 1125 and 1130 hrs, four pilots of III./JG 2, Lt Johannes Wiethoff of Gruppenstab, Oblt Josef Wurmheller of 9./JG 2 and Fhj.Uffz. Hans-Joachim Voormann of 12./JG 2 claimed four B-26 shot down (two by Wurmheller) and they attacked the same formation, each German unit probably counting the falling B-26s as his own victims.
__________________________________________________________________________

The formation of the 558th BS, 387th BG was attacked by enemy fighters just after crossing out over the Dutch coast on the return journey, about twenty miles off the Dutch coast, by 51° 42' N 03° 05' E. The formation was led by Maj. Joseph Hemingway Richardson, the squadron commander, who flew this day the B-26B-35 41-32013 TQ-P "The Arkansas Traveller", borrowed from the 559th BS. The German fighters hit the lead ship on the first pass and it dragged bacl of and out of the formation. It peeled off to the right and flames were seen to come from the right wing. The right propeller was windmilling. When last seen, the ship was far below the formation but heading in its direction just above the overcast, and apparently still under control. Flames were still noticable. It crashed in the sea without survivor.

Crew (all lost, MACR 2332):
Maj Joseph Hemingway Richardson (pilot, squadron commander)
1st Lt William R Stewart (copilot)
1st Lt Clyde T Dailey (navigator)
Capt John P Coburn (bombardier)
2nd Lt George B Robertson (navigator (Gee))
S/Sgt Harry R Lambertson (engineer/tail gunner)
T/Sgt Howard E Miller,Jr (radio/gunner)
S/Sgt Jack E Hutchinson (waist gunner)
S/Sgt Melbourne D Hindman (turret gunner)

The reason for the crew of nine was because this was the lead ship, hence two navigators to ensure target accuracy and extra gunners so that the engineer/gunner could maintain a constant watch over the mechanical reliability of the B26 and that the radio/gunner could constantly monitor the command radio and pass instructions to the rest of the formation from the lead.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Saturday 26 August 1944
Type: Martin B-26B Marauder
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
Registration: 42-95813
Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Matching/Sta 166 - United Kingdom
Phase: Take off
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Matching
Destination airport:
Narrative: Crashed on takeoff.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Monday 1 January 1945
Time: 14:30
Type: Martin B-26G-15-MA Marauder
Owner/operator: 322th BGp /451th BSqn USAAF
Registration: 44-67813
MSN: SS-P
Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Stadtkyll (Rheinland-Pfalz) - Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure airport: A-61 Beauvais-Tille (F)
Destination airport:
Narrative: Shot down by Flak on mission to Stadtkyll, Germany. All crew KiA with exception of pilot, who became POW. MACR 12003

- Last mission: cross-roads at Stadtkyll, Germany on 1 Jan. 45
- Ship: B-26G-15-MA Marauder Serial #44-67813, 322BG, 451BS, Code SS-P
- Missions flown: 2

Survived 23 Dec 1944 missions. Shot up on 2nd mission, 1 Jan 1945; flak in left engine and wing, burst into flames, left wheel, then left engine, then left wing fell off, ship went into a spin, plummeted and crashed.
1st Lt.Paul F. Michael
2nd Lts Robert L Weir & Vance I McCormick
SSgt Albert J Hands
Sgts A W Harriman, James C Rattan, Jr.

(Michael, POW; rest of crew KIA)

Crewmen on Stadtkyll mission:
Pilot - 1st Lt. Paul F. Michael (POW)
Co-pilot - 2nd Lt. Robert L. Weir (KIA)
Bombardier - 2nd Lt. Vance I. McCormick (KIA)
Flight engineer/turret-gunner - SSgt. A.W. Harriman (KIA)
Radio/waist-gunner - SSgt. Albert J. Hands (KIA)
Armorer/tail-gunner - SSgt. James C. Rattan (KIA)

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Monday 22 January 1945
Type: Martin B-26F Marauder
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
Registration: 42-96313
Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location: Roye/Amy (A-73) - United Kingdom
Phase: Landing
Nature: Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport: Roye/Amy
Narrative: Landing accident.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Wednesday 14 February 1945
Type: Martin B-26C Marauder
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)
Registration: 42-107613
MSN: YU-S
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location: Unknown, Germany - Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative: Shot down by AAA, no further details. Pilot Rufus N. Wilson died 3 days later. All crew survived after German Captivity.

 

[Viking1066]

Some 13s from the Regia Aeronautica from the net.

 

[Lucky13]

In the literature statements are often found that the locomotive was not sufficiently powerful overall. In response to that,
number 43 013 was loaded for testing purposes with a train of 5000 tons - that is more than twice that given in the
haulage tables - and headed it without complaint. In doing so, 43 013 is a record holder. Never before or since has any
German locomotive hauled such a load.

 

[Viking1066]

13s this morning from ASISBIZ.

 

[Wurger]

the source: the net.

 

[Wayne Little]

good stuff..!

 

[Lucky13]

 

[Viking1066]

MiGs from AIRHIS.

 

[Viking1066]

Some13s from SEAORG. Man I am sure sleepy today.

 

[Wurger]

the source: the net.