Battle Damaged Aircraft of WW2

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Looking at all these pictures, it struck me that I have never seen a picture of a Me 262 wounded in combat. May well be because it was late in the war and who really has the time, but I wonder if it could take it? What about the Ar 234? Being a first generation jet, did that make it less survivable?
 
There's plenty of accounts of Me262s getting shot up in combat and making it back, however it seems that there are very few photos of any of these for some reason.

On the other hand, aside from the fact that the engine(s) would literally detonate when hit by MG (or cannon) rounds, the two fuel tanks were directly fore and aft of the cockpit and poorly protected. Hits to either tank meant serious trouble.

Also, when a 262 was damaged and had to limp home, it also had to run the gauntlet of the airfield vultures, waiting to pick off incoming and outgoing jets. Being damaged meant it's chances of making it down in one piece were almost next to zero...
 
stona said:
Flt.Sgt. W Merryweather of 174 Squadron managed to fly back to his base at Manston. Sadly he would not survive the war.
Click to expand...

My source for this (Bowyer Van Ishoven) is incorrect as Merryweather was killed in a mid air collision (the other aircraft piloted by Flt.Lt Clifford Hunt, also killed) practicing strafing attacks over the Goodwin sands on 5th June 1942.

I don't know (yet) who flew the 'Hurribomber' back from Dieppe with virtually no fin.

Edit: The man who flew the Hurricane back to Ford (not Manston) was Sgt J. E. Meredith. His nickname was 'Merrie' according to his son, which might have added to the confusion. On the same day he claimed an He 111, presumably before the collision.

Cheers

Steve
 
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Master Sergeant James L Smith a crew chief of the 379th Bomb Group inspects the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Patches" that was blown off by flak and became embedded in the wing.



 
379th BG B-17 (42-39789) "Skunkface"

Handwritten caption on reverse: '379th Kimbolton. Mission accomplished, an amazing display of courage + skill by Second Lieutenant William Elliot, USAF (8th) from Penca, Ohkla, he bought his battered Flying Fort back from Bremen to land in England with left horizontal stabiliser shorn off, rudder smashed beyond use, one engine dead + 5 gun positions knocked out of position.



 
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Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Original a/c caught fire hardstand. 16. 6443.' Printed caption on reverse: '71811 USAF - Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" (A/C No. 889) of the 379th Bomb Group burns furiously after crash-landing and exploding at an airfield somewhere in England on 23 February 1944. U.S. Air Force Photo.'

 

That's a Kimbolton bird. According to the Aviation Safety Network website, the incident occurred at that airfield.
 
Judging by all the pictures (only a few of which I posted here) just from this BG alone, I think it was much more common than I realised for these planes to make it back with such extensive damage.

 
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