WW2 Aviation Links (Add your links)

[ThomasP]

I am sure that the Alternate Wars website has been mentioned here before but I thought I should mention that the main site is being reworked by the owner, and has been renamed 'General Staff'.

"General Staff"

Currently the new format has only a few of the original site's SAC/ACP/AP documents. However, he is gradually rebuilding the site, and is adding new documents (including various new non-SAC/ACP/AP documents & operational type records, along with a few manuals).

He has included a link to the original Alternate Wars site on the Wayback Machine and most of the original site's documents are still available there.

"Alternate Wars"

One of the new? sections (at least I had not seen this section before) is here

"U.S.A.A.F. World War II Aircraft Performance Charts"

where he has posted scans of various microfilm documents that I am sure would be interesting to many of the forum's members, including

'Wartime Tactical Planning Characteristics & Performance Charts (EE-393)'

and

'Post-War Tactical Planning Characteristics & Performance Charts (EE-393)'

among others.

 

[MiTasol]

Unfortunately the links at the wayback machine are broken

I downloaded the following files to see if they were of interest as there is no description to them and you will note the small size of the files (basically just enough to hold the title and some format data) and that they all have the same error when trying to open them in Acrobat Pro

 

[MiTasol]

I just discovered some AFHRA records at

Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

archive.org

 

[33k in the air]

Unfortunately the links at the wayback machine are broken

They're working for me from this link.

 

[MiTasol]

Thank you

Impressive page but unfortunately no AFHRA files.

They now show

 

[fubar57]

9 pages of downloadable U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force histories.... World War Regimental Histories | World War Collections | Bangor Public Library

 

[MiTasol]

Great site. I downloaded three books to read when not scanning manuals and was particularly impressed with Hap Arnolds Foreword to Contrails on page 1.

For those into the B-29 there is what appears to be a detailed history of the introduction of t he type into service on page 8

Contrails Foreword


"Contrails -- My War Record" is a written record of what a number of young Americans did to help win World War II.


What does not appear so obviously on the printed page is, perhaps, even more important: the quick, strong indignation of these men, at a powerful menace that threatened their ideals and their American way of living; their day-by-day strength that matched powerful foes and unending hardship; their unflagging courage that mocked incredible danger; their unquenchable faith that met aggressively the ultimate in sacrifice. These things were given freely, as only free men could give. These things definitely assure that free men shall continue to inherit the earth.


Officers and men of the 100th Bombardment Group and of the Service Organizations, I salute you!


H.H. Arnold, General of the Army

 

[MiTasol]

In Back Load from the above site there is a good photo that shows how overloaded the troop ships were. Look how many supplemental life rafts on this one. There were required to be enough life boats to carry all the passengers and crew so all those rafts were for the overload. This was a passenger ship, not a freighter.

 

[fubar57]

Way too many manuals to list..... WWII Archive : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive

Here's a couple....

Today I learned pigeons used parachutes

 

[MiTasol]

Thanks - great site

 

[MiTasol]

Lancasterbombers dot net Bomber Command History is a great site covering not just Lancaster's but a lot more info on the whole of Bomber Command. Site owner Dom is expanding it to cover more aircraft as he obtains the information so it will be well worth revisiting. Manuals and aircrew training booklets are found at Books, Notebooks & Manuals – Bomber Command History has manuals and other material in flipbook format.

Below is the top about half of the Home page.

Modellers who do cockpit interiors, crew members and dioramas will probably find this book of great interest as it gives the details of many of the RAF flying harnesses etc.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Baball]

Lancasterbombers dot net Bomber Command History is a great site covering not just Lancaster's but a lot more info on the whole of Bomber Command. Site owner Dom is expanding it to cover more aircraft as he obtains the information so it will be well worth revisiting. Manuals and aircrew training booklets are found at Books, Notebooks & Manuals – Bomber Command History has manuals and other material in flipbook format.

Thanks for the link, that's the site I extracted the A.P. manuals for the Stirling from. I had forgotten where I found them.

 

[fubar57]

Spitfire Family Tree... https://www.strijdbewijs.nl/birds/spitfire/spitfiretree/spittree.htm

 

[eagledad]

New (to me ) sight on the B-25 Mitchell Bomber:

B-25 History Project

B-25A-NA Mitchell bomber technical specifications and history

b-25history.org

 

[Snautzer01]

the organizational history of aircraft maintenance in the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe squadron and group organization - Axis History Forum

 

[MiTasol]

This weeks Aircorps Library newsletter contains the following link Baseball and Bombers: USAAF Reconnaissance Photography During the Second World War | Historic England with the intro.

I like the home page for the collection

 

[MiTasol]

Some may find these of use - this is one of several similar files at Full-text Search Results | HathiTrust Digital Library

Bomber offensive.

 

[fubar57]

A whack of info and photos RN Air Squadrons Home Page

 

[fubar57]

Just found this.... https://plane-encyclopedia.com/world-war-2/