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Press Release Concerning Colonel Joseph Laughlin and the Bombing of Bremen Airport
This press release, also found in a partial article from a Nebraska newspaper also in this collection, describes the recent successes of Colonel Laughlin in France. It includes the details behind a Ninth Air Force record-setting flight that was…
P-47s on Take-Off
This photo shows P-47s in the 362nd fighter group preparing to take-off. They are waiting for the signal from the grounds crewman to hit the throttle. They are not attempting to do a dual take-off at this airfield in Reims, France.
P-47 Liftoff
A P-47 from the 379th takes off for a mission. Note the closest wheel is already being put away. This picture is captioned as being at Station 159 in Wormingford, Essex, England. The plane is setting out on a bomber escort mission.
Omaha World-Herald Describes the Attack at Brest Harbor and Colonel Joseph Laughlin's Role
This article describes the attack at Brest Harbor, including the destruction of a German Light Cruiser that was credited to Colonel Laughlin. No aircraft were lost in the bombing of the Cruiser and 14 additional merchant vessels.
Lining up for Takeoff
P-47s from the 379th are lined up for takeoff. Final checks are being performed, and they are waiting to be given the go ahead. This was taken at the base outside Rennes, France.
Insignias of Destruction on Colonel Joseph Laughlin's P-47, Five by Five
Accounts were kept of what pilots destroyed in combat. To tout those successes, pilots would have the record painted on their planes, with tallies next to each symbol for tanks, trucks, and locomotives. The Nazi flags represented downed enemy…
Illustration of Bombs to be Loaded on P-47s for an Air Interdiction Mission
Grounds crews were responsible for getting extra fuel tanks loaded on the planes if the missions called for it, and they gave the aircraft a once over before the pilot came out to do the same. Ordnance men would have to prep bombs before loading them…
Illustration of a Briefing of P-47 pilots in the Ninth Air Force
This illustration is of a P-47 squadron from the Ninth Air Force in Belgium during the siege of Aachen in October of 1944. This scene was common among all Air Force groups, though how many of them had this groups' sense of humor is unknown. The…
Colonel Joseph Laughlin's Call Sign on the Fuselage of His P-47, Five by Five
The call sign reads as "B8-A". The "B" is for the 379th Fighter Squadron; the "A" is for the 362nd Fighter Group; and the "8" is the plane number within the squadron. This was Colonel Laughlin's call sign in early 1945.
Colonel Joseph Laughlin Speaks with Sergeant Raymond J. Chodor
This picture shows Colonel Laughlin and his crew chief, Sgt. Chodor, talking before Laughlin prepped for flight. There had to be a lot of trust between a pilot and his crew chief; not only were they responsible for the overall maintenance of the…