A B-24 Liberator
P-47 Thunderbolts flew bomber escort missions for heavy bombers like this one over France and Germany
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator flew in every Theater of Operation during the war. They were excellent bombers but were unable to protect themselves from enemy fighters. Thunderbolt P-47s flew escort missions for bombers like this one until their limited range was outmatched by the lighter P-51.
Consolidated Aircraft
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
Early 1940s
A P-36 Hawk
A type of plane flown by Colonel Joseph Laughlin at Wheeler Field in Hawaii.
Colonel Joseph Laughlin flew the P-36 Hawk, but in what capacity it is not mentioned. It was rendered obsolete by the time fighting intensified in the Pacific and European Theaters of Operation, and it was relegated to training purposes only at that point. However, there were several undamaged P-36 Hawks during the attack at Pearl Harbor. Several pilots managed to take off in heavy fire and tried to mount an offense, with limited success. It proved to still be an effective fighter plane in limited combat, but it was not relied upon once reinforcements were sent in the form of the P-40.
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1930s-early 1940s
A P-40 Warhawk
This type of plane was flown in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) by Colonel Laughlin
The P-40 was the most readily available fighter for U.S. forces after the attack at Pearl Harbor. Although most of the fleet was destroyed in the attack, there were still some planes that survived. Colonel Joseph Laughlin flew this type of plane as a pilot in the 19th Pursuit Squadron based at Wheeler Field in Hawaii. He flew over 350 operational hours against the Japanese in the PTO, with most of those hours probably flying this type of aircraft.
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1930s-1940s
A Lockheed P-38
A plane flown in both the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO) as well as the European Theater of Operations (ETO)
The P-38 Lightning was a thoroughly capable fighter plane. Weighing in at the same maximum weight as the P-47, it could accomplish the same mission types with similar armaments. Utilized in both the Pacific and European Theaters of Operation, it is one of the only fighter planes to remain in production from before WWII until the completion of it. Colonel Laughlin could have flown this aircraft on missions in the PTO, but there is no indication it was ever assigned to any squadron he was in. The P-38 would have been present at the Invasion of Normandy, however, and Colonel Laughlin and the 362nd Fighter Group would have flown with them at that time.
Lockheed Corporation
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1930s-1940s
Press Release Concerning Colonel Joseph Laughlin and the Bombing of Bremen Airport
A press release that touts the accomplishments of Colonel Laughlin and the 362nd Fighter Group
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 Colonel Laughlin's idea as payback to the Nazis for all that they had done so far. It goes into detail about Colonel Laughlin's life before the war, his friendship with the current 362nd Group Commander, Colonel Morton Magoffin, and how he is viewed by the men in the group. It is also the only time his first wife, Kathleen, is mentioned in any format.
Ninth Air Force Public Relations Office, Army Air Corps
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
1944
The Omaha World-Herald announces the Return Stateside of Colonel Joseph Laughlin
A brief overview of Colonel Laughlin's service in World War II upon his return to the States
This article announces the return of Colonel Laughlin stateside after V-J day. It gives a brief overview of his time in the Pacific and European Theaters of Operation.
Omaha World-Herald
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division
United States Air Force
September 5, 1945