Illustration of Bombs to be Loaded on P-47s for an Air Interdiction Mission

Illustration of Bombs to be Loaded on P-47s for an Air Interdiction Mission

Preparing planes for missions always included ordnance, but sometimes would require extra fuel tanks to be loaded up

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 on the planes, giving them the opportunity to send a little message of their own to the enemy.

This illustration can be found in The Commemorative History of the Ninth Air Force book.

United States Army Air Corps

National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division

United States Air Force

1945-1946