My father, George Fischer, was an muntions worker (mo901) in the 318FG 73rdSQ. My question is, did the aircraft armorors usually work on the same aircraft or the same few or did they work on arming all of the planes in the squadron? There is a picture I found in his WWII box of things that is of a razer back P 47 and on the back of the photo it says "P 47D Saipan. I can't quite make out the whole nose art on the right side, it looks like "PhFFfff" or maybe "PhffIII". the serial number and the plane # along with the white SQ ID bands are vary visible. Another thing I noticed is the bottom cover for the wheel on the landing gear strut seams to be missing on both sides. I know that this group had some very long missions but some were also very short. It wasn't much of a trip from Saipan to Tinian. So maybe a little dirty air under the plane wasn't critical. Were the covers removed to service the plane or was there an issue with the runways kicking up debris and lodging in that area. I have many more questions for you guys but I'll post more threads.  This is my first try at posting and with a picture I hope it works.  Hugh 

[image]local://upfiles/12639/3DFE8A8E5B9243CBBF2B6DE7E91C7E30.jpg[/image]

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Bar Flies insignia 73FS 318FG 7AAF

Hugh....my father was an A&P in the 73rd of the 318th FG. Here's a pic of a bunch of the ground crew in front of a fully loaded P-47. My father is the last on the right. Maybe your dad is in this pic too.

Jim

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Jim, My father is not on that picture. I do have a few pictures of that same airplane. It is a P 47N and they had those on IE Shima. I do not have any of those scanned to show. Regretfully we lost my father in an industrial acident 31 years ago last Wednesday. I do remember a few stories but I wish I would have been more interested when he was with us. One thing a remember him saying is that they were moved from Saipan to Tinian after the B 29s came but the books I have read about the Seventh AF don't get into that much detail. Do you know if they served on Tinian? One of his memories was watching the B 29s being literally flown off of the cliffs at the end of the runways, losing altitude and just skiming (sp) the water for as long as one could see them.    Hugh

Bar Flies insignia 73FS 318FG 7AAF

Jim, My father is the guy on the right with his foot on the trailer. They are arming a P38. They only had those during the Iwo Jima campain while they were on Saipan. Hugh

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Bar Flies insignia 73FS 318FG 7AAF

Hugh....My father died 27 years ago...and, like you, I didn't absorb the few stories he told me when I was real young. I remember he raved about the P-38's...and took alot of pics of them, but you say the 73rd only had them for the Iwo Jima campaign. I wonder what other outfit had them on IE Shima ?
He used to mention the P-61's...but never the B-29's.

Here's a pic of one he took.

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