Muniton workers

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 

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

Jim, they only had the P 38s during the Iwo Jima campain when they were on Saipan. The P47 "D"s didn't have enough range. They had the  P 47 "N"s when they were on IE Shima. Barflies, thanks for the info about "PHUTTS" and the film I will look for it. I do have the books "The Pinneapple Air Force'" and "One Damned Island after Another". I forget the author of the later. Dad also mentioned the P 61s and a B 25 unit that was on Saipan when they were.   Hugh

Forgot to mention the book " Wings Over the Pacfic " 7th Air Force in Pictures. by Stewart Fern. Lots of pics in this book. Comes up on ebay sometines.

 Hi. My neighbor was one of the "Bar Flies". Man the stories he would tell. Really miss the guy. I have a photo of him working on his P-47. He was just the mechanic not the pilot. I also put up a good quality image of the "Bar Flies" emblem I recently did.

Enjoyed the 318th Flickr photos Heyst.  The Google video of the 318th's carrier take off is excellent also.  Attached is a photo of Lt. Robert Redfield's P-47N "Sack Happy".  Pictured standing in front of the plane are, left to right, Lt. Joseph DeVona, Lt. Millet, Lt. O'Hara, and Lt. J.T. Spivey.

Hugh,
In answer to the armorer queary. My WAG is that they were not assigned to any particular plane. Unlike crew chiefs etc. responsibilty, it does not take long to arm a plane. Each team probably armed 2/3 planes. The planes are armed before mission briefing. Land preps. for next mission take place while planes are in flight. This WAG is based on long ago info from my cousin a Torpedoman 1/C on the USS Enterprise in the early years of WWII. The army may have operated the same way.
 

Your father is in the Oct. 3, 1944 issue of Brief.  It is the issue with the cover photo  of airman in a life raft , the same issue shown on the Flickr photostream containing the Barflies article with photo of your father.  Back cover model Toni 7.