Author Topic: 76th Anniversary of USAAF's first official combat mission over Europe  (Read 331 times)

Offline oboe

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 9805
Pretty harrowing first mission I'd say - a dozen Bostons attacking three different German-occupied airdromes in Holland at low level in broad daylight.  It was a joint mission with the RAF.  Read all about it here:

http://www.historynet.com/first-usaac-raf-joint-combat-mission-july-4th-1942.htm

Artist Nixon Galloway commemorated the occasion with his work, "First Mission" in 1991.  It depicts the aircraft of Major Charles Kegelman, who flew so low he actually struck the ground with a wingtip and the bottom of the fuselage and lost a prop and engine in the process:



The bravery of these airman never ceases to amaze me.

 :salute



Offline Brooke

  • Aces High CM Staff
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15545
      • http://www.electraforge.com/brooke/
I love that painting.