Warbird Information Exchange

The location & date of the photo is unknown. No information listed. J Baugher's database just misses the BuNo. by one digit. The photo comes from the Permann Collection, SDASM archives.

Interesting paint scheme for the L-5 owners out there.

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[Thread title is ridiculous btw]

The code letters '5M' point it to having belonged to the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photo Reconnaissance Group, 9th Air Force. It carries the red/yellow/red occupation stripes on the rear fuselage as worn when stationed in Germany, post-war.

Already done at least once!

https://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitle ... l/658599/L

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

No whitewalls? for shame.

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[Thread title is ridiculous btw]

The L-5 is nice but the Black Widow next to it . . . . . .

Tom P.

The photo shows Fürth Airfield (R-28), Germany, likely taken early May-mid June 1945. The P-61 belongs to the 425th NFS which was based at Fürth from 2 May to 4 July 1945.

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474th Fighter Group (WWII) Historian

Some of you dudes know too much. I’d be nice if some of the so called historians would consult a few of you first before writing their books and articles.

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[Thread title is ridiculous btw]

If I saw that at the local field, I'd blame an owner with having too much imagination and too little taste.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

The P-61 unit was actually the 416th NFS. The photo was taken by Earl Dickey, a 416th radar operator and the the R/O of the only American Mosquito NF victory. He and his pilot chased a Ju 188 from Naples to Austria on a single engine, downing the German as he landed at his own base.

Earl used to live up the street here in Arlington before moving to Florida - we've been out of touch for over 30 years, but he was a (is?) a great guy!

Cheers,


Dana

That is a great story. Thank for sharing. I also like the white walls.

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Better is the enemy of Good.

John B, you should hav met BOb Burns. He never let an opportunity slip to paint lots of orange, red and yellow on his warbirds!

Also Bob Byrne liked lots of yellow, red and silver his N6341T was the only P-51 I had a ride in. Most of his aircraft had lots of those colors.

Apologies for the late reply, but this photo appeared in the book "The Ninth Air Force in Colour" by Roger Freeman (1996), page 12. The caption identifies it as being in the 10th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. The photo was also used in "USAAF Aircraft Markings and Camouflage 1941-1947" by Robert Archer (1997), and the L-5 in the Airliners.net photo was restored in this livery in Italy by my good friend Italo Battioli in the 1980's.

According to its USAAF record card, 42-98592 was accepted by the USAAF on November 1, 1943. Originally allocated to the 8th Air Force, it arrived in the UK on January 5, 1944. No further entry of its status is listed until it was condemned for salvage by the 9th Air Force in January 1947 in Germany, but it wasn't actually dismantled until November.

One of the main reasons that Photo Recon units were assigned L-5's was so they could deliver the photos where they were needed as soon as they were developed, and in the ETO that was often to a small liaison strip near an Army, Corps or Division HQ in the field. However, this photo was taken after Germany had surrendered and the plane was probably no longer being used for that purpose but as a squadron "hack" instead. As said by Mr. Terrell, the red and yellow fuselage stripes were applied to occupation forces aircraft and were not used prior to May, 1945. There are many photos of 153rd liaison squadron aircraft on the Flickr website sporting these stripes in Germany after the war ended, courtesy of John Bayless whose father was in that unit.

Anyway, anytime anyone has questions about an L-5 photo, or L-5's in general, I'm your guy and you can contact me through the Sentinel Owners & Pilots Association website.

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Sentinel Owners and Pilots Association
www.sentinelclub.org
"All things L-5"