The 345th and Operation Postern
Additional data on the 5th Air Force activities in early September 1943____
For a number of weeks, General Kenney had been working on a plan to take Lae out of Japanese control. Operation Postern, as it was known, was approved by Gen. MacArthur and put into effect in early September 1943. The 345th Bomb Group took part in the huge raid on Nadzab on September 5th. That morning, 48 B-25 crews from the 345th were joined by two more B-25 squadrons to soften up the area. They completed bomb runs from approximately 1000 feet and also released 20-pound fragmentation bombs. The B-25s were followed by A-20s from the 3rd Bomb Group’s 89th Bomb Squadron, which laid down a smoke screen to cover the 82 C-47s that were dropping paratroopers from the 503rd Parachute Regiment. Kenney and MacArthur observed the entire operation from above in B-17s that circled the area.
As the paratroopers jumped from the C-47s, the B-25s dropped down to…
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Posted on January 16, 2016, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged aviation, family history, History, Japan, Military, New Guinea, USA, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 38 Comments.
Pacific Paratrooper 
I always wondered how often someone in their own plane damaged it by inadvertently shooting it. Wow, what a close call, and what an amazing pilot Robinette proved to be by getting back to the landing strip! Lol. If I were O’Rear, I definitely would’ve kept my mouth shut until all was safe 😀 What a nail biting scene that must’ve been! My husband’s in the Air Force Reserve, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, WA and he enjoys stories like this gem. Thanks for sharing it!
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I’m lucky to be following people like the IHRA – we all learn and enjoy their research!
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Why, thank you! Your posts have a lot of great information about the bigger picture in the Pacific war.
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Thank you!
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Breathtaking WWII Colorized Photos Look Like They Were Taken
Yesterday
World War Two black and white photos that are researched and colorized in detail
by Doug and other artists from the ‘Colourisehistory Group.’ These 50
breathtaking colorized photos look like they were taken
yesterday.
A Super marine Spitfire Vc ‘Tropical’ JK707 MX-P serving with 307th
Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group operated by 12th USAAF. The
regular pilot was 1st.Lt. Carroll A. Prybylo, but when lost it was
flown by Capt. Virgil Cephus Fields, Jr. (Source – US Navy, via
Library of Congress. Colorized by Paul Reynolds. Historic Military
Photo Colourisations)
A Finnish soldier practices maneuvers in the winter snow at a military
dog training school during the Finnish-Soviet Continuation War.
Hämeenlinna , Finland . February 1941. (Source – SA-kuva. Colorized by
Jared Enos)
Focke Wulf FW-190A6 Nº20 of 4./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) on the airfield
at Immola in Finland . 2nd of July 1944. (Source – SA-kuva. Colorized
by Jared Enos)
A Chinese Nationalist soldier guards a row of Curtiss P-40 ‘Warhawks’
flown by the ‘Flying Tigers’ of the American Volunteer Group (AVG).
July, 1942. (Source – National Archives and Records Administration –
535531. Colorized by Tom Thounaojam from India )
A crew member cleaning the barrel of an Sd.Kfz. 251/9 –
Schützenpanzerwagen (7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24) “Stummel” on the East
Front, c. Summer 1942. (Colorized by Royston Leonard from the
UK )
Boeing B-29 Superfortress 42-24592 “Dauntless Dotty” 869th Bomb Squadron,
497th Bomb Group, 73rd Bomb Wing, 20th Air Force. 24th of November
1944. (Source ‘Life’ Magazine. Colorized by Leo Courvoisier from
Argentina )
Soviet Air Force officers, Rufina Gasheva (848 night combat missions) and
Nataly Meklin (980 night combat missions) decorated as ‘Heroes of
the Soviet Union ‘ for their service with the famed ‘Night Witches’
unit during World War II. They stand in front of their Polikarpov
Po-2 biplanes. (Colourisation and research by Olga Shirnina from
Russia )
A Kriegsberichter (war correspondent) holding an Arriflex 35 2 1942
camera 35mm ACR 0292 and he is leaning against a knocked out Soviet
BT-5 light tank. c.1940/41. (Colorized by Royston Leonard from the
UK )
Squadron Leader J.A.F. MacLachlan, the one-armed Commanding Officer of No 1
Squadron RAF, standing beside his all-black Hawker Hurricane Mark
IIC night fighter, ‘JX-Q’, at Tangmere in West Sussex, England .
(Source – Royal Air Force official photographer Woodbine G (Mr) ©
IWM CH 4015. Colorized by Paul Reynolds. Historic Military Photo
Colourisations)
US Air Force pilot 2nd Lieutenant Robert Wade Biesecker with his crew
of the 569th Bombardment Squadron, 390th Bomb Group, US Eighth Air
Force, standing by ‘Honey Chile’, their B-17 Flying Fortress bomber
(serial 42-31027), at RAF Framlingham, a US Eighth Air Force Bomber
Command station in England, 18 October 1943. (Photographer: M.
McNeil, for Fox Photos. Images courtesy of the Hulton Archive/ Getty
Images. Colorized and researched by Benjamin Thomas from
Australia )
F/L J. F. Thomas and the crew of Avro Lancaster Bomber ‘B’ MkI
‘Victorious Virgin’ RF128 QB-V of RCAF 424 Squadron “Tiger” Squadron
on the 21st of March 1945. (probably taken at the Skipton-on-Swale,
North Yorkshire airfield). (Colorized by Tom Thounaojam from
India )
T/5 William E. Thomas and Pfc. Joseph Jackson prepare a gift of special
“Easter Eggs” for Adolf Hitler and the German Army. Scrawling such
messages on artillery shells in World War II was one way in which
artillery soldiers could humorously express their dislike of the
enemy. Easter Saturday, March the 10th 1945, during the Battle of
Remagen. (The photographer 1st Lt. John D. Moore of the Signal
Corps. Source – US National Archives 111-SC-202330. Colorized by
Johhny Sirlande from Belgium )
A paratrooper from the American 17th Airborne Division gets a light
from a Churchill tank crewman of 6th Guards Armoured Brigade near
Dorsten in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany , 29th of March 1945.
(Source – No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit – © IWM BU 2738.
Photographer – Sgt.Midgley. Colorized by Paul Reynolds. Historic
Military Photo Colourisations)
A broken down and deserted Soviet T-35 heavy tank of the 8th
Mechanised Corps. On the Dubno – Plycza highway, Rivne Oblast
(province) of western Ukraine . June/July 1941. (Colorized by Royston
Leonard from the UK )
Troops of the 17th U.S. Airborne Division, First Allied Airborne Army,
march past a blazing building in Appelhülsen , Germany , as they
advance toward the city of Münster , nine miles to the northeast.
First Allied Airborne Army troops had landed east of the Rhine river
on March 24th 1945. (Colorized by Doug)
Flying Officer Leonard Haines of No. 19 Squadron RAF sits by the cockpit of
his Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Ia (QV-?) at Fowlmere, near Duxford.
September 1940. (Photo Source – © IWM CH 1373. Colorized by Paul
Reynolds. Historic Military Photo Colourisations)
‘Dog Beach Patrol’, (possibly on Parramore Beach, Virginia, US October
1943). (Source – United States Coast Guard – Photo No.726. Colorized
by Royston Leonard from the UK )
An Allied Soldier takes a break during the approach to Tripoli , Libya
beside a swastika and the words ‘Heil Hitler’ that have been carved
into a rocky hillside during January 1943. (Source – © IWM E 21788.
Colorized by Royston Leonard from the UK )
The crew of Avro Lancaster “C for Charlie” of No. 44 ( Rhodesia ) Squadron
RAF, try to warm themselves in their Nissen hut quarters at Dunholme
Lodge, Lincolnshire , England , after returning from a raid on
Stuttgart , 2nd of March 1944. (Source – © IWM (CH 12379. Colorized
by Paul Edwards)
United States Marines climbing down the nets into landing craft during the
Battle of Peleliu, September-November 1944. (Photographer: Griffin
Image courtesy of the United States Marine Corps History Division,
Peleliu 117058. Colorized and researched by Benjamin Thomas from
Australia )
Girls working on shell caps in a munitions factory, somewhere in England .
25th of May 1940. (Source – Gettys Images – Photographer, Paul
Popper. Colorized by John Gulizia from America )
Medics of the US . 5th Infantry Division examining GI clothing found with
German-captured equipment after the liberation of the area, near
Diekirch in Luxembourg on the 20th of January 1945. (Source –
SC-327129 Signal Corps Photo ETO-HQ-45-9223 -Horton. Colorized by
Joey Van Meesen from the Netherlands )
A Finnish Brewster Buffalo 239 fighter (BW-352) of (Squadron)
Lentolaivue/24 at Selänpää airfield. 24th June 1941. (Source –
SA-Kuva. Colorized by Tommi Rossi from Finland )
Three troopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne
Division taking a break after 5 days frontline fighting. From left
to right : Pvt William H. Sandy (ASN 13032007) from Charlottesville,
VA, Sgt Dehaven Nowlin (ASN 15046241) from Goshen, KY and Pvt Howard
Fredericks (ASN 39241668) from Los Angeles, CA., near Essen
(Germany) 10th of April 1945. (Source – US Army Signal Corps – TFH
collection. Photographer – Sgt T. J. Austin (Signal Corps).
Colorized by Joshua Barrett from the UK )
Veronica Foster, (b.1922 – d.2000) popularly known as “Ronnie, the Bren Gun
Girl”, was a Canadian icon representing nearly one million Canadian
women who worked in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions
and materiel during World War II. Colorized by Paul Reynolds.
Historic Military Photo Colourisations)
An American Marine aiming his Garand M1 rifle, whilst perched on
Japanese ammunition crates on the Island of Iwo Jima, c.
February/March 1945. (Colourised by Royston Leonard from the
UK )
Royal Marines from 45 (RM) Commando, 1st Commando Brigade on the look-out
for snipers among the ruins in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany. 4th
of April 1945. (Source – IWM BU 3057. Photographer – Sgt.Laws No 5
Army Film & Photographic Unit. Colorized by Doug)
Soviet artillerymen transporting a 76-mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)
during the forced crossing of the Oder River, Germany, c. December,
1944. (Photograph by Dmitri Baltermants. Colorized by Royston
Leonard from the UK )
Marine Pfc. Douglas Lightheart (right) cradles his .30 caliber M1919
Browning machine gun in his lap, while he and Marine Pfc. Gerald
Thursby Sr. take a cigarette break, during mopping up operations on
Peleliu on 14th September 1944. (Colorized by Paul Reynolds.
Historic Military Photo Colourisations)
A British Crusader tank passes a burning German Panzer IV tank during
‘Operation Crusader’. Cyrenaica (the eastern province of Libya ).
Winter 1941. (Colorized by Paul Reynolds. Historic Military Photo
Colourisations)
The strain and fatigue of 23 days on the line is shown by Marines of
Combat Team ‘C’, 2/7th US Marines, 1st Marine Division seen here
displaying Japanese battle flags captured during the Battle of Cape
Gloucester. 14-15th January 1944. (Source USMC 71602. Colorized by
Doug)
“Lucky Strike” c. 1944. The United States was the only country to equip its
troops with an auto-loading rifle as the standard infantry weapon of
WWII. It gave their troops a tremendous advantage in firepower, and
led General George Patton to call the M1 Garand, “The greatest
battle implement ever devised.” (Colorized by Paul Reynolds.
Historic Military Photo Colourisations)
Crew members of Nº537 Soviet IS-2 tank of the 87th Guards Heavy Tank
Regiment take a break in Breslau (now Wrocław in Poland ) 27th April
1945. (Photographer – Anatoli Egorov. Colorized by Jiří Macháček
from the Czech republic )
US troops from Combat Command B of the U.S. 14th Armored Division
entering the Hammelburg Prison in Germany by opening the main gate
with bursts of their M3 “Grease Guns”. Hammelburg , Germany . April 6,
1945. (Colorized by Paul Reynolds. Historic Military Photo
Colourisations)
A US Marine wearing his camouflage suit fires a Thompson sub-machine
gun during Jungle Training – 1942. (Colorized by Paul Reynolds.
Historic Military Photo Colourisations)
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Fernand, I appreciate how much time and effort you put into giving us all this information. It will take me a while to get through it all.
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That picture is just amazing. Reading the story that explains it makes it that much more real. Thank you again for bringing such important history to all our lives.
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I’m always on the look out, especially for people who write more professionally than I; and that is definitely the IHRA.
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The picture is most impressive.
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Yes, it is.
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How was that even possible? Amazing stuff.
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And so many amazing stories lost each day. Thanks for coming by today, Jacqui.
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Very intesting. I agree they do great research and started following their blog awhile back!
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Glad to hear that!!
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Thanks!
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Informative post; If I recall correctly, Lae was where Saburo Sakai had operated from.
The air combat victories he enjoyed, were out of proportion to the other areas where U.S. aviators flying P-40’s, and P-39’s, were managing to hold their own, though suffering many losses when they attempted to dogfight a Zero.
It’s been so very long since I read “Samurai!”; This raid was after his harrowing experience in an air battle at Guadalcanal, which almost killed him (he was blinded in one eye) and with a crippled Zero, managed to make it back to his base at Rabaul
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Interesting. I’ll have to look into that, or pass the story on to the author of the article.
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An interesting -but erroneous- account of this at:http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/04/saburo-sakai-samurai-skies/
As I recall from distant memory, Sakai had spotted what he thought was a flight of F-4F Wildcats below him. In a fast dive at the rear of the formation, he saw them tighten their formation, and thought he had achieved surprise. He recognized too late that they were TBM Avenger torpedo bombers. (All rear gunners were training their .50 calibers on him)
Almost upon them, it was far too late to break off his attack. He was almost shot down; being blinded, but managed to down two of them.
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That is quite an incredible story. That war made so many heroes on both sides and we have so many stories lost each day. I especially appreciated the part hearing that he was able to make friends with people who were once his enemy. I’m certain his Buddhist beliefs helped with that. I appreciate you taking the time to bring us that link, it is well worth reading!
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Your page and the source, IHRA are valuable info coming from veterans. Just a note; I made a private posting on a fictional miniseries, in part by Steven Spielberg, called “Taken – Beyond the Sky”. Am uncertain whether this prevented your being notified. My preface:
This is private. You are somewhat privileged…
I am a history buff.
Historical novels, such as David Poyer’s “The Only Thing To Fear”, envisions a young Navy lieutenant, JFK, assigned to the President’s personal staff, and is one hell of a read. I hadn’t given one thought to putting these on my site; because I don’t want to be accused of copyright infringement. However, my RealPlayer downloader was unable to capture episodes 4 through 10 from YouTube.
I was able to embed all of them here. If you are a “Sci-Fi” person, this combines both History, Science Fiction, and “Area 51” into an incredible miniseries.
It begins with a formation of B-17 G’s making a bomb run over Germany; that’s all I’ll tell you. P.S. The only error -as such- shows Bf-109 E’s attacking the forts; by ’44, the “G” model, faster and more deadly was in use at that time. For those interested, the details of this aircraft can be seen at Profiles In Courage, under Axis Aircraft.
Try to view; if it blocks you, there should be a notice with a link to allow permission by requesting access.
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As soon as I get time, I’ll go view it and thank you. You’re quite right, if I run into a private site – I just leave, so thanks for the heads-up.
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Interesting that MacArthur was flying above the battle and observing. Seems unusual for a commanding officer of his importance to put himself unnecessarily in harms way, GC. Or am I wrong here? –Curt
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Mac liked being with the men, whether land or air, and frankly – who was going to tell him he couldn’t? My father’s Gen., Joe Swing would fly in little observation planes to check on his men or drive to the front (if there was a front line) – how either of them never got hit was beyond me!
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A special kind of courage, no doubt, that helped inspire the people who fought for them. –Curt
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Dad used to call Swing, “My general.” I do honestly believe that he would have followed that man into the gates of Hell. Spending part of his tour on Swing’s staff, he did know him well.
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Which is what makes a true leader…
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Agreed!
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Simply amazing. I’m going to share with my nephew: a fighter pilot in training.
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Please shake his hand for me and express my thanks. People like your nephew make it possible for me to sleep at night. Thank you for visiting here and sharing.
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Have you seen the documentary “The Fog of War”? With Richard McNamara? His participation in WWII air raids–fascinating. The months from April to August 1945, what was it, approximately 64 Japanese cities?
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No, Cindy I haven’t seen it, as far as I can recall. But I will make a note of it! Thanks for the tip!
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The photo is chilling… Wishing you a superb Saturday. Hugs.
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Thanks for visiting!
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Thoroughly enjoyed the article – as always.
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They always do great research! Thanks for coming by!
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Thank you!
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Exciting stuff, GP, and ‘friendly fire’ too!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks for dropping by, Pete. Their research is always great!
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