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History

James Howard, the P-51 Mustang pilot who fought alone for 30 minutes against Luftwaffe fighters

by Till Daisd December 15, 2022

As he flew above the target area for 30 minutes, Howard attacked the enemy, shooting down three and damaging a fourth to become the first fighter ace for the Merlin Mustang and the 354th FG

The 401st Bomb Group (BG) B-17Gs were bombing the Me 110 fighter plants in Germany’s Oschersleben and Halberstadt on January 11, 1944. The unit’s bombers had a difficult day because even though it was their 14th mission, it was the first one on which they suffered significant losses. Four aircraft were reported missing in combat after bombing their target.

Turning back home, they saw an astounding sight, according to Air Force Magazine: a single P-51 stayed with them for an incredible 30 minutes on egress, chasing off German fighters trying to hack away at the bombers. Maj. Allison C. Brooks, the 401st’s task group leader, described the situation as a “one-man Air Force.”

“Who was that Mustang pilot who took on the German Air Force single-handedly, and saved our 401st Bomb Group from disaster?” wondered Col. Harold Bowman, the unit’s commander. Soon the B-17 crews knew—and so did those back home. “Maj. James H. Howard was identified today as the lone United States fighter pilot who for more than 30 minutes fought off about 30 German fighters trying to attack Eighth Air Force B-17 formations returning from Oschersleben and Halberstadt in Germany,” reported the New York Times on Jan. 19, 1944.

James Howard, a future general in the USAF, started his career as a pilot while serving with the American Volunteer Group (AVG), where he developed his leadership and fighter piloting abilities. Howard joined the USAAF after the AVG disbanded and transferred to the 354th Fighter Group (FG) when it was activated, according to James William “Bill” Marshall and Lowell F. Ford in their book P-51B Mustang North American’s bastard stepchild that saved the Eight Air Force.

He directed the 356th Fighter Squadron (FS) in an assault on German fighters swarming around the 401st BG during the Oschersleben raid on January 11, 1944.

The story of James Howard, the P-51 Mustang pilot who fought alone, for 30 minutes against Luftwaffe fighters to protect B-17 bombers egressing from skies over Germany — Lieutenant-Colonel James H Howard of the 354th Fighter Group in his P-51 Mustang in April 1944.

Howard was confident in his P-51B’s ability to hold its own against a horde of German fighters, despite quickly becoming isolated from his wingman and the rest of his squadron (more than 40 were reportedly seen in the area). He took part in a 30-minute fight above the target area, downing three and damaging a fourth to become the first fighter ace for the Merlin Mustang and the 354th FG.

For his achievements, Howard was also the only fighter pilot in the European Theater of World War II to receive the Medal of Honor.

The citation read: ‘For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Oschersleben, Germany, on 11 January 1944. On that day Col. Howard was the leader of a group of P-51 aircraft providing support for a heavy bomber formation on a long-range mission deep in enemy territory. As Col. Howard’s group met the bombers in the target area the bomber force was attacked by numerous enemy fighters. Col. Howard, with his group, at once engaged the enemy and himself destroyed a German ME. 110. As a result of this attack Col. Howard lost contact with his group, and at once returned to the level of the bomber formation. He then saw that the bombers were being heavily attacked by enemy airplanes and that no other friendly fighters were at hand. While Col. Howard could have waited to attempt to assemble his group before engaging the enemy, he chose instead to attack single-handed a formation of more than 30 German airplanes. With utter disregard for his own safety, he immediately pressed home-determined attacks for some 30 minutes, during which time he destroyed 3 enemy airplanes and probably destroyed and damaged others. Toward the end of this engagement, 3 of his guns went out of action and his fuel supply was becoming dangerously low. Despite these handicaps and the almost insuperable odds against him, Col. Howard continued his aggressive action in an attempt to protect the bombers from the numerous fighters. His skill, courage, and intrepidity on this occasion set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.’

P-51B Mustang North American’s bastard stepchild that saved the Eight Air Force is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

December 15, 2022 0 comment

History

Katherine Stinson, the first woman to perform a loop

by Till Daisd December 14, 2022

written by Till Daisd

At just 19 years old, Katherine Stinson was one of the first American women to get a pilot’s license in 1912.

Katherine Stinson, who was born on February 14, 1891, in Fort Payne, Alabama, always wanted to work in aviation. Stinson made her first ascent in a balloon in Kansas City in 1911, and after that, she determined she wanted a life in the air. At the young age of 19, she was one of the first women in the US to get a pilot’s license in 1912.

After a year, Katherine and her mother in San Antonio, Texas, started a flying business. Katherine started running the flying school with her sister Marjorie Stinson, instructing their younger brothers as well as other neighborhood children. The National Aviation Hall of Fame’s website states that the family continued to maintain the flying school, which at the time was one of the most well-known flying schools in the country and taught individuals from all over the region.

During her exhibition flights around the US, for which Katherine would become best known, she attained widespread notoriety. The fourth American pilot overall and the first woman to accomplish a loop, she pulled off a snap roll at the top of the loop in 1915. Because of her prodigious flying abilities, Katherine gained a reputation as a daredevil; and she frequently led men in stunts while outflying them herself.

Stinson established the practice of skywriting when, in 1915, she affixed lights to her aircraft and spelled out “CAL” across the sky of California. She was known as “The Flying Schoolgirl,” and during a flight from San Diego to San Francisco, she broke several aviation records. Katherine would then travel abroad to advertise flying stunts and the aviation sector.

She planned a six-month flying demonstration tour of China and Japan in 1917, and the same year she also set a record with a nonstop flight from San Diego to San Francisco that took 9 hours and 10 minutes. Following the Postmaster General’s approval of Katherine’s position, she became the first female Air Mail pilot in 1918. When Stinson attempted a mail flight from Chicago to New York in the same year but had to land her Curtiss aircraft because it ran out of fuel, she set a new record for endurance.

Marjorie Stinson accepted a position at the Navy’s department of aeronautical design after the US government rejected the Stinson sisters’ request to enlist in the Air Service as combat pilots during World War I, while Katherine flew fundraising flights for the Red Cross and Liberty Loan bond drives, establishing her in aerial public relations. As the first pilot to ever knit for the Red Cross while flying solo in an open cockpit aircraft, she raised $2 million for the cause following her lengthy flight from Rochester to Washington, DC.

After being rejected for military service a second time, Katherine traveled to France on her own to volunteer as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. Stinson ceased flying after contracting tuberculosis during the war, relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and started working as an architect. She wed airman and future judge Miguel Otero, Jr., in 1928.

She lived for a long time as an invalid until passing away on July 8, 1977, at the age of 86. One of the most significant aviation pioneers, Katherine Stinson shared her love of daring stunt flying with the entire world. She started her flying career early in the development of aviation and never stopped learning and challenging herself.

The story of Katherine Stinson the first woman (and only the fourth American pilot) to perform a loop

H/T Earl Belz

Source: The National Aviation Hall of Fame

Photo by Bain News Service, Library of Congress

December 14, 2022 0 comment

History

The MC-130P Combat Shadow from the Son Tay raid displayed at the Castle Air Museum.

by Till Daisd December 14, 2022

written by Till Daisd

In order to make room for it in the Castle Air Museum’s permanent collection, the MC-130P #66-0212 that took part in the special forces raid on Son Tay to free prisoners of war held captive in North Vietnam will be retired

On October 26, 2019, the MC-130P #66-0212 that took part in the special forces attack on Son Tay to free captured soldiers in North Vietnam will be retired and turned into a permanent display at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater. At the time of the operation, the aircraft, designated as Lime 02, was an HC-130P Combat King. As a result, it was upgraded to an MC-130P.

The Combat Shadow aircraft has served in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard for 50 years, according to GVWire. At Moffett Federal Airfield, the aircraft is currently stationed with the 129th Rescue Wing of the Air Guard.

On the evening of November 20, 1070, the POW rescue mission—known as Operation Kingpin—was started from Thailand and South Vietnam. The MC-130 was one of two guide aircraft that led a group of 56 ground assault troops, A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft, and Sikorsky Jolly Green Giant rescue helicopters into difficult North Vietnamese territory.

The Son Tay prison camp, where an estimated 70 captured Americans were being held, was the force’s intended objective. The compound’s airspace, which was only 23 miles from Hanoi, was thought to be among the best protected in the world at the time.

Aircraft 0212 was built for covert operations and has specialized low-level, nighttime navigation equipment. Rescuers were successful in sneaking into the compound without being seen, and the next attack on Son Tay went mostly according to plan. However, after the raiders reached the ground, they realized all of the POWs had vanished.

Venerable MC-130P Combat Shadow that Took Part in Son Tay Raid Going to Castle Air Museum

Operation Kingpin was nevertheless seen as a “tactical” success. The roughly 500 POWs detained around North Vietnam were soon made aware of the raid, which helped to raise their spirits. It is said that the late Sen. John McCain, who was a POW at the time, expressed his “elation” upon hearing of the attempted rescue.

Despite intensive engagement with hostile forces, there were no American casualties and only two minor injuries to mission personnel.

The MC-130 served on active duty before joining the Air Guard, where it carried out rescue and recovery operations. The Combat Shadow is now displayed among more than 70 other former military aircraft at Castle Air Museum. The old Castle Air Force Base is now home to a 25-acre museum that welcomed visitors in 1981.

To refuel special operations helicopters, the MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft flew covert or low visibility, single- or multi-ship low-level missions while intruding on a politically sensitive or hostile country. In order to lessen the possibility of visual acquisition and intercept by airborne threats, the MC-130P conducted the majority of its flights at night.

Leaflet airdrops, small special operations teams, bundles, combat rubber raiding craft, night vision goggle operations, takeoff and landing procedures, and in-flight refueling as a receiver were among the secondary mission capabilities.

U.S. California Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kim E. Ramirez/Released

December 14, 2022 0 comment

History

The Spitfire Mk.XIV was the best piston-engined fighter in Europe during WWII

by Till Daisd December 13, 2022

written by Till Daisd

As the war came to an end, technology advanced quickly, and the first jet aircraft were pitted against or alongside the most powerful piston-engined types the world had ever seen. How did they differ, though?

When World War II in Europe came to a close, there were roughly 20 high-performance fighter variants at least nominally in service:

Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV
Hawker Typhoon Mk.lb
Hawker Tempest V
Gloster Meteor F.3
North American P-51D Mustang
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Lockheed P-38L Lightning
Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star
Bell P-63A Kingcobra (an American fighter but initially flown almost exclusively dive by the Russians)
Lavochkin La-7
Yakovlev Yak- 3
Yakovlev Yak-9U
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-9
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9
Ta 152 H-1
Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4
Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a
Messerschmitt Me 163 B-1
Heinkel He 162 A-2

Which one was best?

There are some glaring omissions from this list of 20 aircraft, according to Dan Sharp’s book Spitfires Over Berlin, while selecting which was the greatest. The Typhoon can be fairly ruled out because the British Hawker Tempest V was a superior fighter.

The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 and both Fw 190 variants fall under the same category. You can get rid of the A-9 and the D-9. While the infamous Volksjager has to go because the Me 262 would have been a superior fighter even if the He 162 could have been made to operate flawlessly. The Me 163 can also be removed from consideration since its endurance was too brief to make it an effective fighter.

The P-38 Lightning was the American model that moved the most slowly. Although it climbed well, it was outclassed as a dogfighter, therefore it must also go. All three Soviet types (along with the P-63A) can be excluded since, despite their skill in close combat, they were not better than the most remarkable of their contemporaries.

Here’s why, also according to Adolf Galland, the Spitfire Mk.XIV (and not the P-51D) was the best piston-engined fighter of WWII in Europe

The Tempest V, Spitfire IX and XIV, Meteor F.3, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, P-80 Shooting Star, Me 262 A-1a, Ta 152, and Bf 109 K are the remaining aircraft in the top 10.

The non-operational Meteor F.3 and P-80 can probably be ruled out due to ongoing development issues, the Bf 109 K could not be said to have surpassed the Ta 152 in performance, the P-47 Thunderbolt was less maneuverable than the P-51 and the Spitfire IX lacked the raw speed to keep up with the new German jets, so a reasonable top five would be the Tempest V, Spitfire XIV, P-51 Mustang, Me 262 A-la and Ta 152.

The Ta 152 was built as a high-altitude fighter, and its sophisticated engine was crucial to giving it an incredible turn of speed. Its guns were prone to jamming, and the majority of the stories from partisan witnesses support its reputation. Therefore, it should be disregarded.

The Tempest V was swift and lethal, but it lacked the high-altitude capability and straight-line speed. In a dogfight, could it have defeated a Spitfire XIV? Perhaps, perhaps not.

The Spitfire XIV, the P-51 Mustang, and the Me 262 A-1a are actually the only three options. All three were powerful dogfighters that their pilots loved and their enemies feared. The P-51 was the world’s greatest aircraft for escorting bombers over great distances at great altitudes, but was it the best fighter of the three finalists?

It was slower than either the Spitfire or the Messerschtnitt, and it had a substantially slower rate of climb. Although it had exceptional maneuverability, the Spitfire still had a little advantage.

The Me 262 was a precursor to the future of air combat. Its weaponry was unmatched, and it could outpace practically anything, but it had significant operational issues. It would have unquestionably defeated the Spitfire if it had been constructed by devoted German engineers, flown in large numbers from fortified airfields, and kept well-supplied with fuel and new engines. However, in reality, Germany’s involvement in the war, along with its own design flaws, hindered the development of the first truly successful jet fighter.

The British Supermarine Spitfire XIV and the German Me 262 must share the victory in the end. With the exception of the Ta 152, no other piston-engine aircraft was faster, more maneuverable, or capable of climbing at such a phenomenal rate as the Spitfire Mk.XIV. Although it was inadequate for escort missions because of its small range, it was simply incredibly difficult to defeat in a straight fight.

Even yet, a Spitfire Mk. XIV pilot would have had an extremely difficult time defeating a Me 262, especially given that the latter was capable of traveling 93 mph quicker. Although the Spitfire pilot would have had more horizontal maneuverability and acceleration, the Me 262 pilot would still have needed to catch the Spitfire by surprise or make a catastrophic mistake. Adolf Galland, a former General of Fighters and Me 262 pilot for the Luftwaffe, claimed following the war: “The best thing about the Spitfire XIV was that there were so few of them.”

Spitfires Over Berlin is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here along with many other beautiful aviation books.

Photo by Rob Hodgkins via Wikipedia, Crown Copyright Top image via Scale Hobbyist

December 13, 2022 0 comment

History

When Chinese embassy in Belgrade was bombed by a B-2A Spirits

by Till Daisd December 13, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The Chinese Embassy in central Belgrade was one of the B-2’s objectives, and when it was struck by three GPS-Aided Munitions on May 7, 1999, it led to the OAF’s largest diplomatic faux pas. As a result of the tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of three people, the Chinese authorities launched loud protests

The B-2A Spirit was designed to fight the Cold War, but it has since proven essential in the fight against terrorism and the “New World Order.” The Spirit is the go-to weapon when America strikes its adversaries early in a campaign due to its low observability, precise strike, range, and payload versatility. The first shots of Operation Allied Force (OAF) were launched by B-2s from the 509th Bomb Wing (BW), which is the only frontline user of the aircraft.

The Chinese Embassy in central Belgrade was one of the targets the B-2A Spirit Units in Combat targeted on May 7, 1999, and was struck by three GPS-Aided Munitions, as reported by Thomas Withington in his book (GAMs, the precursor to the GBU-31 satellite-guided JDAMs). The incident resulted in the deaths of three people and sparked raucous protests from the Chinese authorities. As soon as tensions rose, conspiracy theorists started conjecturing as to why the Embassy had been assaulted. One of the milder hypotheses circulated online involved “Cloak and Dagger” tales of the Chinese government acting as a covert communications channel for radio signals from the Serbian government to its forces in the field.

Months after the tragedy, two major European newspapers made the intriguing suggestion that the strikes were planned. The US and NATO wasted no time in declaring that the bombings were an accident in the moments following their detonation. Meanwhile, the UN ambassador for China condemned what happened as a “crime of war” and a “barbarian act”.

The war’s public face, British NATO spokesperson Jamie Shea, was awakened in the middle of the night in Brussels and told he would be speaking to the media the following morning. He would offer one of the first explanations of what had transpired along with an apology despite the limited knowledge that was available in those early hours. He stated from the briefing stage that the airplanes “struck the wrong building.”

The Night USAF B-2 Spirits Bombed Chinese Embassy in Belgrade

“It’s like a train accident or a car crash – you know what has happened but what you don’t know is why it has happened,” he said to BBC 20 years later. “That took a lot longer to establish… But it was clear right from the get-go, that targeting a foreign embassy was not part of the NATO plan.”

It would take the US more than a month to fully explain to Beijing why three GAMs had struck the Chinese embassy, including one that hurtled through the roof of the ambassador’s home close to the main building but didn’t explode, perhaps saving his life.

The Yugoslav Federal Directorate for Supply and Procurement (FDSP), a governmental organization that imported and exported defense material, was the main objective, according to officials. Near the location of the embassy, hundreds of meters away, the gray office building is still standing.

At first, NATO anticipated the bombing campaign would end quickly with Milosevic withdrawing his forces from Kosovo and allowing peacekeeping to take over. However, it had already lasted for more than six weeks by the time the embassy was attacked. The US government’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which is not often involved in target-picking, had decided that the FDSP should be struck in the haste to discover hundreds of new targets to prolong the aerial assault.

However, it now appears that the CIA had mistakenly targeted the structure as the Serbian Federal Directorate for Supply and Procurement by using an outdated map. It was given imagery and targeting coordinates, and it attacked the target as directed. The CIA, and ultimately President Bill Clinton, were much higher up the chain of command and held accountable for the error.

In a book, Pan Zhanlin, the Chinese ambassador who narrowly survived the attack, denied that the embassy had been used for rebroadcasting or that China had received parts of the US F-117 stealth fighter jet that Serbian forces had shot down in the early stages of the NATO campaign in exchange for its cooperation.

The bombing of the embassy was one of several incidents that demonstrated the US was waging a “new Cold War against China,” according to Liu Mingfu, a retired colonel of the People’s Liberation Army who is well known for his extreme views of the US.

“It was totally intentional. It was a purposeful, planned bombing, rather than an accident,” he said.

In exchange for the bombing, the US would pay China $28 million in damages. However, China was required to reimburse the US for close to $3 million in losses due to demonstrators who rushed the diplomatic district and attacked the British and American embassies with concrete, paint, eggs, and stones. The US gave the families of the deceased and injured another $4.5 million.

The Spirit and the 509th BW, on the other hand, were absolutely safe. James Kinnu, Northrop Grumman’s B-2A Project Manager, summed up his thoughts on how the B-2A performed in OAF by saying, ‘All of us who were fully knowledgeable of its capabilities saw it being deployed just the way it was designed. The ability to fly from Whiteman AFB, to go “black” near the European continent and have everybody try to find it, but nobody doing so. Then having it accurately deliver weapons on target, including the Chinese Embassy, which was a mistake but not by the bomber, and the ability to do it under all weather conditions’.

B-2A Spirit Units in Combat is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Sasa Stankovic/EPA/Shutterstock

December 13, 2022 0 comment

History

Operation Tidal Wave

by Till Daisd December 12, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The USAAF lost 214 soldiers in Romania, according to the Romanian Gendarmerie, but several B-24 aircraft had crew members who were so badly burned that it was impossible to identify them

Operation Tidal Wave was one of the boldest and most controversial air raids of World War II.

The Ploesti oilfields in Romania served as both a major strategic air power target and Germany’s single most important fuel supply in 1943. However, the Tidal Wave raid, which used B-24s flown from Libya to destroy the refineries, ended up being one of the most expensive US Army Air Force (USAAF) operations to date, with roughly a third of the force being shot down. Although clearly valiant, the mission’s outcomes—for which five Medals of Honor were given—were in doubt. Initial evaluations claimed that 40% of Ploesti’s refinery capacity had been lost, however, subsequent research found that the damage was swiftly fixed and output levels increased.

According to Steven J. Zaloga in his book Ploesti 1943, Gen. Alfred Gerstenberg (who led the Luftwaffe in Romania from February 15, 1942, to August 27, 1944), in his initial report to Berlin, acknowledged the damage to the refineries but noted that it would not significantly affect the supply of fuel to Germany and its allies. The attack also resulted in devastating losses for the USAAF. Senior Romanian and German leadership met in Bucharest on August 3, 1943, to examine the takeaways from the Ploesti raid.

The meeting included Marshal Ion Antonescu, General de escadra Gheorghe Jienescu (Romanian Air Minister), General de divizie Gheorghe D. Marinescu (Romanian Air Defenses), German Ambassador Manfred Freiherr von Killinger, Gen Gerstenberg, Oberst Woldenga (German fighter forces), Gen Kuderna (commander of 5.Flak Division), and others.

Operation Tidal Wave: Why the 1943 Raid on Ploesti Oilfields Failed to Diminish the Supply of Fuel to Germany and its Allies — B-24 Liberator Through flak and over the destruction created by preceding waves of bombers, these 15th Air Force B-24s leave Ploesti, Romania, after one of the long series of attacks against the No. 1 oil target in Europe.

Even though the raid had significantly damaged the refineries, Gerstenberg pointed out that they were still in operation and that production might resume normally in a few weeks. Despite numerous recommendations for enhancing air defense, Ploesti’s Flak defense was determined to be the single most crucial cause of the raid’s demise. The conference felt that the Flak was too spread and that only about a third of the German and Romanian antiaircraft weaponry in Romania was concentrated in Ploesti and the Prahova valley.

Consequently, a program was started to focus the Flak defenses on the most critical places, including Bucharest, Ploesti, the Cernavoda bridge, the port of Constanta, and the manufacturing cities of Reqita and Brasov. As a result of the assumption that subsequent raids would come from high altitudes following the failure of the low-altitude raid, there was also universal agreement on the necessity for more antiaircraft guns, notably heavy batteries of 105mm. It would also be necessary to deploy more radar stations and increase the fighter force.

The FARR (Fortele Aeriene RegalenRomane, Royal Romanian Air Force) launched 54 flights with 13 kill claims while having 31 available aircraft and crews on August 1. In the proximity of Ploesti, the Luftwaffe operated 26 aircraft with crews, carried out 69 missions, and recorded 15 kills. The other five kills claimed by Jagdgeschwader are not included in this. 27 from the Greek base at Kalamaki/Tanagara attacked the retreating Tidal Wave force over the Ionian Sea.

Romanian assessments seriously downgraded the number of bombers lost to fighters. Many of the bombers that fighters claimed to have shot down had already been mortally injured by flak, and the fighters had only shown up to provide the finishing blow. After the Tidal Wave, one of the key technical assessments was that the fighter aircraft needed to be updated with a 20mm cannon because the machine-gun-equipped fighters could not damage a heavy bomber effectively enough.

An enormous overstatement was made by the Tidal Wave bomber crews when they claimed to have shot down 52 hostile aircraft. In the final battles over the Ionian Sea, the Luftwaffe lost two BF 109G-2 aircraft destroyed and four damaged from I./JG.4, and two Bf 109Gs destroyed and one damaged from JG.27. Night-fighter losses were one Bf 110E-4 destroyed and four damaged from NJG.6. Two JAR 80 fighters were lost by the FARR, three were damaged, and one Romanian Bf 110C was also destroyed. During the encounters, at least two Romanian Bf 109G-2s were also damaged.

According to Romanian reports, between 34 and 36 bombers were shot down over the country, 26 of which crashed outside of the city of Ploesti and nine of which crashed nearby. Due to numerous bombers disintegrating and burning after colliding with the refineries, the number of bombers varied. Officials from Romania sent the US a list of 25 mostly intact aircraft that could be recognized by serial number in 1944. According to estimations, fighters (12), balloon wires, and flak (20) were to blame for the bomber losses (4).

According to the first US assessment, fighters were mostly to blame for five to six of the losses above Ploesti, balloon cables for one, and one or two planes may have been destroyed by bomb explosions or other ground fires. The light 20mm and 37mm guns were blamed for the majority of the Flaknkills by both the Germans and the Romanians. Low-altitude engagements were not well suited for the 88mm guns. The USAAF suffered 214 deaths in Romania, according to the Romanian Gendarmerie, however other aircraft had crew members who were so badly burned that it was impossible to identify them.

The number of casualties on the ground varies between reports. Most recent sources state that there were over 300 fatalities and injuries. The B-24 crash into the women’s penitentiary, which resulted in 61 deaths and 60 injuries, was the single most expensive incident. Three 88mm guns and five 20mm guns were lost in terms of equipment. When their wires were damaged, seven barrage balloons were released, and five more were set on fire and destroyed.

Ploesti 1943 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

December 12, 2022 0 comment

History

When the only two Tupolev Tu-16 airstrikes against Israel were carried out by the Iraqi Air Force

by Till Daisd December 11, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Both Israeli Mirage pilots were scared away by Tupolev Tu-16 defensive fire from the tail-mounted barbette after their Shafrir Mk.1 air-to-air missile attack attempt failed

The Iraqi High Command in Baghdad gave Squadron Leader Farouk at-Tail, commander of the No. 10 Squadron, Iraqi Air Force (IrAF), the order to launch an air strike on Ramat David AB in northern Israel early on June 6, 1967 (the second day of the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War). Tail made the fast decision to send four crews and four Tupolev Tu-16 bombers into this operation as single ships, with a quarter-hour between each aircraft. Each bomber was equipped with six FAB-500 bombs (caliber 500kg).

Together with Flt Lt Majid Turki, Tail piloted the first Tu-16. They traveled to Mafraq AB (now known as Salti AB) in Jordan at a high altitude before making a steep descent to save fuel. He increased his speed to 900 km/h as soon as he entered Israeli airspace, then began a climb to look for his intended target. The crew then reported having found Ramat David AB and released its bombs without any disturbance, around 0500hrs local time.

Israeli accounts claim that the crew actually struck an unspecified military installation close to Ta’amach, which is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Afula; the attack destroyed many structures, resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers, and injured five others. The other two Tu-16s had less luck; they were both forced to return to Ton Habaniyah early after having to abort their missions because of mechanical issues. Sqn Ldr Hussein Mohammad ‘Kaka’ Hussein piloted the Tupolev Number 4, with Flt Lt Alwan serving as co-pilot, Flt Lt Rashid, Flt Lt Kargoli, and Flt Lt Sabih serving as navigator-gunners 1 and 2, respectively.

Like Tail before him, Hussein silently began a similar rise and entered Israeli airspace. But for some reason, his group was unable to launch an attack on the intended target. In defiance of directives not to attack civilian targets, it dropped its warlord shortly after 6:00 a.m. over the center of Netanya, a coastal town in northern Israel, killing one person and injured 21 others. Hussein and Alwan then redirected their bomber back into Israeli airspace while flying over the Mediterranean Sea. At that point, two Israeli Defense Force/Air Force (IDF/AF) Mirage IIICJ aircraft attacked them.

What specifically transpired after then is a subject of some debate. The Shafrir Mk.1 air-to-air missiles fired by the Mirages in one version of the story missed their target, and the two pilots were subsequently scared off by Sabih’s defensive fire from the barbette mounted on the back of the aircraft. They claimed that Sabih and Kargoli had fired from their barbettes on the aircraft and installations they observed below. Hussein and Alwan then flew their bomber directly over Ramat David AB while being pursued by two Mirages.

An Israeli air-to-air missile should have struck the lone Tu-16 shortly after that. The bomber was still under control and trying to flee in an easterly direction, Hussein said over the radio. He should have avoided a military base in Megiddo, where his bomber is said to have been shot down by an IDF-operated 40mm Bofors L/70 anti-aircraft gun. The bomber destroyed two teams of 120mm mortars and three barracks when it fell into a military storage facility, killing not only its crew but also between 11 and 14 Israeli soldiers in addition to its own crew members.

These two were the only Tu-16 airstrikes against Israel that are known to have taken place.

The photograph below was taken in 1965 and shows one of the Tu-16s from No. 10 Squadron together with the majority of its pilots. With the material at hand, I am unable to confirm the involvement or the death of any “Hussein ad-Dahy” in the airstrike on Ramat David on June 6, 1967. However, it’s possible that the pilot of the lost Tupolev bomber went by that complete name.

Iraqi Air Force Performed the Only two Tupolev Tu-16 Air Strikes Ever Conducted against Israel

Photo by U.S. Air Force

December 11, 2022 0 comment

History

Famous German Ace Adolf Galland recounts his final combat mission

by Till Daisd December 11, 2022

written by Till Daisd

“As usual in a dogfight, I was tense and excited. I forgot to release the second safety catch for the rockets. They did not go off. I was in the best firing position, I had aimed accurately and pressed my thumb flat on the release button -with no result. Maddening for any fighter pilot,” Adolf Galland

General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland, one of the key players in the Luftwaffe from 1942 to 1944, was relieved of his duties at the start of 1945. He was soon given the go-ahead to establish Jagdverband 44, his own squadron of Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters.

He would fly his final mission with this unit, according to Dan Sharp’s book Spitfires over Berlin, as Galland himself wrote in The First and The Last: “On April 26, I set out on in my last mission of the war. I led six le jet fighters of the JV 44 against a formation of Marauders. Our own little directing post brought us well into contact with the enemy. The weather: varying, clouds at different altitudes, with gaps, ground visible in about only three-tenths of the operational area.

“I sighted the enemy formation in the district of Neuburg on the Danube. Once again I noticed how difficult it was, with such great differences in speed and with clouds over the landmarks, to find the relative flying direction between one’s own plane, and that of the enemy, and how difficult it was to judge the approach.

“This difficulty had already driven Lutzow to despair. He had discussed it repeatedly with me, and every time he missed his run-in, this most successful fighter commodore blamed his own inefficiency as a fighter pilot. Had there been any need for more confirmation as to the hopelessness of operations with the Me 262 by bomber pilots, our experiences would have sufficed.

“But now there was no time for such considerations. We were flying in an almost opposite direction to the Marauder formation. Each second meant that we were 300 yards nearer. I will not say that I fought this action ideally, but I led my formation to a fairly favorable firing position.

“Safety catch off the gun and rocket switch. Already at a great distance, we met with considerable defensive fire. As usual in a dogfight, I was tense and excited. I forgot to release the second safety catch for the rockets. They did not go off. I was in the best firing position, I had aimed accurately and pressed my thumb flat on the release button -with no result. Maddening for any fighter pilot.

The ringmaster’s Grand Finale: Legendary German Ace Adolf Galland tells the exciting story of his last combat mission — *B-26 Marauder*

“Anyhow, my four 30mm cannons were working. They had much more firing power than we had been used to so far. At that moment, close below me, Schallmoser, the jet-rammer [he had accidentally rammed a USAAF P-38 Lightning with his Me 262 in a previous mission], whizzed past. In ramming, he made no distinction between friend or foe.”

Flying in “White 14,” Schallmoser launched his R4M rockets, blowing up one of the B-26s.

Galland wrote: “This engagement had lasted only a fraction of a second – a very important second o be sure. One Marauder of the last string was on fire and exploded. Now I attacked another bomber in the van of the formation. It was heavily hit as I passed very close above it.

“During this breakthrough, I got a few minor hits from the defensive fire. But now I wanted to know definitely what was happening to the second bomber I had hit. I was not quite clear if it had crashed. So far I had not noticed any fighter escort. Above the formation I had attacked last, I banked steeply to the left, and at this moment it happened: a hail of fire enveloped me. A Mustang had caught me napping.”

Technical Sergeant Henry Dietz, a former weapons instructor, had targeted Galland as he attempted to evaluate the harm he had done to his most recent victim after he had been injured by defense fire from one of the B-26s.

Dietz recalled: “Probably the most important thing I remembered from gunnery school was to fire short bursts and forget about the tracer bullets – just use your sights.

“That day, we were flying as flight leaders, and we were about 10 minutes from the target. I flew in the waist position from where I could see all the mechanical parts of the aircraft. I had never seen a jet before. Galland slowed down to the speed of the B-26 so that he could observe and take score. I thought `dummy’. He was flying low, right into the sights of my machine gun. I shot a burst. Nothing happened. A little higher, a little lower, I just kept shooting.”

1st Lt. James Finnegan of the 10th Fighter Squadron, 50th Fighter Group, the pilot of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt escort fighter, had also spotted Dietz as he opened fire on Galland’s aircraft.

Finnegan later remembered: “I was leading the top cover of P-47s that was escorting the B-26s to their target. As I gazed down I saw two objects come zipping through the formation, and two bombers blew up immediately.

“I watched the two objects go through the bomber formation, and thought ‘That can’t be a prop job, it’s got to be one of the 262 jets’. I was at about 13,000ft and estimated them to be at about 9000-10,000. They were climbing, and I pulled a split-S toward the one that turned left, and almost ended up right on top of him – about 75 yards away.

“I gave a three-second burst and saw strikes on the right-hand engine and wing root. I was going so fast, I went right through everything, and guessed my speed at about 500mph. I recorded it as probable. I was flying a D-model Thunderbolt with a bubble canopy, a natural metal finish, and a black nose. The 262 had green and brown mottled camouflage with some specks of yellow. That turned out to be my last flight in a P-47.”

Galland wrote: “A sharp rap hit my right knee. The instrument panel with its indispensable instruments was shattered. The right engine was also hit. Its metal covering worked loose in the wind and was partly carried away. Now the left engine was hit too. I could hardly hold her in the air.

“In this embarrassing situation, I had only one wish: to get out of this crate, which now apparently was only good for dying in. But then I was paralyzed with the terror of being shot while parachuting down. Experience had taught us that we jet fighter pilots had to reckon on this. I soon discovered that my battered Me 262 could be steered again after some adjustments.

“After a dive through the layer of cloud, I saw the Autobahn below me. Ahead of me lay Munich and to the left Riem. In a few seconds, I was over the airfield. It was remarkably quiet and dead below. Having regained my self-confidence, I gave the customary wing wobble and started banking to come in.

“One engine did not react at all to the throttle. I could not reduce it. Just before the edge of the airfield I, therefore, had to cut out both engines. A long trail of smoke drifted behind me. Only at this moment, I noticed that Thunderbolts in a low-level attack were giving our airfield the works.

“Now I had no choice. I had not heard the warnings of our ground post because my wireless had faded out when I was hit. There remained only one thing to do: straight down into the fireworks. Touching down, I realized that the tyre of my nosewheel was flat. It rattled horribly as the earth again received me at a speed of 150mph on the small landing strip.

“Brake! Brake! The kite would not stop. But at last, I was out of the kite and into the nearest bomb crater. There were plenty of them on our runways. Bombs and rockets exploded all around; bursts of shells from the Thunderbolts whistled and banged.

“A new low-level attack. Out of the fastest fighter in the world and into a bomb crater, that was an unutterably wretched feeling. Through all the fireworks an armored tractor came rushing across to me. It pulled up sharply close by. One of our mechanics. Quickly I got in behind him. He turned and raced off on the shortest route away from the airfield. In silence, I slapped him on the shoulder.

“He understood better what I wanted to say than any words about the unity between flying and ground personnel could have expressed.

“The other pilots who took part in this operation were directed to neighboring airfields or came; into Riem after the attack. We reported five certain kills without loss to ourselves. I had to go to Munich to a hospital for treatment of my scratched knee. The X-ray showed two splinters in the kneecap. It was put in plaster. A fine business.”

Oberstleutnant Heinz Bar took over operational command of JV 44 with Galland now out of commission and Steinhoff still in the hospital (he was hurt in an accident on takeoff with his Me 262 on April 16). The unit was given orders to go to Salzburg-Maxglan on April 28. There, it was to conduct operations from woodland positions alongside the Munich-Salzburg Autobahn. This turned out to be JV 44’s last move.

On May 4, as the Americans closed in, the unit destroyed its Me 262s by placing grenades in their engine intakes. The remaining pilots were apprehended and brought in for interrogation. The following day, Galland submitted to American forces and JV 44 was no more.

Spitfires Over Berlin is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here along with many other beautiful aviation books.

Photo by U.S. Air Force Noop1958 and German Federal Archive via Wikipedia

December 11, 2022 0 comment

History

The first dogfight between two of the best fighters ever constructed was between the Tempest V and the Fw 190D-9

by Till Daisd December 10, 2022

written by Till Daisd

Flg Off Paul Breger, who had bailed out of his Fw 190D-9 in response to the attack by the Green Section, was struck by Bevan Hall’s spiraling Tempest as he descended. The fighter exploded as it struck the ground on the road between Handorf and Dorbaum. Breger crashed to the ground burning up his parachute, while Hall was later discovered dead

The Tempest V and Fw 190D-9, arguably two of the best fighters ever built, set new standards for operational efficiency and aircraft design during World War II. At this late point of the war and in their positions, they did in fact represent the cutting edge and apex of their respective countries’ piston-engined aircraft development. In late summer 1944, the long-nosed Fw 190D-9 made its maiden appearance on the frontline. Thanks to its powerful Jumo 213 engine, it swiftly outperformed the majority of the fighters the RAF, USAAF, and Soviet Red Air Force could field and was an immediate match for even the Griffon-engined Spitfire XIV and the P-51D/K.

Early in 1944, the Tempest V was sent into service, outfitting eight squadrons. When the fighter was sent out to intercept V1 flying bombs over southern England, it quickly established itself as a reliable performer. As the Allied armies advanced throughout northwest Europe beginning in the fall of 1944, the Tempest V also outfitted squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.

The first dramatic test between the Tempest and the “Dora” occurred on December 27, 1944, in clear skies, when eight aircraft from No. 486 Sqn on an armed reconnaissance to the Paderborn area encountered the 60 or so D-9s from III./JG 54 on a significant airfield protection flight for Ar 234s, according to Robert Forsyth’s book Tempest V vs Fw 190D-9. The D-9s were in a staggered formation at a height of between 6,500 and 10,000 feet, led by the Stabsschwarm, while the Tempests were flying in two “finger-four” sections of four aircraft.

To the right and left of the Stab were, 9., 11. and 12. Staffeln, while flying top cover was 10. Staffel led by Leutnant Peter Crump, a 24-victory ace — all of his kills had been claimed in the West while flying with II./JG 26 and included Spitfires, Mustangs, P-47s, and a Mosquito.

The two units met over the Munster area. The massive German formation was instructed to change direction from the southwest to the northeast after ground control reported the location of the Tempests. Hauptmann Robert “Bazzi” Weiss, a Knight’s Cross holder whose personal victory tally stood at 122 at the time, was the Gruppenkommandeur. As a result, the lower Staffeln was segregated from Crump’s Staffel. The pilots’ predicament was rendered even worse when, as Crump ordered them to reverse, they lost communication, scattered, and fell behind the rest of the Gruppe, leaving them extremely exposed to attack.

Tempest V vs Fw 190D-9: The Story of the First Dogfight between Two of the Finest Fighters Ever Built

Sqn Ldr Keith Taylor-Cannon, also known as “Hyphen” to his teammates, was in charge of the Tempest squad. He was from Oamaru, New Zealand, and had participated in the downing of a Me 262 and a Ju 188. ‘We were flying at 10,000ft and sighted the Huns in two gaggles at “12 o’clock” to us,’ he later reported, ‘one formation of 15 109s andn190s at 9,000ft, with the top cover of 20+ 109s and 190s and at approximately 14,000ft.’

As Green Section ascended to engage 10./JG 54, Taylor-Cannon led Red Section into the German aircraft. The lower-flying Staffel of D- 9s was then passed by the Tempests as they drew up in line behind and slightly below it. ‘After breaking, I got on the tail of an Fw 190 and opened fire at 200 yards range,’ recounted Taylor-Cannon. ‘I observed strikes, and as I pulled up sharply to avoid it, I saw the Fw 190 blow up in mid-air. A general dogfight ensued.’

Pit Offs Sid J. Short and Keith A. Smith, both V1 aces, both claimed to have shot down a Fw 190. According to the reporting:

‘I got into line astern, slightly above an Fw 190, and opened fire with a short burst from about 400 yards using half-a-ring of deflection. I closed the range, and when within 200 yards fired a short burst and another at a very close range of 20 yards using a full ring of deflection. The Fw 190 blew up — I could not avoid the explosion but broke to starboard as I flew through it.’

Short noted in his Combat Report:

‘I selected an Fw 190 and commenced firing from about 200 yards range in line astern, allowing five degrees of deflection. I held my fire for about two seconds and saw large puffs of grey-colored smoke coming from beneath the fuselage. By this time I had a Me 109 [sic] on my tail firing at me so was forced to break to port and spun off. I did not see what happened to the Fw 190, but Red 4 — Flg Off Smith — saw it catch fire and the pilot bail out. After spinning off I recovered the spin and regained my section.’

Meanwhile, Green Section had engaged Crump’s Staffel. Flt Lt E. W. Tanner described how he:

‘. . . closed in behind a straggler of the enemy formation and identified it as an Fw 190 with a long-range tank. I fired a short burst from 200 yards range, allowing slight deflection and about five degrees off line astern but observed no strikes. Green 4 [Flg Off Smith] passed me very closely and I saw him open fire at the same aircraft from about 50nyards range. I saw the Fw 190 blow up in mid-air. The Hun formation had broken so I climbed up through it and saw a long-nosed 190 flying across my nose at about 60 degrees and about 200 yards range. I opened fire, allowing 2 1/2 rings of deflection, and saw strikes on the tail unit, large pieces of which fell off. I saw the 190 roll over on its back and dive steeply to earth. Flg Offs Stafford and Danzey saw it going down vertically without its tail unit and pieces coming away from the fuselage. I milled around with the Section and then pulled up above the main gaggle. I spotted a 109 [sic] on the tail of a Tempest, so I dived on the 109 and opened fire at about 400 yards, holding the burst until 150 yards. I saw strikes along the cockpit and saw the nose of then109 go down as if the stick had gone violently forward. I was being engaged by about four other enemy aircraft so could not follow the 109 down, but Green 4n[Flg Off Smith] saw it tumbling down end over end.’

The Tempest pilots completed their task quickly and effectively, shooting down three Fw 190D-9s flown by Feldwebel Karl Dahn, Feldwebel Arnfried Kohler, and Oberleutnant Paul Breger, all of 10./JG 54. With second-degree burns on his face and shrapnel in his foot, Kohler parachuted to the ground. Breger experienced particular bad luck. In order to place himself onto the tail of a Tempest that was following another D-9 in his Schwarm, Peter Crump had to make a tight maneuver. V1 ace Flg Off Bevan Hall of the Green Section, who had stepped in to help Flg Off Jack Stafford, was piloting the RAF fighter. According to Stafford, ‘a 109 [sic] jumped on my tail and stayed there shooting, although without hitting me.’

Crump registered strikes on Flg Off Hall’s Tempest, forcing him to bail out of his stricken machine as it fell away in a vertical dive. Paul Breger, who had bailed out after the attack by the Green Section, was struck by the spiraling Tempest moments later as he was floating downward through his parachute. The fighter exploded as it crashed into the ground on the road between Handorf and Dorbaum. Breger crashed to the ground burning up his parachute, while Hall was eventually found dead.

Crump saw the D-9 of Unteroffizier Max Mittelstadt of 10 Staffel crash land with its Jumo 213 on fire as the dogfight raged and drifted over Munster-Handorfnairfield. Oil sprayed across Mittelstadt’s windscreen as he attempted to land his aircraft. Mittelstadt was a former flight instructor from JG 103. He attempted to gaze out while opening his canopy but was instead hit in the face with additional boiling oil. At the conclusion of his very first combat mission, Mittelstadt crash-landed and lost consciousness as he was being extricated from the wreckage of his now-wingless D-9 by another pilot.

Feldwebel Walfried Huth, a member of 12./JG 54, crashed and died at Telgte, and Unteroffizier Kurt Hein’s D-9 sustained damage. One German pilot wrote in his diary following the encounter, ‘I just escaped from a wild dogfight with my skin. Our formation disintegrated completely, no trace of an “air battle”, just wild confusion. Another mentioned in a letter home must praise my machine.’ No. 486 Sqn ended up shooting down five Fw 190D-9s and damaging another for the loss of Fig Off Bevan Hall and his Tempest. Because the soldiers of the battered 10./JG 54 were so traumatized by their ordeal, Bazzi’ Weiss made the decision to put them on leave for a few days.

Tempest V vs Fw 190D-9 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force

December 10, 2022 0 comment

History

When RAF Wellington bombers strafed Italian ocean liners Rex and Conte di Savoia

by Till Daisd December 10, 2022

written by Till Daisd

In order to target the Italian liners Rex and Conte di Savoia, which were being employed as troop ships to North Africa, two aircraft flew very low, to roughly 300 feet and 390 feet, respectively

Bomber Command’s operations in Italy are frequently described by eyewitnesses as being tedious and taking a long time (around 9 hours), with only the thrill of seeing the snow-covered Alpine peaks and the brief drama of hitting the target serving as breaks.

However, the previous Italian raids in 1940 and 1941 frequently turned out to be far wilder adventures. Individual aircraft chose their own route to the target, and once there, they often engaged in “further activities” such as the low-level shooting-up of flak positions, airfields, road convoys, moving trains, or ocean liners, as described by Richard Worrall in his book The Italian Blitz 1940–1943.

Early in December 1940, the “Italy assignment” was handed to 3 Group, which flew the Vickers Wellington Mk Ic, as 4 Group had been taken off Italian operations due to the need to conserve its Whitley Mk Vs for significant fire-raising missions against German cities.

The operational directives from HQ Bomber Command stated that they were to attack Italian targets, but only with a maximum of 15 aircraft; they were given a fixed list of German targets from which to choose alternatives if the weather prevented attack upon Italian objectives, but it was obvious that the latter was the priority. When 15 aircraft were assigned to bomb the Royal Arsenal in Turin on December 4th, the 3rd Group launched its first Italian operation. Wellingtons were also sent to Italy on December 18th, December 21st, and January 11th and 12th, 1941.

The oil refineries at Porto Marghera, close to Venice, were to be attacked the following night by seven Wellington aircraft. The bombers made direct strikes on the target area: one 1,000 lb bomb dropped from 700 ft. generated a big explosion with reddish/white smoke and flames to 400 ft.; additional bombs caused oil storage tanks to burst; and a sizable building to fall and disintegrate.

A British Beaufighter aircraft pulls up after attacking the Italian ocean liner *Rex* with cannon fire and rockets, location: coast between Izola and Koper/Capodistria, present-day Slovenia.

The target area was characterized by aircrews as being a mass of flames fifteen minutes into the strike. However, the aircraft of 3 Group had only traveled a short distance (a round trip of 1,500 miles) to discharge their modest bombloads (at that range of about 1,500lb). With little chance of being intercepted – in early 1941 the Regia Aeronautica had yet to train for the night-fighter role – the Wellingtons used their machine guns to strafe the oil refinery and flak positions.

In order to target the Italian liners Rex and Conte di Savoia, which were being employed as troop ships to North Africa, two aircraft flew very low, to roughly 300 feet and 390 feet, respectively. According to the raid report, a second Wellington that was returning struck the Padua aerodrome from an astounding 20 feet away.

Such behavior perfectly captures the daring, if occasionally careless, the endeavor of the initial bomber raids on Italy. Although the daylight operation to Milan by the Lancasters of 5 Group on October 24, 1942, which culminated in some low-level flying and machine gun strafing, would be the final “wild ride,” operations did become a lot more organized, more controlled, and, ultimately, more devastating from autumn 1942 onward.

Regarding the two Italian liners, the Rex would be sunk near Trieste on September 8, 1944, when the RAF attacked it along with Beaufighters from the South African Air Force. German forces destroyed the Conte di Savoia in Venice on September 11, 1943, but it was later salvaged and demolished in 1945.

The Italian Blitz 1940–43 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

The night RAF Wellington bombers strafed Italian ocean liners (used as troop ships to North Africa) Rex and Conte di Savoia — The Italian liner REX, lying on her side and on fire in Capodistria Bay, south of Trieste, two days after the attack by Bristol Beaufighters of the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force which capsized her.

Photo by Crown Copyright

December 10, 2022 0 comment

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