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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Squadrons United States 82nd Fighter Group to 337th Fighter Squadron  92nd Bomb Group |
| 92nd Bomb Group Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Prints |
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| Text for the above items : |
Schweinfurt - The Second Mission by Robert Taylor. Briefing at 0500 hours on the morning of 14 October 1943 brought the crews of the 92nd Bomb Group news they did not want to hear: Its Schweinfurt again! The same message was being repeated in USAAF bomb group briefing rooms all over eastern England in the early hours of what was to become forever known as Black Thursday. Robert Taylors majestic painting shows Colonel Budd Peaslees B-17 Equipose, piloted by Kemp McLaughlin, leading the Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group en-route to the vital ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt. |
Thunder in the Clouds by Ivan Berryman (PC) BAC Lightning XN793 of 92 Sqn based at Gutersloh West Germany in 1972. |
| 92nd Bomb Group Aircraft details |
 Flying Fortress Built : 12677 | Flying Fortress In the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934 the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects. However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935 resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the 299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company. Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in accelerated aircraft production in America. The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400 B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188 built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12 B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000 aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years, virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage. Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948 Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a total of 43 complete airframes |
| 92nd Bomb Group Pilot and aircrew signature details |
First Lieutenant Frederick J Bird Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | First Lieutenant Frederick J Bird Navigator with the 326th BS, 92nd Bomb Group, Fred Bird flew 14 combat missions on B 17 Fortresses, his first being on 26 August 1943. Following the second raid on Schweinfitirt he was later shot down and taken prisoner of war. He remained captive until liberated on 29 April 1945. |
Captain Vernon L Grim Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | Captain Vernon L Grim After joining the service in 1942, Vernon's operational squadron in England was the 407 Sqn, 92nd Bomb Group, based at Poddington, the oldest group in the ETO. Flying the B17 he participated in many of the major raids over Germany, including 4 missions to Berlin, and in the D-Day operations in occupied Europe. Later, losing an engine over Hamburg, he was glad of the help from two P38s who escorted him all the way back to England. |
Lieutenant Colonel William P Kincheloe Our estimated value of this signature : £35 | Lieutenant Colonel William P Kincheloe Bill Kincheloe joined the service in April 1942, training as a pilot. He was posted to England to join the 327th Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group (Fames Favoured Few), based at Podington in Bedford, flying B-17s. His first combat mission was on 18 December 1943, when the 92nd went to Kiel, and in the following months other notable targets included the heavily defended factories at Schweinfurt. Bill flew a total of 28 raids to the Reich during his tour, all on B-17s, and six of which he commanded. After World War II Bill flew KC135s during the Vietnam War. He retired from the service in 1972. |
General J Kemp McLaughlin Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | General J Kemp McLaughlin As a Second Lieutenant in October 1942, Kemp McLaughlin had already brought a heavily damaged and burning B 17 safely home whilst under heavy attack from German aircraft. It was a suitable prelude to the dangers that would face him and his crew a year later when on 14 Oct 1943, he was the pilot of the 92nd Bomb Group's B 17 Equipose, the mission command plane during the second mission to attack the ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt. Under constant attack from German fighters for almost six hours, he again brought the crew safely home. The following month he was deputy air commander on a bombing raid in Norway, when his aircraft lost oil pressure due to one engine overheating. The crew carried on to the target, but on the return to England were attacked by fighters. Unable to return fire because all guns had been thrown overboard to lighten the aircraft, he skilfully coaxed his plane safely back to base. His 'luck' continued when in December 1944 he was air commander on a raid during the Battle of the Bulge when shrapnel pierced his scat a few inches from him, he was uninjured. |
Captain Robert Paris Our estimated value of this signature : £35 Died : 2010 | Captain Robert Paris Joining up in June 1940, Rob Paris qualified with dual rating as pilot and navigator, flying a total of 52 combat missions on B17s. Posted first to the 8th Air Force in England, Rob flew with the 325th Squadron of the 92nd Bomb Group, completing his first mission in October 1942. In November he was posted to join the 12th Air Force in North Africa, again with B17s, joining the 342nd Squadron of the 97th Bomb Group. Amongst others, he participated in raids on the Italian Fleet in Trieste and Gorizia, the battle of Kasserine Pass, at Palermo during the Invasion of Sicily, as well as raids on the Italian mainland. Rob flew a total of 52 combat missions on B17s, and was Lead Navigator of many 100-plane missions. Sadly Rob passed away on the 21st September 2010, he was honored in december during a ceremony at National Cemetery in Phoenix with a fly over by a vintage B-25 aircraft. |
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