Photos WW2 US Forces

Surplus WW2 US materiel on flatcars at the Port of Philadelphia destined for export as military aid to Chiang Kai-Chek's Chinese Nationalist Formosa ( today's Taiwan) circa 1950.
M5A1 light tanks and M3A1 scout cars figure prominently.
All US serial numbers and markings have been painted over.
Preumably the crates lashed to their engine decks contain replacement engines and/ or spare parts?
(LIFE / Thomas McAvoy)

This image illustrates just how difficult and unpleasant conditions could be on Guadalcanal during the rainy season.
These US Marines are keeping their feet dry by travelling in an International Harvester M-3-4 4x4 truck, numbers of which were widely used by the USMC and USN.
(LIFE / Morse 08-42)

Full Field Display on 20 May 1942 and another picture of GIs pitching tents. These were taken at Fort Jackson, SC

66th Engineer Topographic Company in Italy during WWII.

Members of the Seventh Air Force adjust battle gear on the Rose's Beau in the Gilbert Islands.
The campaign in the Gilbert Islands—a series of 16 coral islands and atolls in the South Pacific—was part of the same siege series as the nearby Marshall Islands, which included an American force of 35,000 troops. It also included 6,000 vehicles, among them fighting planes like Rose's Beau. The Japanese had occupied the Gilbert Islands three days after Pearl Harbor. American troops went in on November 20, 1943. By the 23rd, they had overtaken the island chain.
Painting familiar or fierce images on a war plane's nose was popular in both world wars, and on both the Allied and Axis sides. The sketches of torpedoes lined up near the cockpit window represent bombs dropped on enemy targets.
PHOTOGRAPH BY W. ROBERT MOORE

"Battalion leaders plan movement of the 311th Medical Battalion collecting station." U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph.

During the Allied invasion of Sicily the Liberty ship Robert Rowan (K-40) explodes after being hit by a German Ju 88 bomber off of Gela, Sicily, on 11 July 1943.

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Robert Rowan was built at the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, North Carolina. She was laid down on 3 March 1943, launched 6 April, and delivered to the Isthmain Steamship Company on 13 April. Her maiden voyage started on 14 May 1943 at Hampton Roads, Virginia, to Oran, Algeria, as part of convoy UGS-8A. She was sent on to Gela, Sicily, to support the invasion of Sicily ("Operation Husky"). She arrived at Gela 11 July 1943 with a cargo of ammunition and 334 soldiers of the 18th Infantry. She also carried 14 U.S. Navy personnel, 32 U.S. Navy armed guards, and 41 crewmen. Just before 14:00 hrs German Junkers Ju 88 bombers appeared overhead and attacked the ships in the bay. During the attack the Rowan was hit by three 500 kg bombs. One bomb passed through the ship, but the other two exploded in the holds. Because of the nature of the cargo the ship was abandoned without any attempt to put the fire out. All 421 men on board safely evacuated the ship and were picked up by PT boats and transferred to nearby destroyers. Within twenty minutes the fire reached her munitions with a tremendous explosion tearing the ship in half. The burning ship came to rest on an even keel and burned for two days. The destroyer USS McLanahan (DD-615) tried to sink the ship because the fires lit up the area during the night, but this failed as the water was too shallow. The hulk lay in the waters off Gela until 1948 when it was sold and scrapped.

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US Army MP John Kovalchuk smiles amidst the rubble of Anzio, April 1944.
The fact that he is wearing a wool knit cap beneath his M1, an OD wool muffler and leather gloves illustrates that Italy could be a cold place...even in Springtime!
The chain of his MP's whistle can be seen hooked to his field jacket with the whistle itself in its slash pocket.
His helmet MP markings are interesting and difficult to de-code in a monochrome image such as this.
WHITE helmet bands were for Divisional MPs and MP Corps.
YELLOW helmet bands were for regimental MPs
BLUE helmet bands were for Army Corps MPs
RED Bands were for Army Group MPs
So you can make up your own minds on that one!
(LIFE / George Silk)

Operation Hailstone
In mid-February 1944, Operation Catchpole, the invasion of Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands, was imminent. To clear the way, Task Force 58 would attack Truk, Japan's major anchorage in the Carolines. Marine PB4Ys (B-24s) reconnoitered Truk on February 4th. Because Truk was becoming untenable as a base, most major naval units soon withdrew to the Palaus. Over 300 aircraft still based there, although many were not operable. A good number of merchant vessels and warships remained, as well.
Three TF 58 task groups, based on nine carriers (five fleet and four light) with over 500 planes, attacked Truk beginning 17 February. TG 58.4, the other carrier group, went on to support the Eniwetok invasions.
Knowing Truk's radar wasn't effective against low-flying aircraft, the initial fighter sweep approached at daybreak "on the deck." The Japanese weren't operating a combat air patrol, so surprise was complete, their pilots scrambling into cockpits as the attack started. By mid-morning, most aerial opposition was over. Although Truk had over 40 large-caliber anti-aircraft guns, an American sub had sunk a ship bringing fire-control radar, so defensive fire was less effective than it could have been.
Attacks continued another day, including a night bombing strike by twelve radar-equipped TBFs from USS Enterprise. Nearly 500 tons of ordnance were dropped during 1250 sorties. About 4500 Japanese died. About 250 Japanese aircraft were destroyed, and Truk's seaplane and submarine bases, airfields, supply dumps, and port facilities were heavily damaged. Nearly fifty ships were sunk, including two cruisers, four destroyers, several naval auxiliaries, and more than two dozen merchant ships, some sunk by American surface ships as they fled port. The day prior to the attack, submarine USS Skate had sunk IJN Aganoand killed about 175 of her crew (not included in the above losses) after departing Truk. Destroyer IJN Oite rescued 523 of Agano's crew and turned back, but all died when Oite was torpedoed and sunk by TBF Avengers as she arrived at Truk.
This was the one time USS Iowa and USS New Jersey used their main batteries in surface action. American losses amounted to 40 dead and 25 aircraft lost, plus damage to USS Intrepid, torpedoed by a B5N Kate, and to USS Iowa by a near miss.
Future president Gerald Ford served as assistant navigator and anti-aircraft battery officer on USS Monterey (CVL-26) during these actions. USMC Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, who had been shot down and captured the prior month, was on Truk, preparatory to transportation to Japan. The aircraft that had brought him to Truk had landed just as the attack began: Boyington witnessed its destruction from a nearby trench.
NOTE: Captions are from the original site, with minor variations in some cases. Some original captions incorrectly place these actions as being on 16-17 February 1944.






Truk Atoll, Caroline Islands.
Aerial reconnaissance photo of Japanese facilities at Truk, taken by a Marine Corps PB4Y-1 patrol bomber, from Bougainville, on 4 February 1944. Dublon Island is at bottom left, and Fefan Island is in lower right. In center is the Eten Island Air Base. Two aircraft carriers are visible at right, and several other warships and merchant vessels are present.
Catalog #: 80-G-208972


Marine aviators who made the first reconnaissance mission over the Japanese naval base at Truk on 4 February 1944. The men are posed with their PB4Y-1 patrol bombers, probably at Bougainville soon after their two-thousand mile combat mission.
Catalog #: 80-G-208975
NOTE: The nose turret is an Erco model, not the standard turret seen on Army B-24s.



USS Cowpens (CVL-25) Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters warming up on the flight deck, while the carrier was operating with Task Group 58.3 during raids on the Marshall Islands, circa January 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Catalog #: 80-G-K-100




A VF-9 "Hellcat" (Grumman F6F-3) is given the go-ahead for takeoff from USS Essex (CV-9) on the first day of operations.
Catalog #: 80-G-217587

Eten Island Airfield, Truk, photographed from a USS Yorktown (CV-10) plane, 17 February 1944. Note large number of Japanese planes on the field, and numerous bomb craters. Dublon Island is in the background, at top.
Catalog #: 80-G-216891



Airfield on Eten Island burning at left, as seen from a USS Intrepid (CV-11) plane on the first day of strikes, 17 February 1944. Dublon Island and town is in the middle background, with several merchant ships offshore, and one large tanker tied to the fuel pier in left center.
Catalog #: 80-G-215153



Smoke rising after bombing attack on Dublon Island, Truk by carrier based planes.
Catalog #: 80-G-45465




Japanese shipping under air attack in Truk Lagoon, as seen from a USS Intrepid (CV-11) aircraft on the first day of raids, 17 February 1944. Dublon Island is at left, with Moen Island in the background. Four of these ships appear to have been hit by this time.
Catalog #: 80-G-215151

Japanese ammunition ship explodes following a dive-bombing attack by a U.S. plane. The pilot and crew of the aircraft are presumed lost, since their plane was caught in the terrific blast. Dublon Island is at right and Eten Island Airfield is in the middle distance. Facilities on both are afire. Photographed 17 February 1944, the first day of raids.
Catalog #: 80-G-215155




A Mark XIII aerial torpedo hits a Japanese cargo ship, during the first day of U.S. Navy carrier air raids on Truk, 17 February 1944. Note the several torpedo wakes, including one very erratic one ending with the torpedo broaching. Photographed by War Correspondent Smith. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Catalog #: 80-G-217624



Vought OS2U-3 Kingfisher is recovered by USS Baltimore (CA-68) after she had rescued Lieutenant (Junior Grade) George M. Blair from Truk Lagoon, 18 February 1944. Plane's pilot is Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Denver F. Baxter. His radioman, ARMC Reuben F. Hickman, is on the wing, preparing to attach the plane so it can be hoisted on board. Blair's F6F Hellcat, of Fighting Squadron Nine from USS Essex (CV-9), had been shot down during the dawn fighter sweep over Truk. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Catalog #: 80-G-218123




Japanese destroyer Akikaze maneuvering while under air attack off Truk, 17 February 1944. Note wakes, indicating that she is following the motions of another ship, and strafing splashes in the water. Her wake has her deck awash amidships. A Grumman TBF is overhead. Photographed from a USS Intrepid (CV-11) plane.
Catalog #: 80-G-216899

A Grumman F6F-3 "Hellcat" flies over the beached Japanese destroyer Tachikaze during Task Force 58's strikes on the enemy naval base at Truk, Caroline Islands, 17-18 February 1944. Photographed from a USS Essex (CV-9) plane.
Catalog #: 80-G-216889




Japanese cruiser Katori under attack during the U.S. Navy raid on Truk, 17 February 1944. Note torpedo wake beyond the ship.
Catalog #: 80-G-215147





A Japanese ship blows up under fire of the guns of TG 50.9 during the group's sweep around Truk on 17 February 1944. USS New Jersey (BB-62) is at far right, shooting with her 5" guns. Photographed from USS Minneapolis (CA-36).
Catalog #: 80-G-218602




Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat fighters landing on USS Enterprise (CV-6) after strikes on the Japanese base at Truk, 17-18 February 1944. Flight deck crewmen are folding planes' wings and guiding them forward to the parking area. The original caption gives date as 16 February. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Catalog #: 80-G-59314

USS Cowpens (CVL-25) in 1944, showing flight deck scene. Note details of island (L); part of crew at muster; Grumman F6F and TBF/M aircraft. Also note radar and crewman painting deck in center.
Catalog #: 80-G-K-664

President Franklin Roosevelt makes a nationwide speech from USS Cummings DD-365 at Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton - August 12, 1944
FDR had been on a visit to Pearl Harbor, the Aleutians, and Juneau Alaska on USS Baltimore before transferring to USS Cummings for the trip to Seattle
It was observed that FDR looked gaunt and even weak, Time Magazine called the Bremerton speech "rambling and folksy", FDR speechwriter Samuel Rosenman considered it a "dismal failure"
FDR won a fourth term that following November, but his health continued to deteriorate, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945, less than three months after the inauguration, and just four months before WW2 came to an end
LIFE Magazine Archives - George Skadding Photographer

One of the little-known stories of the start of WWII, was that of the fleet of Pan-American Airlines flying boats, which were about the only non-military way you could travel long distances over the Pacific and Atlantic.
At the start of the Pacific War, in 1941, they were scattered over much of the Pacific. The Philippine Clipper, a Martin M130, for example, was flying from Guam to Wake Island. It landed at Wake and, before it could take off underwent an air raid. The plane, loaded with Pam-American employees, was slightly damaged and took off for Hawaii.
The Hong Kong Clipper, a Sikorsky S-42, was moored at her name city, and wasn't so fortunate. It was caught in a bombing raid by Japanese aircraft and destroyed. The crew managed to get hold of a DC-2 and more or less disappeared before showing up in New York almost a month later.
The most interesting to me was the Pacific Clipper, a Boeing B314, which was in Auckland, New Zealand. Robert Ford, the captain, was told it was too dangerous to go back to the US via the Pacific route, and was ordered to "take the other way", i.e., through the Indian Ocean, and Africa, back to the U.S., some 23,000 miles.
1) They started out with a side trip to Noumea to pick up Pan American personnel there
2) They flew to Darwin, where they spent the night, expecting a Japanese attack at any time, and went through a tropical storm.
3) They were forced down by Dutch fighters over Java, almost having been shot down. They had to refuel with automobile gasoline, no 100 octane aviation gas being available.
4) A 21- hour flight followed with the engines pinging and knocking over the use of inferior gas. Along the way, they flew over a Japanese submarine, but hightailed it before they could be fired on. They landed in Ceylon (as it was called then).
5) They took off for Karachi but had to return to Ceylon shortly after with a bad oil leak in one of the engines. The crew spent the next two days fixing the engine without special tools or parts and took off again.
6) After landing in Karachi, they again took off, barely able to clear the trees (they were overloaded with extra passengers) and flew along the Gulf of Oman, landing at Bahrain. Again, they faced the problem of no aviation gas and had to fill up with lower grade gas.
7) Following next was a flight to just below Khartoum on the Blue Nile. Next, was a flight to Leopoldville, The Congo. Next stop was Natal, Brazil. Problem was, there was NO wind for take-off and Bob Ford was able to only get inches off the water, gradually gaining altitude. Ford found he had no aileron control (later, he discovered that the heavy fuel loads the plane had had to carry had actually BENT the wings and locked the ailerons!).
8) At Natal, they refueled and fixed a balky engine and took off for Trinidad in the West Indies, where they slept for the first time in 40 hours.
9) On January 6, nearly a month after setting out, the Pacific Clipper set down at the Marine Terminal in New York after a 23,000 mile flight and nearly circling the globe (counting the flight the plane had made originally from California).
(This account is taken mainly from Robert Gandt’s great book, “The China Clipper: The Age of the Great Flying Boats”.

WWII. Guadalcanal Campaign. 1942. US Marines wait for chow.

Aerial picture of USS Houston CA-30 - undated
Caption: "Aerial Photograph by Southwest Air Services, 403 Union National Bank Building, Houston, Texas”
University of Houston Digital Collections

As I'm sure any tanker...past or present...would attest, if your tracks aren't right then by extension your tank isn't right!
Here, a then new M3 Medium undergoing trials at Aberdeen PG gets a track inspection from one of its crew...circa 1941.
Note that because of the relatively early date he is wearing blue denim fatigues and the so-called "donut" tanker helmet.
(LIFE / Strock)