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World War II was a definitive moment in history for aircraft. For both the military
and commercial industry it was the heyday of aircraft production. Before the
start of the war the U.S. Army Air Corps had only a few hundred air planes.
By the end of the war it was the largest Air Force ever assembled with nearly
80,000 airplanes. Aircraft production and technology improved at dramatic rates
as America set the world pace for military and civil aviation. More than 100
types of aircraft were used by the Army Air Force (AAF) during World War II.
During World War II military airplanes consisted of a single wing aluminum airframe,
one to four engines and equipment for navigation, armament, communications and
crew accommodations. Major advancements in propulsion or engine technology were
made during the war and were major sources of competition between aircraft contractors.
Throughout the war improvements were made to extend the range and increase speed
and altitude limits for most aircraft. Engines achieved greater performance
and efficiency.
When originally developed, designations for planes were used much the same as
they are today with few exceptions. For example F is the designator for a modern
day fighter aircraft but in World War II, F meant a photographic plane used
for reconnaissance. During World War II these designators were used: A for attack.
B for Bombardment, C for Cargo, L for Liaison, P for Pursuit and T for Training.
This letter indicated the function of the plane. The following number indicated
sequence within a type as in P-51. If there was a letter after the number it
indicated an improved model type such as B-17E.
During World War II the primary mission of attack aircraft was to support ground
forces in battle and aircraft were designed with this in mind. The attack aircraft
provided support and operated primarily at low altitudes.
Also considered a light bomber, the attack planes were known for their high
speed, maneuverability and weapons. They carried both machine guns and bombs.
The A-20, A-24 and A-26 were the attack aircraft most used by the AAF during
the war.
Many different bombers were used
during World War II. The B-17, B-24, B 26, and B-29 were the workhorses of the
AAF fleet. Both the B-25 and B 26 were twin engine, all-metal monoplanes. The
B-25 "Mitchell" and B-26 "Marauder" were medium bombers used mainly at altitudes
of 8,000 to 14,000 feet. They primarily supported ground forces by targeting
fortified positions, depots, railroad yards and other targets behind battle
lines. They also supplemented heavier bombers on more strategic raids. The B
17 "Flying Fortress" was the first of the big bombers used during World War
II. It was used mainly in Europe by 8th Air Force but in much smaller numbers
in the Far East.
The B-24 "Liberator" was produced in greater numbers than any other aircraft
during the war. It was used primarily in the Far East against Japan and also
saw action in Europe and North Africa. The twin-tail, four engine aircraft is
best known for its bombing raids on the Ploesti oil fields in August 1943.
The USAAF accepted nearly 10,000 B-25 Bombers during World War II. The "Mitchell"
was used mostly in the Southwest Pacific and is most remembered for its role
in the Doolittle Raid. In April 1942, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led a bombing
raid over Tokyo after having taken off from a carrier. The raid was a big morale
boost to U.S. Forces who were, at that time, being beaten regularly by the Japanese.
The B-26 "Marauder" was used mostly in Europe but also saw action in the Mediterranean
and the Pacific. In early combat the aircraft took heavy losses but was still
one of the most successful medium-range bombers used by the USAAF. By the end
of the war, the B-26 had the lowest loss rate of any American bomber used during
the war.
Staging out of bases in India and China, the B-29 "Superfortress'" were used
against the Japanese primarily for daylight bombing raids. In October 1943,
the 21st Bomber Command moved operations to the Marianas where the B-29s later
carried out their most famous mission. In August 1945, the B-29s were used to
drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The dropping of the Atomic
bombs ended World War II.
The C-47 "Skytrain" evolved from the DC-3 airliner. It could carry 25 paratroopers
or up to 10,000 pounds of cargo. It was the standard transport and glider tug
used by the USAAF during the war and was flown in every airborne forces operation
of the war. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower said the C-47 was one of the four principal
instruments of the allied victory during World War II.
The P-38 "Lightning" was a single-seat fighter/bomber used widely in Europe
and the Far East. Originally designed to be a high-altitude interceptor, it
was modified for use as a bomber and photo reconnaissance aircraft. America's
top ace, Maj. Richard Bong, scored most of his 40 victories while flying the
P-38.
One of America's three outstanding fighters of the war, the P-47 was used by
many other Allied Air Forces including the French, British and Russians. It
served in Europe, the Far East and the Mediterranean and was the first fighter
to fly escort missions for B-17s. The "Thunderbolts" were known for their ability
to survive heavy battle damage.
One of the premier fighters of the war was the P-51 "Mustang." It was a long-range
fighter used to escort heavy bombers on missions up to 2,000 miles. The aircraft
was the top USAAF air-to-air fighter in World War II.
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Aircraft |
Manufacturer |
Quantity |
Crew |
Max Speed |
Unrefueled Max Range |
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Bombers |
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|
Boeing |
12,692 |
10 |
268 |
3,000 |
|
|
Consolidated |
18,190 |
10 |
300 |
2,850 |
|
|
North American |
9,186 |
6 |
285 |
1,350 |
|
|
Martin |
5,157 |
7 |
285 |
1,150 |
|
|
Boeing |
3,898 |
11 |
400 |
5,000 |
|
|
Fighters |
|||||
|
Lockheed |
9,536 |
1 |
414 |
450* |
|
|
Bell |
9,588 |
1 |
385 |
750 |
|
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Curtiss |
13,738 |
1 |
370 |
240 |
|
|
Republic |
15,683 |
1 |
428 |
1,000+ |
|
|
North American |
14,686 |
1 |
439 |
2,000+** |
|
|
P-61 |
Northrup |
702 |
3 |
370 |
1,000+ |
|
Cargo |
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C-46 |
Curtiss-Wright |
3,180 |
4 |
269 |
1,200 |
|
Douglas |
10,368 |
3 |
230 |
1,600 |
|
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C-54 |
Douglas |
1,162 |
6 |
265 |
2,900 |
The Army Air Forces in World War
II, Volume 6, Air Force Office of History, 1955
Bill Yenn, History of the U.S. Air Force, Bizam Publishing, 1984
Researched by Capt. Marty Hauser, U.S. Air Force Reserves, 1993