A quick history lesson: US B-29 bombers started striking Japan from Saipan in late 1944, but the extreme range forced them to operate without fighter escort. The Marines took Iwo Jima in February, 1945 to establish an airbase from which long-range P-51D Mustangs could provide fighter cover over Japan. (It was an 8-hour round-trip flight). Iwo Jima also served as an emergency strip for B-29's shot up too badly to return to Saipan. The battle to take Iwo Jima cost the lives of 7,000 Marines and 23,000 Japanese defenders.
These pictures give some insight into the massive, round-the-clock air operations that ensued. One thing that surprised me was the sheer number of airfield wrecks. But then I considered how many hundreds of planes were based on the island, the stress of the long-range-missions, and the average age of the pilots -- and it's not so surprising. It was also interesting to see how a B-29 would "escort" each fighter squadron. The distance to target was so extreme, and navigation technology so primitive, that a B-29 (with full time navigator aboard) would lead the fighters to Japan and back.
There are a few photos of Northrop P-61 Black Widows, the first American night fighters. They carried a radar set with enough power and precision to engage enemy planes in darkness or bad weather. Nevertheless, they collided with each other on the runway...their radars weren't good enough to avoid THAT!
OK, enough background. Check out the photos!
http://picasaweb.google.com/7thfigh...6oth&feat=email#slideshow/5299163373419677970
