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79th FG 87th FS debriefing at Cappedichino Italy


Salvage Sailor
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Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

These photos were taken from a film made by the 4th AAFCCU on January 22nd, 1944 at Cappedichino Italy.

 

The film No. is 997B P-40's at ANZIO

 

The film begins with a briefing by Capt. Bain of the 87th Fighter Squadron speaking to the men of HQ Squadron about the landings at Anzio - Nettuno. He is wearing the insignia of the 87th on his flight jacket.

Capt_Bain.jpg

87th_FS.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Close Up of Patch

 

and then the film continues with the landing of this P-40 squadron and their debriefing on the field

87th_FS_2.jpg

87th_FS_3.jpg

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Nice photos and I bet the film they came from is very interesting. I got out my 79th Fighter Group yearbook and found the photo you see below. Obviously taken at the same time in the same briefing. I went through the unit roster and the man in your first photo is Maj. Eustace H. Bane and he was the intel officer for the 87th FS. In the other pics and the one I posted, the pipe chomping briefer is Maj Orval D. Hunter and he was Group intel officer.

 

Will

post-1949-1203701770.jpg

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Salvage Sailor
Nice photos and I bet the film they came from is very interesting. I got out my 79th Fighter Group yearbook and found the photo you see below. Obviously taken at the same time in the same briefing. I went through the unit roster and the man in your first photo is Maj. Eustace H. Bane and he was the intel officer for the 87th FS. In the other pics and the one I posted, the pipe chomping briefer is Maj Orval D. Hunter and he was Group intel officer.

 

Will

 

That photo is definately from the same day. This is a good example of unintentional mis-information when looking at contemporary resources. The yearbook caption calls this a 'briefing', when the film clearly shows that it's an after action debriefing. The pilots are shown landing, coming to the tent in a weapons carrier, piling out, and then going over the details of the dogfighting & claims by their flight over the beach head at Anzio.

 

This also occurred on 22 JAN 1944, not February.

 

Quite often when I am doing research, official records, contemporary accounts and later recollections in memoirs do not match up. It's always rewarding when you trip over actual documentation (a film source in this case).

 

This film has sound too, with the pilots calling each other by name as they excitely jab at each other over their claims and close calls.

87th_FS_5.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

This is the ground crew briefing by then-Capt. Bane. The officer to his left is telling the men that Wing has a policy of telling the ground crews exactly what is happening up front so that they can better understand what they are doing to help the war effort.

87th_FS_6.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Notice that you can see 79 FG on the wall, and that the map of Anzio-Nettuno is the same map used later in the pilot debriefing.

87th_FS_7.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

This is the assembled HQ squadron ground crew, being told by Capt Bane of the 'D-day landings this morning at 0300'.

87th_FS_8.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

and here he is telling them of the 16 P-40's from the 87th squadron now flying CAP over the beach head.

 

Of course, every squadron had to have a dog :rolleyes:

 

Nice selection of headgear in this shot

87th_FS_9.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

The flight of 16 P-40's returning to Cappedichino from Anzio - this squadron later was among the first to transition to P-47's in the Italian Theater.

87th_FS_001.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Walking over to the debrief map, some of the pilots have their parachutes with them (I can show this if you like). The Pilot next to Capt Hunter is the Squadron leader on this strike.

87th_FS_004.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Look these names up in your yearbook.

 

The Squadron leader 'Nickolai', is showing Capt Hunter where he shot down two FW-190's

 

The pilot beside him in the dark goggles, 'Pete', claimed one destroyed.

87th_FS_005.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

and this is 'Jack', showing where he claimed one damaged before running out of ammunition near Rome, and then fleeing from 10 FW's and Me-109's with two other squadron pilots.

 

Guess they pissed off the Luftwaffe on this sortie...... ;)

87th_FS_006.jpg

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  • 8 years later...

Aloha Everyone,

 

These photos were taken from a film made by the 4th AAFCCU on January 22nd, 1944 at Cappedichino Italy.

 

The film No. is 997B P-40's at ANZIO

 

The film begins with a briefing by Capt. Bain of the 87th Fighter Squadron speaking to the men of HQ Squadron about the landings at Anzio - Nettuno. He is wearing the insignia of the 87th on his flight jacket.

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Hello! My grandfather was a member of the 87th and I believe I see him in this picture. Is there a way to gain access to this film? His name was John Krohn. Thanks so much! -Tim Doleysh

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