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Headed by CAP Daniel Pettit & MSGT William V Powers

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combat maintenance

2,500 After Mission Inspections, 545 Propeller Governor Changes, 349 Engine Changes…, and so the record runs.Ad-writer's tag for the backbone of the air corps. With 150% of their normal airplane load to patch and keep flying but only 80% of their authorized mechanics available to do it. "The Line" humped and brought us through as always. Twenty-five hundred after mission inspections, five hundred forty-five prop governor changes, three hundred forty-nine engine changes --and so the record runs. Short manpower, short replacement parts and tools, and short parking space --always racing against time, the line made records -then cracked them. No stateside Inspector was around to growl at the sight of a ship being Cletracted backwards out into the taxiway with engines running, or jacked in a twelve knot wind or a crew man working 30 hours without rest between missions. It was hard work spirit and initiative that kept the Group's "Airplanes Operational" figure up with the best and put the aircraft over the target. In July alone the group flew 5,920 hours and put 95.1% of its airborne aircraft over the primary target -highest in the Air Force. The pictures on these pages more vividly than statistics, show the effectiveness of the worry, hurry, work, and perspiration of "The Line" The Crew Chiefs and their sunburned assistants, the specialists, the clerks and tech supply the inspection crews did the impossible.

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This is the "City of Omaha"'s (K-28)ground crew who were charged with keeping her in tip-top condition during 30 Combat Missions to the Empire. Here the crew takes time out to pose while preparing the "Omaha" for the long flight from Guam back to Omaha in early October 1945. They are, L to R: SGT Irving Escover (Acft Mech) from Manville, NJ; TSGT Douglas McDougall (Crew Chief), Omemee, ND; SSGT Maurice Egly (Assist Crew Chief), Hughesville, PA; (Kneeling):SGT Orlo Harr (Elec Spclst) San Francisco, CA; CPL Everett Bolinger (Engineer Spclst), Effingham, KS; SGT Charles James (Acft Mech), Bridgeport, IL.

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Maintenance work being done on the No. 3 engine of K-29.

Memoirs of an Engine Mechanic: "Post flight inspection routine consisted primarily of draining the front and rear oil sumps and checking the magnetic plugs for metal particles (presence would probably mean and engine change) and clearing up red diagonal write ups on the Form 1. These were minor, as compared to Red X, taking out of commission (OOC), problems noted by the Flight Crew. Red X items demanded immediate attention. In addition, the airplane general mechanic had his own post flight things to do. At 50 (flight) hours the airplane came OOC and we performed scheduled maintenance: front and rear sumps, changed all the spark plugs, filter changes, cleared all open red diagonals, checked settings on the magnetos and injection pumps, tightened everything to reduce the oil leaks, etc. At 100 hours we went into the nose dock and did all of the above, plus compression checks on all 18 cylinders on all engines. Low compression could necessitate resetting the valve clearances, although most low compression readings were caused by carbon on the valve seat preventing full closure of the exhaust valve. This was usually corrected by placing a rawhide mallet on the exhaust valve rocker arm and giving it three or four big old whacks with a hammer. Generally that broke the carbon loose. Sometimes, however the low compression was due to worn or broken piston rings and called for a cylinder change - assuming there were no metal pieces on the sump plugs. A jug - cylinder - change took 6 - 8 hours, depending on the mechanics involved. The most hated part was safety wiring the 24 hold down bolts. Reaching down there tore your hands apart. A 1,000 hour inspection can be described as jacking up the hub caps and changing everything that would come loose. Very detailed, very time consuming. If at all possible the plane was sent to a depot for this. The Tech Order pertaining to engine life, in 1950-51, called for mandatory change at 600 hours. In the real world, we were running about 400 - 450 hours per engine, although the magic 600 hour goal was not all that rare."

CPL John Paine (Acft Elec Spcslt) hanging out my Dad's window pointing to two fresh new missions. Thanks GUYS!!! It's a bird. It's a PAINE!, CPL John Paine! A Special Thanks to Mr. Paine for this wonderful collection of photos! These will really benefit the site! Thanks Again!

MSGT Charles Logue doing a little of what it takes to keep these birds in the air. That is "Muriel" he is climbing off of here. For K-29 we have Engine #1, Muriel, #2 June, #3 Helen and #4 is Anne. Someones Sweethearts or Mothers? Or Both?

L to R: TSGT Rudolph Eskra (Crew Chief), SSGT Hubert A Homan, Jr. (Radar Mech Bmb/457th), SGT John J. Jung (Radar Mech Bmb/458th), SSGT Joseph M. Seigal, SSGT Francis J. Lohr (Radar Mech Bmb/458th). Now, what in the heck are these "Radar Mechancs" doing on this engine? It was a publicity shot for a newspaper.

SSGT Eli F. Bascom, Jr. with an IE Bomb near the 330th's Bomb Depot.

Thanks to Homan's daughter, Kristine, for this and other photos on this site.

Here are several of our finest outside of the 330th's 'Out House'. Posing for a candid. CPL Ferdinand Krokus (NY), CPL Floyd Moshier (MIN), SGT Caudill Robertson (VA), SSGT Ernest Stone (ID), front: CPL Paras Colevas (DC) and Charles Luddekee (NJ). (Thanks to Al Devuono and his son for this photo)

Most completely integrated PLM unit on the line, Communication included such talent as TSGT Boomgardner of the 458th. Though its work day was 26 hours long and though it was blamed for all stray electrical troubles on the plane. The Radio Maintenance section under MSGT B.B. Edwards met its deadlines and kept the abort slate clean.

Many a man of the Ordnance and Armament crews had never handled a live bomb when they began loading for their initial strike 11 April 1945. By V-J Day their aching backs and crushed fingers had helped hoist 8,568 tons of bombs into B-29 bays and unnumbered millions of rounds of .50 cal into B-29 turrets. Working against time, crews did, what couldn't be done. The 457th one night loaded two ships with 368 bombs within 12 minutes after the planes taxied in from slow time. Half an hour later they were airborne enroute to the Empire. This record was later lowered by the same section, tied by the 459th and lowered by the 458th. Such was the spirit of the crews of MSGT's Carl Standifer, Anton Meyer and Lloyd Hemming. First harmonization range on North Field and the best harmonized planes in the Marianas were the work and boast of TSGT Urban and CFC men Blanchette. Persicano and Fahrenbrink. No coincidence that this group received fewer fighter attacks than any other group in the wing. Most completely integrated PLM MSGT Day and Shift Chiefs SSGT Florian J Lux of the 457th, TSGT Glenn C Boomgarden of the 458th and TSGT Anders of the 459th.

Here are SGT Leo Martini of San Francisco, CA and MSGT Anton Meyer of Crandall SD carrying a special 'Bond Bomb' to be installed in the 458th's K-29 "City of San Francisco" for a 9 July raid to Gifu.

Here is the same mere M47A2 100lb IE Bomb being loaded into the belly of K-29 by, L to R: SGT D. J. Burlington of Los Angeles, CA, PFC Anton Gregory of Bakersfield, CA and PFC Thomas McCue of Media, PA. The 'Bond Bomb' is dwarfed next to a B-29's more typical load of these E46 IE 200lb Bombs.