DECALS SET

D48112

Angel of Mercy

1/48 HKM

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B-25J-10-NC, 43-35982, 428th BS, 310th BG, 12th AF, Ghisonaccia,

Corsica, France, April 1945

The 310th Bombardment Group was activated in

March 1942 and designated as a medium bomber

Group consisting of four squadrons. Delivered

in June 1944, the 43-35982 ship nicknamed

“Angel of Mercy” was flying with the 428th bomb

squadron. She was one of 15 aircraft of the unit to

fly the mission to the Rovereto on April 19, 1945.

She was hit by shell fragments from AA fire and

badly damaged prior to the bomb dropping. Pilotin-command, 1/Lt. W. S. McMillan managed to

keep the ship on course with help of his co-pilot

W. D. McLean, enabling the bombardier to drop

the bombs on the target, the railroad bridge. The

hits knocked out the hydraulic system and main

gear, rear gunner A. S. Hatfield was wounded. The

crew decided not to risk the overseas flight to

the home base at Corsica and opted for another

base of the 310th BG at Fano, Italy, where they

managed to land the ship with only nose landing

gear open. The “Angel of Mercy” ship was left in

natural metal finish, so it had the horizontal band

on the vertical tail surfaces separated by black

bands. The colors for 310th BG as well as for the

428th BS were yellow. The propeller spinner and

the front of the engine covers were of the same

color. The nose art of the nurse with a bomb

under her arm was not accompanied by mission

symbols on this aircraft.

B-25J-1-NC, 43-27716, 445th BS, 321st BG 12th AF, Solenzara, Corsica,

France, April 1945

Constituted as 321st Bombardment Group

(Medium) on June 19, 1942 and activated on June

26, the crews of the unit prepared for overseas

duty with B-25s. The 43-27716 ship got rather

amusing nickname “Shit house mouse” and had

the missions marked by black mice. On the engine

cowl there was an inscription “Quaketown” (the

80

INFO Eduard

town in Pennsylvania). The pilot of the ship and

the Airplane Commander was 1/Lt. R. S. Elmer

from December 1, 1944, to March 29, 1945. On

the March 30 Elmer overhanded her to 1/Lt. R. G.

Rice, who brought “Shit house mouse” to the end

of the war. Until its 73rd mission the aircraft had

only the Roman numeral I on the tail, after then

Latin number 7 was added on the vertical fin on

December 14, 1944. The ship sported Olive Drab

color over the upper and side surfaces, as was

a common practice. Other surfaces were left in

natural metal finish. The outhouse was of brown

color.

May 2023