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