B-24J - 44-41251 14th Air Force, 308th Bomber Group, 375th Squadron
The Forgotten Fourteenth - China-Burma-India Theater of Operations
Nose Art Inspiration - ALBERTO VARGAS
“American Beauty” was manufactured at the Consolidated San Diego plant in August of 1944 and fitted with the Emerson nose and tail turrets. Research and interviews with the pilot and surviving crew members, advice from noted experts in the field, along with close scrutiny of photos of the aircraft and other 375th planes, assisted me in the accurate rendering of the entire aircraft. This included the accurate location of the tail and fuselage markings. The fuselage was natural metal finish (NMF) with flat black undersides and flat black under the wings, engine cowlings and horizontal stabilizer as well. There was a flat olive green anti-glare shield in front of the cockpit. The 375th tail insignia was vertical blue and white stripes on the outside of the vertical rudders.
American Beauty flew over 30 combat missions (252:10 Total Combat Hours) for the 14 AF, 308 BG, 375 SQ, in the CBI Theatre from October 17, 1944 to July 13, 1945. She was lost on the ground during a Japanese raid on a forward airstrip where they'd made an emergency landing returning from a mission.
Friday Filly HERE
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