Gunners: Using the periscope sight, could scan above and below or did you have to alternate?

I remember my uncle being called back into the Korean War as a navigator on the B-26; flying 50 night missions. I was just a kid but he gave me his baseball cap when he returned, with 50 bombs sewn on the bill, one for each mission. His name was John Duff. Anyone remember him.

This is my 2nd entry. I went through gunner school at Lowry AF Base in Denver. After this we had to choose which plane we wanted to go to combat, the B-26 or B-29. I choose the 26 and went to Langley Field for flying training and crewed up there. Then went to Stead AF Base for survival training, 15 days in the mountains of California with no food. Then to Korea, at K-9 AF Base. I was in the 17th Bomb Group and 34th Bomb Squadron and flew 25 combat mission on the B26. Had 22 missions in, all at night and one morning they woke us up and told us to get to the flight line. In briefing they told us we were going to be flying low and bombing troops. I flew 3 missions in one day and we sustained a lot of flack damage on one mission and the pilot called me and told me to prepare for bailout. I got ready and he called a few minutes later and said he thought we could get back. We had about 100 holes in the plane but she got us home. Thank God. I remember one of our planes had nose art of RICE PADDY WAGON and belonged to a Major Rice. Another was the GOLDEN BEAR and was named for a night club in Miho, Japan. I was in this club when on A R&R after 10 mission. The B-26 was a wonderful plane and very versital. Would dive bomb or fly at 30 thousand feet.After the day that we flew 3mission, I was rotated home and the next day it was announced that the cease fire had been signed. But I was heading home. 36 hours later we landed in Los Angles and then flew home to Louisville where all my family was there to meet me. So long ago.

I was a gunner on a B26, stationed at K-9 Pusan East AF Base, South Korea. I flew 25 missions and she always brought us home, no matter the problems. Great airplane. My pilot was 1st Lt. Kevin Evans and Navigator/Bombardier was 2nd Lt. Lees Broome. I loved those guys.

I had the privilege of being able to work on the 26's from July 68 July 69.It was great working on them. I love it when those engines fired up and that some and oli came out of those engines. As strange as it may seem I do miss that period in my life.

This Aircraft has to be one of the best this country has ever had.
I flew on one during the Korean war.
Was shot down, and had it not been for the endurance of this Acft. I would not be writeing this now.
God bless the people who designed and built them.

spent a lot of time around a one-of-a-kind A-26 in Pgh., Pa. back in the late 50's/early 60's. A corporate hot rod for sure. To my knowledge, it was the only one to ever be pressurized!! Owned by Mesta Machine Co.(the folks who produced the 16" guns on the WWII Battleships among other miracles of that era). Rode in it several times....had to crawl up to the cockpit(before the Onmark Conversion). Flew my old Fairchild C-123 in and out of NKP a few times while in SEA, and saw that operation. Hard duty for those guys, but just as bad... the airframes were aging enough that some were lost due to wing failures as well.

I was in VU2 from 1955-1958,was Plane Capt.& flew the rt. seat on JD1 #6.Great airplane,would love to hear from any one who was in the squadron.

That plane was very effective.It entered service at the end of WW2 and it was still available to do effective service in vietnam 20 years later.

To John Kelly,

John,I remember you. When the event you describe happened I was on duty as a GCA operator. We were set up on runway 22, which was short, and where the GCA was only 500 feet off the runway. When the tower hit the alarm bell we all got the hell out-- I was covered with the curtain behind the operating seats. The aircraft lost its left gear and climbed to the left passing between the runway and the GCA.

I was the crew chief on two B-26's tail numbers 571 and 503
great machines to work on this was with 5th Tow Target Squadron Neubiberg Air Base Germany 1954-1958.let me hear from some of the 5th men.

Was with the 5th Tow Target Head Quarters at Neubiberg 1954 till the last when the base was turned over to the Germans. Have a copy of the 'Yearbook' Have lot good memories of our B-26s [A-26]

Hi Wayne,
Remember me, I was in the 6th tow target squadron at Johnson,s
Airbase.
I would like to contact you.
I have photos of aircraft 391.

Don

After returning from Korea (Army) and w/Korean President Rhee threatening to "march north and unify Korea" with a gillion Chinese on the other side of DMZ and my still facing 4 years of reserve time, I decided to join the AF reserve and get out of the army reserve so, in case all hell broke out again, I'd be going back over as a "flyboy" instead of "grunt".
The planes used by my new reserve unit (the 452nd out of Long Beach, CA ) was the fabulous B-26s (glass nose versions). At our summer 2 week training in Chico, CA, it was so hot that the flight line mechanics had to keep their tools in buckets of cold water so they wouldn't fry their hands when working on the planes. While out on the town one night(not too much excitement in Chico, CA), I met an old high school buddy whom I hadn't seen since school and who was a pilot in our reserve unit. Consequently, I got to tag along (in the nose) on a few night missions to a practice bombing range West of Reno. An "E" ticket ride if there ever was one with not nav lights formations, inverted banks maneuvers and diving into the valley firing rockets into old buildings, tank hulks, etc. With the exception of nobody shooting back at you, it was probably pretty much like the real thing.
The best part of the summer camp was when I got to fly right seat back to our Long Beach base taking over the controls from Sacramento to L.A. A real experience since the only "stick" time I'd ever had, at the time, was in a J-3!
Conclusion...the B-26 Invader was and is still one hell of a hot rod airplane and if any of you ever get the opportunity to fly one or get a ride in one, go for it..you'll like it!

The 47th Bomb Group flew A-26C's from bases in Italy during
1945. You can look up the history of the 47th on the internet for the names of the bases. After 1945, the 47th was stationed at Lake Charles, LA, and Biggs AFB, El Paso< Tx with A-26c's painted black for night attack missions.

my uncle cauby pinheiro,fly in 5th aviation group in natal.i was live within him and remember this wonderful airplane flying near in our house.im airline captain(737-800)and dont forget these gold years.

I was crew chief Flt. Mechanic on a B-26 while in the 6th
Tow Traget Sq.Based at Johson Air Force Base in Japan 1952
to Sept. 1954. If I remeber right the number was 4391.
I crewed that aircraft for two years. Great Aircraft.

Was Crew Chief 0n 4139267 at Long Beach Municipal Airport.
1954-55. We trained reserves and kept pilots up on flying time. Loved this plane. Later went on B-29s and it was like going from a Corvette to a Greyhound Bus.

My Dad will turn 90 this June, he was a pilot in the Army Air Corp and mentioned flying the B-26 for tow targets. Never went into combat, started as Enlisted Air Crew. Trying to find anyone that may have been stationed with him. He was at Altus, OK and Marianna Fl, his time served was Jan '42 - Sep '45

I am currently a member of a volunteer crew at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT which is 7 years into restoring a A-26C Invader. It was named the Reida Rae and flew 39 combat missions in the European Theater in 1944-45.