Did you know why some Allied bombers were given ridiculous paintjobs?
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The assembly ship First Sergeant
(Photo: vintagewings.ca)
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Allied air raids in World War II could include hundreds of bombers. These had to take off from several airfields in Britain, meet up in the air under radio silence (so as not to tip off the Germans), and arrange themselves into elaborate formations called combat boxes. This was a slow and dangerous process with the navigational tools of the time, with bombers joining the wrong formation and possibly colliding in the air.
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The assembly ship Li’l Cookie
(Photo: ww2db.com)
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The solution was the use of misleadingly named assembly ships, old bombers no longer fit for combat service. They were painted with garish and unique patterns of stripes and polka dots, equipped with navigational lights and colored flares, and sent up first. Once the other planes took off, they each looked for their unit’s own assembly ship in the air and formed up behind it. Once the formations were completely and headed in the right direction, the assembly ships, also nicknamed Judas Goats after the trained goats shepherds use to lead the herd to the slaughter, turned home and landed.
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The assembly ship Silver Streak
(Photo: vintagewings.ca)
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Save up to 15% by paying in full until March 21
Rosie the Riveter National Day promotion
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The famous “We Can Do It!” poster of J. Howard Miller
(Photo: NARA)
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On the occasion of the upcoming Rosie the Riveter National Day on March 21 and to acknowledge the vital role played by women during the World War II and in today’s world, we are offering all our tours (excluding our four 80th anniversary D-Day tours in 2024) with a 15% discount if you book a tour with a woman in your group or if you book as a female individual and pay in full until March 21, 2023. Note that this offer applies only in case of new bookings, and it cannot be combined with other special promotions. If you have any questions related to this promotion or our tours, feel free to contact our travel consultants.
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