Why this Aircraft Kill Marking is Extremely Rare

[@TJ3]

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[@JKChris]

i wouldnt count on it but the key might have the meaning for a key mission for the allies like dday or something like that

[@colonelflagg9669]

Not an actual finding but... That marching symbol looks like a goose step. Who was goose stepping and worthy of the wrong end of ordnance back then? Goose stepping alone is worthy of the wrong end of ordnance... John Cleese was born in 1939 so that probably rules him out. Lol.

[@jonathanbair523]

I remember hearing on youtube where a US Army pilot, think flying the lightning. They just got one striking a jap airfield and on the way back, the seen a lone American transport like the DC-3. He could not get it on the radio and it was flying right to the jap base they bombed so he ended up shooting down that transport... Odd thing was the gal he had seen night before on a date before she got shipped out was on the same transport he shot down....... I remember the story as it was the craziest " How I met your mom" story...... Look up Louis Curdes. US pilot shot down an American C-47..

[@JKChris]

@@jonathanbair523 yeah simple history made a video about it i think or some animated history channel

[@MYshamanEYE]

THE NAZI KEY WAS USED TO DENOTE for bombing raid launches specially against and resulting in destruction of Nazi command and control locations

[@desmondtighe9410]

In the UK, when someone reaches the age of 21, it is customary to celebrate this event by giving them a ‘Key’ to the door of their house as a symbol of their coming of age. Therefore, the 21st mission was symbolized with a ‘Key’.

[@adeptusmagi]

Probably correct somewhere i have pictures of an RAF bomber named" Friday the 13th" as that was the day it was delivered it was adorned with all kinds of good luck symbols and flew 100 missions and the key was defiantly on the mission tally i will have to find it and check out the position of the key I believe it was exhibited in London at the victory celebrations after the war

[@TeamBootleggers]

​@adeptusmagi it's the 21st spot. Just looked at the picture..good call

[@adeptusmagi]

@@TeamBootleggers cool

[@mykelengieza7057]

Sweet.... that's a good catch.

[@jkent9915]

This is correct. Friday The 13th has a swastika flavored key for its 21st sortie.

[@davidhopley2661]

A few extra points on the bomb tally markings - A white bomb is a day raid, yellow a night raid, and red was a raid on Berlin.

[@gratefulguy4130]

Yellow for night attacks on civilians is actually more self aware than I would have given them credit for.

[@apollo21lmp]

the bomb with star on the Memphis Belle that was colored red meant that she took over as lead bomber mid-mission. the yellow stars meant that she started and finished that mission as lead.

[@TomFynn]

The coolest "tally mark" is still on the battle flag of the USS Barb (SS-220). Which was a submarine. The mark? A train.

[@kdavidsmith1]

I agree.

[@phxJohn2010]

That mission was legendary

[@TheEmeraldMenOfficial]

Not as good as the camper tally on an F-22. They buzzed a Winnebago going supersonic and blew out all the windows: the kill was added as a result of

[@kdavidsmith1]

@@TheEmeraldMenOfficial it was an F-111 that blew out the windows on the RV, not an F-22.

[@TomFynn]

@@TheEmeraldMenOfficial Only if it had been the original Winnebago from The Blues Brothers. Or was that destroyed in the movies? Can't really remember, they destroyed so many car in that.

[@DoctorMagicUK]

21 was 'the key to the door'. In those days it was traditional that when you reached 21 years old, you are a full adult and your parents would let you have a house key. For missions, having reached 21, they felt they earned a key.

[@MarkCSevenSixTwo]

That's absolutely spot on 😎👍.

[@glennchartrand5411]

It was the key to the liquor cabinet.

[@neiljamison6415]

It was the key to adult life, all age restrictions are now behind you.

[@TomPost-nw5pu]

We have to remember that these are young people. In decoding their markings your will have to keep this in mind. An RAF Lancaster tail gunner gave me his tie, just saying.

[@Segafishy]

Was going to comment that too, been so long since I've seen one but you used to get the big 21 keys in a little giftbox that would be given as the ceremonial key.

[@gregw988]

Raid on the Ministry of Silly Walks.

[@andrewalcock461]

That's 'goosestepping' - a march with very high raised straight legs. John Cleese mimicked this many times, often with his left forefinger on his top lip symbolising Hitler's stupid moustache.

[@samsignorelli]

Beat me to it!

[@BaikalTii]

There was a time when professional soldiers valued precision marching. That style is very difficult to master in formation but also impressive when done correctly. However western armies no longer care and the American Army never did care about marching.

[@Howie-du7ov]

​@@BaikalTii If you haven't noticed, only the militaries of oppressive governments or 3rd world countries utilize goose step marching.

[@davefave4351]

'Miniwalk' in Orwells '1984' 'Doublewalk' To appear to walk silly whilst harbouring contrary, straight walking thoughts.

[@rsuter9090]

I remember vaguely an old coffee table book my Dad had about the Air War and it had that picture of the goose steppers and the caption said it was five soldiers who tried to run away after he strafed and set fire to something they were hiding in. It ends with the sentence “They didn’t make it.”

[@TheEmeraldMenOfficial]

Brutal story, but that last line is hilarious, especially as a deadpan. Care to tell us the name of the book at some point, so we can read it ourselves?

[@johannesbauer4490]

Propaganda.

[@beedub0227]

I think I have that same book. THE WAR IN THE AIR: WORLD WAR II. The caption said “The five goose-steppers stand for five German soldiers who tried to run away after he had set their ammunition carrier afire. They didn’t make it. “

[@TheEmeraldMenOfficial]

@@beedub0227 Thank you

[@anvil5356]

'Pinocchio', a veteran Halifax of No 102 Squadron at Pocklington, has the bomb symbol for its 26th operation painted on its fuselage by a member of the ground crew, April 1943. The ice cream cornets represent raids on Italian targets and the key indicates the aircraft's 21st operation. (Source IWM) In the UK it was traditional to (symbolically) receive the key to the door at your coming of age (21 years old during this period, later became 18)

[@HandyMan657]

Good man!

[@TJ3]

Ahhh! This makes more sense. Thank you!

[@czanderdtaocan8843]

Ah yes the IWM I think They got some Info on the markins, I'm guessing The Us Museums that may have owned a lot of Ww2 Airplanes have the answer

[@patrickmurphy3048]

as in the old song, "I've got the key of the door/ never been twenty-one before"

[@anvil5356]

@@czanderdtaocan8843 The Imperal War Museum (IWM) have the original photo of the markings on the British Halifax bomber, a copy of the photo was used in the video.

[@dougcarmichael8782]

I had a cousin who was doing maintenance on SR-71s. They used a raised cobra head to mark their missions over Russia or China when they received ADA fire. One of the SR-71 had over 20 tallies. They painted over them after a congressional committee member asked what the marks meant. This was in the late 1970 into early 80s.

[@daleupthegrove6396]

I remember those five goose steppers on the fuselage of Atlanta Peach from a book(I think it was The Air War in WW2 by Edward Jablonski) I read many many moons ago. They represented five German soldiers who tried to escape after their vehicle was strafed. They didn't make it.

[@gdude3957]

I think I read that book in paperback...many moons ago. From the bookmobile(mobile library) growing up in suburban LA. ! 1960s. Is it that old?

[@daleupthegrove6396]

@@gdude3957 I don't remember the publishing date but it was the early 70s when I read it.

[@williamriley-le9zo]

@@gdude3957 Yes it is. And so are we... LOL

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@gdude3957 When I was born the U.S. flag had 49 stars.

[@NASWOG]

This is the second comment describing this. I bet you’re correct

[@Sam_Green____4114]

I had similar markings on my Ford Transit van door ! Street Lamposts X 4 ( crossed out ) Mail Boxes X3 (crossed out ) Phonebooth X1 (crossed out ) Road signs X 7 ( crossed out )!

[@MathewSzymoniak-x7l]

Where did you even find a phone booth to hit?

[@cavalieroutdoors6036]

@@MathewSzymoniak-x7l Must be an old marking.

[@MichaelLangdon-en5cw]

😂😂😂

[@RichardKroboth]

What no bird strikes? I’ve had at least 5, 1 pheasant, 2 starlings, a sparrow and a robin.

[@popefang]

@@RichardKroboth at 21 seconds kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWrPnnamft-bfNE

[@navyvetvoice]

The "goose-steppers" is a symbol for a close air support mission where troop concentrations were attacked. This would have been a high-risk assignment in the months after the D-Day landings. The flyer with five had ice water in their veins!

[@michaelchristensen5421]

You missed one important kill mark, a P-51 in the pacific theater. He has one American kill mark. A transport was trying to land at a Japanese controlled island. They didn't have a working radio to be warned. The P-51 was instructed to shoot them down so they could be rescued in the water by US ships.

[@williamrooth]

I remember reading about that years ago! Thanks for the cool reminder!

[@Ulani101]

The pilot's girlfriend was on the transport. She still married him after he shot her down. Better than landing on that airstrip and falling into Japanese hands.

[@jimsmith7212]

It gets better..... "Louis Edward "Lou" Curdes (November 2 1919 - February 5 1995) was an American flying ace of the USAAF during World War II who held the unusual distinctions of scoring an official and intentional air-to-air kill against another American aircraft as well as shooting down at least one aircraft from each of the major Axis powers." He shot down Italian and German aircraft, was shot down, captured, escaped, was recaptured, then escaped successfully, and went on to the Pacfic Theatre where he shot down an American transport and Japanese aircraft. (Wikipedia)

[@kengarrett9157]

That plane is at the Pima air museum in Arizona. I have a picture of it that I took around 2018

[@tonysid3563]

Why did they have him shoot it down instead of getting alongside it and signal to the pilot to follow him away? Seems to me that if he was close enough to shoot it down, he could have done that instead of taking the chance of killing everyone on board.

[@alastairhenderson]

German troops / infantry used the 'Goose Step' style of marching. Perhaps the 'Walking' silhouette indicated an infantry formation destroyed?

[@TJ3]

This is certainly the leading guess. But that seems like an odd thing to credit oneself with. Plus, how often were German infantry in formations in the open where one could confirm that it was a full unit?

[@tundranomad]

​@@TJ3 Maybe each figure didn't represent an entire formation? Simply a disrupted formation/formation strafed?

[@LancelotChan]

@@TJ3 Maybe it was a "close air support" mission marking? Implying shooting the german troops....

[@papalegba6796]

Ground support, disrupting troop movements. Important job.

[@dennislink7957]

My first thought

[@mikeburns5493]

No surprise with the carrier taking credit rather than the individual aircraft. We all have had a boss like that.

[@JohnFinzel]

The reasoning behind the Carrier taking credit is that it IS a group effort.

[@Dirk_the_Daring]

As he said in the video, the pilots didn't have their own planes. Can't mark your plane different every day.

[@dumptrump3788]

4:00 The Swastika Key Symbol. This is simple, in the UK the Brits would call someone who reached the age of 21 as getting "A Key To The Door", meaning they'd grown up enough to have a key to the house. So, 21 missions is getting "A Key To The Door".

[@Iamlurking504]

Swastikey

[@nerd3d-com]

Let's not forget the submarine that sank a train. USS Barb had a Train on it's battle flag.

[@HM2SGT]

_Log entry USS Sea Tiger 23 December 1941_*Spotted a tanker, sank a truck!* “We sunk a truck! Let's get the hell out of here!” _LCDR Sherman_ Operation Petticoat, 1959

[@cristosl]

How was the train floating?

[@vestafreyja]

@@cristosl If I can trust my memory I think it had to do with destroying a bridge pillar that had a train going over it at that time.

[@cristosl]

@@vestafreyja Holy F Cow 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 That’s made my day 👍

[@andrewallason4530]

@@vestafreyja I remember watching footage from Gulf 1 of a train just coming into view on a bridge as a GBU-12 (smart-bomb) blew it to bits. I could never work out if it was actually intended to get that specific train (ie a person or cargo of great significance was aboard), or whether it was just random that the train happened to cross just at the wrong (right?) time.

[@michaelbatson1879]

The pic at 9:08 is David McCampbell, the U S Navy highest scoring fighter pilot of the war with 34 kills and 3rd highest scoring America pilot of the war. He was also the only America pilot to become "Ace in Day" on 2 separate dates. On June 19th, 1944, he shot down 7 aircraft. In October of 1944, he shot down 9 aircraft in a single sortie, the most in a single sortie by an American pilot in combat history.

[@williamrooth]

That is so very interesting! I hope that a piece about him is done as he is a relatively unknown, but should have more recognition. Thank-you for sharing!

[@frankierzucekjr]

"The Fat Electrician" channel might if someone brings it up to him. He does some of the best videos I've seen. Good dude

[@tugbobo02]

@@frankierzucekjr I second this recommendation

[@richardbeckenbaugh1805]

Richard Bong in his P-38 , who shot down 9 zeros in a single engagement would beg to differ with you. He was the highest scoring ace of the war.

[@kayallovertheplace]

When the mustang was still being used in the attack role as the Apache they were used a lot more often and strafing runs against troop transport.

[@FireDawg709]

At one point there was a story that in the USAF inventory was a bomber with one or two fire trucks painted on its landing gear door after a mishap led to the aircraft rolling into two fire trucks responding to the incident. No one was injured if I remember the story.

[@IanWilliams-f2l]

During WWII the "coming of age" or voting age was 21 in the UK not as it is now 18. The 21 would denote this, the crew coming of age in missions, or so I was told by an RAF Flight Engineer who crewed Lancs. Hope this helps.

[@TJ3]

Very much so! Thank you!

[@AndrewDederer]

It wasn't standard, but some Pacific Aces differentiated Army versus Navy planes with Hinomaru flags "meatballs" for Army and offset sun with rays for Navy ones.

[@Howie-du7ov]

Not "off set sun rays", it was called the rising sun flag. The battle flag of the imperial Japanese military.

[@AndrewDederer]

@@Howie-du7ov The Military flag (not used anymore, and only occasional used then) had the circle in the center of the flag with the rays balanced. The Naval ensign (re-adopted by the Naval SDF in 1972 or so and still used today) has the "maru" off-set about 2/3 of the way across (to the right hand side if displayed as "flying" or as marked on fighters).

[@boriscalderon1678]

The rising sun with the rays is the naval ensign. Naval ships don’t fly the national flag except on certain ceremonial occasions. They fly an ensign. In the American navy, the ensign is a blue flag with 50 white stars. The British navy flies several, (red, white or blue) with the Union Jack in the left upper corner. The Japanese navy used the rising sun with sunbeams as their ensign. The Japanese army used the national flag, white with a red circle.

[@CharlesStearman]

​@@boriscalderon1678 The British Royal Navy was originally divided into 'white,' 'blue' and 'red' squadrons each with its own ensign. Later the white ensign came to be used for warships, the blue ensign for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (which operates the navy's supply ships) and the red ensign for merchant ships.

[@Qilue]

@@CharlesStearman Hence why so many former British colonies and later commonwealth countries used to be the blue ensign with a national symbol on the right side. Canada and India used the red ensign.

[@techshrek2827]

Reminded me of the AC-130 "Heavy Metal" for having the Decepticon logo as a kill since it was the AC-130 that featured in the first Transformers film that scared Scorponok away

[@longshot7601]

I read that there are two modern warplanes with a cow and a Winabago kill tallies.

[@OddSheep-Out]

@@longshot7601 Mover's?

[@robertbaker7610]

@@OddSheep-Out If I remember right the Winnebago kill was during a training mission. Was flying low and the sonic boom damaged/destroyed the RV. I can't remember if the pilot was in the wrong place or the RV.

[@JH-wd6dp]

@@longshot7601 There's also the F-15 that took out a satellite and an F-22 with a spy balloon tally.

[@1941Thatguy]

@@robertbaker7610it was the rv. I think it was NM or AZ driving on a range that it shouldn’t have been.

[@TheRaptorXX]

P-47 D Thunderbolt 'Thoroughbred' flown by Lt. Lawton E. Clark of 84th FS, 78th FG, 8th AF out of RAF Duxford, England, September 1944 Lt. Clark was killed in it Sept. 10 1944 when he flew into the target when strafing a marshalling yard at Heilbronn, Germany. It was thought that he had a visual depth perception problem as he had already flown into A COUPLE OF TREES WHICH HE HAD MARKED ON HIS PLANE'S KILLMARKS.

[@JOSHL50]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_fixation Target fixation is more common than you would think.

[@BrickZero]

A lesser known marking was a cow. There was a bombing run that the pilot managed to kill a cow during and the ground crew painted a cow on the side of the plane that did it.

[@RhodesWC]

one had a gator, P-38 pilot.

[@DanielHammersley]

While you touched upon markings on ships (US Carriers), Submarines also had their tallies painted too, on Conning towers! Some were sewn onto 'battle honors' flags to be flown when painting was not permissible

[@PortCharmers]

Attacks on the German Ministry of Silly Walks? I remeber a picture in a Squadron/Signal Publications book of a B-29 which had a mishap while approaching the airfield. Somehow the bomb bay doors opened unexpectedly and the aerodynamic drag pulled the plane down precariously, so she mowed down a stretch of telephone-line. They had the nerve to add 8 telephone poles to the score board.

[@JohnFinzel]

A kill's a kill I guess.

[@chs76945]

Goose-steppers= strafed infantry formations. That was a pretty dangerous gig (a small arm is not a huge threat to a fighter, but when a few hundred of them are firing at you.....)

[@lancejohnson1406]

Yep. References I've seen agree. In the ETO, especially the Ninth AF, they were tally crazy. Bey somewhere a P-47 had a privy on it's scoreboard.

[@HM2SGT]

😅 Reminds me of an Up Front cartoon where a low flying plane is flying away with a rifle dangling from it’s bayonet sticking in the underside. Joe is congratulating Willy, telling him “I think I heard a muffled scream.“

[@nipupper6412]

the mg34/42 could be deployed into anti-air role in seconds and about 1 in 10 german combat troops would have one.

[@charlesyoung7436]

@@HM2SGT I loved that book of war cartoons. Can't recall if Willy or Joe shot that disabled Jeep, though.

[@HM2SGT]

@@charlesyoung7436 if I ever am blessed with a lottery jackpot, I’m going to see if I can’t get all of Malden‘s work collected and made available in print and for Kindle. His stuff was great, and there’s so much more out there than is available in print, let alone digitally. I really enjoy his wry wit; one of my favorites is Willie on the radio observing a couple of mushroom clouds from a rubbled out building, and the caption says _”Hello, Fox four? I jest called fer a couple little ol' rounds of artillery. I didn't ask fer no catastrophes"_ Collier's for October 27, 1951 Such a shameful tragedy how he was treated in his golden years.

[@czanderdtaocan8843]

Assumption Time: The Bomb with the Name of a city(ex. Osaka) may mean that it participated in a Firebombing or basically a bombing of a city using Incendiary Bombs or maybe it's the Goal of the Bombing(Theoretically Example: Tokyo) which they did successfully

[@cammobunker]

I'm pretty sure the marching person symbol was documenting a verified attack on troops in the open, as opposed to, say, shooting into a woodline where troops were supposed to be.

[@Ron-d2s]

"........ It's easy.......... you just don't lead 'em as much!"

[@mrfarenheit9159]

"Marching person"? Ha ha

[@cavalieroutdoors6036]

@@Ron-d2s He said troops. Not women and children.

[@Ron-d2s]

@@cavalieroutdoors6036 Troops????? Compared to Planes and Trains??????? "........ It's easy.......... you just don't lead 'em as much!"🤣

[@DoctorSkittlesMD]

Uniformed, ground-based personnel.

[@peronik349]

I heard about a pilot who "scored on the western theater of operations (against the Germans and the Italians) then on the Pacific theater on the Japanese. but also on a US troop transport to prevent the latter from landing on a runway very recently taken over by the Japanese. His plane was therefore decorated with several "swastikas"; some Italian flags; Japanese ones and a single US star and stripe (thank goodness a single one); a rare case, even unique

[@anhduc0913]

I think he's the only one to shoot down a US plane intentionally. Louis Edward Curdes, he flew a P-51 in the Pacific where he shot the US plane down. He also went on to fly during the Berlin Airlift.

[@richardbeckenbaugh1805]

The woman who became his wife was a nurse on that transport. The pilot had become lost, their radio wasn’t working and they were low on fuel. The pilot became fixated on the runway to the exclusion of all else.

[@chieftandriver703]

There was an old music hall song in which the line ‘I’ve got the key to the door, never been 21 before’ signifying a coming of age and the right to a door key. 21 missions signified a seniority.

[@9drtr]

Dad used to sing that.

[@brunomanso9428]

I think it was a rare event, but Lt. William Bolin King (355th FS, 354th FG, 9th AF) probably strafed five formations of troops on the road.

[@flitsertheo]

Or just 5 soldiers.

[@erikwade3668]

Regarding the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps early in the war, mission and kill markings were usually temporarily applied just for publicity photos. At an AFAA reunion 25 years ago, I asked Gen. Fritz Payne of VMF-212 fame to autograph a photo in one of my books about the Cactus Air Force. It was the oft-published image of F4F-4 Wildcat "White 2" with 19 japanese flag stickers under the port cockpit sill, an aircraft often attributed to Marion Carl. General Payne told me that he'd regularly flown that "White 2" and that he remembered the day very well because members of the Navy Press Corps had been gathered around the plane to take photos of pilots with confirmed kills from among the squadrons present at the time. Basically, the crew chief applied one flag at a time and each of the pilots with that number of kills posed for their photo. This went on until they got to the highest scorer present, Marion Carl. General Payne also told me that soon thereafter, "White 2" had been damaged on the ground and was taken to Espiritu Santo for repairs or parts salvage.

[@higgs923]

During my service with the USN's riverine forces in Vietnam our fixed wing squadron, VAL-4, was assigned to attack a disused church that had been taken over by the Viet Cong. The Broncos leveled the church and the lead aircraft added the representation of a church to its kills. Normally the USN frowned on any kind of nose art at the time but, because they'd denied that any of their forces were stationed south of Saigon we were pretty much left alone.

[@The1trueJester]

Great way to start my thursday, with a TJ3 master piece. Stay awesome TJ!

[@TJ3]

Thanks Jester!!

[@HandyMan657]

The key symbol on Pinnochio was the aircraft's 21st mission run, and the marching dudes represent strafing runs on ground troops.

[@TJ3]

So are you saying the 21st mission was often marked as a key? Why?

[@HandyMan657]

@@TJ3 There wasn't an explination as to why the key, but that's what I found.

[@czanderdtaocan8843]

I'm guessing the Key meant on a successful attack on a Key German City

[@HandyMan657]

@@TJ3 HA! Found it. It represents the aircraft's 21st mission/Birthday. It means you're a big boy now. LOL

[@TJ3]

Someone just noted this was for the symbolic age of 21, where young men would receive the key to the door!

[@jeffstone7912]

I would assume that the symbol of the men walking or goose-stepping would’ve been, they strafed enemy troops on the ground. That’s my guess

[@johnmc4186]

The camel was also placed on B-29's. Before the 20th Air Force was stationed in the Marianas, they were stationed in India & flew missions from both India & China. To fly from China, both fuel & bombs had to be stockpiled at the forward airfield in China. This required flights over the Himalayas. Both C-47's & B-29's performed these flights. The B-29 had 2 bomb bays & as well as bombs, had auxiliary fuel tanks that could be placed in the bomb bay. For a while, my father, a Lead Crew, Aircraft Commander, held the record for the longest mission flown in a B-29 for a mission flown over the hump.

[@joss.4462]

German infantry, often deployed in marching columns. Because there weren't enough trucks and certainly not enough fuel to transport entire battalions or regiments. This was usually a hit for low-flying aircraft who fired their on-board weapons. Only about a tenth of the German Wehrmacht was motorized. Even a large part of the artillery was pulled by horse-drawn carts. From 1943 onwards there was also talk of the demotorization of the Wehrmacht.

[@jameschaplin3208]

I was told a story by an airline pilot who’s father served as a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain with the Canadian RAF. In a mission over France, his father had accidentally shot down a British fighter, then landed next to the fighter to rescue the pilot before returning to England. After that, every time he angered his mechanics, the next morning he would find an English roundel painted next to the German crosses (kills) on his plane’s cowling, just to get back at him.

[@freedomgundam95]

There was a Hawker Hunter Mk.58 from the Swiss air force that had a killmark for a bicycle. Apparently, when taxiing for take off and powering the engine, the blast of the engine pushed a jeep on the airbase that didn't have the gear on P and that caused the jeep to roll backward until nearing a road next to the airbase and knocking down a pedestrian who was casually biking. big domino effect 😂

[@daisyhilldude1]

The key for the 21st mission is from a common tradition in the Uk. On your 21st birthday you get a key as a birthday present, it symbolises the key to the door, in other words you’re an adult, you can vote, drink alcohol, etc

[@drtidrow]

Another unique symbol was the "fat man" symbols used on the 509th Bomb Group B-29s, black ones indicating a "pumpkin" drop (a Fat Man casing filled with conventional explosives, used for training runs), and red ones for drops of actual nuclear weapons. Far as I know, only _Enola Gay_ and _Bockscar_ have red ones, though it's possible that the planes that went along for observation and data collection also got them. (later) Just took a look at some pics of _Enola Gay_ at the NASM's Udvar-Hazy center, and apparently they got lost sometime during its resoration. _Bockscar,_ on display at the Air Force Museum, does still have them.

[@jlastre]

Anyone who has watched _Monty Python’s Flying Circus_ will realize that the plane at the end was responsible for five kills to Germany’s Ministry of Funny Walks.

[@dmiller2036]

Yes that was when Balley Jerry primed his kite right in the how's your father

[@TamasLaszlo-83]

Awesome video again! There were some symbols that I have never seen (for example umbrella, duck,etc.)Those walking shilouettes were maybe symbols of attacking against ground troops? Or those missions when happened nothing? 🤔

[@phyllisknudsen2100]

THE MEANING OF THE GOOSE STEPPING GERMANS; I saw this photo in my Wing's (48th FW) History Office archive around 1997. The text associated with this picture said the pilot was on a strafing mission. He had strafed a vehicle (one of the marks on his scoreboard). The Crew had managed to bail and get in a ditch. The pilot saw them get up and start running across a field. He was determined they weren't going to get away (the quote from the pilot was "Those Hermans weren't getting away" ) so he came around and smoked them in one pass as I recall. Definitely one of the most personal and brutal (as war is) kill markings you'll find. As a side note, I never saw any other type of kill markings for an individual numbers of enemy troops killed.

[@larrymoore6595]

Can't speak for WWII, but as a Marine Airwing ordnanceman, I was told of an A4 Skyhawk in Iwakuni Japan with a stickman figure from Nam. It represents a kill of a ground troop by the pilot using the arresting gear hook. Documented in the aircraft log book. Probably ground troops.

[@joshshields9229]

Major Richard Bong, the top fighter ace of the war, had a very unique talky mark. He had a confirmed crocodile kill.

[@willparry]

I'd have thought the umbrella was denote a mission flown from Britain.

[@shallbetterdj]

This is why I will never paint stick figures on my car. I didn’t kill any of them

[@ptrgreeny]

Strafing Mission or Close Combat Support are the obvious...the 354th was in action for both D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. The plane was in 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group and is a P-51B. The 354th did ground support primarily, but with P-51B's they also performed escort duty. They could represent ground targets like barracks that they attacked returning to base. The 354th Fighter Group also occupied several former Luftwaffe airbase...they could also represent that as well.

[@MilitaryJokes]

Great video! I never thought the symbols on aircraft were so rich and diverse. Thanks for sharing about rare markings like the duck for decoy missions.

[@charlieross-BRM]

Within the last two weeks I watched a short video about current day fighters and the tankers that refuel them, interviewing the respective crews on the ground by their aircraft. "Things happen" and there is at least one fighter out there flying with mission markers for destroying the fuel booms of some tankers. LOL.

[@troybullard9631]

I seen that picture many years ago in a book. If I remember correctly, the caption stated that the pilot and the flight he was with were looking for targets of opportunity, and basically attack and destroy anything that was moving on the ground. They spotted some trucks and other light vehicles on a road carrying German troops and attacked. One of the vehicles looked like the type that staff officers usually rode around in. It went off the road, and when it stopped the driver and the occupants jumped out and tried to run for cover, but they didn't quite make it. This happened somewhere in France just a few days after the invasion.

[@paulredinger5830]

I won’t hold that against you brother! You forgot egg, and pineapple too. I love a good burger with the LOT, or a kebab. I’ve lived in Australia (I’m American) for 20 years now. First came here in 98,’ then 2000 for two years, and been here since 2002. Married a Aussie babe. No complaints, but I miss home now and then. Especially at Christmas time. I still find it weird wearing shorts and a tee shirt while sweating my tail off on Christmas though. 🤷🏼‍♂️ cheers brother! 🍺

[@raysmith735]

One thing you never see....A C-47 transport getting a kill mark for downing a Japanese fighter. The fighter rammed the C-47 tail trying to down it. Japanese fighter failed and crashed...C-47 survived to land.

[@GJCorby2007]

Richard Bong P-38 pilot and Ace of Aces had an alligator marking on his plane.

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

I was actually just in Cino and saw this plane. It sounded like they are going to preserve it as is. The plane still has paint from each theaters paint schemes. As it moved from one theater to another, they just painted over the previous.

[@a.b.gibson6521]

Which plane, please?

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

@@a.b.gibson6521 It's the BF 109E. They have it at the Chino Air Museum in California.

[@bobpustell]

I am a retired airline and military pilot. One pilot I flew with in the airline (he later became a US citizen) was born and raised in a French colony in Africa. He was a pilot in the French Air Force when that colony broke away from the homeland. While flying a mission behind rebel lines he was so close and so low while attacking a rebel supply caravan that he struck and killed a camel with a wingtip. He did successfully fly the damage plane back to base. I don't know if his ground staff put a camel on the nose of his plane or not. He is the only pilot I know to have had an inflight collision with a camel.

[@EdmundKempersDartboard]

Very cool about the heart for a wounded crew member.

[@josephday811]

The key symbol represents a successful mission against an enemy airfield, unlocking the airspace for future missions.

[@TurnerRanch12]

It’s for the 21st mission

[@josephday811]

@@TurnerRanch12 Some say that. Others say what I told you.

[@richceglinski7543]

I saw WW2 photos inAir Classics magazine of a B17 that completed its 25 missions and the mechanics put their victories on it in letters. 7 engines, 18 cylinders, 2 gear, tires, magnetos, etc. and they certainly deserved that credit.

[@bobmarlowe3390]

When I was on the USS Saratoga in 1979 & 1980, we had a couple of F-4 Phantoms with MIG silhouettes from Vietnam on their intakes.

[@Meibeon]

The 21 Key is a reference to the song we used to get sung on our 21st birthday in Wales (coming of age back then). ''21 today,21 today, I've got the key to the door ,never been 21 before''.

[@johnp8131]

Not only in Wales. My parents, both Londoners, sang it and they were born during and just after WW1. Trying to look it up, it's probably Edwardian, by the Irish composed Alec Kendal?

[@tallonmetroids271]

I think the marching silhouette was Close Air Support run, with confirmed effect on target(s) via the guys on the ground.

[@roverboat2503]

In UK a key is a symbol of turning 21. Traditionally you would get the keys to the house when you turned 21 and could come and go as you please.

[@arthur_galuppo]

It's really cool to see the kill marks of the Brazilian Air Force Thunderbolts .

[@Compliment_Thief]

The Key represents their 21st mission as in England reaching age 21 the Keys to the door (adult life) were metaphorically handed over sometimes as a physical jewellery key gift amongst the upper-class or more usually on a birthday card. The swastika means it was on a German target.

[@TheManurin]

Excellent series, I'm a fan of all ww2 stories, and you really have a lot of unknown elements I didn't know! keep them coming!

[@Justmemyguy]

Not a marking per se, but one of the best WW2 things I've ever come across was a joke medal given within U.S. patrol squadron VP-53. The "Royal order of the whale bangers" was given to those who successfully sank a whale after mistaking it for a U-boat....which was evidently easy to misidentify from the air.

[@Gizero7]

My best guess for the last markings at 12:08 is that the pilot strafed a marching infantry column, or other infantry group, out in the open rather than in a fortified position. They are silhouettes of a man marching so I assume this marks the pilot’s 5 successes. It seems this pilot conducted more ground attack missions than air cover/combat missions.

[@spazmodicusrex6629]

The goose-stepper symbol might be for bringing home good camera footage of strafing enemy infantry columns that were caught on the march.

[@williamrooth]

Very nicely done piece, thank-you! Lots of great comments down here as well!

[@JakobUnger-lz5mm]

Clearly this is the Minister of Silly Walks.

[@Ravenoustoxic]

12:12, My grandpa was a veteran ace pilot, he told me that symbol means how many michael jordan you sucessfuly destroyed.

[@michaelnaven213]

Excellent work! You have answered many questions I had about these markings.👍👍👏👏

[@steelsightsman]

@TJ3 Not sure if any one else mentioned it; but the soldiers marching wasn't standard, but used in the the unit (i.e. the 354th of the 9th) used to indicate infantry strafing runs.

[@bungus-it6kq]

My best guess is successful ground attack missions specifically on infantry. Cant imagine they would mark the plane for each individual infantryman killed by the pilot. Really cool video though, I learned something I didnt know before.

[@jameswells554]

It could be a marking for Close Air Support missions; depending on the year of the photo, and the squadron it could indicate missions supporting landings, raids, or Ground Attack runs such as occurred following the breakthrough at Normandy and during Operation Cobra while German Columns were stretched out along the roadways.

[@barrybarlowe5640]

The "Marching Kraut" was for strafing missions on deployed ground troups when under transportation to the front lines.

[@philhawley1219]

In Britain your 21st birthday was referred to as having the key to the door. Hence the 21st bombing mission was worthy of being a significant occasion. Sadly most bomber crews never lived that long.

[@kennethmaynard5046]

In the WW II on a submarine's battle flag it has a locomotive. On a daring raid the USS Barb planted explosives on a Japanese rail line used a pressure switch to set it off. I know it's not a marking, but the marking on the battle flag that is unique

[@volksdude1970]

The tally marks on Atlanta Peach might be from CAS (Close Air Support) for ground/infantry operations. Perhaps like others said, the pilot was given credit for those ground kills after infantry confirmed the strafe landed a hit.

[@ryanwilbur3554]

I can't remember the pilot's name for the life of me, but there was a US pilot who was given permission to count a kill against another US aircraft. He shot down a friendly unresponsive cargo plane that was headed to a Japanese airfield, letting it land in the water and calling for rescue.

[@georgearthur8391]

A person is traditionally recognised as "adult" on their 21st birthday and given a key to the house, hence the key symbol marking the 21st raid.

[@jacobotha6158]

I would consider the marching soldiers as attacks on convoys. Maybe I'm wrong but that is my opinion.... . .

[@TheEthiopian1987]

It could be that it was for ground support missions, considering the plane is a P51 from the 9th AF unit. That particular unit did a lot of ground support missions.

[@gregskaggs8521]

It means creators who walk away from the responsibility of telling us what they trapped us into watching their clip for LOL

[@DeadThrallOfficial]

My best educated guess is that the last marking was for close air support missions on enemy troop formations.

[@matydrum]

Many B-29 superforteresses made the trip to the pacific theatre via the himalayas and would have the camel markings next to their usual bomb markings.

[@stevenbear1610]

Marching soldier marking is for air support and engagement of enemy ground forces.

[@tomficarra6619]

It would be fun to have symbols to put on general avaiation aircraft. Maybe one for international flight, another for over a certain distance, organ donor transport, emergency service volunteer (like during covid)... etc.

[@JamesSavik]

(I think) the marching symbol was for a troop train.

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

Let's see if he includes the US sub, that destroyed a Japanese train.

[@cbbees1468]

USS Barb?

[@NAMCBEO]

My bet on the goose steppers would be: A symbol to represent an attack on a column of troops. If you noticed the P-51 was involved with ground attack missions, for the most part !

[@weissrw1]

A lot of pilots would not strafe troop columns because .50 caliber bullets hitting human beings becomes the stuff of nightmares. Bodies turned into a pink mist or thrown 12 meters into the air like a torn rag-doll is not something most pilots wanted to remember. So no pilot was required to do it. But some did. I suspect the marking in questions is the strafing of troops.

[@Flying-V-Shredder]

I remember reading an account of a P47 pilot who strafed a German column that said he vomited when he landed.He said the carnage was unbelievable.

[@weissrw1]

@@Flying-V-Shredder Yep, a P47 was armed with eight .50 cals.... Dear Father.

[@raysilva4128]

The key represents the total destruction of a key enemy base or position and the people marching would most likely represent individual troop kills or personnel kills

[@bigblue6917]

Looking at the unidentified markings I did wonder that, as they look like German's goosestepping, it was to symbolise and attack on a specific type of targets such as an SS unit or something to do with the NAZIs themselves.

[@TJ3]

I'm not sure, but I also believe that something about the way they are walking is meant to represent something.

[@gonsolop2429]

6:32 American bombers developed skip-bombing too hit Axis shipping more accurately. Then bombing ships became more successful. When skip bombing, regular bombs could be released within a few hundred feet from any ship. The bomber is flying near the surface at about 200 to 400 feet off " the deck " . Once released the bomb skips across the surface of the water into the side of a ship. Lodges, & explodes.