World War II Pilots and Planes Photo Gallery and related media
World War II Pilots and Planes
Fighter Pilot in Pacific
Aviator Wayne Morris is shown seated in his plane with "Meatball" decals, showing the number of Japanese planes he has shot down.
Related Photo Galleries (6)
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World War II Pilots and Planes
World War II Pilots and Planes(12 Photos)
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Hiroshima and Nagasaki
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12 Photos
See pictures from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.
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World War II: Rest and Relaxation
World War II: Rest and Relaxation(10 Photos)
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Axis Military Leaders
Axis Military Leaders(12 Photos)
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View images of Axis military leaders from World War II.
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World War II Political Leaders
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View photos of World War II political leaders.
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Allied Military Leaders
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Related Videos (10)
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U.S. Jetfighter Ace of Korea
U.S. Jetfighter Ace of KoreaVideo Clip (2:23)
Video Clip (2:23)
Get to know Colonel Ralph Parr, one of the greatest jetfighter aces in American history, whose three-decade Air Force career encompassed three wars and five combat tours.
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F4-F Wildcat Fighter Plane
F4-F Wildcat Fighter PlaneVideo Clip (1:47)
Video Clip (1:47)
Get the lowdown on the F4F Wildcat, the carrier-based fighter at the center of the action in the Pacific during World War II.
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KI-43 Oscar Fighter Plane
KI-43 Oscar Fighter PlaneVideo Clip (1:14)
Video Clip (1:14)
Though slower than the P-40, the KI-43 Oscar was nimble and could outmaneuver most planes. Catch a glimpse of the Japanese fighter plane that came after the Nate.
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Operation Ten-Go
Operation Ten-GoVideo Clip (4:04)
Video Clip (4:04)
Discover the suspenseful story of Japan's Yamato as it launches a suicide mission, Operation Ten-Go, by attempting to attack Americans at Okinawa.
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Flying in the South Pacific
Flying in the South PacificVideo Clip (3:31)
Video Clip (3:31)
Fred Linden's father was a PBY naval aviator during World War II and left behind two reels of film documenting his service in the South Pacific.
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A6M Zero Fighter Plane
A6M Zero Fighter PlaneVideo Clip (1:27)
Video Clip (1:27)
Find out how the world's first strategic fighter plane, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, allowed the Japanese to achieve air superiority in World War II, at least until the Allied planes came along.
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Battle 360: Carrier Flight
Battle 360: Carrier FlightVideo Clip (3:04)
Video Clip (3:04)
In this History 360 video clip, take a look at the aircraft used on the USS Enterprise during World War II. The planes included the dive bomber, torpedo bomber, and wildcat fighter. At that time, the Japanese had more advanced technology than the US.
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Battle 360: Dive Bombers
Battle 360: Dive BombersVideo Clip (2:02)
Video Clip (2:02)
In this Battle 360 video clip, we learn a bit about dive bombers and how their motive is to get close to their target and destroy it instantly. Traveling over 250 mph, the pilot takes their dive at 75 degrees. Check it all out here.
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Battle 360: The Fleet
Battle 360: The FleetVideo Clip (2:41)
Video Clip (2:41)
In this Battle 360 video clip, we take a look at the U.S.S. Enterprise Carrier. Learn how she is defended and how scout planes launch off of her in order to win battles. Submarines escort her and detect enemies.
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The Chrysler Desoto B-26 Factory
The Chrysler Desoto B-26 FactoryVideo Clip (2:08)
Video Clip (2:08)
During the lead-up to World War II, the Desoto branch of the Chrysler group capitalized on U.S. military expansion by producing the B-26 bomber. Find out what challenges they overcame to achieve one of the highest military acceptance rates of any plane during the war.
Related Speeches & Audio (10)
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War Report on B-29 Use
War Report on B-29 UseAudio Clip (2:36)
Audio Clip (2:36)
Brig. Gen. H.S. Hansell delivers a report in June 1944 on American B-29 bomber strikes against Germany and Japan.
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Paul Tibbets on Dropping the Atomic Bomb
Paul Tibbets on Dropping the Atomic BombAudio Clip (2:38)
Audio Clip (2:38)
On July 3, 1987, 42 years after dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets recalls his mindset during the fateful mission on August 6, 1945.
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Japan's Unconditional Surrender
Japan's Unconditional SurrenderAudio Clip (4:13)
Audio Clip (4:13)
An NBC news report summarizes the events of August 15, 1945, when Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced that his country will accept unconditional surrender and called for a ceasefire that formally ended World War II.
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Eyewitness Account of Hiroshima Bombing
Eyewitness Account of Hiroshima BombingAudio Clip (3:35)
Audio Clip (3:35)
In an interview for the United States Strategic Bombing Survey in December 1945, Kaleria Palchikoff Drago, a Russian immigrant living in Japan, gives an eyewitness account of August 6, 1945, when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
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U.S. Goals in World War II
U.S. Goals in World War IIAudio Clip (0:31)
Audio Clip (0:31)
In his speech delivered July 23, 1942, Secretary of State Cordell Hull explains the aims of the United States in World War II.
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Douglas MacArthur Receives the Japanese Surrender
Douglas MacArthur Receives the Japanese SurrenderAudio Clip (1:21)
Audio Clip (1:21)
On September 2, 1945, aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, World War II comes to a close when Japanese officials sign the unconditional surrender. Gen. Douglas MacArthur presides over the signing and delivers a short speech on the momentous occasion.
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George Schultz on Korean Air Lines Flight 007
George Schultz on Korean Air Lines Flight 007Audio Clip (0:24)
Audio Clip (0:24)
Secretary of State George Schultz addresses the press after the Soviets shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983. The commercial jetliner had wandered into Soviet air space en route from Anchorage to Seoul.
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FDR War Report to Congress
FDR War Report to CongressAudio Clip (1:58)
Audio Clip (1:58)
See this moving video of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech to Congress describing the United State's circumstance and the Nazi's eventual downfall.
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Battle for the Marshall Islands
Battle for the Marshall IslandsAudio Clip (2:21)
Audio Clip (2:21)
In a live recording, Sgt. Fred Walker gives a blow-by-blow description of a battle with Japanese forces as he lands on one of the Marshall Island atolls in the Pacific with the Marines Fifth Amphibian Corps in 1944.
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Allies Liberate Bastogne
Allies Liberate BastogneAudio Clip (1:27)
Audio Clip (1:27)
In a broadcast on December 29, 1944, Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe recounts the 101st Airborne’s victory against overwhelming odds at Bastogne, Belgium.
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