Douglas A-20 Havoc USAAF 9th Air Force WWII Aviation Art Print by Chris French FGAvA

August 1944. Douglas A-20 Havocs of the US 670thBomb Squadron, 416th Bomb Group prepare to peel off into the downwind leg ofthe landing pattern at RAF Wethersfield, UK. They are returning from a bombingmission to Normandy in support of the allied advance into mainland Europe.

The foreground aircraft, A-20G, 43-9224, 'MissLaid' would become the first Havoc to complete 100 missions without a failureor abort. It would later be renamed 'La France Libre' and the nose art changed accordingly. The lead aircraft is A-20J,43-9439, 'Out Hell'n'. The glazed-nose J models would generally lead eachflight of up to six aircraft and provide the bomb aiming capability. The otheraircraft would drop their bombs when the crews saw the lead aircraft releaseits load. The third aircraft is A-20G, 43-9689, 'Boomerang'.