Us Official Photographs

P-47s Attack Nazi Rail Routes

Europe - Almost continually after D-day each Tactical Air Command in the 9th AF was assigned daily a network of Nazi rail routes to attack, dependent upon current reconnaissance reports and the over-all operational plan. P-47's with some work by P-38s and P-51s, patrolled their assigned lines with one objective; to harass, obstruct, and disrupt enemy communications and the flow of supplies. One common practice was to cut the track immediately in front of the train, bring it to a halt, then to strafe and bomb it mercilessly. Ex-amples of these attacks, most of them in February 1945 are shown here: (1) a train of 30 cars burns after attack, (2) a train is strafed, (3) camera records terrific explosion of instant of attack, (4) ammunition train is blown up, leaving crater 1,000 feet long, 100 feet wide.