Thumper
Thumper was the plane assigned to Lt. Col. Haines who was the commander of the 870th Squadron. It completed 40 missions and was credited with shooting down 26 fighters. It then returned to the States to make a tour to sell war bonds. The crew of the Star Duster flew Thumper on the March 3, 1945, mission to Tokyo.
On top of Thumper in this picture are Bob Stangland in the center and Joe C. Swann on the right. We think Maurice Hanks is on the left.
Ordinance
These are small, incendiary bombs user in fire raids. Irwin Moskowitz is standing at the right of the picture.
These are 500 lb. general purpose bombs used in high altitude bombing. Joe C. Swann is standing to the left. Achilles Stathas is sitting in the center. The person on the right is unidentified.
Fueling and Engine Run-up
