Description

No. 21 ……. Cover: When the historic first U.S. fighter strikes were made on Tokyo Feb. 16-17 by the carrier-based planes of Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher’s famous Task Force 58, one of the planes carried LIFE Photographer W. Eugene Smith. Despite the thick weather, he took this striking picture of TBM Avengers flying over heart of the Japanese mainland. ……. Articles Inside:

Recognition Over Japan

Latest Jap Planes – Rita, Jack, Frank, KU-8 and Betty 24

Comet and Challenger ( New British Tanks )

Three Armor Variations – T-34 and M-17 rocket launchers, M-4 running gear and M-24 light tank chassis

New German Warplanes ME-262, AR 234 and Me-163

Standard Jap Ships – Merchant Ships

Escort Craft of Jap Fleet – Matsu Class DD’s, Chidori-Otori Class Torpedo Boats, Mikura Class Frigates, new type DE, PC-1 Subchaser, PC-4 Subchaser, P-13 Subchaser, SCS-1 Subchaser, SCS-51 Subchaser and Hashidate Class Gunboat

British Planes – Arrival in Central Pacific Creates New Recognition Problem

The First-Line Fighters of the RAF

Airplanes Flying for the Royal Navy

British Air Transport and Patrol

Two Work Horses and Two Heavy Bombers

German’s Last Hope – Tanks and SP Guns ( King Tiger, Hunting Panther, Elephant, PzKpfw IV with 150mm Howitzer )

Contrasting DD’s – U.S. Fletcher Class and Jap Takanami show differences between two navies’ two-stackers

Jap Transport Planes – Topsy, Thora, Tabby, Tess, Mavis, Emily, Nell, Betty 11 and Sally

News & Miscellany