Opening Cars: three umbrellas = top cover sorties completed, the eight top hats and sticks = bomber escort missions and the ten brooms = fighter sweeps."

Friday, August 12, 2016

http://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/p-38-lightning/p-38j-lightning-serial-42-67449-miss-mass-of-the-367th-fg/

Umbrellas, tophats and walking sticks, and brooms?
thanks to Steve! I learned this: From "VIII Fighter Command at War: ‘Long Reach’" by Michael O'Leary":

"Reading the aircraft's mission log, three umbrellas denote a trio of top cover sorties completed, the eight top hats and sticks symbolize bomber escort missions (as do the bomb symbols) and the ten brooms [are for] fighter sweeps."

http://history.blogs.delaware.gov/2015/09/03/world-war-ii-mission-symbols/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/5858505264/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/5855924480/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/5855231045/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougsheley/4848580062/

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205363486

in the above 2 images, it seems they needed a 2nd photo to get the promo photo they way they needed it, but it finally answered my question, why is there one bomb on it's side... it's representing the mission to Ploesti, which was so low, the bombs weren't dropped as much as placed on the targets.