US Fighter Plane Drops Bombs on Japanese Positions, 1945

The photograph below was downloaded from the United States National Archives, where it was captioned: “During the bitter fighting east (probably meant south) of Manila for the Batangas Province, a P-38 (a fighter plane developed by the Lockheed Corporation) drops two 300 lb. bombs on Japanese positions only 75 yards ahead of a U.S. infantry advance. A soldier directs artillery firing (right background) from tank, which he uses as forward observation post, because of the tank’s radio facilities. Panels are used on the ground to indicate location of U.S. troops during close air support bombings.”

The picture was taken on 28 March 1945, about the time when the liberation of Batangas kicked into gear. It has been processed using graphic editing software to improve quality and colorized courtesy of Algorithmia.

Infantry men of the US Army look on as a P-38 fighter drops bombs over Japanese positions.

Notes and references:
Image credit: United States National Archives. Colorization courtesy of Algorithmia.