In the Summer 1989 issue of AAHS Journal, somebody sent in a photo showing some very odd Bostons, supposedly being flown by Soviet pilots over the Black Sea although there are obvious problems with that attribution. Whatever, don't care about that - the main thing is the weird fuselage nose section on the center aircraft and possibly on the one on the right as well. The submitter mentions the likelihood that someone retouched the photo at some time, but asks a very good question: Why? It's an ordinary photo of a well-known aircraft, and if they were going to retouch something, why the cockpit area? I only noticed one follow-up comment 2 Journals later, voting for retouching. And I can't see how it could be anything else, really. But has anyone seen this photo or anything more about it?
Odd Bostons?
- Thread starter OldGeezer
- Start date
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
Hmmm... mysterious. I haven't seen this picture before and wouldn't know of any operational change to the aircraft, but I reckon the photographic editor has altered the originals because of a lack of definition in the photograph. These 'modifications' are not consistent with each other, nor are they with any known modifications that were made to the type, even by the Soviets. The shadows and lighting appear to differ in resolution between the aircraft, which hints at photographic manipulation.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
It looks like some quick retouching for a low quality photo. Though why bother? Making a deadline?
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
What also stands out, is the bright star on the fuselage.
The Soviet's red star always appears a darker shade in B&W photos. And I'm going by memory here, but U.S. delivered aircraft had the red star in the blue circle, ones delivered from Britain had the red star with white (or gold) outline.
The Soviets received Boston IIIs from Britain, which the open rear gunner position seems to indicate.
The nose on the one in the foreground almost looks like the nose of an He111 was grafted into it or someone tried to "create" their impression of an Allied version of the KI-46-III...
The Soviet's red star always appears a darker shade in B&W photos. And I'm going by memory here, but U.S. delivered aircraft had the red star in the blue circle, ones delivered from Britain had the red star with white (or gold) outline.
The Soviets received Boston IIIs from Britain, which the open rear gunner position seems to indicate.
The nose on the one in the foreground almost looks like the nose of an He111 was grafted into it or someone tried to "create" their impression of an Allied version of the KI-46-III...
ThomasP
Senior Master Sergeant
The vertical tail on the rightmost airframe does not look like a Boston's tail either??
I would say that's the photomontage. Why ? Perhaps the main reason for that was to hide the fact that the soviet AF used US made stuff at that time. I have found another shot of VVS Bostons and I bet the image shows the same planes but without the retouch and taken from a different direction.. According to the caption, these A-20s belonged to to the 13th GDBAP VVS of the Black Sea Fleet. The pic was taken in 1944 when the regiment participated in air operations at the Crimea peninsula and over the Black Sea.
the source: История Авиации 2000-05
the source: История Авиации 2000-05
- Thread starter
- #8
I found another heavily (and not very skillfully) retouched photo of some Soviet Bostons, and the one furthest from the camera has been given a clumsy-looking treatment around the cockpit and nose area. But not a completely different glassed-in nose.
- Thread starter
- #9
Lend-lease Bostons were delivered with red stars in white circle too
In the case with the photo in question, it's again that old trick with the type of negative (film) used. The stars are in fact red, but appear very light. Check the rectangle under the waist window, which appears very light as well - this is the fire extinguisher warning on red background. Below another photo with the same appearance and a detail with the warning:
Photo is from this site.
Cheers!
Last edited:
Actually I agree the image above was retouched. But the dark areas around the cockpits and the glass nose area aren't the result of a work done by the retoucher but by the quality of the white camo paint and the way of applying. The coat was quite washable and soon after its applying the colour was "disappearing" just from the areas revealing the summer camouflage still being underneath. The way the paint was applied was far from we can call the perfection or the great quality. Have a look at the image and profile below. ..
What makes me curious of , is that the planes look flat like somebody cut them out from another pic and put on the new background. What is more please note that the foreground Boston lost , not only the stabilizer-elevator tip that should be rounded rather but also the rear part of the engine nacelle that should protrude beyond the wing trailing edge. Anyway the image looks really fake.
That's how I see it - and to my eyes they're tried to "Soviet-ize" the Boston formation to look (badly) like the Il-4.
Yep ... IMHO the shot could be a film frame from a propaganda movie ( it's very likely it's form a Russian WW2 one). What is more the movie ( footage) was a kind of an animated film. Also if you have a look at the background you may notice that the landscape is not for the Winter time. So why the bombers were wearing the white camo?
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The I-16 had a similar set-up - it was to allow the engine to come up to temp in harsh winters.
