December 2013: Douglas Dakota – 22 photos

Each photograph is offered at a 300dpi res/13x8cm size making them available for a very good quality digital print.

tn_Dakota - 01

Photo (Soviet ) Dakota 01: C-47 44-77001 seen in France in summer 1945, when the French fighter regiment ‘Normandie-Niemen’ which fought over the Russian front returned to France.

tn_Dakota - 02

Photo (Soviet) Dakota 02: Over 700 C-47s were supplied to the USSR during the war and served well after the end of war. Here, one C-47 with the tactical code 894 (possibly being part of the US serial) seen at Utti in Finland on 20 September 1944, shorlty after the end of the hostilities between Finland and the USSR.

tn_Dakota - 03

Photo (Soviet) Dakota 03: An unidentified Soviet C-47, with a tactical number ‘4’ painted on the rudder. Note the red arrow painted on the top of the fin. It is a C-47 of the late batches, its serial starting with 44-7xxxx.

tn_Dakota - 04

Photo (Soviet) Dakota 04: The Soviets did not keep all its surviving C-47s under military hands, and as in the USA, many were eventually converted to serve on various civil airlines after the war. One such aircraft is seen here at Malmi in Finland just after the war.

tn_Dakota - 05

Photo (USAAF) Dakota 05: An USAAF Douglas C-47 (41-18376), seen over the sea off the North African coast early in 1943.

tn_Dakota - 06

Photo (RNZAF) Dakota 06: Douglas Dakota NZ3517 of the RNZAF about to touch down on an airstrip in the Pacific. The RNZAF acquired 58 Dakotas betwen February 1943 and August 1945, serving with two squadrons, Nos. 40 and 41.
tn_Dakota - 07

Photo (RCAF) Dakota 07: Douglas Dakota Mk. III FD870, No. 437 (RCAF) Sqn, Odiham, 1946.
tn_Dakota - 08

Photo (RCAF) Dakota 08: Two Douglas Dakotas of No. 437 (RCAF) Sqn in England taken after the war around 1945-1946.
tn_Dakota - 09

Photo (RCAF) Dakota 09: Douglas Dakota Mk. III KG338, No. 437 (RCAF) Sqn in UK shortky after the war.
tn_Dakota - 10

Photo (RCAF) Dakota 10: An unidentifed Douglas Dakota from one of the two Canadian transport squadrons which served in CBI, Nos. 435 & 436 Squadrons. Note the Mapple Leaf painted on the nose.
tn_Dakota - 11

Photo (RCAF) Dakota 11: With its codes ‘Z2’, view of another No. 437 (RCAF) Sqn in England shortly after the war.

tn_Dakota - 12

Photo (RAF) Dakota 12: An unidentified Douglas Dakota Mk.III of No. 233 Squadron in mid-1944 with its full D-Day markings.

tn_Dakota - 13

Photo (RAF) Dakota 13: Douglas Dakota Mk.III FL512, coded ‘D’ serving with No. 31 Squadron in Burma in 1944.

tn_Dakota - 14

Photo (RAF) Dakota 14: Douglas Dakota Mk. III KG770 of No. 24 Squadron with Transport Command badge on the nose. This aircraft will be returned to the USAF in July 1953 only.

tn_Dakota - 15

Photo (RAF) Dakota 15: Douglas Dakota Mk. III FD904 of No. 24 Squadron which served with the RAF until July 1947.

tn_Dakota - 16

Photo (Finnish) DC-2 16: Finnish DC-2, coded DC-1 during the Winter War.

tn_Dakota - 17

Photo (RNZAF) Dakota 17: RNZAF Dakotas in New Zealand in 1944 with C-60 Lodestars.

tn_Dakota - 18

Photo (RAF) Dakota 18: Douglas Dakotas of No. 233 Squadron in 1944. In the forefront KG427.

 tn_Dakota - 19

Photo (USN) Dakota 19: Douglas R4D-6 Dakota (C-47B-DL) BuNo 50839 which was accepted by the Navy on 28 February 1945. This Dakota was one of 157 C-47Bs transferred from the USAAF explaining the presence of the AAF serial on the fin. This Dakota served well after the end of the war, before to be put into storage in 1948 and sold to the civil market.

tn_Dakota - 20

Photo (USN) Dakota 20: This Douglas R4D-4 Dakota BuNo 07003 was an impressed civil DC-3A-447 formely registred NC34956. It was impressed on 29 December 1942 and as a former civil aircraft was perfectly adapted to be converted as a staff transport as R4D-4Z. This Dakota would have a long career with the USN being retired in July 1955 and stricken in November 1956 with 5,157 hours of flight.

tn_Dakota - 21

Photo (USN) Dakota 21: Douglas R4D-5 Dakota BuNo 17224 was accepted on 15 May 1944. The Dash 5 was the USN version of the Douglas C-47A-DL. This Dakota served during the war with the USMC before to be stricken from inventory on 31 July 1946 as surplus.

tn_Dakota - 22

Photo (USN) Dakota 22: Douglas R4D-1 Dakota (C-47-DL) BuNo 3131, the first USN R4D. It was accepted on 1 February 1942 and would served with the USMC during all the war. It was stricken from the USN list on 30 April 1946.