P-70 Night Fighter mission – Single-ship night attack on the Japanese fortress at Rabaul

Fortunately, there was a slight surplus of A-20 Havocs in late 1942, and this allowed the AAF to convert some to the night-fighter role. This P-70 operating from a base in the Pacific gives a clear view of the Plexiglas nose that had been painted over. The bombardier’s compartment now housed the radar and forward-firing .50-caliber machine guns. (Photo by Fred Secord via author.)

The stories of daring raids flown against Japan in the Pacific and Germany in the European theater of operations would fill volumes. Many brave aviators never came home, and their fate remains a mystery. The night missions were fewer in number, however, and more hazardous because they added a very dangerous element—total darkness. The British and Germans were responsible for perfecting radar early on, and by the time the Marines had landed on Guadalcanal in...

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