Aerial view of Tinian from the Navy Liberator piloted by Commander Miller on 1 July 1944

U.S. Navy Official photograph, Gift of Charles Ives, from the Collection of The National World War II Museum
Description: 

405.Photograph. 'File No: 46572 September 21, 1944 Saga of Bus Miller--- This aerial view of devastated Tinian was taken by a Navy photographer on July 1 on the Navy Liberator piloted by Commander Norman M. 'Bus' Miller, USN, . . . after the famed Navy pilot had added to the damage by bombing and strafing the Jap base. This was only one of the 55 daring missions made by Commander Miller against Jap bases not including the attacks in which he sank or damaged 66 Jap ships and which included a destroyer and huge ocean-going tanker. Commander Miller is from Winston-Salem, N.C. [North Carolina], Commander Miller was primarily assigned to reconnaissance work but he always found something additional for his big Lib to do in the way of killing Japs.' 21 September 1944

Image Information

Donor: 
Charles Ives
Accession Number: 
2011.102.405
Date: 
Location: 
Hometown: 
Branch: 
US Navy
Theater of Service: 
Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO)
Unit: 
Thunder Mug
Bombing Squadron 109 (VB-109)
Campaign / Event: 
POW / KIA: 
Topical Subjects: 
Air bases--Japanese--Tinian
War damage--Tinian
Aerial bombings--Tinian
Aerial views
Collection Level: 
The Charles Ives Collection consists of 719 photographs from the Pacific Theater of WWII. Many of the photographs were taken between 1944 and 1945. Mr. Ives inherited the photographs from a friend from Marblehead, Massachusetts who served as an aviator in the Army Air Corps and discharged as a Major in 1945.
Geography: 
Tinian
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials: 
Air bases--Japanese--Tinian
War damage--Tinian
Aerial bombings--Tinian
Aerial views