An 11th Bomb Squadron B-25J, #43-4387, in the preparation area at either Liuzhou or Guilin base, Guangxi province, China, in the fall of 1944. Photo was taken from the right side gunner position of another B-25. The propellers of '4387' are turning, so both aircraft are either returning from a mission or preparing to go on one.
"Note the bombs laying behind the tail of the airplane. Munitions so close to the aircraft staging area suggests the aircraft were "quick turning"... rapid replacement of munitions and/or fuel between bombing missions. If so, this photo was taken in the fall of 1944, when the Japanese offensive was close to overrunning the base(s). In the days prior to the loss of Guilin, my father (491st Bm Sq) had missions where the plane took off, flew 15-20 minutes, dropped bombs on the advancing Japanese, set up for landing, landed, immediately taxied to the preparation area, reloaded bombs and immediately taxied out for another mission. I heard that one crew did this four times the day before Guillin Air Base had to be evacuated." -- Tony Strotman