A Fairey Albacore I of No 820 Sqn during the Allied landings in North Africa, presumably seen taking off from the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable. British forces were in the Eastern Task Force which landed at Algiers. On 17 November, an Albacore of No 820 sank the submarine U-333. The aircrew were unware that the U-boat had already surrendered. Photo from: Imperial War Museums

Training over North Carolina. USAAF A-20s flew their first combat mission in Algeria one month later. Photo by: Dmitri Kessel / Life

In exercises like this one, US ground commanders had discovered that the humble Piper Cub was quite useful in the field. The army air force didn't like it and changed the O-59 designation for an observation aircraft to L-4 for liaison to stress that such 'puddle jumpers' would better stay behind the frontline. Photo by: Dmitri Kessel / Life

War games over North Carolina - this P-43 and P-40 probably play the enemy. The P-43 was only ordered as a stop-gap when the US Army decided to go for the P-47 Thunderbolt, and never played an important role. Photo by: Dmitri Kessel / Life

The P-43 Lancer only saw combat in China, although a few examples were supplied to the RAAF as photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The batch including 41-31488 were ordered for supply to China but this airframe stayed in America to see service with the 19th Observation Squadron, 66th Observation Group at Morris Field, Charlotte, North Carolina in 1942. It is seen here chased by a P-40 during 'ground air support maneuvers'. Photo by: Dmitri Kessel / Life

Stuka left behind in the German withdrawal from North Africa during World War II. Photo from: National Archives at College Park, Maryland