History, AAC, USAF, & ANG

Bats have appeared in nose-art, or have contributed to aircraft nicknames painted on the sides of individual airplanes for quite some time. The 185th Aero Squadron of the American Expeditionary Force of 1918 deserves that honor of being the first Unit to display a 'bat' on their aircraft and cloth insignia. Of all the American Pursuit Squadrons, only 185th Night Pursuit Sqd was designated as a night-pursuit squadron and saw service (October 12, 1918) in the last month of the war Flying Sopwith Camels. Single seat fighter duties were hazardous, but night interception duty was truly dangerous stuff. The insignia of the 185th started out as simple bat, oulined against a yellow disk. The design was subsequently refined with larger wings on the bat all against what became the disk of the moon.

Canvas section of fuselage bearing the squadrons' Insignia.( www.earlyaviator.com)

The first use of bats as Squadron insignia by any of the UUS armed forces was by Observation Squadron VOS-3S US Navy (circa 1923). This squadron had been supplied with scout aircraft (Vought O2U-1 Corsair) that were so poorly suited to observation duties that both pilots and the observers complained of being "blind as bats". During this time, several related observation squadrons often flew out of Guantanamo Bay, and all designated a "Cuban bat" (perhaps Artibeus?) to represent their "blind" status. VOS-3S utilized this insignia throughout its history even as its designation changed to VS-5S, VS-5B, VCS-2 (see below) and finally VS-6S. Aircraft pictured below is a Vought O2U-1 Corsair that flew with squadron VOS-3S from the USN Cruiser SS Raleigh.

Collectors stamp from the late 1930's: Scouting Squadron VCS-2 [See also: 'The Plane that wouldnt fly.' ]

US Army Air Corps

 

During WWII, the nose-art of a 6th Nightfighter Squadron Northrop P-61A-1 Black Widow
depicted a large bat wearing boxing gloves on its hind feet (named "Jap Batty")(Photo E. Mcdowell),
(RIGHT): Consolidated B-24-J Liberator "Bull' Bat" of the 578th BS (relatively accurate drawing!)

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress's (LEFT):"Wicked Witch" - 92nd Bomb Group (small bats and witch; USAF Museum);
(RIGHT): 'hell's angel' flew for both the 381st BS and then for the 601st BS.

S
North American B-25 Mitchell "Bettie Belle of the 3rd Antisubmarine Squadron

(Dave White: middle photo)

3rd Antisubmarine Squadron became the 819th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy)
This Consolidated B-24-J Liberator first appeared as "Bat out of Hell" but was eventually renamed.

"Bat out of Hell" - Consolidated B-24-J Liberator of the 819th BS. 11th BG (Center photo: Lloyd, 1986)
Here seen at three different points in time: 25 missions, 64 missions, and 70 missions

One group of particular interest was the 499th Medium Bomb Squadron (BELOW) that operated in the Pacific during WWII. Their unit flew the North American B-25 Mitchell that had taken part in the first bombing raid of Tokyo much earlier in the war, one of these being named "Lucky Bat" by her crew. This group was involved in ground-attack missions and anti-shipping strikes and each aircraft in the squadron had the entire nose section painted to look like the head, body, and wings of a huge bat.

North American B-25 Mitchell of the 499th Medium Bomb Squadron (D. Greer)
 
North American B-25J-32 Mitchell of the 499th Medium Bomb Squadron (S. Ferguson)

(Left) North American B-25D-5 Mitchell 'Lucky Bat', 499th Medium Bomb Squadron
(Right) "Hung-Lo" - North American B-25 Mitchell of the 499th Medium Bomb Squadron (R. Voitier)


See Richard Voitier's Website concerning these additional a/c from the 499th

Recent airshows: North American B-25 Mitchells painted up to look like 499th Medium Bomb Squadron a/c

Two different Lockheed P-38 Lightnings with the entire nose section painted to look like the head of a huge bat? or a large cat?.

Republic P-47C Thunderbot ('Bat Out Of Hell') of the 63rd Fighter Squadron. Piloted by Lt. G.E. BATdorf

US Air Force

Left: Republic P-47(N?) Thunderbolts of the 44th Fighter Squadron (Photo: Time-Life via Google)
Right: F-86 Sabre Jets of the 44th Fighter Squadron (Photo: Time-Life via Google)

During the Viet Nam conflict, the Republic EF-105-F Thunderchief was the aircraft designated to fly "Wild Weasel"
surface-to-air missile suppression missions. One of these aircraft flew with the 44th Tactical Fighter Sqd. ("Vampires")
and displayed a caricature of a bat on its wing-root (named "Sinister Vampire"; Davis, 1993) (J. Robinson)

McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle of the 44th Tactical Fighter Sqd. ("Vampires") (via T. Williams)
Lockheed C-130 Hercules "The Bat Mobile" See: Herky Nose Art

C-130 Hercules of the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron. (small logo on forward fuselage)

Blind Bat Operations: (Blind Bat Patches): Left: AC-119(?) "We get ours at night" (Photo: Bill Tkacs)
Right: AC-130 (R. Charles in doorway) Bat Stencil above door

Lockheed C-130 Hercules of the 435th TAW: (Photo by A. Kreager) More Herky Noseart!!!
Note two signs in the lower windows: "For Sale" & a yellow sign reading: "BAT-60".

MC-130 Talon II's (Left Photo: F. Rocha)

MC-130 Talon II's (Photo credits: Left:M. Dunning / Right: Snodgrass)


KC-135 Tanker of the 351st ARS (Left) 'Batman - Dark Knight': Rockwell B-1B 13th Bombardment Sqd (28th BW). (right)



Rockwell B-1B 9th Bombardment Sqd (Bill Spidle photo; Dryess AFB) Note: small bat on black band on tail



B-1B Noseart- 9th Bombardment Squadron, Note World TradeTowers on patch (D. Hobbs)

422 TES A-10 Warthog (Photo by Jake Melampy)


Lockheed F-94C Starfire 325th FIW 59th Fighter Interceptor Sqd.
(Fred Adam: http://www.airliners.net) Note bat emblem on nose of a/c

Very nice model of the a/c above: I have lost the name of this particular modeller! Help?


Northrop F-89 Scorpion 325th FIW 59th Fighter Interceptor Sqd.
(C. Seevers) Note bats on wing-tip tanks and on tail fin.


F-102A of the 59th FIS Note bat on tail fin 325th FIW 59th Fighter Interceptor Sqd.
(Thanks to Mike Graf for submissions and edits elsewhere on this site.)

Freicudan Du is Scottish/Irish Gaelic for Black Watch/Black Guard. Unofficial patch used as the squadron emblem (mid-1952 > deactivation at Goose Bay in 1967) during the Air Defense Command / Northeast Air Command period. (Patch: Pedersen colledtion; Sign-board: C. Seevers)

 

Air National Guard, etc.

Vought A-7D - Corsair II of the 174th Fighter Sqd.,
(large photo: K. Jackson)(note the VERY small bats on tail fins)

Flight line: F-16C's of the 174th Fighter Sqd., 185th FW ( (R. Launderville)
Visit the BATS of the 174th ARS (185th ARW) Site!

F-16C "Batman" 363rd TFW. This aircraft flew 45 missions in Desert Storm. [Photo (right) by M. Steadman]

1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion (UH-60 BlackHawk), Co B "From Dusk to Dawn"
Photo right: J Dermansky - 1-244 AHB's Bat CAve

A Co., 5/159 AVN - Operation Iraqi Freedom. Boeing CH-47 Chinook
Patch an noseart are both from a/c tail number 90-00194
http://www.chinook-helicopter.com