This photograph shows a Navy aviator walking away from a twin-engine patrol aircraft marked with the code 'H5,' its national insignia clearly visible on the fuselage. Ground crew work atop and around the aircraft in the background. Twin-engine patrol bombers such as this played a vital reconnaissance and anti-submarine role throughout the Pacific War, operating from island airstrips to extend the reach of naval air power far beyond what carrier-based aircraft alone could achieve. Project: 218297