Captured from a low-flying attack aircraft, this photograph documents a strike on a river or coastal target in the Southwest Pacific, marked by a rising column of smoke from a fresh explosion. The 312th Bombardment Group flew A-20 Havoc and B-25 Mitchell light bombers on hazardous low-altitude missions against Japanese positions along the rivers and coastlines of New Guinea and the Philippines, often skimming treetop level to deliver parafrag bombs and strafing fire. Images like this one, taken in the heat of combat operations, illustrate the group's dangerous, close-support role in the Pacific War. Project: 218553