B-24J Liberator 44-40101 V2-O+ 491st BG Assembly Ship Tubarao 2
Liberator, serial number 44-40101, nicknamed “Tubarao” (Portuguese for “Shark”), was assigned to the 855th Bomb Squadron, 491st Bomb Group. Despite completing only twenty missions within six months, the aircraft was grounded for repairs from October to December 1944 and subsequently classified as “war weary.” Given its condition, it was repurposed as the group’s third assembly aircraft following the loss of “Rage in Heaven.”
The bomber retained its distinctive shark-themed nose art, featuring a shark’s mouth formed by the navigator and bombardier’s windows. The name “Tubarao” was prominently displayed in large oriental-style lettering below the cockpit. A bombing scoreboard indicating the aircraft’s twenty missions was also visible in this area. The fuselage exhibited a striking pattern of alternating green and black vertical bands interrupted by a black circle with a yellow-outlined “Z” in its center. The wings were adorned with alternating green and yellow stripes extending from the outboard engines to the wingtips, while the remaining sections of the aircraft were painted in standard Neutral Gray. This unique combination of colors resulted in a visually striking appearance, earning the aircraft its nickname. “Tubarao” continued to serve as an assembly aircraft until the end of the war.