Tidal Wave Footage Photos, 15th AAF and Luftwaffe, 'Black Sunday', 1 August 1943

Alex these books are rare. Most of them are before 1989 and are very hard to find its. If you are interested to get its we can find a way to give these to you

Below is copy with american POW register from Tidal Wave (original from romanian archives)

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Yes Fratello I would like very much to get it....let me know what do they cost...I would like to translate them in English for all my TW veteran friends and historians but also for this Forum

Thanks
Alex

Fratello, wow !! unde ai gasit lista asta ??? Are there any others available such as recovered bodies , unidentified and additional POW's ???

Astept Raspunsul care ieste foarte important

Al

I have all the lis with american POW register from Tidal Wave and also with the crews.

Fratello, kindly all POW's lists if you can

Thanks
Alex

Here is also another file with american crews captured at Tidal Wave (from romanian archives too)

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66th Sq., #41-23811 K, Miller FASCINATIN’ WITCH at TIDAL WAVE
============================================

MILLER, ROBERT E. Pilot Capt. Senior Pilot
HODGE, DEXTER L. Co-pilot Maj. COMMAND PILOT
ZARUBA, LeROY E. Navigator 1st Lt.
EDWARDS, ROBERT L. Bombardier 1st Lt.
McDONNELL, MARTIN J. Radio Oper. T/Sgt. Providence,
ASN 11036914 Leg Wound Rhode Island
MURPHY, WILLIAM J. Jr. Eng./Top Turret T/Sgt.
ROWLAND, DANIEL W. Asst. Rad./RW Gun. S/Sgt. Alliance,WIA Ohio
NEWMES, ROBERT G. LW Gunner S/Sgt.
DUCOTE, CLARENCE J. Tail Gunner S/Sgt.

While over the target and under intense ground fire, Sgt. Daniel W. Rowland was hit by a bullet in his upper left leg, which almost tore it off, and the radio operator, Sgt. Martin J. McDonnell stopped two .30 caliber slugs in his leg. Sgt. Rowland was knocked down and yelled for Martin to throw him an oxygen mask so he could use it for a tourniquet. But Martin could not go to assist Daniel as the ship needed all the fire power it could muster to attempt to ward off the sheets of gunfire coming up at them. Until help arrived, Daniel was successful in stopping much
of the flow of blood. About 20 minutes passed before the ship got sufficiently away from attacks to permit the bombardier, Lt. Robert L. Edwards, and the engineer, William J. Murphy, to help care for the two wounded men. By this time, Sgt. Rowland was quite weak from loss of blood, and McDonnell was having difficulty. So Captain Miller decided to try for Malta for a landing so that these two could get immediate medical attention – if his fuel supply could take them that far.
It did, and these two were left in a good hospital, well cared for.

The 44th BG sustained one more casualty during this August 1 raid on Ploesti, but it did not take place in a 44th BG aircraft. Instead, Sgt. Clarence C. Hood was on temporary duty with the 93rd Bomb Group to help fill vacancies in crews ill from dysentery – and he was a volunteer. The pilot of the crew which was interned in Turkey was that of lst Lt. Claude A. Turner. At least part of this crew returned to duty, as Lt. Turner himself was Killed In Action on 13 November 1943.

44th Heavy Bombardment Grp

This post has been edited by alexkdl on February 04, 2005 12:43 pm

Fratello, please post all all listings or let me know if you want my email address...these are very important documents

Alex

Alex send me a private massage and we'll talk about this

Alex, this one i can give to you free. But it's only a story not so much related to the truth.

Dan.

Alex, this one i can give to you free. But it's only a story not so much related to the truth.

Dan.

Dan, Fratello..thanks I am looking only for genuine historical books, less on stories...in that case thanks in any case I guess I would give up on that book

Alex

Cantacuzino is right. Victor Donciu's Book is more like a story but is interesting to read it.

Alex


In the mean time I found a Missing Air Crew Report for the Stampolis crew which I don't remember filing away in a dark place but it came to light yesterday and I thought you would be interested in what it says. Two witnesses to the Stampolis crash made official statements on 7 July 1944 concerning Missing Aircraft
#42-40617 B-24D, 1 August 1943. The witnesses were John R. Colvin [co-pilot on Kendall's crew in 41-24215 Lucky] and Raymond C. Wierciszewski (who shortened his name to Raymond Wier after the war) [engineer on Desert's crew in 41-24105 Tupelo Lass] who were flying near Stampolis as they made their bombing run.

Colvin stated:
1. On the mission of 1 August, 1943, Aircraft #42-40617-N was flying on the right element of the wave ahead of us. On entering the outskirts of the city, at approximately 1400 hours, while flying at height of 25-50 feet, 617-N appeared to receive a direct hit in the forward section of the bomb bay from flak. In all probability the bomb bay tanks were hit and caught fire.
2. Within 15-30 seconds the complete bomb bay was enveloped in flames and the aircraft started down. In another 30 seconds the aircraft had crashed and exploded in the center of town starting a large fire.
3. It is very improbable that any of the crew members survived the explosion. None were seen to bail out.

Wier stated:
1. Approaching the target, Aircraft #42-40617 was flying to the right of our ship, 42-24105, and a little ahead of us. Just as we passed over the target, 617 was evidently hit in the bomb bay, because from that point on a streak of flame poured out from underneath the fuselage of the plane, appearing as if the bomb bay tank was hit by incendiaries. As the aircraft flew on toward the center of the target it seemed to be heading towards the ground in a very definite glide. Suddenly the whole bomb bay enveloped itself in flames and not more than 15 seconds later I saw 617 crash into a flat, large building almost in the center of the city. Upon crashing it immediately exploded.

2. I didn't notice any of the crew attempting to bail out prior to the crash and I believe it was too low for anyone to escape in that way. After the plane crashed into the building it would have been impossible for anyone to have gotten out of it.

3. The aircraft must have hit the building at an air speed of 250 miles per hour or more.

Best wishes,

Bill

Alex,

Alex,

I eventually found my missing PAINT program and after quite a bit more exploration I believe I'm ready to start sending photos of my models. They are being sent in .jpg format and are being sent smaller than actual size to facilitate the e-mail transmission time. I hope you'll be able to save the attachments and enlarge them as needed on your end. The nose art would still be too small to really see anything so I've provided enlargements of the actual decals that are used on the models in the corners of the photos. In the case of Hail Columbia a commercial decal was used so I've included a close up photo of the real nose art on the plane as a substitute for that decal. Likewise, Dopey was hand painted so there is no decal and I've again substituted a photo of the real nose art.

The Sandman had different nose art on either side of the nose so I include the decal used on each side. Brewery Wagon had a slightly different name styling on either side along with the same group of drinking men so both name decals are provided. I will add some text to each e-mailed photo to say a little more about the airplane's history and fate and get them on their way to you -- there will be five individual e-mails and I hope to complete them all tonight if all goes well.

Bill


I messed up on your address the first time around and then when I FORWARDed it with a corrected address I wondered if the Attachment with the photos was sent, so I'm sending the Attachment again.. without the text message. If you didn't get everything you need let me know and I'll try again. Incidentally the copies I sent to Marksan are for Mark Morris who went to Ploesti as left waist gunner on Old Crow... I promised him copies of the models long ago and I'm finally keeping that promise.

William Withney

This post has been edited by alexkdl on February 05, 2005 06:18 am

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