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

Hello,

My name is Art Ferwerda. I was assistant crew chief of the Tupelo Lass. Attached is a picture of the ground crew of the Tupelo Lass at Benghazi, August 1943. We had just finished installing the bombay tanks for Tidal Wave.
The people in the photo are, Joe Baranek crew chief, next, a fellow whose name I can't remember, and was not a member of the 93rd. he was loaned to us out of a pool in Cairo. and the last person is myself. This picture was taken with my box camera, the same one that I loaned to Ray Weir, with which he took that set of great pictures from the flight deck of Tupelo Lass on Tidal Wave.

I am 85, and handicapped, but my brain is still OK, and I can remember that day in the desert, as if it was yesterday.

I guess you have probably seen my web page, but if not, I have included it in this post. Just click on it, and it should appear. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

After you have scrolled down to the bottom of the page, scroll down further until you see Icon. Click on it, and it gives the stats for the page.

Thought you might like the picture for your collection.

Art Ferwerda


Attached Image

Group,

I really enjoyed the comments about D&S. I feel the same way. With the Group's permission I thought I would share some of the tidbits of the time I spent with Cal Stewart recently. Included are some snippets on his writing the book (along with Dugan.)

Cal and James Dugan undertook the book for different reasons. Dugan was a published author and as such had to have something published on a regular basis. Both of them agreed that a book on Ploesti was absolutely necessary to tell this story. Cal had a deep personal attachment as he lost many friends on the mission. They wanted to tell the story from a human interest side. They got a $15,000 advance from Random House and got started. This was at the same time that Cornelius Ryan was writing A Bridge Too Far. There is even competition in the publishing business.

The Air Force allowed Cal to ride free across the United States and over to Europe. He rubbed shoulders with many people. Congressman and Senators also flew these flights so he made many acquaintances. Cal would arrive at a base and seek out Ploesti vets. For many this was the first they talked about the mission. Cal was the first to get an interview with Compton. All Cal said to me about the Compton interview was that Compton did not know what Cal knew. Kind of cryptic. Anyway, in addition to the bases Cal traveled all over the country, often stopping at the local newspaper or VFW post to seek out Ploesti vets. He mentioned stopping at the VFW in Tupelo, MIss, to ask about Jake Epting and nobody had heard of him!

Cal lived in O'Neill, Nebraska, at the time. During this time there was a huge construction effort going on building the dams on the Missouri River. The Fort Randall Dam project was only twenty miles from O'Neill. For five years Cal told of running into a tall fellow chomping on a cigar. He "held court" in the lobby of the Golden Hotel in O'Neill. The fellow was a consulting engineer on the dam project. After the project was completed and everyone left Cal discovered that the engineer consulted on the building of refineries in Ploesti before the war! He still kicks himself for missing this resource for the book.

One night he was staying at Dugan's apartment in New York. Dugan told him there would be a guest arriving in the middle of the night. Sure enough the guest dropped in. It was Jacque Cousteau (sp). Dugan worked on underwater projects with Cousteau.

Regarding "flaws" in the book I can assure everyone that Cal is aware that there are things in the book that can be called into question. Dugan and Stewart used the most reliable information at the time. I agree with what others have said about the book. It stands on its own merits. Cal does not intend to change the book. He is working on updating the roster though.

Cal told of getting calls in the middle of the night from Bob Storz. Storz was flying with SAC out of Omaha. Storz was flying "Window" and he would give Cal a call from somewhere out in the blue. It made Cal really uncomfortable but we learned on the trip that calls like this were not uncommon.

The Flavelle questions will always be with us so why not add a couple more items: Cal was in touch with relatives of Flavelle's wife in writing the book. In a last letter(s) written home Flavelle said he was going to lead. I asked Cal if the letter was more specific. Cal said no. So what was Flavelle going to lead; his element, part of the Group? We all know Compton was the leader, but what leadership role would Flavelle have had? Cal said he interviewed Wicklund for the book. Cal told me that Wicklund said he ran up to the flight deck to see what was going on when they made the turn and found Compon looking at the maps. I would interject here that flying by ETA has me confused. Why would they fly by ETA?

I am not speaking for Cal here but offer my impressions. As a 93rd man Cal carries inner wounds for the losses the 93rd took. There are a lot of what ifs: what if Timberlake would have been allowed to fly? When Timberlake heard of Baker and Jerstad going down he said, "it should have been me." Timberlake was to fly with Baker and Jerstad. If Timberlake would have been along maybe things would have been different, who knows. Cal interviewed Gen. Eaker after the war and asked him if he had knowledge that Timberlake would be pulled off. Eaker did not but said he would have strongly opposed it. In the interest of decency I will not give the actual quote that Eaker gave Cal if he would have known Timberlake was getting pulled off the mission.

I have taken too much space but just wanted to share some of the trip with the list. I have tremendousl respect for the TW vets. I do for Cal too. He is an amazing person. I have only scratched the surface of things he told me about people he met and his experiences. I would argue he could write a book on writing the book. Spending time with him was an experience I will never forget.

Blaine

Well said Dave, Blaine, and others!

Growing up, there were always 2-3 copies of the hardcover on the bookshelf as my dad collected them as he found them at used bookstores so that each of his sons would have a copy. Each of us received his copy when we setup our own households - almost a right of passage thing. I don't think dad trusted that we'd keep them safe in our college years. It seems a bit strange I know, but since my grandfather died young (my dad was 11, and I was of course here yet) the book along with a handful of crew photos kept inside the front cover of the book were in many ways the only connections to this man we never knew. Seeing "GREGG, HARRY W." in the crew list in the back seemed to be proof that he existed. So, the book for me is not only a great read, but a sentimental and nostalgic piece of family history for me.

Blaine, please do share anything else you have about Cal, Gen. Smart, or any other Ploesti topics.

Can anyone comment on whether the photos and crew roster appears in the new soft cover version (white with Sandman photo on the cover)? This is the version I had sent directly from Amazon.com to my brother in Kuwait. I figured this way he would have a copy to read and not worry about preserving the hard cover copy.

Thanks everyone. Have a great weekend!

Chris (Gregg that is)

Dear Chris (Gregg, that is):

The recent softcover version of the D&S book omits the crew roster. This is
a shame, because the roster in the hardcover edition also acted as an index
for crewmembers who were mentioned in the book. Without the crew roster/index,
it's more difficult to locate the stories of the individual bomber crewmen in
the text. I recall Cal telling me that he talked with the publisher about
including the roster in the new edition, but the extra cost was considered
prohibitive; it would've added a lot to the sticker price. On the up side, there
are a number of photos in the new edition that weren't in the hardcover, plus
corrections of photos that were held over from the original. Devotees (like the
folks on this list) will probably want both.

It's been mentioned before, but the 1960s Bantam paperback is the least
desirable version, although it's the most common. There is no crew roster/index,
and I'm told that the general-subject index retains the page numbering from the
hardcover, making it pretty much useless, since the paperback has a different
page count. My understanding is that the British hardcover jettisoned the
crew index, also. The original U.S. hardcover printings are still the ones to
get (although Kent may outbid you).

I agree with all the comments -- James Dugan and Cal did a terrific job. How
many other military books are considered the classic text on their subject
after 40 years?

By the way, Dugan & Stewart wrote a lengthy article for "Airpower Historian"
(now "Air Power History") in 1962 that was NOT a condensation or excerpt from
their book, as is often believed. Some diagrams were reproduced from the
book, but otherwise the article was an original piece, dealing with subjects not
covered in "Ploesti."

Best regards,
Al S.

Al,

Worry not, as I have enough of the hard cover versions of the D/S book. I have given away several of them to deserving people. My most valuable copy is the one that I got from Chuck Merrill (93rd, Thar She Blows) in which I have close to 100 signatures I think. I also have the English version hard cover and all of the paper back versions The English version as you know is smaller is page size than the American version. I bought a French version, but the seller was having trouble with my money order, and sent the MO back. So I never got the French version.

Kent

Thanks to Chris Bryant for the quote about Smart exposing Rommel to the
Nazis as a member of the anti-Hitler conspiracy. I think Chris is on
the right track. Smart knew two crucial secrets: the Manhattan Project,
and the anti-Hitler conspiracy. Why would he tell the Nazis about both
of these when he was captured in May 1944, unless Allied intelligence
wanted them known? Maybe this was another high-stakes gamble like Tidal
Wave. The hoped-for outcome: hit the Nazis with a master stroke or the
threat of one, convince them them to throw in the sponge, end the war
with a negotiated peace, save untold bloodshed.

Like TW, it didn't work. Two months after Smart's capture, the
attempted assassination in the bunker by von Stauffenberg failed, and
the conspirators were quickly rounded up. Rommel and von Stauffenberg,
honored soldiers, received relatively humane sentences (death by cyanide
capsule for the former, firing squad for the latter). The rest,
hundreds of them, were meted out grisly executions.

There's more. According to "Heisenberg's War" by Thomas Powers, the
Nazis would have been apathetic about the Manhattan Project because
their best physicist, Werner Heisenberg, had told them that a fission
bomb would require an unachievable critical mass of U-238, more than a
ton. So they weren't worried that the Allies could do it.

As far as the anti-Hitler conspirators are concerned, "Berlin Diaries
1941-1945" by Marie Vassilchikov points out that the Allies actually
broadcast into occupied Europe the names of individual conspirators.
Why? Probably because of the same reason that Smart felt free to do
this: it could perhaps roll up the enemy and lead to a quick collapse of
the Nazi regime. Vassilchikov is indignant that this was done, but the
conspirators were pawns in a larger game.

By the way, I strongly recommend Vassilchikov's book. She was a White
Russian noblewoman who settled in Berlin after the Bolshevik Revolution,
and was trapped there for the duration of WWII. She knew many of the
anti-Hitler conspirators. Her descriptions of being on the receiving
end of the Allied air raids are worth reading. Hers is a humane and
literate voice.

Regards,
Bill Hubbard

Hi Merv,

Another great model. More recent research has uncovered a mix-up in the ID of Prince Charming. Prince Charming did fly the Ploesti mission (aborted though due to a sick crew member), but it was 42-40082 T, not 42-40364 Y. 42-40364 Y was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. These two aircraft and the mystery ID of the Fightin' Sam (now known to be 42-40506 - not even on the Ploesti mission) aircraft in the 389th BG have caused some of the greatest amount of confusion as far as matching names to serials.

So details I think need changing:
Change serial to 42-40082
Change tail letter to T
Again, the cheek window should be the all-in-one frame of the later serial ranges, not the separate cheek and navigator window.
Regards,

Chris (Gregg that is)




Attached Image

TO ALL TIDAL WAVE MEMBERS, HERE'S SOME BRIEFING I'VE GOT FROM THE PILOT OF SAD SACK II , HENRY LASCO WHO WAS SHOT DOWN IN RUMANIAN AND SPEND TIME IN RUMANIAN HOSPITALS



ALEX

WAS STIILL FASTENED RELEASED IT CRAWLED OVER TO JOE AND PULLED HIM OUT OF THE FIRE AND WRECKAGE TWO WAIST GUNNERS GOT OUT FIVE OTHERS ON CREW WERE KILLED BY GUN FIRE PLANE FIRE OR CRASH.

I WAS TAKEN TO KING MICHAI [ HOSPITAL PERIS ROMANIA THEN TO REGINA ELISABETA HOSPITAL BUCHAREST ROMANIA SPENT TIMME IN THE FOLLOWING HOSPITALS 415 MILITARY IN SINIA , MILATARY HOSPITAL IN BRASOV WAS SENT TO BUCHAREST THREE TIMES FOR TWO WEEK STAYS BOMBED OUT OF THREE HOSPITALS BY THE US 15 th AIR FORCE ANOTHER STORY SPENT OVER SEVEN MONTHS INTHE HOSPITAL

ALEX, THE ROMANIAN MEDICAL SUPPLIED HEAILING NO RECONSTRUCTIVE OR COSMETIC SURGERY THAT WAS DONE AT NORTHINGTON GENERAL HOSPITAL TUSCALOOSA ALA. TOOK ANOTHER 7 MONTHS RETURNED TO ACTIVE SEPT 1945 WENT TO CLARKE FIELD PHILIPPINES 313 th BOMB WING RETURNED TTO USA 1947 INACTIVE DUTY MAY 19947


REFERENCE ROMANIAN PILOT THAT BELIEVES HE SHOT ME DOWN . THE B-24 THAT CRASHED AT PLOESTI HAD NO NOSE ART IT WAS A REPLACEMENT FOR MY ORIGNAL B-24 WHICH HAD NOSE ART ''THE SAD SACK'

A DRAWING OF THE SAD SACK IN A RAIN OR SNOW STORM THE PLANE WAS 41- 24153 ONLY MARKING I CAN REMEMBER IS L-153 ON THE RIGHT VERTICAL RUDDER OFTEN REFERRED TO AS L FOR LASCO THE NAME SAD SACK II NAME GIVEN AFTER WE RETURNED TO THE STATES BY CHAS DECREVEL


SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONMAY BE OF SOME HELP

OUR NO THREE ENGINE WAS KNOCKED OUT BY THE Q TRAIN GERMAN OR ROMANIAN 20 MM FLAK 38 37 MM FLAK POSSIBLY FROM THE GERMAN 5th FLAK DIVISION Q TRAIN WAS FROM THIS DIVISION THE FIGHTER THAT SHOTT ME DOWN CAME FROM JG4

THREE OF THE FOUR SQUADRONS FROM THAT WING WERE FLOWN BY GERMANS HOWEVERTHE FOURTH SQUADRON 4/JG4 WAS A ROMANIAN SQD KNOWN AS ESCARDRILA 53 OF THE ROMANIAN AIR FORCE AAR ATTACHED TO THE GERMAN WING THESE WERE THE ONLY ME-109GS THAT ENGAGED THE USA OVER PLOESTI AUG FIRST

SUPPOSEDLY THE ME-109G THAT SHOT US DOWN CAME THE JADGESCHWADER 4JG4

WE CRASHED ONE KILOMETER SOUTH OF PASCANEANCA VILLAGED PASCANEACA IS A PRIVATE ESTATE


PS : THE SQUADRONS MENTIONED ABOVE FLEW OUT OF MITZIL AIRDROME EAST OF PLOESTI LIST OF NAMES THAT SUPPLIED SOME OF THIS INFORMATION



BITUMANU VILLAGE SOUTH OF PLOESTI ILFOV REGION
LT COL A DAVID COMMADANT OF ILFOV POLICE LEGION


SGT COMAN GHEOGHE
CHIEF OF BUFTEA POLICE POST

SGT NAN GHEORGHE
CHIEF OF BUTMANU POLICE POST

FATHER FLOREA
ORTODOX CHURCH IN LUCEANCA

IOAN CONSTANTINESEU
NOTARY

IOAN G H STOICA
MAYOR OF BUTMANU COMMUNE

ALEX I HOPE THIS IS INFORMATION YOU CAN USE

I HAVE SOME DOCUMENTATION NO PERSONAL CONTACTS THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE

HANK LASCO L FOR LASCO

This post has been edited by alexkdl on April 06, 2005 09:29 pm

ALEX

APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST IN SAD SACK II AND CREW--

JOE KILL DIED A FEW YEARS AGO AND IS BURIED IN ARLINGTON CEMETERY IN DC--- AL SHAFFER AND DECREVEL DIED SOME YEARS AGO ---I WENT ON INACTIVE SERVICE IN 1947---WORKED FOR 3M CO FOR 33 YEARS AND RETIRED IN 1986---NOW LIVE IN RIO VERDE AZ

TO SET THE RECORD CLEAR I'LL OUTLINE WHAT HAPPENED TO US ON OUR BOMB RUN;--

COL JOHNSON TURNED ON OUR DESIGNATED IP HEADING FOR OUR TARGET ( COLUMBIA AQULA WHITE FIVE) --WE WERE TO THE RIGHT OF THE FLAK Q OR CATERPILLAR TRAIN----WE WERE FLYING NO 3 POSITION IN OUR FLIGHT--WE
RECEIVED HEAVY FIRE FROM THE GROUND AND Q TRAIN AT POINT BLANK RANGE
WE TOOK HEAVY DAMAGE---REAR GUNNER KILLED ---NO 3 ENGINE SHOT OUT--
WOULD NOT FEATHER---WE ENTERED OUR TARGET AREA WHICH WAS AN INFERNO BLACKSMOKE WITH BILLOWING FIRE--WE SAW BLACKNESS AND FIRE --NO OTHER PLANES WERE OBSERVED DURING OUR BOMB RUN---BOMBARDIER DALE SCRIVEN REPORTED BOMBS AWAY ON TARGET LEAVING THE SMOKE AND FIRE WE WERE ATTACKED FROM THE REAR BY A ME 109 FIGHTER--

THOUGHT IT WAS A GERMAN--HE EITHER WASNT LINED UP OR PULLED TO THE RIGHT TOO SOON--HE DAMAGED OUR RIGHT AILERON AND OUR RIGHT VERTICAL STABILIZERWAS SEVERELY DAMAAGED---BOTH KILL AND I HAD TO STAND ON RIGHT RUDDER WITH BOTH LEGS AND FULL RIGHT WHEEL TO KEEP US FROMDOING LEFT ROLL---WE WERE IN DEEP TROUBLE!--!!-----

ASKED FOR A HEADING TO TURKEY--WE HIT THE DECK JUST ABOVE THE CORN--WE ANTICIPATED ANOTHER ATTACK BY THE ME 109----I SAW HIM CIRCLING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AT A VERY LOW APPROACH--HE CAME AT US ABOUT TEN OCLOCK--WE COULD GET NO LOWER--HIS WINGS LIT UP LIKE LIGHT BULBS --I FELT A SMASHING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FACE--I SLUMPED OVER THE WHEEL UNCONSCIOUS----JOE ALONE COULD NOT CONTROL THE RUDDERS AND AILERONS--RUDDERS SNAPPED BACK CRUSHING HIS ANKLES--PLANE DID A VIOLENT SNAP ROLLTO THE LEFT--CAUGHT OUR LEFT WING AND APPARENTLY DID A CARTWHEEL--I FINALLY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS BUT COULDNT MOVE--SHOT THRU THE FACE AND LEG--JOE WAS NEXT TO ME ALSO UNABLE TO MOVE--FIRE BROKE OUT AND STARTED TO BURN MY LEG---THIS WILL WAKE YOU UP !!!!!-----DISCOVERED MY SEAT BELT

H.Lasco / Pilot Sad SACK II

Dear Alex:

Re: bomb bay tanks on Tidal Wave, the new B-24Ds (like the ones Earl
mentioned) were factory-equipped with auxiliary wingtip tanks, so they only needed one
bomb bay tank to fly the mission with the recommended 3100 gallons.

Older B-24Ds (without wingtip tanks) had the option to carry one or two bomb
bay tanks. A fuel-consumption test, flown before the mission, showed that the
older B-24Ds could be expected to complete the mission with only one bomb-bay
tank, but obviously they would have more "margin for error" if they carried
two bomb-bay tanks.

Al Blue described the fuel consumption tests in a previous message (note that
Al B correctly applies the terminology "Tokyo tanks" to the wingtip tanks,
not the bomb-bay tanks):

"The fuel consumption flights done in preparation for the mission used a fuel
load of 3100 gallons. This would have been about 100 US gallons less than the
total capacity of a B-24D with the auxillary wing tanks - 2364 in the main
tanks, 450 in the 'Tokyo' tanks and 390 in the bomb bay tank. These tests showed
that the mission profile could be flown with an average of about 2100
gallons, and based on these data the fuel load for the mission was set at 2868
gallons. This allowed a plentiful reserve, although the few ships in the 41-11xxx
series (without the auxillary tanks) that flew the mission would have had less."

Re: order of consumption -- whether it was desirable to draw on the bomb-bay
tank(s) first, or the main tanks -- this was a matter of preference. Some
crews liked to use the fuel in the bomb-bay tanks first. They didn't like the
idea of having a full BB tank in the bomb-bay when they flew over the target,
potentially being hit with flak, catching fire, spraying fuel, etc. Other crews
disagreed; they thought that an empty tank would be full of gasoline fumes,
that it was more flammable when empty, and that it was liable to explode like a
bomb if hit. They thought it was better to keep the bomb-bay tanks in
reserve, and use them only when the main (wing) tanks were exhausted. To my
knowledge, no orders were issued either way; it was up to the crews to decide how they would use up the fuel.

Re: Ent's crash, I've heard of crashes occurring because copilots were
assigned to new pilots, but the copilots did the same things they were used to doing with the old pilots.

This could have tragic results. For example, let's say the old pilot would nudge back on the wheel at 130 mph airspeed and get airborne. His copilot gets a new pilot. The new pilot likes to stay on the ground until 140 or 145 mph, then he yanks back on the wheel and takes off "hot," getting airborne at a steeper angle. Let's say the copilot flies with the new pilot for the first time, but doesn't know his method. At 140 mph, the copilot figures they're airborne, and raises the landing gear, like he would with his old pilot. Crash ensues. (As I recall, Leroy Newby described such an incident in "Target Ploesti.") Whose fault is it? I don't know, but obviously lack of communication has something to do with it. I'm too ignorant to speculate about Ent's crash (Kent will be relieved to hear that!), but I know that Ent was generally thought to be an easygoing, avuncular kind of guy... sincere, but
not threatening. Mistakes can happen, even when both parties have the best
of intentions.

Regards,
Al S.

Alex,

Tech manual stuff:

...Eighteen self-sealing fuel cells are installed in the wing on
B-24 airplanes from approximately serial no. 41-23640; nine on each
side of the center line. On previous serials the auxiliary system is
not installed, therefore the system has twelve main cells only.

...Six outboard cells (3 right & left) make up the auxiliary fuel
cell systems.

....The auxiliary systems provide an additional 450 U.S. gallons of
fuel, which are not directly connected to the main system but can be
transferred to any of the main systems as needed.

....Capacity: Main 2343 gal, Auxiliary 450 gal, Bomb Bay Cells 790
gal. Total: 3583 gal.

Hank

In addition to the photos I have emailed you which are from the personal diaries of Lt Ion Barladeanu of the 45th Ftr Grp (Escadrila 45 de Vanatoare ) equipped with IAR-80 who brought down your aircraft and which were signed by him near SAD SACK II, here is what the records are stating about bringing down the SAD SACK II and which has many parallels with the ARR Archives.....the following is the translation from Rumanian:

At 13:30 hrs August 1,1943 the readiness alarm for the sector RM7 sounds and the sector is at 21'000 ft . Lt I.Barladeanu takes off with Adj.Av.Balcescu Grigorie as wigman in a group of 7 other airplanes...

Ceiling was at 3500 ft , with reduced visibility towards SE and SW . The sky was 8/10 with scattered Stratus clouds at 15'000 ft ..scattered at 6 and extending to 19'000 ft.

At 14:00 hrs the Volga Station ( Terminal Radar Guidance) orders descending and vectoring the ARR fighters down to 100 ft as Ploesti was undergoing low level attack by US bombers .

As the formation reached the B-24's the fighter formation has split in two. The wingman of Lt Barladeanu has returned to the airfield due to hydraulic problems....while Bardaleanu along with 3 BF-109 attacked south of Prahova river at 14:20 a group of 15 B-24's...in due course of his attack he brought down 2 B-24's ...one crashes South West of Poenari Burchii county and the other 1.5Km SE of Butimanu county.

From the first aircraft which crashed and was cunsumed by fire only one aircrew was seriously injured and saved rest of the crew perished carbonised by fire .From second aircraft 3 airmen were saved, one pilot with serious facial injury the others with medium to severe burns....6 other crew members have perished carbonised by the post crash fire.From both aircraft nothing else could have been recovered , aircrafts fully consumed by fire.

At 15:30 Barladeanu got refulled , takes off in grp to clean up the airspace from eventual B-24's left in the area or engage new anticipated waves. He brought down two more B-24's in group with 6 other fighters ,near county Bilciuresti and NE of Contesti county. I am not ceratin on whether Barladeanu has homologated all 4 air kills on Aug 1,1943 but this what the Rumanian records were showing .


Translations from :



The IAR-80 fighter ,the history of an uknown hero

This post has been edited by alexkdl on April 07, 2005 11:45 am

Alex, Barladeanu ( not Burdaleanu) was credited with only 2 victories. Probably it is only confusion from diferent sources archiv records because Poiana Burchii is near Bilciuresti ( first victory- Wing Dinger ) and Butimanu is NE of Contesti ( second victory- Sad Sack).
The number of 6 fighters could be also the mixing formation of IAR 80 and german Bf-109 who attacked in that area ( SW of Ploesti ).

It is possible that the 2 B-24 were also claimed by german pilots.


Dan.

Alex, could you ask Mr Lasco how can explain the "Bf 109 fighter" who attacked them from 10 o clock to be with "wings lit up like light bulbs". As far as i know only romanian IAR 80 had machine guns (six) in the wing. The standard arming of JG4 Bf-109G was 20mm Mauser firing through spinner and two 13,2mm machine guns in upper cowling of fuselage.

Dan

Dan

I have already informed Hank that they were shot down by a IAR 80 and not a ME-109 though in Vanaturul IAR-80 it says that Badaleanu shot down 4 x B-24's on that days which may be again an exageration like with the other pilot story who rammed the B-24...or Bardaleanu may have shot down in a group or so.

Alex

This post has been edited by alexkdl on April 07, 2005 11:46 am