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

And below the grave stone of Cpt.Ghica Marin at Ghencea Cemetery.( photo Dan Melinte)


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And the portrait of Cpt. Ghica Marin. ( from Aripi romanesti)


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Dan

Is not the KICK KAPOO which crashed in Benghazi after T/O , but the OLE KICK KAPOO which was the real name of the Hughes Plane...the tail gunner told my friends in Texas this in addition I will post soon a letter from Hughes prior his death to his parents telling about OLE KICK KAPOO

Hughes remains were most probably DNA'ed and identified though rest of the crew may still be in Roumania

Alex

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 18, 2005 09:15 am

Ok Alex, now I understand. The name Eager-Eagle probably was invented by Tidal Wave books authors. So the real name was OLE KICK KAPOO. Very interesting issue. I am waiting more details. ( but maybe before Tidal Wave Hughes flew the other B-24 named Kick Kapoo and wrote about it to his family in the letter ??)

Dan.

Dan

It was an error like many others of the authors on the various books published throught the years about the TW. I thought the same but the surviving TG as well Hughes letters to his volks back at home pointed out that was OLE KICK KAPOO an other error is on the TW books that KATE SMITH which was downed in Ploesti flew under number 42-40991 which was also revised later on...KATE SMITH was under maintainance during TW

AL

Why was DNA'ed ( probably) only Hughes remains ( because of Medal of Honor issue?) and the others were not DNA'ed and still left in Romania ? It's still a mistery to me.

Dan.

Yea possibly Dan ( Money Talks Bullshit Walks) that slogan has always applied in the US. Hughes , Baker, Jerstad, Johnson .Kane had enough PR rest of the crew based on case to case basis and level of contacts after the war...

Al

Dan from an old book about TW which no longer is available, called INTO THE GUNS OF PLOESTI , I found two intriguing photos . One is a B-24 over refinaries , photo I saw the first time and secondly the author of the book who was a Bombardier on various Ploesti raids including TW shows a photo of his together with Ion Grigorescu while visiting Ploesti in in the 80's discussing about the NORDENS bomb sight used on the B-24. Grigorescu lives in Ploesti what does he have to do with TW and 15th AF ? and can you recognise the B-24 over the smoke of the refineries ? Left on the photo Ion Grigorescu , right Leroy W.Newby

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 18, 2005 12:31 pm

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Here is the unnown B-24

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I don't know the picture with this B-24. It looks kaky cammo and at least one engine not working.

In verry same background was SANDMAN photographed, maby is the same plane a couple of seconds later.

Anyway great picture, i've never seen it before!

This post has been edited by cipiamon on January 18, 2005 01:31 pm

Ioan Grigorescu who is romanian writer and TV reporter ( he had a TV serial called " Spectacolul Lumii") was born in Ploesti, and was a kid in that day of Tidal Wave and saw planes crashed and some airmans like Dikinson from Euroclydon in a garden close to his house. He was inlove with a girl who died in women prison after Carioca B-24 hit it. He found a book ( How you like it -Shakespeare) near an airman and hide it in the ground of the house garden. After a bombing raid in '44 his house was damaged and he didn't find the book.
Some years ago, after digging with other purpose he found again that book and memories came alive and decided to do more reserch starting who could be the owner of that book. He made trips to USA and took interviews to TW vet. and after that he wrote a book called " Bine ati venit in infern " ( Wellcome to Inferno ) -Nemira editor.
In his book we can find also rom. AA gunners and refineries workers testimony.
But half of his book probably is mixed with pure fiction ( classical writer influence)
( Btw. There are no pictures in his book)

CIP , I dont think is Bob Sternfels B-24 because as you can see on the photo the starboard inboard engine nr 3 is out and prop is feathered , while SANDMAN had the engines operational at this point. Nice to hear from you again...let me know when you guys plan your next trip to the grave sites of the Tidalwave in Ploesti

Al

I don't remember exactly if this was the thread were it was asked, but Spectacolul Lumii is each Sunday on TVR2 at 13:00.

Victor and Dan , thanks for brightening me up the thrilling information about Grigorescu...I didnt know all this but I have an other photo of Grigorescu with Leroy who visited him in Ploesti too....if you ever have the chance to get a hold of Grigorescu well tell him Leroy passed away recently of aging.

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 18, 2005 03:31 pm