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

The remains of the Old Baldy crew and the remains of rom. AA soldiers from 7reg. were both burried in Cimitirul Eroilor ( Heroes Cemetery) Ploesti on 4 august '43.
Below the picture of Heroes cemetery.



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The remains of the Old Baldy crew and the remains of rom. AA soldiers from 7reg. were both burried in Cimitirul Eroilor ( Heroes Cemetery) Ploesti on 4 august '43.
Below the picture of Heroes cemetery.

The gate.


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Thanks for posting these photos Dan

Alex

Dan and all , according to the email bellow I've got today from Jim who's link to a crew member of the OLD BALDY , we can expect soon photos on the OLD BALDY ...he will post them directly on here

Alex

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Alex--


Again, thank you for your work on the Ploesti mission. What you are doing is bringing closure to many families (children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews) and friends of those that died that day by answering (and illustrating) many of the questions of the events of that day. You have also greatly contributed to the history of this important battle to the benefit of historians and their readers and as such you have helped complete the record.

As for Old Baldy, some day I would like to place a wreath on the 7th AA Regiment 86th Battery crew site as a memorial to them and to the crew of Old Baldy.

I will be posting crew photos shortly.

With greatest regard,

James M. Buchanan

Aviatia Romana Publication has posted a photo with no additional comments stating that the B-24 depicted bellow is being splashed with bullets by AA or by a fighter over Ploesti as photographed on Aug 1,1943........it loses the port wing inboard landing flap.....to all my US friends visiting this site...can you identify the aircraft ?

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 27, 2005 02:37 pm

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Sorry to disapoint you, in that particular picture it's not a real B-24 ( look at the engines) I think it's the 1/10 scale model of B-24 used by romanian and german pilots for training ( the hands who hold that model were erased from the picture).

Cheers,
Dan.

And below it's the photo with B-24 model ( 1/10scale) at Mizil airfield in summer '43. ( check the engines) -source Scully Loghoteti personal footage.




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Sorry Cantacuzino but in the first picture you can see the propeller spining.

I am starting to post some stories of the airmen who fought over Ploesti both American and Roumanian ...I preffer to leave the Germans airmen stories because they had no business to do in Roumania . ARR Pilots fought to defend their country and not against America....Roumanian Army and Roumanian people in comparison with other axis countries, gave the best and honourable treatment to US Airmen POW's and this should never be lost on the never ending stories of the WWII.

This is the story as described by S/Sgt Bridges who was the single survivor and was a POW in Roumania


STORY OF THE MEN OF B-24 FORKY II of the 66th Sqd 44 th Bmb Grp lost near Turgusorul , Ploesti area on Aug 1, 1943 , OPERATION TIDALWAVE

GENTRY, ROWLAND M. Pilot Capt. Miami, KIA Florida
MOSS, BENJAMIN M. Co-pilot 1st Lt. New York City,KIA
CHORZELSKI, MICHEL Navigator Flt. Of. Laramie,KIA Wyoming
AYERS, JOHN T. Bombardier 2nd Lt. Plymouth,KIA Pennsylvania
LIGHT, EDWIN C. Engineer T/Sgt. Dallas,KIA Texas
GOODMAN, EARL E. Radio Oper. T/Sgt. So. Attleboro, KIA Massachusetts
WILSON, STANLEY Asst. Eng. T/Sgt. Brooklyn, KIA New York
BRIDGES, CHARLES T. RW Gunner S/Sgt. Anderson, POW, returned to duty Indiana
LEISINGER, WILLIAM L. Jr. Tail Turret Sgt. Yancopin, KIA, buried Ardennes (C-12-23) Arkansas

The last wave of aircraft over target “White Five” consisted of four airplanes led by Rowland M. Gentry in FORKY II. His orders were to bomb from 400 feet at the top of the stepped up formation that had been adopted for the five “Eight Ball” waves. The last wave was well exposed to the German gunners. Gentry led a V-flight with a plane piloted by Charles Hughes and Spencer S. Hunn on his left and one piloted by George Winger (WING DINGER) on his right. In the target smoke, explosions killed two gunners and set two of FORKY II’s engines on fire.
Sgt. E.C. Light, in the top turret, and the right waist gunner, Charles T. Bridges, remained in action. On the other side of the target, three German fighters came up at them from the deck. Bridges, the veteran of 53 missions, many with the Royal Air Force, got in his last rounds of battle. The fighters left FORKY II burning in a cornfield with the nose buried in the ground and the tail standing. Bridges staggered out of the wreck as it exploded! Sgt. Bridges added, “We attacked at low level, gun fire, explosions and all the horrors hidden in Hell were let loose. My crew was shot to bits. First it was Gentry, and then two others. We kept on going after bombing, but after attacks by enemy aircraft, we were shot down, too. My crew fought most valiantly against all odds, and died as men. “I guess that Capt. Gentry tried to land the plane even though he was seriously wounded and near
death himself. Wilson was lying on the floor by the left waist. He was hit by fragments.

We were burning and I had to throw out our incendiaries as we were under attack. Just before I passed out, a terrific explosion took place in front of the plane. “I was trained and in combat before the U.S. entered the war. I was first attached to crews of Royal Norway in Coastal Command. We all had been trained by Canadian and English instructors. Our main planes were Defiants and Hampdens, but later was transferred to Wellingtons of medium size. We were on the first 1,000 bomber raid against targets in the Ruhr area, with all British medium and heavy bombers – quite an event in its day! “I was transferred to the USAAC in London with two other Americans – DeCrevel and Rastowitz…My back was broken twice – but I am still thankful.”

Courtesy
Charles Bridges RW Gunner

44th Heavy Bombadrment Group Memorial Hall of Honour

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 27, 2005 05:33 pm

Hello Dan and All

Is not a model , look again. Here's a new photo of the EXTERMINATOR and its crew ..I've got from a crew fam.member

Alex

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 27, 2005 08:15 pm

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I doubt that the photo depicts the 86th AA Battery, because the gun is a 37 mm Rheimetall AA gun, not the 88 mm Rheinmetall AA gun.

The gun from the 86th Battery that shot down the Old Baldy was dubbed Voinicul. The battery was commanded by cpt. Cosmin Istrate. The guns were placed between the Berceni village and the Gighiu Monastery. Serving Voinicul were frunt. Ion Garlan (aiming), sold. Gheorghe Bala (loanding), sold. Alexandru Partica, sold. Constantin Disdedea and sold. Tudor Ghiaur. Sold. Paun Otet was holding the fire lever and waiting for the command. After cpt. Istrate lowered his arm, the gun fired and the B-24 received a direct hit in the nose. The shell went through the entire bomber, probably killing everyone instantly. Old Baldy went down on the Voinicul position. All six soldiers and cpt. Istrate were killed. The monks at the Ghighiu Monastery took care of the burial of the 17 bodies. There should be a cross, with the names of the 7 Romanian artillerymen on it, at the spot where it happened.

Talking about bad luck....

Attached is a crew photo of Old Baldy, Serial Number 42-40102, 9th Airforce, 98th Bomb Group, 345th Bomb Squadron.

Back row, left to right:

Frank A. Norris, TSgt, engineer, from Texas
Joseph E. Finneran, 1stLt, bombardier, from Massachusetts
Worthington A. Franks, 1stLt, navigator, from Texas
William D. Buchanan, 1stLt, copilot, from Pennsylvania
John J. Dore, Jr., 1st Lt., pilot, from New York

Front row, left to right:

Max W. Lower, TSgt, radio, from Utah
Joseph R. Iosco, left waist gunner, from New Jersey
Paul W. Packer, right waist gunner, from Wyoming
Wesley L. Jones, SSgt, tailgunner, from Kansas

On August 1, 1943 Old Baldy was lost over target White IV, Ploesti. Co-pilot Wm. Buchanan was not aboard having been grounded for dysentery; his substitute was John B. Stallings. An additional crewmember, not pictured here, Ray L. Gleason, served as a photographer.

The remains of Gleason, Stallings, and Iosco were moved after the war to cemeteries in Michigan, Belgium, and New Jersey respectively. The remaining crew are still listed as MIA/KIA.

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The crew of Semper Felix, 41-24246, 98th/345th, lost over WHITE IV target, Ploesti, August 1, 1943.

Sulflow, August W. 1/Lt. Pilot KIA
Miller, Leroy P. Co-Pilot KIA
Miller, Phillip P. 2/Lt. Navigator KIA
Shay, Anel B. Jr. T/Sgt. Bombardier KIA
Reger, Leonard E. T/Sgt. Engineer KIA
Treichler, William E. T/Sgt. Radio POW-ROM
Gallas, Henry A. S/Sgt. Waist KIA
Meyer, Norman L. S/Sgt. Gunner KIA
Smapson, Jack O. Gunner KIA
Politte, Vincent L. S/Sgt. Tail KIA




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FERTILE MYRTLE, Serial Number 41-24023 98/415 takes off from Bengasi bound for Ploesti, August 1, 1943. It returned safely to Bengasi.

This post has been edited by jbuchanan on March 02, 2005 04:47 am

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