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

I am receiveing from Florida Vets new tapes on the Tidalwave and B-24's over Roumania after Tidalwave all kind action taken sequences , footages never seen before...and I will get some photos taken and post them.......in the mean time I have Tidalwave sequences downloaded in RAM format ........can anyone see RAM formats...if yes let me know your email and I will send it over

Alex

This particular picture was taken by a member of 456BG on the 5 may'44 mission to Ploesti. The plane lost on that day from this group were:

MACR 4749
745 Sq,456 Bg, Pilot Peterson B-24 “Taboo” Sn: 42-64499 5/5/1944 Ploesti-(Garcia Hit)


MACR 4886
746Sq, 456BG, Pilot Lehner B-24 “Yo-Yo” Sn: 42-78235 5/5/1944 Flak Ploesti


MACR 4713
746 Sq Pilot Beck B-24 “Deuces Wild”Sn: 42-52222 5/5/1944 Flak Ploesti

Roy Edgar Clements' Story
15th Air Force, Roy was a radio tail gunner and was manifested aboard “Deuces Wild “ No. 42-52222, a B-24 Liberator Bomber, which departed from Stornara Field, Italy on a bombardment mission to Ploesti, Rumania on 05 May 1944 at about 2:20 p.m. Just before reaching the target, his plane was hit by flak, an explosion followed and two planes collided. The B-24 was broken in two at the waist section. Police records revealed eleven men from these two planes lost their lives. There were three unknowns listed. However, the records at the Bolovan Cemetery disclosed that only six remains were received at the cemetery, but did not include Roy's name. The remains were buried in a common grave. No explanation was ever given for these discrepancies. Roy was awarded several medals. Among them the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.

Many thanks for the message , where is Bulovan cemitary ? any photos ?

Thanks

Al

I am not saying that all Romanian claims were valid, but I wouldn't rule them out just because many American authors, who probably never accessed Romanian archives, say so. Until the 1990s the Soviet archives were closedto the West and most of the books on the Eastern Front were written using German sources mainly and some of them generated stories like "endless Russian manpool and resources", "Lend Lease won the war for the SU" etc, etc. Now, thanks to many authors that had the wilingness to study the Soviet records (I will name col. Glantz for example), we have a better picture of what actually happened. The same can be applied to this case. The Romanian pilots' claims can't be just be ignored. There was an interesting theory, that Wily's second kill was actually achieved by a Romanian pilot, but credited to Steinman who also fired on the Liberator.

No. The photos posted by Cantacuzino are from private sources. For example, the original print of I.A.R. 80C, No. 279, is in my own collection.

Col. Dénes

The photo with IAR 80C nr.279 i have it from the archiv of "Muzeul militar national"
So Denes I understand you have the original negative film or you found an old original paper picture from Barladeanu family. It's interesting to know if it's more clear the mascot on the fuselage on your private picture. The one I have it it's poor quality copy.

Yeah, I get the point , though why would the American, Russian , German and UK war archives tell something contrary to what is now being claimed by ARR records who seeing light again after 61 years ? finally who's Glanzmann ? And ultimately why the mentioend air victories were not properly recorded anywhere but ARR ? were all Roumanian acft poorly outfitted or defective gun cameras? why other confirmed Roumanians victories were confirmed by the Germans,Americans and Russians and only those about a few Liberandos here and there would be obscured by the Germans, wrongly credited by Amies and Allied Forces ? Ever heard of accumne theory ?

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on December 16, 2004 07:33 am

Bolovan probably is ( or was) a small village near Ploesti. I will check an old map of the area, maybe i will find it.

Anyway i found the name of the guy who took the picture :

On a mission to Ploesti on May 5, 1944, Sgt. George Dancisak captured a picture of a B24 that had lost its wing tip and was falling out of control.

Tell me, were the remains of the majority downed US Airmen burried in Roumania returned to the US or are they still burried overthere ? if yes I think is just about the time some people on here get some photos posted on this foruum..I gonne get some WWII Bomb Grps , Ftr Grps and Confederate AF mates of mine visit this forum.....

Thanks for your help mate
Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on December 16, 2004 07:38 am

And here is the picture( courtesy Michael Dancisak) of the B-24 wich Sgt. Dancisak was crew member in may'44.

Sgt. Dancisak , Lt. Laszewski, Lt. Oran R. Key, Jr.( co-pilot ), Bob Perry( nose gunner) and Jonas A. Leopold, Jr. were crew members in may ‘44 flying with B-24”Reluctant Beaver”, Aircraft Sn. 42-78239, 456BG .




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Most of them were returned to the U.S. ( or burried in other european Cemetery with americans) but many of them are still buried in Romania. I know the story told by an old guy who found near the lake Comana an american single engine ( Mustang??) with the pilot dead in the cockpit. He took it in his wagon and he burried himself in the Comana cemetery.

Btw, I found were is burried the unfortunetly Sgt.Garcia who hit that B-24"Taboo":





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Outstanding photo, great work and I count you will keep posting on this topic material is starting to spark new evidences, memories and untangle old questions which were assesed after the war as futile knoted. I can't get it on why Bill Gracia would be listed on the Ardens cemitaries and not in Roumania where he still may have found the final resting place ? I saw the 456th cemitaries roaster on their website . Stay in touch

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on December 16, 2004 07:55 am

Howdy Alex

My dad was a 2nd Lt. with 456th Bomb Grp at some point he was under Col Leon Johnson famous 8 Balls, he was in Korea and retired after Vitenam war as Col. at Hickham AFB Hawai. If he was here to follow your thread he would asked to ride back in time with him and join the 8 Balls , I gather you are a military pilot or you were one and still flying today .....Is the greatest topic on the net about Ploesti B-24's I ever saw...greetings from Maui and please keep post anything you know on the Ploesti raid.

Peter

[LiberandoPaul was another avatar of alexkdl andwas baned - admin comment]

It's my mistake. Not all the americans in Ardennes cemetery were burried but many of them are only comemorated ( if their body was never found). Probably this is the case of Garcia who's body probably was not indentified by romanian authority the same as the story of Roy ( missing from Bolovan cemetery list)

Many thanks, you didnt make any mistake...they are posted as MIA on the collective memorials in Ardenns because one may be missing in Roumania

keep in touch

Al