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

PUCKET was not a TIDALWAVE hero and received substantial less publicity than the Tidalwave heros which was a year later on July 1944 at Ploesti too, The TidalWAVE CMH recepients were : Johnson, Jerstad, Hughes, Baker and Kane

Here is the Presidential citation for Donald Pucket

Alex

The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress
takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor
to

*PUCKET, DONALD D.
(Air Mission)

Rank and Organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 98th , Bombardment Group. Place and Date Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 9 July 1944. Entered Service at: Boulder, Colo. Birth: Longmont, Colo. G.O. No.: 48, 23 June 1945.

Citation:
He took part in a highly effective attack against vital oil installation in Ploesti, Rumania, on 9 July 1944. Just after "bombs away," the plane received heavy and direct hits from antiaircraft fire. One crewmember was instantly killed and 6 others severely wounded. The airplane was badly damaged, 2 were knocked out, the control cables cut, the oxygen system on fire, and the bomb bay flooded with gas and hydraulic fluid. Regaining control of his crippled plane, 1st Lt. Pucket turned its direction over to the copilot. He calmed the crew, administered first aid, and surveyed the damage. Finding the bomb bay doors jammed, he used the hand crank to open them to allow the gas to escape. He jettisoned all guns and equipment but the plane continued to lose altitude rapidly. Realizing that it would be impossible to reach friendly territory he ordered the crew to abandon ship. Three of the crew, uncontrollable from fright or shock, would not leave. 1st Lt. Pucket urged the others to jump. Ignoring their entreaties to follow, he refused to abandon the 3 hysterical men and was last seen fighting to regain control of the plane. A few moments later the flaming bomber crashed on a mountainside. 1st Lt. Pucket, unhesitatingly and with supreme sacrifice, gave his life in his courageous attempt to save the lives of 3 others.

This post has been edited by Victor on December 24, 2005 08:34 am

Here is another one (I found it while researching for my project):

KINGSLEY, DAVID R.



The 97th BG :


“The raid on Ploesti of June 23 included all six groups of B-17s from the 5th Bomb Wing [15th Air Force]. The defenses were put into action promptly. Forty-plus single engine fighters hit the Fortress formation before they arrived at the target area. When the bombers did get to the complex, it was covered with smoke and the flak barrage was hot and heavy. A 97th Bomb Group Fortress flown by Lt. Edwin O. Anderson took a direct hit in the right wing while on the bomb run, shattering the control surfaces and ripping a fuel tank loose. The bomb run was completed with one engine out. As the B-17 emerged from flak, it was immediately pounced on by enemy fighters. The tail gunner Sgt. Michael J. Sullivan, was wounded by a 20mm shell that ripped through his position. Sullivan’s intercom was out, so he crawled up to the waist where the gunners picked him up and took him into the radio room. There Lt. David R. Kingsley, the bombardier, administered first aid. As Sullivan recalled: “I was pretty banged up, and my chute harness was ripped off by 20mm cannon shells, and as I was in a daze and shocked, I couldn’t see what was going on in the ship. I crawled out of the tail after I was hit. My waist gunners gave me a first aid but couldn’t stop the flow of blood that was coming from my right shoulder. They called up Lieutenant Kingsley and he game me a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood. “Finally the blood was stopped, but I was pretty weak. So then Kingsley saw that my parachute harness was ripped, so he took his off and put it on me. As I was laying in the radio room, he told me that everything was going to be all right as we had two P-51s escorting us back to our base. We were still about 500 miles from home and the ship was pretty badly shot up. Finally, our escorts, the P-51s, were running low on fuel, so they told our pilot that they would have to leave and asked if we could make it. Our pilot thought he could and they left. “As soon as they were gone, we were then attacked by eight Bf 109s who came out of the sun and started making passes at us. Finally, after about a fifteen minute flight, we were told by the pilot to get ready to bail out as our ship was pretty well shaking apart in the air and most of our guns were knocked out. You see, that was the third group of enemy fighters to his us that day. “As soon as the bail-out bell was given, the rest of the gunners bailed out. Lieutenant Kingsley then took me in his arms and struggled to the bomb bay where he told me to keep my hand on the ripcord and said to pull it when I was clear of the ship. Then he told me to bail out. I watched the ground go by for a few seconds and then I jumped. Before I jumped, I looked up at him and the look he had on his face was firm and solemn. He must have known what was coming because there was no fear in his eyes at all. That was the last time I saw Kingsley, standing in the bomb bay.” Kingsley ran into copilot Lieutenant Symons as he went forward in the bomb bay. He asked where the pilot was, and went forward to the flight deck. As Symons bailed out he almost hit Lieutenant Anderson, who had just bailed out the nose hatch. Perhaps Kingsley was searching for a spare parachute that should have been aboard. The men parachuting downward then noted the weird maneuvers of their Fortress. Anderson thinks that Kingsley did his best to try to crash-land the B-17, but with only one engine going it proved to be too much for him. At last, it corkscrewed into the earth. For his self-sacrifice. Lieutenant Kingsley was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.”







KINGSLEY, DAVID R. (Air Mission) (alta sursa)


Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force. Place and date: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 23 June 1944. Entered service at. Portland, Oreg. Birth: Oregon.
G.O. No.: 26, 9 April 1945.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, 23 June 1944 near Ploesti, Rumania, while flying as bombardier of a B17 type aircraft. On the bomb run 2d Lt. Kingsley’s
aircraft was severely damaged by intense flak and forced to drop out of formation but the pilot proceeded over the target and 2d Lt. Kingsley
successfully dropped his bombs, causing severe damage to vital installations.

The damaged aircraft, forced to lose altitude and to lag behind the formation, was aggressively attacked by 3 ME-109 aircraft, causing more damage to the aircraft and severely wounding the tail gunner in the upper arm. The radio operator and engineer notified 2d Lt. Kingsley that the tail gunner had been wounded and that assistance was needed to check the bleeding. 2d Lt. Kingsley made his way back to the radio room, skillfully applied first aid to the wound, and succeeded in checking the bleeding. The tail gunner’s parachute harness and heavy clothes were removed and he was covered with blankets, making him as comfortable as possible.

Eight ME-109 aircraft again aggressively attacked 2d Lt. Kingsley’s aircraft
and the ball turret gunner was wounded by 20mm shell fragments. He went forward to the radio room to have 2d Lt. Kingsley administer first aid. A few minutes later when the pilot gave the order to prepare to bail out, 2d Lt. Kingsley immediately began to assist the wounded gunners in putting on their parachute harness. In the confusion the tail gunner’s harness, believed to have been damaged, could not be located in the bundle of blankets and flying clothes which had been removed from the wounded men. With utter disregard for his own means of escape, 2d Lt. Kingsley unhesitatingly removed his parachute harness and adjusted it to the wounded tail gunner.

Due to the extensive damage caused by the accurate and concentrated 20mm. fire by the enemy aircraft the pilot gave the order to bail out, as it appeared that the aircraft would disintegrate at any moment. 2d Lt. Kingsley aided the wounded men in bailing out and when last seen by the crewmembers he was standing on the bomb bay catwalk. The aircraft continued to fly on automatic pilot for a short distance, then crashed and
burned. His body was later found in the wreckage. 2d Lt. Kingsley by his gallant heroic action was directly responsible for saving the life of the wounded gunner.




This post has been edited by D13-th_Mytzu on December 18, 2004 12:54 pm

Mytzu itzi mulzumesc....I am very much aware about Kingsley, I visited 97th Bomb Grp at an Air Force base which I think today is part of Air Mobility Command, somewhere in the state of Illinois many years ago and I saw his memorial-.....my question is where is he burried...it looks that the grave yard is not at Arlington National Cemitary like all Medal of Honour Receipients ....so he may be burried on the state of Oregon or still in Roumania ?

Thanks
Alex

This post has been edited by alexkdl on December 18, 2004 01:20 pm

Alex you are most welcome.
I am sorry but I have no information regarding the place he is burried.What I don't know yet is if the B17 crashed over Romania or Bulgaria - also if those 8 109's were romanian/german ones or bulgarian.

This post has been edited by D13-th_Mytzu on December 18, 2004 01:45 pm

Yea I think was down by Boulgarians near Bulgarian border...I will investigate with my US friends the crash location

Alex

Ofcourse it's debatable. My opinion was based also by a short ANF archiv footage with a alarm take off ( Mizil '43) with 53sq fighters Bf-109 "white 1", "white 3" all with dark colors patches all over ( most probably green). Americans bomber crew over Romania in their reports written two Bf-109 camo type : silver ( that means light grey colors) and dark colors ( the most probably 109 with more or less green).
I know it's difficult to be 100% sure.
But anyway a lot of romanians Bf-109 were over painted with green patches by germans ( see the Udet unit rom Bf 109 ) or by ASAM workshops after general repair.

Sorry I don't have your book. But if you are talking about the other "white 1" of Cpt.Toma Lucian flown in spring '44 on Otopeni (concrete airfield) pictures, yes I agree that the camo for this one is light RLM grey color ( no green patches ).
In 53sq were at least 3 Bf-109 with "white 1''. One in summer '43 flown at Tidal Wave( the picture posted on this thread), one in spring '44 from Otopeni concrete airfield ( both planes with Mikey Mouse emblem) and a third one without the Mikey Mouse emblem but with the small nr. 233 on the fin.
Only the first one ( in '43) it looks with green patches overpainted to me.

Sgt. Dancisak who made the famous picture with The B-24 "Taboo" hit By sgt.Garcia over Ploesti on 5 may was a real PRO photographer. Look at his camera. ( my digital Olympus C5050 is ten times little than this one)




Attached Image

Alex, because you didn't mentioned detail about this B-24, i made my self a little research an I found the data related to this B-24 flown at TidalWave on 1 august '43.

B-24D”CHIEF WAHOO” ( 20-E ) Sn 41-24297 Pilot Hines, Wilford E., 376thBG, 512thBS, - Landed Kardak LG, Turkey; Crew Interned.


Attached Image

The picture you post it it's not the same B-24 Black Jack flown at Tidal Wave.
This B-24 it's Kaky camo and was lost late in '43 so probably it's only a name confusion. The tail serial number it's not on the the tidal wave rooster file.


Attached Image

The original B-24" Black Jack" ( sand camo) flown at Tidal Wave on 1 august '43 is in this picture below.


B-24 D "BLACK JACK" ( U ) Sn 41-23661 Pilot Hahn, Delbert H. 345thBS, 98BG Diverted to Sicily.


Attached Image

I really can not find the aircraft nor the crew of the CHIEF WHAHOO anywhere in non of my books and material , do you have more photos and references about this aircraft....was it from 376th or 98th ?

Alex

yea its an extermly powerful camera.....were Bill Garcia remains ever found or enlisted with AAF as still MIA ?

Al

That colon of smoke looks preaty strange, what could it be? Maby a me 163?

yea it looks strange to me too but how would Komet ME-163 be stationed in Roumania......i still think are smoke trails from a damaged plane in front

Alex