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

Daisey Mae, 41-11815, damage from Ploesti target White IV



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Duplicate post removed by J Buchanan

This post has been edited by jbuchanan on February 03, 2005 04:26 am

Unknown aircraft, damage from Ploesti, August 1, 1943.

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Ploesti run up, briefing, for the 98th. Col. Kane seated in front of screen. Bengasi.

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Run up briefing for Ploesti.

This post has been edited by jbuchanan on February 03, 2005 04:56 am

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Flight line, dawn, August 1, 1943, Bengasi.

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Dawn, August 1, 1943. Kickapoo, 41-11819, 98/344 loses #4 engine. "They struggled out over 'the Med' and dumped their bombs. After a long, slow 180 degree turn they flew back towards the 98th's home base...for an emergency landing. As they lined the stricken ship on the runway heading, a flight of outbound B-24s crossed at right angles. [Lt. Robert] Nespor pushed the nose down to avoid a collision. They were too low and too heavy. A wing clipped a concrete power pole...fuel gushed from ruptured fuel cells, sparks flew, igniting the spraying 100 octane mist." {account from Michael Hill, Black Sunday}. Attached, smoke drifts across the flight line from the Kickapoo crash.

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Dawn, August 1, 1943, Old Baldy, 42-40102, takes off on its final run.

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Dawn, August 1, 1943, unknown aircraft (probably from 98/345th), heads for Ploesti.

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The first 4 digits from the serial number on the fin is 1117 that means we have to look to all B-24 with sn 41-117?? for TW. The last 2 digit as seen in the picture looks like 6 and 8 or 6 and 6. Only two B-24 match to those numbers: Kikapoo and Chug-A-Lug. Because Kikapoo aborted before the mission it remain Chug-A-Lug to be the plane in this picture. We know also that Chug-A-Lug was heavily damaged on 1 august '43.


41-11776 “O” JERSEY JACKASS/BASHFUL 98 BG Lost near the target, Ploesti.

41-11767 “Q” SHANGHI LIL 98BG Aborted.

41-11761 “R” THE SQUAW/SLEEPY 98BG Diverted to Cyprus.

41-11768 “D” KICKAPOO 98BG Aborted.

41-11774 “O” CHIEF 98BG Diverted to Sicily

41-11766 “V” CHUG-A-LUG 98BG Returned to Libya.
41-11779 “41-N” LI'L ABNER 376BG Returned to Libya.


Dan.

PS : In the last moment i discover also the " V" letter on the fin so no doubt is Chug-A-Lug.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on February 03, 2005 09:15 am

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For Alex, below you have the 2 B-24 in ARR service: Boiler Maker II and Honky Tonk Gall ( ARR Liberator 1 and ARR Liberator 2 ).

Dan.


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Below pictures with Boiler Maker II - ARR Liberator 1.



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And Liberator 2 believed to be Honky Tonk Gal.


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Alex, below you have a picture taken by reporter Dmitri at Benghazi after TW.
Maybe some one from TW group could indentify this two pilots.
Dan.


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And another picture taken after TW. A real Pin-up girl (Birdie Dean) visit to Benghazi.( picture Ivan Dmitri)
Dan.

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