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

Pictures with Chitorani village. The crashed place of 1 B-24 possible "Hells Angels" of Lt.Harms.

And 3 D map with the position of the village 9 Km NE of Ploesti .

On the leftside of Chitorani is a modern refinery build on the place of Romana Americana. Courtesy Dan Melinte.





This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on May 17, 2005 09:23 am

Local people witnessed the B-24 crash. This old ladies had around 9 years when they saw the plane crashed close to theyr houses. They remember that one engine was hanging in a big tree and no one survived from the crashed plane. Picture courtesy Dan Melinte.



This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on May 17, 2005 09:22 am

And below the exact position of B-24 crashed place ( today a vineyard culture) as local people remember. Picture courtesy Dan Melinte.


This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on May 17, 2005 09:17 am

From the police records: two recovered airmen remains from the plane crashed near the Chitorani village were first burried in local cemetery.
Below the old church of Chitorani on the top of the hill, close ( 500m) to the crashed place. Courtesy Dan Melinte.



This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on May 18, 2005 06:22 am

B-24 D ” BOMB BOOGIE”, 31-B Sn 42-40229, 376BG, 512BS Pilot Miller, Richard

Flew in formation as no. 4 ( fourth element, A section ). Take off 07, 20 hours, jettisoned bombs on target of opportunity. Landed at Libya base 20, 35 hours.

Crew :
P. Richard T.Miller
CP. William J. Campbell
N. Casper J. Hexberg
B. Torrence H. Mc Farland
E. Lucien P. Francoeur
R. Bernard Mechanic
G. Thomas R. Riley
G. Harold L. Schuster
TG. Russel Johns
G. Hugh E. Gregg

" Bomb Boogie" with no 31 at Bengazi, Libya. Picture from 376BG site.


This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on May 23, 2005 06:56 am

http://www.rustycans.com/month0605.html

Maybe someone is interested to collect

The womens ( one in black probably widow) from the nearby village looking with compassion to the tragic scene of the B-24 wrecks thinking about their husbands on russians front.

Maybe they were thinking about the countless Romanian civilians (women and children) killed by the B-24 bombers in Ploesti area.
In the previous 781 posts under this topic, nobody wrote even one word about the nightmare and inferno endured by the civilians of Ploesti, courtesy of the U.S.A.F. bombers, in 1943 and 1944.

I am very surprised that nobody is mentioning the victims of savage USAF raids over Bucharest on April 4th 1944.
Matache Market place and surroundings -14.000 victims.
Gara de Nord-North Railway Station-9.000 victims.Majority of the victims the refugees from Moldova and Bassarabia.
The tradition of that american bravery is alive even today.
Thank you,dc.
P.S.I was there and I witnessed the massacre.

You should not be surprised that nobody mentioning the victims of 4 april '44 because this specific thread is about 1 august '43 Tidal Wave attack when US Air Force lost more airmen ( aprox 200) than romanian civil looses ( aprox 80 ).
4 april '44 is mentioned on other threads.

I think 14.000 was the entire number of casuatlies inflicted by US planes over Romanian soil throught the war. Here is a documented statistic you can find in Denes's book: Romanian civilians killed by allied raids: 6716 and 6979 wounded. If you add the military personel you will get around 14.000.

I have always had a fascination with this mission and have always wanted to build 1-2 of the planes that flew on it.
Several years ago, Walter Stewart came out to one of our club meetings. He talked about the mission that he flew in Utah Man. Since then, that plane has been on my list as 1 of the 2 but finding good info on it has been difficult. I saw the model that Bill made (on page 42) and wondered if you or he had any more pics of it, especially the nose art.
One of of club members had a part in the video A Wing and a Prayer. I can't remember if Mike Sanchez was the Producer or what but I know he had something to do with it.

Here is another story on Mr. Steward.
http://www.ldsmag.com/exstories/020613queen.html

to whom this may concern,or be of interest
do not know who to contact or if this mail will be received.
stumbled across website and was very interested as i am tracing my father's "steps"during WW2.
he was Fl.Lt.K.L.Jones (Mickey) DFC
142 squadron
205 group
330 wing
flew Wellington's for the RAF out of Foggia,sorties to Bucharest,Ploesti,etc.
I have his logbook if anybody is interested in info

king regards
Andrew Jones
Aerdenhout
The Netherlands

Andrew, I think there are many people interested in the information you have. Please take a look Barbosu's post below, taken from the thread on RAF/Commonwealth operations over Romania.

dear barbosu,
as`soon as you are interested in info regarding my father's sorties in the Rumanian theatre(including mining the Danube)let me know.
regards
Andrew