8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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41-24024
B-24 Liberator
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B-24 Liberator #41-24024 'Bewitching Witch'. This aircraft was loaned to the 44th Bomb Group for the August 1,1943 low-level mission to Ploesti, Romania. It was flown by a crew from the 67th Bomb Squadron. Badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced to ditch 127 km North of Benghazi, Libya. Two of the crew were trapped in the flooding aircraft and drowned, the other seven men were rescued by British Air-Sea Rescue personnel.
This aircraft was loaned to the 44th Bomb Group for the 1st Aug, 43 low-level mission to Ploesti, Romania. It was flown by 1st Lt Reginald L. Carpenters crew from the 67th Bomb Squadron. Badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced to ditch 127 km North of Benghazi,Libya. Two of the crew were trapped in the flooding aircraft and drowned, the other seven men were rescued by British Air-Sea Rescue personnel.
1st Lt. Reginald L. Carpenter - pilot, 2nd Lt. Edwin L. Rumsey, Jr. - copilot
2nd Lt. John E. Powell - navigator, 2nd Lt. Martin L. Kullman - bombardier
T/Sgt. Vincent E. Huenerberg - engineer, T/Sgt. Joseph F. Manquen - radio operator
S/Sgt. Rollin C. Looker - left waist gunner, S/Sgt. Walter L. Brown - right waist gunner (KIA)
S/Sgt. Frederick Durand - tail gunner (KIA)
Service
Units
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44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti... -
67th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Walter Brown
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
Reginald Carpenter
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
Frederick Durand
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
Vincent Huenerberg
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
Martin Kullman
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
Rollin Looker
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Assistant Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
Joseph Manquen
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced... -
John Powell
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
3 November 1943 'The Captain & His Kids' B24D 41-24112 had an accident upon landing. ... -
Edwin Rumsey
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24024. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced...
Missions
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Operation Tidal Wave
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57 B...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Ionian Sea | 1 August 1943 |
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Failed to Return - Ploesti oil refinery raid 1st Aug 43. Badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, she was limping home when she was caught by fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced to ditch 127 km North of Benghazi, Libya. Two of the crew were trapped in the flooding aircraft and drowned, the other seven men were rescued by British Air-Sea Rescue personnel. MACR 15859. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 16 March 2015 15:34:59 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, person associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM Database. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:01 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
MACR 15859 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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