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B-24D - the 'KICKAPOO' with crew and Pilot Lt. John S. Young on far right before the mission to bomb Ploesti, 1943. John Young and his regular crew member's lives were spared when Group Leader Col. John R. Kane reassigned them to fly with him in 'Hail Columbia' on Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti. - 'KICKAPOO' crashed and burned on takeoff for the Ploesti mission, killing the two replacement pilots and all but two of it's replacement crew. - Aircraft Destroyed - Lete, Libya - 1 Aug 1943
'KICKAPOO''s reassigned crew for the Ploesti bombing mission : --- 1st Lt. Robert J. Nespor - Pilot - (KIA) - Died two weeks later from his burns 2nd Lt. John C. Riley - Co Pilot (KIA) Detached Service from 93rd BG
2nd Lt. Russell W. Polivka - Navigator (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
T/Sgt. Vaun D. Wenrich - Engineer/Top Turret (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG T/Sgt. Armand R. Massart - Radio Op (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
S/Sgt. George W. Lawlor - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG S/Sgt. Edwin G. Sliwa - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
S/Sgt. Eugene R. Garner - Gunner (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG S/Sgt. John P. D'Armour - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
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B-24 Liberator #41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 1943 low level Ploesti, Romania mission, initially due to loss of No 4 engine. 8 KIA , including pilots, Lt. Robert J. Nespor and Lt. John C. Riley / 2 WIA.
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Air Force Magazine article "Over The Target" by Capt. John S. Young 1945
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B-24D 'KICKAPOO' crash at Lete Airfield - Aug 1, 1943 - killing pilots, Lt. Robert Nespor and Lt. John C. Riley - #4 engine failure - 8 KIA / 2 WIA
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B-24D 'KICKAPOO' , originally assigned to Lt. John S. Young, 9th AF, 98th BG, 344th BS. 'KICKAPOO' crashed and was lost on takeoff for the Ploesti mission. with both replacement pilots, Lt. Robert Nespor of the 98th BG and Lt. John C. Riley of the 93rd BG and all but two of the replacement crew for the Ploesti mission KIA Aug 1, 1943 - the first casualties of Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti, Romania.
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# 42-40753 ~ B-24D 'OLE KICKAPOO' - Command Pilot 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, Copilot 2ndLt. Ronald Helder, and Crew 1943. Aircraft was lost at Campina, Ploesti with both pilots and all crewmen, except two, KIA. Two crewmen survived the crash, WIA on "Operation Tidal Wave" 1 Aug 1943 - Pilot Lt. Lloyd "Pete" Hughes was awarded the Medal Of Honor for his determination to press on and bomb his target without regard to his life and safety. His copilot, Lt. Ronald Helder was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross. - All crewmen on 'Ole Kickapoo' were awarded The Distinguished Service Cross and The Distinguished Flying Cross for their bravery, skill, and sacrifice in participation with Operation Tidal Wave.
Pilot: 2Lt Lloyd H. Hughes, Jr. KIA : Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously
Co-Pilot: 2Lt Ronald L. Helder. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Navigator: 2Lt Sidney A. Pear. KIA : Died of wounds August 6, 1943, surgery hospital in Campina, Rumania : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Bombardier: 2Lt John A. McLoughlin. KIA : Escaped burning wreckage - Died of wounds on August 3, 1943, surgery hospital in Campina, Rumania : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: T/Sgt Joseph E. Mix. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Radio Operator: T/Sgt Louis N. Kase. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Malcolm C. Dalton. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Edmond H. Smith. WIA POW : Distinguished Service Cross
Tail Gunner: S/Sgt Thomas A. Hoff. WIA POW : Distinguished Service Cross
Tunnel Gunner: Sgt Avis K. Wilson. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously
Full names:
Pilot: 2Lt Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Jr.
Co-Pilot: 2Lt Ronald Lee Helder
Navigator: 2Lt Sidney Allen Pear
Bombardier: 2Lt John A. McLoughlin
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: T/Sgt Joseph Elzie Mix
Radio Operator: T/Sgt Louis Norman Kase/Kassowitz
Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Malcolm Clay Dalton
Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Edmond Howard Smith
Tail Gunner: S/Sgt Thomas Albert Hoff
Tunnel Gunner: Sgt Avis Kenneth Wilson
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Operation Tidal Wave - Last Briefing. - 1943
The B-24D Liberator 41-11768, 'KICKAPOO', was piloted by Lt. John S. Young from Dallas, Texas as part of the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron, which arrived in North Africa in early 1943. This airplane and was Lt. Young's second regularly assigned aircraft flying out of Berca and Lete Airfields at Benghazi, Libya in the Mediterranean theater of World War II in 1943 after his first B-24 was shot down by German fighters earlier in an air fight off the coast of Crete. Later in August of 1943, for Operation Tidal Wave, against Ploesti, Lt. Young and most of his regular crew from the 'KICKAPOO' were reassigned, just before the mission, by Col. John R. Kane, who wanted them for his crew and Lt. Young to fly with him as his co-pilot in the 98th Bomb Group's lead ship, the B-24D, 'Hail Columbia', renamed by Kane for his alma mater, Columbia University. Young's regular airplane, 'KICKAPOO', was reassigned to another of the 344th Bombing Squadron's pilots, his friend, 1st Lt. Robert Nespor also from the 98th Bomb Group, and Lt. John C. Riley, Nespor's replacement co-pilot, assigned from the 93rd Bomb Group with a replacement crew, also from the 93rd Bomb Group, for the Ploesti mission.
But, the morning of the mission, fate dealt Lt. Nespor, Lt. Riley, and their replacement crew, a very bad hand when 'KICKAPOO''s number 4 engine failed and caught fire just after getting airborne. Lt. Nespor and co-pilot, John Riley, crashed and were killed while desperately and heroically trying to save their valuable ship, instead of bailing out or ditching it into the Mediterranean Sea.
After jettisoning all of his bombs over the water, Lt. Nespor requested being guided back to the field for an emergency landing, but was forced to abort and circle around due to conflicting aircraft still taking off at Lete. With 'Kickapoo' now fully on fire, he made a second approach to the field from the West. While doing so, he began losing power from his remaining three engines. On fire, with failing engines, and sinking, on short final approach, 'KICKAPOO' landed hard, bounced, drifted off to the left, and a wing tip clipped a concrete pole next to the runway, cartwheeling the plane into the ground where it exploded in flames, killing Lt. Nespor, his co-pilot, Lt. John Riley, and all but two of the rest of the crew, Lt. Russell W. Polivka, the navigator, and S/Sgt. Eugene R. Garner, gunner, who both survived despite severe burns.
The photo above, shows Lt. John Young's crew standing in front of 'KICKAPOO' 41-11768, with Lt. Young on the far right hand side of this photo and his crew. 'KICKAPOO' was named by Lt. Young after "Kickapoo Joy Juice" from Al Capp's cartoon, "Lil Abner". Col. John Kane, John Young, Lt. Harry Korger, and Lt. Norman Whalen, and all the men in Kane's plane, 'Hail Columbia' survived the Ploesti mission without major injury in spite of over 150 flak holes in the aircraft. 'KICKAPOO' was destroyed, and all but two of it's crew were killed in the flaming crash just after take-off for the Ploesti mission, at Lete Airfield the morning of August 1, 1943.
'KICKAPOO's regular crew :
- Lt. John S. Young - Pilot - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Lt. Norman M. Whalen - Navigator - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Lt. Harold F. Korger - Bombardier - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Fredrick A. Leard - Waist Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti Mission
- William Leo - Tail Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Raymond B. Hubbard - Radio Operator - Reassigned To 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Joseph J. LaBranche - TB - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Harvey L. Treace - Engineer / Top Turret Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Nevill C. Bensen - Waist Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- 'Hail Columbia' completed mission, crash landed Cyprus. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'KICKAPOO''s reassigned crew for Ploesti bombing mission : --- 1st Lt. Robert J. Nespor - Pilot - (KIA) - Died two weeks later from his burns 2nd Lt. John C. Riley - Co Pilot (KIA) Detached Service from 93rd BG
2nd Lt. Russell W. Polivka - Navigator (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
T/Sgt. Vaun D. Wenrich - Engineer/Top Turret (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG T/Sgt. Armand R. Massart - Radio Op (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
S/Sgt. George W. Lawlor - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG S/Sgt. Edwin G. Sliwa - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
S/Sgt. Eugene R. Garner - Gunner (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG S/Sgt. John P. D'Armour - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG ~ 'KICKAPOO' crashed on takeoff for Ploesti mission - destroyed 1 Aug 1943
Service
Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D 'Joisey Bounce' was assigned to Pilot Col. Walter T. Stewart of the 330 Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, for the famous mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, Aug 1,1943. Col. Stewart changed his assigned plane...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 'Hail Columbia', # 41-11825, originally served in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was, first, the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator 42-40629, 'The Scorpion', with the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron, flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid, "Operation Tidal Wave" piloted by Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell and Col. Jack Wood...
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Units
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Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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Squadron
The 344th Bombing Squadron was first activated at MacDill Field, Florida as one of the original three squadrons assigned to the 98th Bombardment Group. The 344th soon moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, where it began to train as a Consolidated B-24...
People
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Crew member of B-24 liberator 41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the 1-Aug-43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost an engine just after getting airborne and then caught fire while banking back...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Crew member B-24 liberator 41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost an engine just after getting airborne and then caught fire while banking back...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24D Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
2nd Lt. Ronald Lee Helder was a B-24 pilot in the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 564th Bombing Squadron in WWII. He flew as Co-pilot with his friend, Command Pilot Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes, in the B-24D Lt. Helder called, 'Ole Kickapoo',...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
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Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer, Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and later the United States Air Force. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II, for his...
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Military | Colonel | Bombardier Navigator | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Harold Korger was a bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force. He flew on the famous mission, Operation Tidal Wave, Aug 1, 1943, to knock out the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. ...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Crew member B-24 liberator 41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost an engine just after getting airborne and then caught fire while banking back...
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Military | Captain | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Royden LeBrecht was a B-24 Command pilot of the B-24D, #4111761, The 'Squaw' in North Africa in 1942-43. Lt. Lebrecht flew on Operation Tidal Wave, the Aug 1 1943 Ploesti raid, with the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bombardment Group, and the 344th Bomb...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 93rd Bomb Group
Crew member B-24 liberator 41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost an engine just after getting airborne and then caught fire while banking back...
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
1st Lt. Robert James Nespor was a B-24D command bomber pilot in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bombardment Group, "The Pyramiders", and the 330th Bombing Squadron. For the huge mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, on Operation Tidal...
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Missions
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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 |
Crashed |
Benghazi, Libya |
1 August 1943 |
Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 1943 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost No 4 engine just after getting airborne, after jettisoning all bombs at sea, 'KICKAPOO' was guided back for an emergency landing. Due to a conflicting aircraft on the runway, 1st Lt Nespor was forced to approach the field from the West. In doing so a wing tip smashed into a concrete pole and burst into flames, killing Nespor and all but two of the crew.
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