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B-24 Liberator #42-40629 'The Scorpion' 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, pilot Capt Kenneth M Caldwell front and center with cap ] and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.
Lt. Caldwell was shot down by FW190 fighters near Orleans, France in the B-24D 42-41013 named, 'Trouble'. Caldwell and his crew were killed in action (KIA), Jan 7, 1944.
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Nose art of B-24 Liberator #42-40629 'The Scorpion' 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.
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 observing, who successfully bombed their target, and returned safely to Benghazi, Libya. Both Lt. Caldwell and Col. Wood were awarded Distinguished Service Cross medals for their valour and determination in accomplishing their mission by finding and bombing their heavily defended target at Campina, Romania. August 1, 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, named 'Hadley's Harem' was Lt. Gilbert Hadley's personal airplane and the one he flew on the mission to destroy Hitler's oil refineries at Ploesti Romania in 1943.
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B-24 Liberator
B-24D-CO Liberator - 'Raunchy'
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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 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...
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B-24 Liberator
# 42-40753 - B-24D 'OLE KICKAPOO' - A Consolidated B-24D bomber from the 389th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force, and the 564th Bomb Squadron from England, with it's Command Pilot, 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, and his crew, who flew on "Operation Tidal...
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Units
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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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Group
The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...
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People
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Military | Major | B-24D Co-Pilot - Command Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell from the 8th Air force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti with Col. Jack W. Wood, on 1 August 1943, flying a B-24D Liberator, 42-40629 named 'The...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. 13 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight engineer / Top turret | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629.
Awards: DFC, AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629.
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
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Military | Captain | Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629.
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629.
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629.
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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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 |
Survived Ploesti |
Ploiești, Romania |
1 August 1943 |
Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Capt Kenneth M Caldwell, returning safely to Libya. Flying in the Scorpion as navigator was Jack Wood, Commander of the 389th BG. As navigator he directed the whole group's formation to the target.
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Assigned |
Benghazi, Libya |
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565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, TDY 9th AF.
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