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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42-40619
B-24 Liberator
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Consolidated B-24D-80-CO Liberator Bomber 'N+' #42-40619 of the 566th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF. Participated in the 1st Aug 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. Lost on 24th Feb 44 mission to bomb aircraft factories in Gotha, Germany. 3 KIA, 7 POW. MACR 2938.
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Consolidated B-24D-80-CO Liberator Bomber 'N+' #42-40619 of the 566th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF. Participated in the 1st Aug 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. Lost on 24th Feb 44 mission to bomb aircraft factories in Gotha, Germany. 3 KIA, 7 POW. MACR 2938.
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Consolidated B-24D-80-CO Liberator Bomber 'N+' #42-40619 of the 566th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF off the wing of a formation buddy. Participated in the 1st Aug 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. Lost on 24th Feb 44 mission to bomb aircraft factories in Gotha, Germany. 3 KIA, 7 POW. MACR 2938.
Consolidated B-24D-80-CO Liberator Bomber 'N+' 42-40619 of the 567th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF.
Participated in the 1st Aug 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission, returning safely to Libya. Lost on 24th Feb 44 mission to bomb aircraft factories in Gotha, Germany. 3 KIA, 7 POW. MACR 2938.
Service
Units
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389th Bomb Group
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... -
566th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Constituted 566th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Dec. 1942. Activated on 24 Dec. 1942. Inactivated on 13 Sept. 1945. Campaigns: Air Offensive, Europe; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air...
People
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Arthur Bockelman
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Shot down by rocket fire from fighters and crashed near Langenfield, GR on a mission to Gotha, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-24D #42-40619. Killed in Action (KIA). -
Lloyd Brimmer
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Shot down by rocket fire from fighters and crashed near Langenfield, GR on a mission to Gotha, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-24D #42-40619. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
John Brooks
Military | Brigadier General | Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
Led 17 B-24s on the low level attack at Ploesti whilst with the 389th Bomb Group. ... -
Freelin Carlton
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Shot down by rocket fire from fighters and crashed near Langenfield, GR on a mission to Gotha, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-24D #42-40619. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Anton DeCoito
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40619. -
Carmen Empkie
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40619. -
George Fulton
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40619. -
Brendon Healy
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier; Bombardier | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40619. -
Richard Herman
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 389th Bomb Group
Shot down by rocket fire from fighters and crashed near Langenfield, GR on a mission to Gotha, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-24D #42-40619. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Burnett Jennings
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40619.
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... -
8th Air Force 233 BIG WEEK - DAY 5
24 February 1944
BIG WEEK resumes with full intensity against the German aircraft industry. Bomber tactics are changed slightly in that each Air Division will be directed at more widely dispersed primary targets whoch it is thought will frustrate concentration...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Survived Ploesti | Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 |
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Flew in the 1st Aug 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission, returning safely to Libya. |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 24 February 1944 |
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Lost on 24th Feb 44 mission to bomb aircraft factories in Gotha, Germany. 3 KIA, 7 POW. MACR 2938. |
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| Assigned | Benghazi, Libya | |
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566th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 29 November 2019 13:28:50 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 April 2015 19:45:10 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, description, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 2938 / http://usaafdata.com / http://www.freewebs.com |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:52 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
MACR 2938 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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