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41-28666

B-24 Liberator

  • B-24 Liberator 41-28666 'Dixie DuDrop' 703BS, 445BG, 8AF USAAF. Previously assigned to 458th BG as one of that Group's original aircraft flown to England via the southern route and was one of the dozen or so ships transferred as replacement aircraft to other Groups soon after arrival. Shot down 18 Mar 44 mission to Friedrichshafen and crashed 2km NW of Saint-Lucien, 3km S of La Chapelle-Saint-Ouen and about 24km ENE of Rouen, France.

    B-24 Liberator 41-28666 'Dixie DuDrop' 703BS, 445BG, 8AF USAAF. Previously assigned to 458th BG as one of that Group's original aircraft flown to England via the southern route and was one of the dozen or so ships transferred as replacement aircraft to other Groups soon after arrival. Shot down 18 Mar 44 mission to Friedrichshafen and crashed 2km NW of Saint-Lucien, 3km S of La Chapelle-Saint-Ouen and about 24km ENE of Rouen, France.

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Assigned 458BG re-assigned to 703BS, 445BG, 8AF USAAF as a replacement aircraft. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Friedrickshafen left formation under control on reciprocal course, hit by 3 x Fw190 fighters causing fire in bomb bay, most of crew baled before explosion. 1 x EVD, 5 x POW, 4 x KIA [1 x chute failed to open, remaining 3 killed in explosion]. MACR 3324.

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    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. ...

  • 445th Bomb Group

    445th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 445th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators from Tibenham, Norfolk. The crews' first mission was bombing U-boat installations at Kiel on 13 December 1943. The Group continued to hit strategic targets in Germany, including the aircraft components factory...

  • 458th Bomb Group

    458th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 458th Bomb Group (H) entered combat with the 8th Air Force in February 1944. Based at Horsham St. Faith in England, the combat crews participated in the decisive Campaigns 'Big Week', 'Big B', D-Day and the assault on Germany's oil industry waged...

  • 703rd Bomb Squadron

    703rd Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Kenneth Bradford

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • James Cass

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Ned Daugherty

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Robert Jones

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 445th Bomb Group
    Shot down 30 December 1943 in B-24 #4129123 'Big Joe. ' Returned to base. Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Prisoner of...

  • Wallace Luce

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Joseph McDonnell

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H 41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: PH.

  • Gordon Parker

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Raymond Parker

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Richard Pear

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H #41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen, GR on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien, FR. Killed in Action (KIA). PH

  • Joe Watson

    Military | Corporal | Radio Operator | 445th Bomb Group
    Fire developed in the bomb bay in B-24H 41-28666 on a mission to Friedrichshafen on 18 March 1944 and the a/c exploded in mid-air and crashed N of St Lucien. Prisoner of War (POW). Award: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Missions

  • 8th Air Force 264

    18 March 1944
    The German aircraft industries and aie depots are the main objectives of this mission. A combined total of 738 heavy bombers from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched to bomb the German aircraft industries at Oberpfaffenhofen and...

Places

  • Tibenham

    Military site : airfield
    Tibenham was built in 1941-1942 by W and C French Ltd with a standard 2,000 yard main runway, and two other runways both 1,400 feet in length. Accommodation was provided for a full USAAF heavy bomber group in dispersed sites. Personnel of the 320th...

Events

Event Location Date
Manufactured Tulsa, OK, USA 1943

Built at Douglas.
Delivered Oklahoma, USA 1943

Delivered to USAAF.
Enroute to England Scotland 29 January 1944 – 8 February 1944

Made the northern Atlantic crossing.
Assigned Tibenham, Norwich NR16, UK 12 February 1944 – 18 March 1944

Assigned 703BS, 445BG, 8AF USAAF.
Crashed NE of Paris, France 18 March 1944

Lost on mission to bomb the Dornier Werke & Mayback Motorenbau factory in Friedrichshafen, Germany. MACR #3334
Nicknames
'Dixie DuDrop'
Production block number
H-5 DT
Manufacturer
Douglas
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Olive Drab paint scheme with Douglas open wave lower gray paint. Assigned to the 703rd Bomb Squadron with 'RN' and radio call letter M-Mike (RN-M) on the fuselage. Carried 2nd Bomb Division tail markings of a white circle with a dark blue 'F' indicating the 445th Bomb Group.
Nose art - Semi clad female cartoon cradling bomb.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
07 February 2020 15:48:44 phil marchese Changes to production block number and markings
Sources

Marchese, B-24 Identification Tool, 2000; Doulglas underside pattern.
This one is low starting point and open, long cycle pattern.
Date Contributor Update
12 August 2016 13:00:34 Al_Skiff Changes to description and unit associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28628516
www.b24bestweb.com
Date Contributor Update
12 August 2016 12:55:45 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28628516
Date Contributor Update
08 May 2015 21:31:40 B24Mike Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings and events
Sources

Aircraft Record card and mission load list data from the National Archives.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:05 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

MACR 3334 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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