Military
B-24D Liberator, 42-40776, named, Old Blister Butt, in the 8th AF, the 389th BG, and the 564th BS. Pilot Robert L. Wright and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Maj Howard J. LaLonde is 3rd from left, rear row.
The flight crew poses in front of the B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, Stinger, in the 415th Bomb Squadron - the 98th Bomb Group - and the 9th Air Force. Flown on Operation Tidal wave over Ploesti, Romania. Pilot Lt. Andrew Opsata, and CoPilot Lt. Louis Quaglino, with their Bombardier, Lt. Donald Di Coscoe, and Bombardier, Lt. Howard LaLonde, launched from Benghazi, Libya, on the Ploesti mission and successfully returned with only 1 crew member, Gunner SSgt, John Gormey, wounded. WIA. Aug 1, 1943.
B-24 Liberator, 42-40746, Ole Irish, and crew. Flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning to Benghazi, Libya, on three engines. Lt. Robert Wright and his crew flying off Ole Irish's wing in, Old Blister Butt, saw his friend, Lt. Frank McLaughlin and his crew were in trouble and alone, and slowed down to escort and cover them all the way south to the Turkish coast. They all made it home to Benghazi safely. Another one of Ole Irish's three good engines quit while taxiing back in from the runway, completely out of gasoline. RTB. 1 Aug 43.
B-24D Liberator, 42-40776, YO, RCL H, Old Blister Butt, flown by Lt. Robert L. Wright, in the 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.
Major Howard J. LaLonde - The Navigator on the B-24D, Stinger, (TDY) in the 98th Bomb Group on Operation Tidal Wave. 1 Aug 43. Major LaLonde had previously been part of Lt. Robert Wright's crew on, Old blister Butt.
389BG Pictorial Review Pg 16, featuring William Nading, Andrew Opsata and William Selvidge.
B-24D Stinger - 41-11817, was flown by Pilot Andrew Opsata, Copilot Louis Quaglino, with their Bombardier, Don Di Coscoe, but was named, Stinger, by his Navigator Maj. Howard LaLonde. All of them were detached (TDY) to the 98th Bomb Group in the 9th Air Force for the Ploesti mission 1943
B-24D - Stinger - 41-11817 - Damage assessment after Ploesti mission 1943
Lt. Andrew Opsata was a B-24D Command pilot who flew the B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, Stinger, with his Copilot Lt. Louis Quaglino, and Bombardier Lt. Don Di Coscoe, on Operation Tidal Wave, assigned to the 389th Bomb Group, the 8th Air Force, temporarily detached to (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 514th Bombardment Squadron. He flew a total of 27 combat missions. On Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing mission to the Ploesti oil refineries, he bombed his target, returning safely to Libya with only one crew member, his gunner, SSgt John Gormey wounded by flak. WIA. 1 August, 1943.
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24 Bombardier | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Donold Di Coscoe was a B-24D bombardier on the B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, Stinger, assigned (TDY) to the 415th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, in the 9th Air Force. He participated in Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing mission to destroy the...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Staff Sergeant James H. Gomey was a gunner on the B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, Stinger, which participated in the Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Benghazi, Libya. Sgt. Gormey was slightly wounded over Ploesti, hit by flak. WIA. 1st Aug 43...
Military | Major | B-24D Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
Major Howard J. LaLonde was a B-24 navigator, originally assigned and deployed to the 389th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force in Hethel, Britain in Lt. Robert Wright's crew in, Old Blister Butt. He was, then, detached and deployed (TDY) to the 415th...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer / Top Turret | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 415BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew member of B-24 Liberator 41-11817 'Stinger' participated in the 1-Aug-43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya with only one crew member WIA.
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 415BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew member of B-24 Liberator 41-11817 'Stinger' participated in the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya with only one crew member WIA.
Awards: DFC, AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
SSgt. William Girard Pimm was assigned to the 415th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, in the 9th Air Force. He was a tail gunner and crew member of the B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, named, Stinger, and participated in Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing...
Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24 Co-Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Louis R. Quaglino was reassigned (TDY) to the 415th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, in the 9th Air Force, USAAF, as copilot of the B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, with his pilot, Lt. Andrew Opsata. Lt. Quaglino, flying, Stinger, participated in...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Crew member of B-24 Liberator 41-11817 'Stinger' participated in the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya with only one crew member WIA.
Awards: DFC, AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Lt. Robert Lee Wright took part in Operation Tidal Wave, on Ploesti, Romania, flying the B-24D Liberator 42-40776, Old Blister Butt with his Copilot Lt. Fred Sayre. Upon Leaving the target area at Campina, Lt. Wright and Old Blister Butt's crew saw...
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...
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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Squadron
Established as a B-24 Liberator reconnaissance squadron in early 1942. Engaged initially in antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; redesignated as a heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator, 41-11817, named, Stinger, was flown on Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing mission to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, by Pilot Lt. Andrew Opsata and copilot Lt. Louis R. Quaglino, with their Bombardier, Lt. Donald Di...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator, 42-40746, Ole Irish, was in the 564th Bomb Squadron, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force, at Hethel, Britain. It was deployed (TDY) to Benghazi, Libya, and flew on the Ploesti oil refinery mission. Ole Irish, piloted by Lt...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator, 42-40776, Old Blister Butt, was originally deployed to Alconbury, U.K. in the 8th Air Force. It was later redeployed (TDY), as part of the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 564th Bomb Squadron, to Benghazi, Libya. Flown...
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B-24D 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...
Military site : airfield
Construction of Hethel airfield began in 1941, and was finished in late 1942. The number of hardstandings was increased from the planned 36 to 50 in 1942, in order to accommodate a full heavy bomb group. The 320th Bomb Group occupied the base for ten...
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Colgan, ND | 4 October 1919 |
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Son of Stephen Edward and Tillie A [Hamberg] Opsata. |
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| Assigned | Benghazi, Libya | 1943 – 1944 |
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Assigned to 415BS, 98 BG, 9AF USAAF. |
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| Survived Ploesti | Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 |
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Pilot of B-24 Liberator 41-11817 'Stinger' participated in the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya with only one crewmember WIA. |
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| Died | Bellingham, WA | 17 June 2014 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 27 September 2021 03:46:56 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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Best Web - B-24 - 41-11817 - Stinger |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2021 03:38:20 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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Spelling. - Kickapoo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2021 03:02:09 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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Best Web - B-24 - Stinger |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 September 2021 03:39:20 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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Best Web - B-24 - 41-11817 - Stinger |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 September 2021 03:09:09 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography and unit associations |
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Best Web - B-24 - 41-11817 - Stinger |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 September 2021 16:59:36 | Kickapoo | Changes to nickname and role |
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Details added. - Kickapoo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 June 2021 14:53:05 | Al_Skiff | Changes to nickname |
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https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/221856609/andrew-wilson-opsata |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 April 2021 09:44:53 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to nickname and service number |
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Page 370 in the book 2ND AIR DIVISIONby Turner Publishing Company, 1998 edition (D790.A2S45); |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 April 2021 18:32:28 | jmoore43 | Changes to nickname |
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Flagged as a "Possible DUPLICATE" in the Nickname field so an Admin can check out this person. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 January 2021 15:49:07 | Al_Skiff | Changes to surname, middlename, biography, awards, events, unit associations, place associations, aircraft associations and media associations |
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https://www.fold3.com/image/32191616 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 January 2021 17:24:42 | Al_Skiff | Changes to service number, highest rank, biography, awards, events and person associations |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 April 2020 19:48:54 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography and unit associations |
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Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 March 2015 18:27:25 | Al_Skiff | Created entry with surname, firstname, nationality, highest rank, role, biography, events, unit associations, aircraft associations, mission associations and media associations |
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USAAF Photo. |
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