15th Air Force
Misc
Group
Constituted as 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 Oct 1942 and activated in Palestine on 31 Oct. Began combat immediately, using B-24 aircraft. Operated with Ninth AF from bases in the Middle East, Nov 1942-Sep 1943, and with Twelfth AF from Tunisia, Sep-Nov 1943. Attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy to cut enemy supply lines to Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Received a DUC for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily, Nov 1942-Aug 1943. Participated in the famed low-level assault on oil refineries at Ploesti and received another DUC: nearing Ploesti on 1 Aug 1943 and realizing that it was off course, the group attempted to reach its assigned objective from another direction; by this time, however, enemy defenses were thoroughly alerted and intense opposition forced the 376th to divert to targets of opportunity in the general target area
Moved to Italy in Nov 1943 and operated with Fifteenth AF until Apr 1945. Engaged primarily in long-range missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives. Received a DUC for attacking the oil industry at Bratislava on 16 Jun 1944. Also flew support and interdictory missions, assisting Allied forces at Anzio and Cassino during Feb-Mar 1944, supporting the invasion of Southern France in Aug 1944, aiding the Russian sweep into the Balkans during the fall of 1944, and assisting Allied troops in northern Italy during Apr 1945.
Moved to the US in Apr. Redesignated 376th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in May 1945. Inactivated on 10 Nov 1945.
Misc
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Station | Location | Date |
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Established | RAF Station Lydda | 31 October 1942 |
Based | RAF Abu Sueir | 8 November 1942 – 10 February 1943 |
Based | Mellaha Airbase | 6 April 1943 – 26 September 1943 |
Based | San Pancrazio Airfield | 17 November 1943 – 19 April 1945 |
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Mentioned in "The 9th Air Force in World War II", by Ken Rust, Pub. Aero Publishers Inc.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
Crew member on B-24 Liberator #4240664 'Teggie Ann' 515 BS, 376 BG, 9th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, successfully returning to Benghazi, Libya.
Military | Captain | Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Pilot B-24 Liberator #42-40203 'Tobias the Terrible' 515th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returned safely to Libya.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Co Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Co Pilot B-24 Liberator #42-40203 'Tobias the Terrible' 515th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF, shot down on 28th Dec 43 mission to Vicenza marshaling yards, Saletto Italy, pilot John L Sonaglia, 3 KIA / 7 POW. MACR 1617
Military | General | Pilot ; Squadron Commander ; Commanding Officer | 376th Bomb Group
Keith Karl Compton (December 9, 1915 – June 15, 2004) was an American Air Force lieutenant general who was vice commander in chief, Strategic Air Command.
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Military | First Lieutenant | co-pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Military | Master Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
Flew a total of 74 missions. 50 on the plane B-24 'Flame McGoon' in the 15th AAF / 376th BG and on a 2nd tour of duty 24 with the 381st BG/534th BS in a B-17
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
Scott Farrington served as a tail gunner with the 515th Bomb Squadron of the 376th Bomb Group. He flew on the crew of Donaldson Hurd, flying 'Dopey Goldberg', during the Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 1943. He was shot down with Hurd over Foggia Italy a couple...
Military | Second Lieutenant | 376th Bomb Group
Crew member B-24 Liberator #41-24310 'Patches' 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Lt Donald P O'Sullivan, returned safely to Libya.
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Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 376th Bomb Group
Bombardier of B-24D 41-11613 "The Blue Streak" of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. A/C and crew went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th bomb group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
B-24 Liberator
B-24D 41-11613 "The Blue Streak" of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Originally named "Florine Ju Ju" then 'Teggie Ann'. She was a member of the HALPRO group that eventually became the 376th Bomb Group. The aircraft was a veteran of the first high level...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned 837th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. Transferred to the MTO on February 24th 1945 and assigned to the 513th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group, 15th AF.
B-24 Liberator
Lost en route to Ploesti, Romania with the loss of all crew members.
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B-24 Liberator
Shot down by a Bf 109G-6 near Wiemath, Austria on Nov 2, 1943. 8 KIA, 2 POW. MACR 1099
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B-24 Liberator
Crash landed in Turkey after Ploesti oil refinery raid, 1st Aug 1943. Pilot Wilford E Hines. Crew interned in Turkey.
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator #4240664 'Teggie Ann' 'Honey Chile' 515th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF a participant of the 1st Aug Ploesti raid. Survived the raid to return to base at Benghazi, Libya.
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B-24 Liberator
Was originally Halpro aircraft #24 then was transferred to 98th Bomb Group before being sent to 376th. Flown by the James Bock crew on the August 1, 1943 low-level mission to Ploesti, Romania.
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B-24 Liberator
This aircraft originally served in the 344th BS as 'HAIL COLUMBIA'. It was 344th CO Col. John R. Kane's personal aircraft until Kane became 98th BG CO and turned it over to Herman "Big-Dog" Lewis. Lewis changed the right side nose art to 'LITTLE-CHIEF...
B-24 Liberator
On loan to 93rd BG and scheduled to be flown by 1st Lt Howard W Freese on the 1 Aug 43 Ploesti mission. He was obliged to turn back, jettison the bombs in the sea and return to Benghazi, Libya, due to a serious fuel leak discovered immediately after...
B-24 Liberator
According to http://www.armyaircorps-376bg.com/oglesby_sam_r_crew.html, 1st Lt Sam R. Oglesby Jr ferried "Edna Elizabeth" overseas. Oglesby was its pilot on 13 of the 23 it flew, including its last one, on 20 October 1942, to Tobruk, Lybia (see http:/...
Distinguished Unit Citations:
North Africa and Sicily, [Nov] 1942-17 Aug 1943;
Ploesti, Rumania, Aug 1943;
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, 16 Jun 1944.
Date | Contributor | Update |
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06 November 2016 23:32:20 | 466thHistorian | Changes to stations |
Sources | ||
Date | Contributor | Update |
02 November 2016 22:52:48 | 466thHistorian | Changes to insignia, citations, description, unit part of associations, unit encompassing associations and stations |
Sources | ||
http://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/376th_Bombardment_Group.cfm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
28 July 2016 18:56:14 | millebr | Changes to type, nicknames, air forces and aircraft types |
Sources | ||
historyofwar.org |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |