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The Blue Streak, with map of Italy and the aircraft's missions, added for a war bond tour to the U.S. Pilot Lt. John S Young flew, The Blue Streak, back to Fort Worth, Texas, to The Consolidated Aircraft Plant, his first stop on a national war bond tour with his friends, Lt. Royden Le Brecht and Major Walter T. Stewart , and their B-24s and flight crews. 1944
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The B-24D, 41-11613, Florine Juju - Halpro # 10. This plane was allocated to the Halverson Project ( Halpro ) in 1942. The USAAF project had been diverted from planned Lend Lease allocations. The Halpro inventory formed the First Provisional Bomb Group in the Middle East under the IXth Bomber Command control. Later, the 376th Bomb Group from the U.K. was activated in theater from the remnants of the Halverson Project. While the aircraft number was still, # 10 , the smaller lettered name, Teggie Ann, was added to the plane in the 376th Bomb Group, later named and numbered, # 71, Teggie Ann, then, finally, it was renamed, The Blue Streak, with it's aircraft number, # 71. After a long and successful combat career, The Blue Streak, was flown to Britain and, then, to the U.S. by Lt. John S. Young with Lt. Royden LeBrecht and his crew in his B-24D, The Squaw, and Walter Stewart in the B-24D, Bomerang, for a national war bond tour. 1944
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B-24D CO. The Blue Streak, 41-11613, 9th Air Force, 376th Bomb Group, in the 514th Bombing Squadron. AC # 71 over Mt Vesuvius. 1943
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B-24D, The Blue Streak, # 71, at the Consolidated Aircraft Plant #4 for a war bond tour - Fort Worth Texas. 1944
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B-24D, The Blue Streak, 41-11613, aircraft No 71. With the aircraft's last name given, The Blue Streak, applied with it's mission map of the targets bombed in Italy for it's war bond tour to the B-24 plants in the U.S. 1944
The B-24D, 41-11613, that was in the 376th Bomb Group, had several names : Florine JuJu - The Blue Streak - Liberandos - Teggie Ann. It should not be mistaken for another B-24D Liberator bomber, 42-40664, also named, Teggie Ann, which was flown on the Ploesti mission, as one of several element lead aircraft. That plane, named, Teggie Ann, was piloted by Col. K.K. Compton, and commanded by Mission Commander Gen. Uzal Ent, for the 93rd and the 376th Bomb Groups over Ploesti on Operation Tidal Wave. 1 Aug 43.
The B-24D, 41-11613, last named, The Blue Streak, was in the 514th Bomb Squadron, the 376th Bomb Group, and the 9th Air Force, and was, originally named, Florine JuJu, then, Liberandos, Teggie Ann, and, last, The Blue Streak. Number 41-11613, was an original member of the 1942 Halverson Detachment Unit that eventually became part of the 376th Bomb Group in the VIIIth Bomber Command. The aircraft was a veteran of the first, high level, Ploesti mission in 1942, but did not fly on the second, large, low level, Ploesti mission, Operation Tidal Wave, in August 1943.
The plane had a long and distinguished combat career, surviving 110 combat missions with the 376th Bomb Group. After the low level Ploesti mission, the plane was sent back to Britain. From Britain, it was flown back to Fort Worth, Texas, by Lt. John S. Young and crew, with Lt. Royden LeBrecht and his crew, flying Lt. LeBrecht's plane, The Squaw, and Walter Stewart flew home to the U.S. in the B-24D, Bomerang. The Blue Streak's last 10 missions, before it was sent home, were flown by Captain Melvin H. McClain from Bend, Oregon.
The Blue Streak, survived 19 months of air battles overseas, and 1,058 combat hours. Her scoreboard reads, one destroyer, one merchant ship, one oil tanker, and 23 enemy aircraft destroyed. She dropped 297 tons of bombs, and never lost a crewman in combat. The plane required 19 engines, two new wings, one new rudder, and many aluminum patches to keep her flying during her career.
The Blue Streak, serial number 41-11613, was originally named Florine Ju Ju. Her RCL was #10. She was on the Halverson Project's (Halpro's) first bombing mission to the Ploesti oilfields on June 12, 1942. She flew 22 missions as aircraft #10.
Following the creation of the 376th Heavy Bomb Group in November, 1942, her RCL was changed to #35. She flew another dozen missions as #35.
In the spring of 1943, the 376th's B-24s were again renumbered, this time to align their RCLs with the squadrons they flew with. Florine Juju, 41-11613, was assigned, #71, and went through two name changes. The sequence of name changes were, Florine Ju Ju, to, Teggie Ann, and, then, finally, to, The Blue Streak. There, also, was another, Teggie Ann, serial number 42-40664, in the 376th Heavy Bomb Group. The change from, Teggie Ann, to, The Blue Streak, may have occurred when, 42-40664, Teggie Ann, arrived and was assigned to Col. K.K. Compton as the element lead ship for the 376th, and the 93rd bomb Groups.
The Blue Streak, ended her career with over 110 missions, the largest number of missions any B-24 had flown until the newer B-24J, named, Boomerang (a different plane and name spelling), surpassed it's record. For it's very last mission, The Blue Streak, flown by Lt. John Young, joined two other survivor B-24D aircraft from the MTO, The Squaw, flown by Lt. Royden LeBrecht, who had slowed down in his relatively undamaged, Squaw, over Ploesti after successfully bombing his target at White IV, in order to join up with Lt. Young and Col. John Kane, limping away from Ploesti in their shot up B-24D, Hail Columbia, to give them extra defensive cover from marauding German and Romanian fighter aircraft, as they all departed the target area. Also accompanying them was Maj. Walter Stewart, who flew the B-24D, named, Bomerang, with them, first, to Fort Worth, Texas, for a war bond tour and a visit to the Consolidated Aircraft Plant #4, before taking their famous planes around the U.S. to tour, show their planes, and tell their harrowing combat experiences to the Consolidated employees and their families at other B-24 assembly plants. 1944.
The Blue Streak's last crew :
Jose Felix
Waino Hakkinen
Henry Magaram
Thomas McGrain
James Milne
Alfred Runyan
Ivan Schwartz
Ralph Thompson
Willard Tressler
Arthur Weil
Richard Weizenegger
John Young
Service
Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, named, Teggie Ann, 42-40664, should not be mistaken for another of two other B-24Ds, two of three B-24Ds, 41-23754, and 41-11613, also named, Teggie Ann, that were in the 8th Air Force in the U.K in 1942-43. Later, 42-40664, Teggie Ann's,...
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Units
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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...
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Detachment
HALPRO or the Halverson Detachement was a group of 23 B-24 Liberators originally destined to join the 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, India Theatre of operations.
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People
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Bombardier | 376th Bomb Group
Lt. Jose Reis Felix was a bombardier on the B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. The plane went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th Bomb Group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Captain | Co-Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Lt. Wiano Hakinnen was assigned to 514BS, 376BG, 9AF USAAF. Co-Pilot of B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. A/C went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th bomb group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Armorer / Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
SSgt. Henry Magaram was assigned to 514BS, 376BG, 9AF USAAF, as an armorer/ gunner of the B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. the plane went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th bomb group and was sent home for a war...
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | B-24 Navigator | 376th Bomb Group
Lt. McGrain, of the 515th Bomb Squadron, flew on the Operation Tidal Wave mission with Lt. Edwin L. Gluck on, 030, B-24D, 41-24030. It was his eighth combat mission. He referred to this aircraft as, Good Time Charley. He also flew on the B-24 42-73084,...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
SSgt. James Milne was assigned to the 514th Bomb Squadron, the 376th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, USAAF.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | B-24 Waist gunner | 376th Bomb Group
TSgt. Alfred Runyon was assigned to 514BS, 376BG, 9AF USAAF. Crewmember of B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. A/C went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th Bomb Group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
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Military | Sergeant | 376th Bomb Group
SSgt. Ivan Schwartz was a crewmember on the B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. The A/C went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th Bomb Group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Major | B-24 Command Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Pilot of the B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of the 514th BS, the 376th BG, (TDY) to the 9th AF. The airplane and crew went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th Bomb Group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | B-24 Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
TSgt. Willard Tressler was assigned to 514BS, 376BG, 9AF USAAF. Crewmember of B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. A/C went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th bomb group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
SSgt Arthur Weil was a crew member of B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. A/C survived 110 missions with the 376th bomb group and was sent home for a war bond tour.
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
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Missions
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12 June 1942
The first Army Air Force Combat mission in Europe during the Second World War, saw 13 B-24 Liberators, originally destined for China, bomb oil refineries in Ploesti, Roumania. While the raid had little impact, it proved the concept that Heavy bombers...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Assigned |
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514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF.
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War Bond Tour |
Fort Worth, TX, USA |
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Started War Bond Tour at Fort Worth, TX, USA.
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