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

Events

Event	Location	Date
Assigned
514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF.
War Bond Tour	Fort Worth, TX, USA
Started War Bond Tour at Fort Worth, TX, USA.