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B-24 Liberator, 41-23729, "Shoot Luke", and crew. A/C flew on the Ploesti oil refinery bombing mission. Aborted. - Photo taken at Hardwick, Norfolk, England, on April 12,1943
Crew in photo, L-R:
1st Lt. John Murphy, San Diego, CA, 1st Lt. Archie Rantala, Brule, WI, 2nd Lt. Edmond F. Janic, Milwaukee, WI
2nd Lt. George G. Black, Monterey, CA, T/Sgt. Floyd H. Mabee, Lafayette, NJ, T/Sgt. William D. Mercer, Zanesville, OH
S/Sgt. Adam J. Hastak, New Orleans, LA, S/Sgt. George W. Foster, Akron, OH, S/Sgt. James D. Cowan, Boston, MA
S/Sgt. Mahlon D. Cressey, Biddeford, ME
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B-24 Liberator, 41-23729, "Shoot Luke", and crew. A/C flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, having to abort . Photo taken on April 12,1943 at Hardwick, Norfolk, England.
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B-24D Liberator, 41-23729, "Shoot Luke" - 328th BS - 93rd BG - 8th AF, being bombed up. A/C flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, having to abort . 1 Aug 43.
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Page 17 of the 93rd Bomb Group unit history.
Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations).
Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.
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Page 58 of the 93rd Bomb Group unit history.
Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations).
Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.
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RAF Form 441A Sortie Reports for the 93rd Bomb Group on Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing of Ploesti. - 1 August 1943.
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B-24D "Shoot Luke" - Nose Art - Bearded Man By Jug.
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B-24D - "Shoot Luke". Aborted Operation Tidal Wave, Ploesti, Romania. 1 Aug 43. MACR 4927
The B-24D, 41-23729, named, Shoot Luke, was assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force, temporarily deployed (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, Benghazi, Libya. Lt. George G. Black flew Shoot Luke on the Ploesti oil refinery bombing mission. He was forced to abort the mission with an engine failure. 1st Aug 43
Shoot Luke, flown by Lt. Charles R. Hutchens, was shot down on Oct 18, 1943, NLD, by enemy fighters over the North Sea, 215 km north of Texel, Netherlands. The entire crew was killed in action (KIA). MACR 4927
Service
Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 41-23729, named, Shoot Luke, was assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force, temporarily deployed (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, Benghazi, Libya. Lt. George G. Black flew Shoot Luke on the Ploesti oil...
Units
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Group
The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They...
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People
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
George G. Black took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator, serial number 41-23729. He aborted the mission over the Mediterranean Sea, due to his No. 4 engine failure. 1 Aug 1943.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 18 October 1943
AM/ PH
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Military | Second Lieutenant | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 18 October 1943
AM w/ Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
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Military | Technical Sergeant | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 18 October 1943
AM/ PH
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 328BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY to 9AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23729). Aborted over Mediterranean due to No. 4 engine failure.
...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 328BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23729). Aborted over Mediterranean due to No. 4 engine failure.
...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 18 October 1943
AM/ PH
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23729). Aborted over Mediterranean due to No. 4 engine failure.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 18 October 1943
AM/ PH
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Military | Staff Sergeant | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 18 October 1943
AM/ PH
Show more
Missions
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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...
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18 October 1943
This mission was composed of two fighter elements. The first element was a force of 33 P-38s from 55FG despatched to accompany bomber formations headed for Duren, Germany. Weather conditions prevented rendevous with the bomber stream and both the...
Places
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Military site : airfield
Planned as an RAF bomber airfield, Hardwick was used first by the 310th Bomb Group, equipped with B-25 Mitchells. B-24 Liberators of the 93rd Bomb Group moved in briefly in March 1943, then returned in June 1943 remaining until the end of the war and...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Assigned |
Benghazi, Libya |
1943 |
328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. TDY 9th AF.
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Survived Ploesti |
Ploiești, Romania |
1 August 1943 |
A/C flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, forced to abort.
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Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) |
North Sea |
18 October 1943 |
Shot down on Oct 18, 1943 by enemy fighters over the North Sea, 215 km north of Texel, Netherlands. The entire crew was KIA. MACR 4927
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