The B-24D Liberator, Raunchy, 41-11819, was in the 344th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 9th Air Force, based at Benghazi, Libya, North Africa, in early 1943.

Raunchy, was flown by Lt. Sam Neeley, in Flight 1, of the B-24Ds in the 98th Bomb Group's planes on Operation Tidal Wave, over Ploesti, Romania. Raunchy, was destroyed, and 8 of it's crew, including Pilot Lt. Sam Neeley and his copilot, Lt. Herman Henslee, were killed in action. KIA, with 2 exceptions, the plane's radio operator, Sgt. William Schiffmacher and waist gunner, Nick Allen, both of whom survived the airplane's crash, though badly burned, and were captured - 2 WIA-POW. Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, was one of the most daring and desperate bombing missions of WW II. The 98th Bomb Group took 67 percent casualties over their refinery targets. Lt. Samuel Neely, close friends with both Col. John Kane and Lt. John Young, who were flying the Element Lead B-24D, Hail Columbia, off to Neeley's right side, in the center of Flight 1, was one the one hundred, or so, airmen killed on the Ploesti mission. Raunchy : 8 KIA - 2 WIA-POW. 1 Aug 1943

Lt. Neeley, and his crew, flew in Flight 1, the 1st wave (Flight 1) of the 98th Bomb Group's bombers attacking White IV. Command Pilot Lt. Neeley was flying at tree top level on the far left side of Flight 1. Raunchy, had already been heavily hit by the AA flak guns when the plane flew into a smoke column and hit a barrage balloon cable immediately after his bomb release. One of Raunchy's wings struck, but did not break the cable, and pulled down an explosive charge attached to it's cable, onto the airplane's wing. The explosive charge detonated when it hit the wing, partially folding it and sending the bomber crashing down to the ground, killing Lt. Neeley and most of his crew, who died instantly. Somehow, and by some kind of miracle, Sam Neely's radio operator, Lt. Bill Shiffmacher, and one of Neeley's waist gunners, Sgt. Nick Allen, were badly burned, but survived the crash and were rescued to became POWs at Ploesti. Most of the dead crew members' remains were never found, recovered, or identified because of the extensive fire having totally burned up, Raunchy, the airplane, and the crewmen inside. 1 Aug 1943. MACR 169.
B-24D, Raunchy - 41-11819 - Lost on the low level mission to Ploesti, Romania, and Failed To Return (FTR). Lt. Sam Neeley hit a barrage balloon cable over his target, White IV, and was impacted by an explosive charge attached to the balloon cable, which exploded and partially blew, Raunchy's, wing off, crashing the plane flying from an altitude of 150 feet. Raunchy, crashed into a field killing Lt. Neeley, Copilot Lt. Herman Henslee, and most of the rest of his crew in the crash and fire, except two. The only two survivors of the crash were the radio operator, SSgt. William W. Schiffmacher and waist gunner, SSgt. Nick Allen, who both survived the crash, along with the other Americans taken prisoners.

B-24D Raunchy's Crew Over Ploesti:

1st Lt. Samuel R. Neeley - Pilot - KIA
2nd Lt. Herman H. Henslee - Copilot - KIA
1st Lt. Joel I. Corn - Navigator - KIA
2nd Lt. Eugene L. Rodgen - Bombardier - KIA
TSgt. Karl T. Edelen - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner - KIA
SSgt. Robert P. Schultz - Gunner - KIA
SSgt. William W. Schiffmacher - Radio Operator - WIA-POW
SSgt. Alfred D. Cason - Gunner - KIA
Sgt. Nick A. Allen - Gunner - WIA-POW

- Note : The surviving Ploesti airmen prisoners in Romania were rescued by U.S. Army and U.S. Army Air Corps personnel and were flown out of Romania, and back to safety, some months later, in a special operation (Operation Gunn) by U.S. Army Air Force B-17s sent to rescue them from the approaching Russian army. 31 Aug 1944.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
FTR Failed To Return		1 August 1943
Lost on the Ploesti oil refinery bombing mission. Immediately after bomb release the A/C struck an AA barrage balloon cable with an attached explosive device, which, upon detonation, heavily damaged one of it's wings. 8 KIA, including Sam Neeley. 2 POW. The radio operator and a gunner survived the crash and became prisoners. 2 POW. Pilot Samuel R. Neeley KIA Ploesti. 1 Aug 43. MACR 169.
Assigned
In the 344th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, "The Pyramiders", in the 9th Air Force, "The Force For Freedom".