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41-11886

B-24 Liberator

  • B-24D - #4111886 - 'Lil Joe' - 345th BS - 98th BG - 9th AF, was lost on 1st Aug 43 on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. 6 crew bailed, 2 survived descent, 'Lil Joe' exploded and crashed in a field. Pilot Lt Hussey and his radioman were pulled from wreck badly burned and became POW's. 4 POW, 5 KIA. MACR 222.

    B-24D - #4111886 - 'Lil Joe' - 345th BS - 98th BG - 9th AF, was lost on 1st Aug 43 on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. 6 crew bailed, 2 survived descent, 'Lil Joe' exploded and crashed in a field. Pilot Lt Hussey and his radioman were pulled from wreck badly burned and became POW's. 4 POW, 5 KIA. MACR 222.

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  • B-24D - 'LIL JOE' - B-24-D-CO - # 41-11886 - 9th Air Force - 98th Bomb Group - 345th Bomb Squadron - Port / Left Side - A dice roll combination of 4 in craps is referred to as,

    B-24D - 'LIL JOE' - B-24-D-CO - # 41-11886 - 9th Air Force - 98th Bomb Group - 345th Bomb Squadron - Port / Left Side - A dice roll combination of 4 in craps is referred to as, "Little Joe". - Lost on Operation Tidal Wave. Aug 1, 1943

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The B-24D, named, 'Lil Joe', SN #41-11886, was flown on Operation Tidal Wave to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, by Lt. Lindley Hussey. 'Lil Joe' was lost on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. The aircraft was hit by flak and had a large fuel leak in one of it's bomb bay gas tanks prior to bombing it's target, but it's pilot, Lt. Hussey, pressed on and bombed the target with the plane bursting into flames from the leaking gasoline. Hussey pulled aircraft into climb to enable a bail out. Six crewmen bailed. Two survived their descent. SSgt Roy Carney, the tail gunner, was killed. KIA. 'Lil Joe' exploded and crashed in a field. Lt. Hussey and his radioman were pulled from the wrecked aircraft badly burned and became POW's. - 4 POW - 5 KIA. MACR 222.

Service

Aircraft

  • 41-11886 'Lil Joe'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, named, 'Lil Joe', SN #41-11886, was flown on Operation Tidal Wave to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, by Lt. Lindley Hussey. 'Lil Joe' was lost on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. The aircraft was hit by flak and had a large...

Units

  • 9th Air Force

    9th Air Force

  • 98th Bomb Group

    98th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942. ...

  • 345th Bomb Squadron

    345th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron
    Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic...

People

  • Roy Carney

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
    SSgt Roy E. Carney was the tail gunner of the B-24D Liberator, 41-24195, 'LIL JOE". ...

  • Lloyd Fowler

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret / Flight Engineer | 98th Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 41-11886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to...

  • Raymond Heisner

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner
    Crew member of B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to...

  • Lindley Hussey

    Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
    Lt. Lindley Hussey was the pilot of the B-24D liberator bomber, #41-11886, named, 'Lil Joe', lost on the Aug 1, 1943 Ploesti oil refinery raid. As Lt. Hussey, flying in Flight 3 behind the fist two flights ahead of him, approached his target, he took...

  • Donald Jenkins

    Military | Lieutenant | Co Pilot
    Co Pilot of B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to...

  • Phillip Nelson

    Military | Lieutenant | Navigator
    Navigator of B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to...

  • Allan Peterson

    Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier
    Bombardier of B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to...

  • Edmond Terry

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator
    Radio Operator of B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb...

  • James Turner

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner
    Crew member of B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to...

Missions

  • Operation Tidal Wave

    1 August 1943
    Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D 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 B...

Events

Event Location Date
Failed To Return FTR Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943

B-24 #4111886 'Lil Joe' lost on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, A/C had large fuel leak in bomb bay prior to target, pressed on and bombed target with A/C bursting into flames from leaked fuel, pilot pulled aircraft into climb to enable bail out, 6 crew bailed, 2 survived descent, Lil Joe exploded and crashed in a field, pilot Lt Hussey and radioman pulled from wreck badly burnt and became POW's. 4 POW, 5 KIA. MACR 222.
Assigned

345th BS 98th BS, 9th AF.
Nicknames
'Lil Joe'
Production block number
B-24-D-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery

'Lil Joe' was painted in the Army's standard "sand"- tan color for the MTO African theater, which oxidized into a light pink color in the hot African sun and heat. It's name, 'Lil Joe', was painted in small letters on the left and right side of it's forward nose section under a picture of two dice with four points up, called a "Little Joe" score. It's insignia's were white stars inside of blue roundels with a yellow border. It's RCL, "S", was painted on the outboard sides of it's vertical stabilizers with it's abbreviated serial number, 111886.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
22 April 2021 18:50:43 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Roy Carney - FindAGrave
Date Contributor Update
03 April 2021 14:23:18 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 41-11886
Date Contributor Update
03 April 2021 14:09:30 Kickapoo Changes to description, aircraft associations and unit associations
Sources

Best web - B-24 - 41-11886
Date Contributor Update
03 April 2021 14:06:26 Kickapoo Changes to production block number, manufacturer and description
Sources

Best web - B-24 - 41-11886
Date Contributor Update
03 April 2021 13:55:34 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Best web - B-24 - 41-11886
Date Contributor Update
27 March 2015 09:50:45 Al_Skiff Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, person associations and mission associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR222

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