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Lt. Harold Korger was the navigator on the B-24D, Liberator, heavy bomber, 41-11825, Hail Columbia, on Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, in 1943. Hail Columbia, was named and piloted by Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young from Dallas Texas, on the mission. Note the four extra .50 caliber fixed nose guns, visible in this photo, which were added to the the lower front plexiglass nose of the five lead aircraft on the Ploesti mission to strafe and suppress the German flak guns ahead of the bombers, as they made their low level bombing runs into the Ploesti oil refinery area. Hail Columbia, and all of it's crew members, including Lt. Korger, survived the Ploesti mission with over 150 counted flak holes in their airplane, yet, with no life threatening injuries to anyone on board. Knowing they could not return to their base at Benghazi, Libya, with their aircraft so heavily damaged by the German anti aircraft flak hits over the Astra Romano Refinery complex, Group Leader and Command Pilot Col. John Kane, and his navigator, Lt. Norman Whalen, decided to try to fly south to the island of Cyprus, and crash landed in the dark, on the British air base at Nicosia, August 1, 1943. Hail Columbia, was wrecked and written off, crash landing at the British air base, August, 1,1943. The next day, as the men inspected their wrecked airplane that had carried them into the burning hell of a bombing mission, and brought them safely home, there were tears in the eyes of their, normally, stoic Commander, John "Killer" Kane. Aug, 2,1943. That's how the men often felt about their airplanes that enabled them to accomplish their missions, then brought them home and saved their lives.
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Lt. James Rex Lindsey and his pilot, Gilbert Hadley, in "Hadley' Harem" followed the B-24D Liberator, 41-11825, named, "Hail Columbia"(and earlier, named, "Grumpy", at different times) out of the Ploesti area after being shot up over their targets. they didn't make it home (KIA) - crashed approaching the Turkish coast after turning back from Nicosia, Cyprus. "Hail Columbia" survived the Ploesti oil refinery raid, but crashed on landing after it's return to Cyprus and was abandoned. 1st Aug 43
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The B-24D Liberator, 41-11825, "Hail Columbia" survived the Ploesti oil refinery raid, crashed on its return to Cyprus and was abandoned. 1st Aug 43
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Nose art of B-24 Liberator, serial number 41-11825, "Little Chief-Big Dog", Grumpy, named by Col. John R. Kane for the Ploesti mission. August 1, 1943.
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The B-24D - Hail Columbia, after the Ploesti mission and crash Landing at Nicosia, Cyprus - Aug 1, 1943. From left : Lt. Harry Korger/ Bombardier - Lt. Norman Whalen Navigator/Nose Gunner - Kneeling, second from right, 1st Lt. Raymond Hubbard/ Radio Operator/ Gunner, SSgt. Harvey Treace/Gunner, TSgt Clarence Weckesser/ Engineer/ Top Turret Gunner, SSgt. Neville Benson/Waist Gunner, SSgt. Joseph LaBranch/ Gunner, SSgt. Frederick Leard/Waist Gunner . This photo taken the next morning after the Ploesti mission. Monday August 2nd, 1943.
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B-24D - HAIL COLUMBIA, 41-11825. This was originally the 98th Bomb Group Commander John R. Kane's airplane with the first nose art he had painted on it's nose, it's name, HAIL COLUMBIA, in block letters on both sides of it's forward nose section.
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B-24D, Hail Columbia. Crashed Nicosia Cyprus. 1 Aug 1943. Col. Kane holding jacket between #4 and #3 engine, #4 engine destroyed over Ploesti. Lt. John Young, also holding his jacket, Center, looking at Lt. Norman Whalen, who is looking at photographer. 2 Aug 1943.
The B-24D, Hail Columbia, 41-11825, was assigned to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was first assigned to the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's CO and turned it over to Herman "Big Dog" Lewis. Lewis changed the name to Little Chief Big Dog on the RH side of the forward nose section, but retained, Hail Columbia, in block letters on the left side. Following Lewis's death in another B-24, Little Chief Big Dog/Hail Columbia, was transferred back to the 98th Bomb Group's 343rd Bomb Squadron, where the right side art work was changed to a picture of, and the name, Grumpy, in compliance with the "Snow White Squadron" directive. Wilfred Brann was the crew chief and nose art artist for, Grumpy, in the 343rd Squadron. The name, Little Chief Big Dog, was removed prior to the Rome mission of July 19, 1943.
Just prior to the low level Ploesti mission, the 98th Bomb Group's CO, John R. Kane, returned his former plane back to the 98th's 344th Bomb Squadron, where a new form of the original, Hail Columbia, name and nose art quickly replaced, Grumpy's. According to Scott Flood, great nephew of 41-11825's crew chief, Charles Wilfred Brann, the name, Grumpy, had been chosen by TSgt Brann, "reflecting his personality, a short, stocky man, rather gruff and grumpy on the outside." Flood also wrote that, by Col. Kane's directive, Hail Columbia, was again repainted in red block letters over new nose art chosen by Col. Kane : a flying bald eagle carrying a large club, on both sides of Hail Columbia with stars in a circle under the eagle, on both sides of the forward nose section, for the Ploesti mission. So, Hail Columbia, was chosen by Col. Kane, for the second time, as his personal airplane and was one of the lead aircraft for the Ploesti mission.
John Kane and the crew of, Hail Columbia, bombed their target, White IV, and escaped Ploesti with one engine destroyed, two propellers on other engines damaged, and with over 150 counted flak holes in the airplane, and several crewmen wounded by flak shards, but recovered. They flew all the way south through Turkey to the Island of Cyprus. Col. Kane and his Copilot, John Young, crash landed, Hail Columbia, in the dark at Nicosia, Cyprus, after running over a ditch the British had dug across the runway's threshold, which took out their landing gear when they hit it at high speed. Hail Columbia was abandoned at Cyprus. 2 Aug 43.
The next day, while Col. Kane was looking over the plane, Young reported that there were tears in the normally stoic, Col. Kane's eyes, as he surveyed the damage of his crashed and wrecked airplane that he had carefully chosen as his personal plane for the second time and renamed, Hail Columbia, after his alma mater, Columbia University. Likely, Kane was thinking of the friends and men he had just lost on the terrible and deadly Ploesti mission, like his wrecked airplane. Pilots also had strong feelings, as well, about the airplanes they flew and that they felt had saved their lives and had brought them home to safety.
The crewmen aboard, Hail Columbia, for the Ploesti mission were:
Col. John R Kane - Group Leader and Command Pilot
First Lieutenant John S. Young - CoPilot -
First Lieutenant Norman Whelan - Navigator -
Staff Sergeant Neville C. Benson - Waist Gunner -
First Lieutenant Raymond B. Hubbard - Radio Operator -
Second Lieutenant Harold F. Korger - Bombardier -
Sergeant Joseph W. LaBranche - Gunner -
Technical Sergeant Frederick A. Leard - Waist Gunner -
Sergeant William Leo - Tail Gunner -
Staff Sergeant Harvey L. Treace - Top Turret Gunner -
All of the crewmen who flew on the Ploesti mission received the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying the mission. Lt. Whelan was also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for navigating his airplane and several others to safety at Nicosia, Cyprus. Lt. John Young received another Oak Leaf Cluster to his DFC and Silver Star. Col. John Kane was awarded the Medal Of Honor and another Oak Leaf Cluster to those already on his DFC.
Service
Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 41-24226, Joisey Bounce, was assigned to Pilot Lt. Walter Travis Stewart in the the 330th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force, for the large mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Col. Stewart changed...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator bomber, named, The Sandman, was named, and flown, by Lt. Robert Sternfels and his co-pilot, Lt. Barney Jackson, in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 345th Bomb Squadron, on Operation Tidal Wave, the famous mission to...
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B-24 Liberator
- The B-24D, 41-24198, in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron, was one of 2 B-24Ds in the MTO based at Benghazi, Libya, with identical nose art pictures, and both named, The Vulgar Virgin, this one, 41-24198, flown...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, named, Hadley's Harem, was Lt. Gilbert Hadley's personal airplane and the one he flew, with his CoPilot, Lt. James Lindsey, on the mission to destroy Hitler's oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. As Hadley was approaching his target refinery,...
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B-24 Liberator
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.
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-11761, was first named, Sleepy, by the men in the 8th Air Force and the 93rd Bomb Group in the U.K. It was, later, renamed, The Squaw, by it's Command Pilot, Lt. Royden LeBrecht, after being transferred to the 9th Air...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator, 41-11768, named, Kickapoo, was Lt. John S. Young's regularly assigned B-24D, after his 98th Bombardment Group moved out of Egypt, to the air bases at Benghazi, Libya. John Young was from Dallas, Texas, like so many of the men...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator, 42-40629, The Scorpion, in the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron, flew on Operation Tidal Wave, the bombing mission on the oil refineries, piloted by Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell and Col. Jack Wood...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 42-40753, was a Consolidated B-24D bomber from the 389th Bombardment Group, of the 8th Air Force, and the 564th Bomb Squadron from England. It's Command Pilot on Operation Tidal Wave, was 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, and his crew. They flew on...
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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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Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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Squadron
The 344th Bombing Squadron was first activated at MacDill Field, Florida as one of the original three squadrons assigned to the 98th Bombardment Group. The 344th soon moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, where it began to train as a Consolidated B-24...
People
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Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
SSgt. Neville C. Bensen took part in Operation Tidal Wave, over Ploesti, Romania, on 1 Aug 43. He was a waist gunner in the Element Lead B-24D Liberator, 41-11825, Hail Columbia, piloted by Col. John R. "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young. He survived...
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Gilbert Ben "Gib" Hadley was born and raised in Arkansas City, Kansas. He was the son of Perry Arthur Hadley and Beulah Pearl Bacastow, born 6-May-21. Kansas was his home and enlistment state, and Cowley County was included within the archival record.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Radio Operator | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Raymond B. Hubbard was assigned to the 9th Air force, the 98th Bombardment Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron in Libya, North Africa, 1943. He flew in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying as a Waist Gunner and Radio...
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Military | Colonel | B-24 Bomb Group Commanding Officer / B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
John Riley Kane was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and, later, in the United States Air Force. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, in World War II, for his leadership, courage, and...
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Military | Colonel | B-24 - B-52 Bombardier | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Harold Francis Korger was a B-24 bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 9th Air Force, based in Benghazi, Libya, 1943. He flew on the B-24D, Hail Columbia, with the Element Group Leader Col. John R. Kane, on the...
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Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-11825, Hail Columbia. 1 Aug 1943.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | B-24 Right Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Technical Sgt. Frederick A. Leard was a waist gunner assigned to the Element Lead B-24D Liberator bomber, named, Hail Columbia, 41-11825, flown by Col. John R. "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to destroy...
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Military | Captain | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Royden Louis LeBrecht was a B-24D command pilot in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron. He flew his B-24D, he named, The Squaw, on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at...
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Military | Sergeant | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-11825.
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Pilot Lt. Samuel Neeley was a B-24D Bomber pilot in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in WWII. He served in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron in North Africa, flying, bombing, and strafing missions, mostly...
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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...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Survived Ploesti mission |
Ploiești, Romania |
1 August 1943 |
A veteran of the low-level Ploesti, Romania mission on August 1,43. She survived the Ploesti mission, though badly damaged with one engine out and two others damaged but running.
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Crashed |
Cyprus |
1 August 1943 |
A veteran of the low-level Ploesti, Romania mission on August 1,43. She crashed on the island of Cyprus returning from the mission and was abandoned.
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Assigned |
Benghazi, Libya |
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9th Air Force, 98th Bomb Group, "The Pyramiders", 344th Bomb Squadron.
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