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42-40629

B-24 Liberator

  • B-24 Liberator #42-40629 'The Scorpion' 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, pilot Capt Kenneth M Caldwell front and center with cap ] and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Lt. Caldwell was shot down by FW190 fighters near Orleans, France in the B-24D 42-41013 named, 'Trouble'. Caldwell and his crew were killed in action (KIA), Jan 7, 1944.

    B-24 Liberator #42-40629 'The Scorpion' 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, pilot Capt Kenneth M Caldwell front and center with cap ] and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Lt. Caldwell was shot down by FW190 fighters near Orleans, France in the B-24D 42-41013 named, 'Trouble'. Caldwell and his crew were killed in action (KIA), Jan 7, 1944.

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  • Nose art of B-24 Liberator #42-40629 'The Scorpion' 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.

    Nose art of B-24 Liberator #42-40629 'The Scorpion' 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.

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The B-24D Liberator 42-40629, 'The Scorpion', with the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron, flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid, "Operation Tidal Wave" piloted by Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell and Col. Jack Wood observing, who successfully bombed their target, and returned safely to Benghazi, Libya. Both Lt. Caldwell and Col. Wood were awarded Distinguished Service Cross medals for their valour and determination in accomplishing their mission by finding and bombing their heavily defended target at Campina, Romania. August 1, 1943.

Service

Aircraft

  • 41-24226 'Joisey Bounce' - 'Utah Man'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, SN #41-24226, 'Joisey Bounce' was assigned to Pilot Col. Walter T. Stewart of the 330 Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, for the famous mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, Aug 1,1943. Col. Stewart changed his...

  • 41-24311 'Hadley's Harem'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, named 'Hadley's Harem' was Lt. Gilbert Hadley's personal airplane and the one he flew on the mission to destroy Hitler's oil refineries at Ploesti Romania in 1943. ...

  • 41-11819 'Raunchy'

    B-24 Liberator
    B-24D-CO Liberator - 'Raunchy' ...

  • 41-11825 'Hail Columbia' 'Grumpy' 'Little Chief Big Dog'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, 'Hail Columbia', # 41-11825, originally served in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was, first, the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's...

  • 41-11768 'KICKAPOO'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D Liberator, SN # 41-11768, 'KICKAPOO', was piloted by Lt. John S. Young from Dallas, Texas as part of the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron, which arrived in North Africa in early 1943. This airplane was...

  • 42-40753 'Ole Kickapoo'

    B-24 Liberator
    # 42-40753 - B-24D 'OLE KICKAPOO' - A Consolidated B-24D bomber from the 389th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force, and the 564th Bomb Squadron from England, with it's Command Pilot, 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, and his crew, who flew on "Operation Tidal...

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Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 389th Bomb Group

    389th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...

  • 565th Bomb Squadron

    565th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Kenneth Caldwell

    Military | Major | B-24D Co-Pilot - Command Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
    Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell from the 8th Air force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti with Col. Jack W. Wood, on 1 August 1943, flying a B-24D Liberator, 42-40629 named 'The...

  • John Fino

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. ETD Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME

  • Howard Gibson

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. 13 x combat missions. ETD Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME

  • Bernard Greeley

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. ...

  • Arthur Greenhalgh

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight engineer / Top turret | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. Awards: DFC, AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Otis Hamilton

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Lloyd Hughes

    Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
    ...

  • Stell Meador

    Military | Captain | Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • William Nessler

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Lavell Smith

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 565BS, 389BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40629. Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

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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...

Places

  • Benina

    Military site : airfield

  • Mellaha

    Military site : airfield

  • Berca

    Military site : airfield

  • Lete

    Military site : airfield

Events

Event Location Date
Survived Ploesti Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943

Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Capt Kenneth M Caldwell, returning safely to Libya. Flying in the Scorpion as navigator was Jack Wood, Commander of the 389th BG. As navigator he directed the whole group's formation to the target.
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, TDY 9th AF.
Nicknames
'The Scorpion'
Production block number
B-24D-80-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery

The B-24D 'Scorpion' was painted in overall Army olive drab green. It's insignia for early 1943 was a white star in a blue roundel with a yellow surround. The nose art was "The Scorpion" painted in large multi colored letters with a picture of a scorpion carrying a bomb with it's tail, on both forward sides of the nose.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
29 December 2020 17:03:44 Al_Skiff Changes to description
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com/scorpion-the2.htm
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2020 08:52:18 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Halls Of Valor - Kenneth Marion Caldwell
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2020 08:50:54 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Halls Of Valor - Kenneth Marion Caldwell
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2020 08:49:42 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Hall Of Valor - Kenneth Marion Caldwell
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2020 08:45:43 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Halls Of Valor - General Jack Weston Wood
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2020 05:30:41 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2020 05:27:24 Kickapoo Changes to markings and description
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
02 December 2020 10:23:02 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations and place associations
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
Date Contributor Update
02 December 2020 10:14:46 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations and person associations
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
Date Contributor Update
17 March 2019 22:49:28 Dieterle Changes to events
Sources

John T. Correll, "Twenty-Seven Minutes Over Ploesti," Air Force Magazine, Feb. 2015, p. 77.
Date Contributor Update
25 April 2015 17:13:34 Al_Skiff Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, person associations, mission associations and media associations
Sources

http://www.freewebs.com / http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://home.comcast.net

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