media-14856.jpeg UPL 14856 B-24D Liberator, 41-24024, Bewitching Witch. In late March, or early April 1943, 41-24024 was given a new squadron base number, 34. The aircraft was loaned to the 44th Bomb Group for Operation Tidal Wave, the low level mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. It was flown by a crew from the 67th Bomb Squadron. Badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, the airplane was limping home when it was attacked by enemy fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced to ditch 127 km North of Benghazi, Libya. Two of the crew, gunners, Walter Brown and Fred Durand, already wounded over their target at Ploesti, were trapped in the flooding aircraft and drowned, the other seven men were rescued by British Air-Sea Rescue personnel. The aircraft crashed and failed to return from the mission (FTR). 1 Aug 43.

~ After this B-24D, 41-24024 was shot down and lost after the Ploesti mission. The 376th's crewmen gave it's name to a new B-24H, 42-73065, naming it, Bewitching Witch II, with a new squadron base number, 23.
~ The two men in this photo flew the B-24D-1-CO, Liberator, 41-23724, named, Doodlebug, on the Ploesti mission. They made it safely back to base. 1 Aug 43.

UPL 14856 - Added details - Kickapoo