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 Robert 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. 8 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 nearly 67 percent casualties over their refinery targets. Lt. Neeley  was 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 RH side in the center of Flight 1. Sam Neeley was one of the several hundred airmen wounded, killed, missing, or captured on the Ploesti mission. Raunchy failed to return (FTR.) 8 KIA - 2 WIA-POW. 1 Aug 1943

Lt. Neeley and his crew, flew in Flight 1, the 1st wave 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. Lt. Neeley’s plane 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 sever a barrage balloon cable, but it's wing  pulled down an explosive charge attached to the cable, setting off an  attached explosive charge, which detonated when it hit the wing, partially folding it and sending the bomber crashing down to the ground, instantly killing Lt. Neeley and most of his crew, except two, who survived the crash. Somehow, and by some kind of miracle, Sam Neeley’s radio operator, Lt. Bill Shiffmacher, and one of Neeley’s waist gunners, Sgt. Nick Allen, were badly burned in the fiery crash, but survived and were taken to a Romanian hospital  by Romanian soldiers to recover and become POWs at Ploesti until they were rescued months later by U.S. airmen. Most of the dead crew members' remains were never found, recovered, or identified because of the extensive fire having totally burned up the airplane, Raunchy, and the crewmen inside. Aircraft - FTR.  8 KIA. 2 WIA-POWs.  1 Aug 1943. MACR 169.
                                                                                                                              Neeley's B-24D, Raunchy - 41-11819 - was 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, RH wing off, crashing the plane to the ground 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 resulting crash and fire, except two. The only two survivors of the crash were Radio Operator, SSgt. William W. Schiffmacher and Waist Gunner, SSgt. Nick Allen, who survived the crash and were taken prisoners. 2- WIA-POW. 1 Aug 43.




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. Earl 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 airmen surviving the Ploesti mission became prisoners in Romania and 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.