41-11825 - Hail Columbia - Little Chief Big Dog - Grumpy
Object Number - UPL 39169 - 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 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 to his crashed and wrecked airplane that he had carefully chosen as his personal plane for the second time and renamed it, Hail Columbia, after his alma mater, Columbia University. Likely, Kane was also thinking of his personal friends and men he had just lost on the terrible and deadly Ploesti mission, like his wrecked airplane. Pilots often 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. Crewmen on, Hail Columbia, on the Ploesti mission. 1 Aug 1943 : Col. John R Kane - Group Leader and Command Pilot - All of the crewmen who flew in, Hail Columbia, and on the Ploesti mission received the Distinguished Flying Cross medal for flying the mission. Lt. Norman "The Baron" 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.
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 -
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-661482
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: B-24D Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-29680
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer / Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16023226 / O-54160
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: - B-52 Bombardier
Places
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description: 177 B-24’s, of IX Bomber Command (including Heavy Bombers on loan from Eighth AF) are dispatched to bomb oil refineries at Ploesti and nearby Campina. The operation (TIDALWAVE) is costly, 54 planes and 532 airmen being lost, but damage to the targets...
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Sleepy - The Squaw
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Kickapoo
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Raunchy
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - The Vulgar Virgin - Hell From Heaven - Shoot Youre Faded
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Joisey Bounce - Utah Man
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 330th Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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. |
|
Other 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. |
|
Assigned |
Benghazi, Libya | 9th Air Force, 98th Bomb Group, "The Pyramiders", 344th Bomb Squadron. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo |
Revisions
Minor details added. - Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo.
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
Minor spelling, facts, and word changes for accuracy. --- The Ploesti Raid - Through The Lens - Roger A. Freeman - Kickapoo
https://www.hobbylinc.com/warbird-b24d-grumpy:hail-columbia - aircraft marking changes - Kickapoo
Best Web - B-24 - Hail Columbia
Information added. - Kickapoo
Associations. - Kickapoo
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Updated aircraft names. - Kickapoo
Changed all instances of aircraft name into sentence case to as per best practice for accessibility.
Information added - Kickapoo
Word and information changes - Kickapoo
Punctuation changes - Kickapoo
Wording, spacing, punctuation, and spelling changes for accuracy and clarity - Kickapoo
Wording and details changed for accuracy and clarity - Kickapoo
Word structure and changes for accuracy and clarity - Kickapoo
Best Web - B-24 - HAIL COLUMBIA - Contributor - Bill Whitney
Best Web - B-24 - HAIL COLUMBIA - Contributor - Bill Whitney
Best Web - B-24 - HAIL COLUMBIA - Contributor - Bill Whitney
Best Web - B-24 - HAIL COLUMBIA - info Contributor Bill Whitney
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Changes to connections - John S Young jr
Removed nicknames punctuation in names section - John S Young Jr
Spacing - John S Young Jr
Spacing changes - John S Young Jr
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Detail and letter spacing changes for clarity - John S Young Jr
Spelling and letter spacing changes for accuracy and clarity - John S Young Jr
Detail changes made for accuracy - John S Young Jr
Spelling, punctuation, and wording changes for clarity - John S Young Jr
Reformatted aircraft nickname to remove unnecessary punctuation and quotation marks
Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Added punctuation to the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.
Personal Archives - John S Young Jr
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- personal archives - John S Young Jr
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- personal archives - John S Young Jr
Into The Fire - Duane Schultz
personal archives - John S Young Jr
personal archives - John S Young Jr
personal archives - John S Young Jr
personal archives - John S Young Jr
personal archives - John S Young Jr
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Removed tidy symbols from nickname for clarity
Anatomy Of A Disaster -- Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr. ---- Black Sunday -- Michael Hill ----Into The Fire -- Duane Schultz ---- John S. Young, Jr. -- personal archives
Anatomy Of A Disaster -- Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Jr. ---- Black Sunday -- Michael Hill ----Into The Fire -- Duane Schultz ---- John S. Young, Jr. -- personal archives
Anatomy Of A Disaster - Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Together We Served.com ---- Into The Fire - Duane Schultz ---- John S. Young - Personal Archive
Anatomy Of A Disaster - Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Together We Served.com ---- Into The Fire - Duane Schultz ---- John S. Young - Personal Archive
Anatomy Of A Disaster - Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Together We Served.com ---- Into The Fire - Duane Schultz
Their Finest Hour : Col. John R. Kane and Hail Columbia
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Black Sunday - Michael Hill
U.S. Air Force Archives
Together We Served - U.S. Air Force Archives
Together We Served - Operation Tidal wave
b24bestweb.com ~ 'Little Chief Big Dog'
"Operation Tidal Wave"
"Together We served" "Operation Tidal Wave"
" Into The Fire " by Duane Cole Part III Chap 6 p. 104
Added details about the name "Grumpy" (source 11 November 2003 e-mail from Scott Flood, great-nephew of 41-11825 crew chief Charles Wilfred Brann)
