The B-24D Liberator aircraft, 41-24024, named, Bewitching Witch, in the 376th Bomb Group in the U.K. It was loaned to the 44th Bomb Group, temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force in North Africa, for Operation Tidal Wave, the low level mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. It was flown by 1st Lt. Reginald L. Carpenter's crew from the 67th Bomb Squadron in Britain. It was hit by flak and badly damaged over it's target refinery, and was limping home when it was attacked by enemy fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced to ditch in the Mediterranean Sea 127 kilometers north of Benghazi, Libya. The men knew ditching a B-24 was usually disastrous, as the aft fuselage would break off when the airplane hit the water, as the thin corrugated, roll up type, bomb bay doors would fail and buckle, letting the ocean water hit the aft bomb bay bulkhead, immediately ripping the fuselage into two pieces, which sank almost immediately, usually drowning the crew. Two of the crew's aircraft gunners, Walter Brown and Fred Durand, both, already badly wounded by flak splinters over Ploesti, were incapacitated or, possibly unconscious, or dead, and were trapped in the sinking aircraft and drowned. The other seven crewmen escaped the sinking B-24 and were rescued by British Air-Sea Rescue personnel. Aircraft failed to return (FTR). 2 KIA. 7 RTS. 1 Aug 43. MACR 15859.



Bewitching Witch's crew For The Ploesti Mission :



1st Lt. Reginald L. Carpenter - Pilot - RTS -

2nd Lt. Edwin L. Rumsey Jr. - Copilot - RTS -

2nd Lt. John E. Powell - Navigator - RTS -

2nd Lt. Martin L. Kullman - Bombardier - RTS -

TSgt. Vincent E. Huenerberg - Engineer - RTS -

TSgt. Joseph F. Manquen - Radio Operator - RTS -

SSgt. Rollin C. Looker - Waist gunner - RTS -

SSgt. Walter L. Brown - Waist gunner - KIA -

SSgt. Frederick Durand - Tail gunner - KIA -



Note : After the B-24D, 41-24024, named, Bewitching Witch, was shot down and lost, it's name was given to the B-24J, 42-73065, which was named, Bewitching Witch II. No records found for, 42-73065.