42-40316 - Snake Eyes
Object Number - UPL 15214 - The B-24D - 42-40316 - "Snake Eyes" - Flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. Crash landed, Sicily. - 1 KIA - 2 WIA. Aug 1, 1943.
The B-24D, Liberator, 42-40316, named, Snake Eyes, was in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 345th Bomb Squadron. Lt. Hillary Blevins and Copilot Lt. James O'Grady flew, Snake Eyes, on the deadly Ploesti oil refinery mission crewed mostly by replacements from the 389th Bomb Group. Snake Eyes, was damaged by flak over Ploesti and was unable to complete the long trip home to Benghazi. The two pilots crash landed the plane at Sicily. Gunner SSgt. Norris Deitrich was wounded by flak splinters but survived the mission. Gunner Earnie Martin was also hit by flak splinters over the target and died of his wounds. 1 KIA. 2 WIA. 1 Aug 43. B-24D - Snake Eyes - Crewmen On The Ploesti Mission : Hillary M. Blevins - Command Pilot Barner F. Clemens - Gunner - 389th Bomb Group - WIA
James E. O'Grady - Copilot - 93rd Bomb Group
William Toles - Navigator - 389th Bomb Group
Harold G. Moore - Bombardier - 389th Bomb Group
Harold G. Knotts - Engineer - 389th Bomb Group
Mark B. Weber - Radio Operator - 389th Bomb Group
John Probst - Tail Gunner - 389th Bomb Group
Norris F, Dietrich - Gunner - 389th Bomb Group
Earnest V. Martin - Waist Gunner - 389th Bomb Group - KIA
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17061565 / O-728554
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33237890
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32271998
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
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...
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Survived Ploesti |
Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 | Flew on the Ploesti oil refinery mission. Crash landed on Sicily. 1 KIA - 2 WIA. 1 Aug 43. |
|
Assigned |
Benghazi, Libya | 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. |
Revisions
USAAF AIRCRAFT MARKINGS AND CAMOUFLAGE 1941 - 1947 - Robt. D. Archer & Victor G. Archer. p. 103 Minor word changes. Removed the name, Snake Eyes. Unable to verify name. - Kickapoo
USAAF AIRCRAFT MARKINGS AND CAMOUFLAGE 1941 - 1947 - Robt. D. Archer & Victor G. Archer. p. 103 Minor word changes. Removed the name, Snake Eyes. Unable to verify name. - Kickapoo
USAAF AIRCRAFT MARKINGS AND CAMOUFLAGE 1941 - 1947 - Robt. D. Archer & Victor G. Archer. p. 103 Minor word changes - Kickapoo
USAAF AIRCRAFT MARKINGS AND CAMOUFLAGE 1941 - 1947 - Robt. D. Archer & Victor G. Archer. p. 103 - Minor word changes - Kickapoo
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Removed a couple of quote marks in the Markings section - Kickapoo
Changed all instances of aircraft name into sentence case to as per best practice for accessibility.
Word and spacing changes - Kickapoo
Word changes - Kickapoo
Best Web - B-24 - 42-40316 - SNAKE EYES
Best Web - B-24 - 42-40316 - SNAKE EYES
Name changed until further references found. - Kickapoo
Best Web - B-24 - 42-40316
Best Web - B-24 - SNAKE EYES - 42-40316
