Frank B Kozak

Military

Object Number - UPL 49748 - Bleyer's crew after landing from the Ploesti raid. Rear L-R: Watts, Rumsey, Bleyer, Joswick, McGown (McCown), Sathia. Front L-R: Unk*, Looke, Kozak,...

Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-11896.

Connections

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Units served with

343rd Bomb Squadron

  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

41-11896

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Nightmare
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Operation Tidal Wave

  • 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...

Revisions

Date12 May 2021 11:16:02
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
ChangesCreated entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nationality, highest rank, role, biography, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

http://www.ploesti.com/roster.pdf;
https://www.98bg.org/kozak-frank-k8340-98bg.cfm

Frank B Kozak: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 49748 - Bleyer's crew after landing from the Ploesti raid...