Halverson Detachment

Detachment

media-16630.jpeg UPL 16630 The B-24D, 41-11613, Florine Juju - Halpro # 10. This plane was allocated to the Halverson Project ( Halpro ) in 1942. The USAAF project had been diverted from planned Lend Lease allocations. The Halpro inventory formed the First Provisional Bomb Group in the Middle East under the IXth Bomber Command control. Later, the 376th Bomb Group from the U.K. was activated in theater from the remnants of the Halverson Project. While the aircraft number was still, # 10 , the smaller lettered name, Teggie Ann, was added to the plane in the 376th Bomb Group, later named and numbered, # 71, Teggie Ann, then, finally, it was renamed, The Blue Streak, with it's aircraft number, # 71. After a long and successful combat career, The Blue Streak, was flown to Britain and, then, to the U.S. by Lt. John S. Young with Lt. Royden LeBrecht and his crew in his B-24D, The Squaw, and Walter Stewart in the B-24D, Bomerang, for a national war bond tour. 1944

B-24 Best web

Best Web - B-24 - 41-11613

Object Number - UPL 16630 - The B-24D, 41-11613, Florine Juju - Halpro # 10. This plane was allocated to the Halverson Project ( Halpro ) in 1942. The USAAF project had been...

HALPRO or the Halverson Detachement was a group of 23 B-24 Liberators originally destined to join the 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, India Theatre of operations.

Under the command of Colonel Harry Halverson the detachment was originally assigned to conduct raids on Japanese Home Islands. The detachment was to fly from Florida to China via Africa but the Japanese offensive in Chekiang, China in May 1942 disrupted this plan.

The Heavy Bomber HALPRO force was then tasked with disrupting German petroleum plants in support of the British in North Africa. HALPRO departed the United States on 22 May 1942, flying for Egypt via Sudan. The 4,000 mile journey meant that some of the aircraft were grounded on arrival in Egypt.

On 11 June 1942, 13 HALPRO B-24s carried out the first USAAF attack on Europe, when they bombed oil refineries in Ploesti, Roumania, while the raid had little impact, it proved the concept that Heavy bomber could carry out long-range attacks against defended targets.

The HALPRO Detachment ultimately remained in the Mediterranean theatre. on 17 July 1942, the detachment was redesignated the Hal Bomb Squadron. It ultimately formed 376th Bomb Group when it was constituted in October 1942.