Lloyd Herbert Hughes

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-46074.jpeg UPL 46074 B-24D - Command Pilot Lt Lloyd H. "Pete" Hughes from the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group the "Sky Scorpions" from England, flew his B-24, 'Oleon "Operation Tidal Wave" to destroy the German's oil refineries at Ploesti Romania. As Hughes approached his target refinery at low altitude, his B-24 took two direct flak hits in his left wing and in one of his auxiliary gas tanks in his bomb bay and began streaming gasoline out of his wing and his fuselage, but he continued on, determined to bomb his target, the Steaua Romano refinery near Campina, Ploesti. As he closed in to the target, Pete saw his path was blocked by a wall of fire from a refinery already having been bombed ahead of him, yet he made his decision to fly through the flames knowing very well they would set his own airplane on fire. With his plane on fire and failing, Hughes successfully bombed his target, and only then did he attempt to land and save his crew. As che attempted to landin a dry river, a wingtip hit the side of the riverbank and cartwheeled his plane, 'Ole Kickapoo' into a flaming fireball killing everyon but two gunners, who survived the crash. ~ 2nd Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his skill and determination to attack and bomb his target with no regard to his own life and safety. ~ KIA 1 Aug ,1943.

Removed associations not depicted in the image. Associated content should be added to the AIRCRAFT and/or PERSON records.

Object Number - UPL 46074 - B-24D - Command Pilot Lt Lloyd H. "Pete" Hughes from the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group the "Sky Scorpions" from England, flew his B-24, 'Oleon...

Lloyd Herbert Hughes Jr., better known to his friends, as "Pete," flew his fifth mission, as pilot of a B-24D Liberator bomber in an attack against the Axis oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania. He was killed August 1, 1943 when his plane was severely damaged by enemy ground fire prior to his reaching his target just north of Ploesti at Campina, Romania. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and absolute determination to carry out his mission to bomb the Campina Refinery Complex with no thought of his own safety, no matter what the cost would be.



Lloyd Hughes was born on 12th July 1921 in Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, to Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Sr. and Mildred Mae Rainey. But, by 1923, his father was out of the picture, and his mother was working as the Post Mistress in Onalaska, Polk County, Texas. While still living there, Mildred married her second husband, John Raymond Jordan, Sr. in 1924.



Based on the children's births after this marriage, the family lived in Onalaska, Texas, in 1925, Oakhurst, Texas in 1927, and Huntsville, Texas in 1929. They lived in Trinity County, Texas at the time of the 1930 Census, and their last child together was born Josser and, Trinity County, Texas in 1931. According to the 1940 Census, the parents and five children were living in Refugio, Texas in, in 1935. Hughes graduated from Refugio High School in 1939, attended Corpus Christi Junior College in Corpus Christi, and enrolled at Texas A&M to study petroleum engineering.



Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, in January 1942, Hughes enlisted as an aviation cadet with the Army Air Forces in San Antonio, Texas. He trained at several bases in Texas and Oklahoma over the next year. In November 1942, he married Hazel Dean in San Antonio. Two days later in Lubbock, Hughes received his pilot's wings and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S Army Air Corps.



Hughes was assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 389th Heavy Bombardment Group, the "Sky Scorpions", and the 564th Bombing Squadron. Maj. Philip Ardery, the 564th's Squadron Commander, described Hughes in his book, "Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II", as, "a laughing, youngish, handsome lad, and a much better than average pilot." Hughes was stationed at airfields in Utah, Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska, before being sent overseas in June 1943.



Lt. Hughes and the crew of the B-24D Liberator named by his co-pilot, Ole Kickapoo, flew to England in early June 1943, along with the rest of the 389th Bomb Group. At the end of the month, the bomb group was on the move again to Benghazi, Libya. They flew in four bombing missions that July, one over Greece and three over Italy. Hughes' and his crew's last raid was Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to destroy the Germans' oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania.



On Aug. 1, 1943, B-24 Liberators of the 9th Air Force, the 98th, the 44th, the 93rd, and the 376th Bombardment Groups, and Pete Hughes' 389th Bomb Group, left bases near Benghazi, Libya, to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Romania to bomb and destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti. Military officials expected a high number of casualties. Hughes' Squadron Commander Major Philip Ardery wrote what many of the American flyers thought : "The raid could almost be characterized as a suicide mission.", except they would have left out the word, "almost" !



Approaching his bombing target at the Steaua Romana refinery complex at Campina, Romania, German flak guns made two direct hits on Lt. Hughes' plane, blowing large holes in his left wing and in one of the two 300 gallon aux gas tanks in his bomb bay. Gushers of raw gasoline began streaming from Hughes' left wing and fuselage, his top turret, and his waist gun windows and bomb bay. His close friend, Major Phillip Ardery, following Hughes, hoped he would decide to climb, withdraw, and drop his bombs from a higher altitude because, close ahead, they were about enter a "solid room of fire" above the already burning oil tanks and refineries in their flight path. But Hughes and his co-pilot, Lt. Ron Helder, drove their B-24 straight into the wall of fire and emerged from the high wall of flames with their left wing and fuselage streaming long sheets of fire. Still, severely on fire, Hughes and Helder, staying with their squadron at low level, continued onto their target and released their bombs successfully, hitting the Steaua Romano refinery. Only, then, as Ardery watched, did Hughes attempt to pull up to slow his plane and make a crash landing in the dry Prahova River Valley. As Hughes and Ron Helder settled, their right wing spar folded from the the intense heat of the plane’s fire and hit the Prahova Valley’s riverbank. The plane cartwheeled and crashed into the ground in a ball of fire. Hughes, his copilot, Lt. Helder, and crew died in the crash, minus two gunners, who, somehow, escaped from the burning crash, and survived with terrible burns. (2-POW/ KIA/ RTD. 1 Aug 43. 



Pete Hughes was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership, his skill, bravery, sacrifice, and, determination to carry out his mission with no thought to his own safety. Lt. Ron Helder and the rest of the ten member crew all received the nation's second highest honor and award, Distinguished Service Crosses.



"Pete had given his life and the lives of his crew to carry out his assigned task," Ardery wrote in his memoir. "To the very end he gave the battle every ounce he had."



Eight months after he was killed in action, on April 18, 1944, Pete Hughes' Medal of Honor was presented to his wife, Hazel. Hughes was the first of seven Texas A&M alumni to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II. On March 30, 2009, his family loaned the medal to the Sanders Corps of Cadets Center on the Texas A&M campus.



Pete Hughes' official Medal of Honor citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On August 1,1943, 2d Lt. Hughes served in the capacity of pilot of a heavy bombardment aircraft participating in a long and hazardous minimum altitude attack against the Axis oil refineries of Ploesti, Rumania, launched from the northern shores of Africa. Flying in the last formation to attack the target, he arrived in the target area after previous flights had thoroughly alerted the enemy defenses. Approaching the target through intense and accurate anti aircraft fire and dense balloon barrages at dangerously low altitude, his plane received several direct hits from both large and small caliber anti aircraft guns, which seriously damaged his aircraft, causing sheets of escaping gasoline to stream from the bomb bay and from the left wing. This damage was inflicted at a time prior to reaching the target when 2nd Lt. Hughes could have made a forced landing in any of the grain fields readily available at that time. The target area was blazing with burning oil tanks and damaged refinery installations from which flames leaped high above the bombing level of the formation. With full knowledge of the consequences of entering this blazing inferno when his airplane was profusely leaking gasoline from two separate locations, 2d Lt. Hughes, motivated only by his high conception of duty, which called for the destruction of his assigned target at any cost, did not elect to make a forced landing or turn back from the attack. Instead, rather than jeopardize his formation of bombers and the success of the attack, he unhesitatingly entered the blazing area and dropped his bomb load with great precision. After successfully bombing the objective, his aircraft emerged from the conflagration with the left wing aflame. Only then did he attempt a forced landing, but because of the advanced stage of the fire enveloping his aircraft his crippled plane shed it’s left wing, crashed into the ground, By 2d Lt. Hughes' heroic decision to complete his mission regardless of the consequences in utter disregard of his own life, and by his gallant and valorous execution of this decision, he has rendered a service to our country in the defeat of our enemies which will everlastingly be outstanding in the annals of our Nation's history."

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 389th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15045876 / 0-325990
  • Highest Rank: Major General
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 567th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36264953
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-728838
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Scorpion
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Berka, al Birkah
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Bengazi Airfield, Wheelus Airbase

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Alexandria, Louisiana 12 July 1921 Son of Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Sr. and Mildred Mae Rainey.

Died

Killed in action

Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943 Pilot, copilot, and crew, minus two, who survived their aircraft’s flaming crash, were Killed In Action (8-KIA) (2-WIA-RTD) during the Ploesti mission. The pilots bombed their  target and held formation after their B-24 aircraft, 42-40753, had taken two devastating flak hits, and was set on fire by ground flames causing it’s left hand wing spar to fail and depart the damaged airplane, crashing it into the ground. 1 Aug 43.

Other

Medal of Honor Citation

26 February 1944 For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On August 1943, 2d Lt. Hughes served in the capacity of pilot of a heavy bombardment aircraft participating in a long and hazardous minimum-altitude attack against the Axis oil refineries of Ploesti, Rumania, launched from the northern shores of Africa. Flying in the last formation to attack the target, he arrived in the target area after previous flights had thoroughly alerted the enemy defenses. Approaching the target through intense and accurate antiaircraft fire and dense balloon barrages at dangerously low altitude, his plane received several direct hits from both large and small caliber antiaircraft guns which seriously damaged his aircraft, causing sheets of escaping gasoline to stream from the bomb bay and from the left wing. This damage was inflicted at a time prior to reaching the target when 2d Lt. Hughes could have made a forced landing in any of the grain fields readily available at that time. The target area was blazing with burning oil tanks and damaged refinery installations from which flames leaped high above the bombing level of the formation. With full knowledge of the consequences of entering this blazing inferno when his airplane was profusely leaking gasoline in two separate locations, 2d Lt. Hughes, motivated only by his high conception of duty which called for the destruction of his assigned target at any cost, did not elect to make a forced landing or turn back from the attack. Instead, rather than jeopardize the formation and the success of the attack, he unhesitatingly entered the blazing area and dropped his bomb load with great precision. After successfully bombing the objective, his aircraft emerged from the conflagration with the left wing aflame. Only then did he attempt a forced landing, but because of the advanced stage of the fire enveloping his aircraft the plane crashed and was consumed. By 2d Lt. Hughes' heroic decision to complete his mission regardless of the consequences in utter disregard of his own life, and by his gallant and valorous execution of this decision, he has rendered a service to our country in the defeat of our enemies which will everlastingly be outstanding in the annals of our Nation's history.

Buried

Fort Sam Houston National CemeterySan Antonio, Bexar County, TX Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Revisions

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Bomber Pilot  -  A Memoir of World War II by Philip Ardery  -  p. 59, 60, 62, 67, 70, 104-6, 110, 111, 136, 223.

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Added details, names, places. - Kickapoo

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

"Bomber Pilot: A Memoir of World War II" - Phillip Ardery

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Spelling, punctuation. - Kickapoo

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorRajordan
Changes
Sources

1923 (postal records) mother was a post mistress in Onalaska, Polk County, Texas.
1925 (birth certificate) half brother born in Onalaska, Polk County, Texas.
1927 (birth certificate) half brother born in Oakhurst, San Jacinto County, Texas.
1929 (birth certificate) half brother born in Huntsville, Walker County, Texas.
1930 (1930 Census) lived in Trinity County, Texas.
1931 (birth certificate) half brother born in Josserand, Trinity County, Texas.
1935 (1940 Census) lived in Refugio, Refugio County, Texas.

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Lloyd Herbert Hughes - Wikipedia

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart ---- Bomber Pilot - Gen. Philip P. Ardery

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart ---- Bomber Pilot - Gen. Philip P. Ardery

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart ---- Bomber Pilot - Gen. Philip P. Ardery

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Lloyd H. Hughes - Pilot - Wikipedia Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 -- James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 -- James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Lloyd Herbert Hughes - Wikipedia

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 -- James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Ploesti The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 -- James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
Changes
Date
ContributorDieterle
Changes
Sources

U.S. Army Center of History > Medal of Honor > World War II (Recipients G-L) > HUGHES, LLOYD H. (https://history.army.mil/html/moh/wwII-g-l.html#HUGHES).

Date
ContributorRajordan
Changes
Sources
Date
ContributorRajordan
Changes
Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

AAM Database

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / won Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery during Ploesti raid.  Citation MACR 157

Lloyd Herbert Hughes: Gallery (9 items)