Military
B-24D - 'Hail Columbia' - After Crash Landing at Nicosia, Cyprus - Aug 1, 1943. From left : Lt. Harry Korger/ Bombardier - Lt. Norman Whalen Navigator/nose gunner - kneeling, second from right, 1st Lt. Raymond Hubbard/ radio operator/ gunner, SSgt. Harvey Treace/gunner, TSgt Clarence Weckesser/ Engineer/ top turret gunner, SSgt. Neville Benson/waist gunner, SSgt. Joseph LaBranch/ gunner, SSgt. Frederick Leard/waist gunner . The next morning after the Ploesti mission, Monday August 2nd, 1943.
Operation Tidal Wave - General Brereton's last Tidal Wave briefing to the flying officers of the 98th Bomb Group. 1943
Lt. Raymond B. Hubbard was assigned to the 9th Air force, the 98th Bombardment Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron in Libya, North Africa, 1943. He took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying as a Waist Gunner and Radio Operator, in the B-24D Liberator bomber, #41-11825, 'Hail Columbia', Col. John R. Kane's Lead Aircraft for three Bomb Groups, his own 98th Bomb Group, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 389th Bomb Group. Lt. Hubbard and all of his crewmen survived the Ploesti mission and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their participation in it, August 1, 1943.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
SSgt. Neville C. Bensen took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943. He was a waist gunner in the Element Lead B-24D Liberator, # 41-11825, 'Hail Columbia', piloted by Col. John R. "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young. He...
Military | Colonel | Commanding Officer, Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and later the United States Air Force. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II, for his...
Military | Colonel | Bombardier Navigator | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Harold Korger was a bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force. He flew on the famous mission, Operation Tidal Wave, Aug 1, 1943, to knock out the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. ...
Military | Sergeant | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-11825.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Technical Sgt. Frederick A. Leard was a waist gunner assigned to the Element Lead B-24D Liberator bomber, named 'Hail Columbia', SN # 41-11825, flown by Col. John R. "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to...
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Pilot Lt. Samual Neeley was a B-24 Bomber pilot in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in WWII. He served in the 9th Air force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th bomb Squadron in North Africa, flying bombing and strafing missions, mostly against...
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
SSgt Harvey L. Treace - Born Dec 19,1918 -
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Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | B-24D Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
SSgt. Clarence Weckesser was the flight engineer and top turret gunner on the B-24D, named, 'KICKAPOO', in the 9th Air force, the 98th Bomb Group, called 'The Pyramiders', and the 344th Bomb Squadron out of Benghazi, Libya in 1942 and 1943. He flew on...
Military | Major | Navigator / Nose Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Norman Whalen joined the Army Air Corps in 1941. After graduating from Navigator School in Monroe, Louisiana, he received his commission as a Second Lieutenant and was assigned to the 9th Air force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron...
Military | Major | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lieutenant John S. Young was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Bored with college at SMU in Dallas, and knowing the country was headed for war, he joined the Army Air Force early in 1941 and began training as an aviation cadet. He was known as "Johnny"...
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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Squadron
The 344th Bombing Squadron was first activated at MacDill Field, Florida as one of the original three squadrons assigned to the 98th Bombardment Group. The 344th soon moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana, where it began to train as a Consolidated B-24...
B-24 Liberator
- Not to be confused with #42-40608, 'THE VULGAR VIRGIN' of the 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 328th Bomb Squadron - It also flew on the Ploesti mission, piloted by Lt. Claude Turner - Interned Turkey Aug 1, 1943 - Lt. Turner escaped from the...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, HAIL COLUMBIA, #41-11825, originally served in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was, first, the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's CO...
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57 B...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 02 February 2021 00:39:50 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 December 2020 03:55:34 | Kickapoo | Changes to nickname, biography, awards, person associations and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 September 2020 11:02:39 | general ira snapsorter | Created entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nationality, highest rank, role, biography, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Ploesti Sortie Reports for the 98th Bomb Group; |
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