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Military
The B-24D - Hail Columbia, after the Ploesti mission and 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 . This photo taken 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 flew 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 Distinguished Flying Crosses for valor and bravery in carrying out their mission. August 1, 1943.
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
2nd Lt. Herbert W. Arens was a B-24D command pilot in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron. He flew the B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-11803, named, Rosie Wrecked 'Em, on the mission to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti,...
Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
SSgt. Neville C. Bensen took part in Operation Tidal Wave, over Ploesti, Romania, on 1 Aug 43. 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 survived...
Military | Colonel | B-24 Bomb Group Commanding Officer / B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
John Riley Kane was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and, later, in 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 leadership, courage, and...
Military | Colonel | B-24 - B-52 Bombardier | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Harold Francis Korger was a B-24 bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 9th Air Force, based in Benghazi, Libya, 1943. He flew on the B-24D, Hail Columbia, with the Element Group Leader Col. John R. Kane, on the...
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | 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, Hail Columbia. 1 Aug 1943.
Military | Technical Sergeant | B-24 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, 41-11825, flown by Col. John R. "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to destroy...
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Pilot Lt. Samuel Neeley was a B-24D 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...
Military | Major General | Command Pilot, Operations Officer, Commanding Officer, Observer | 389th Bomb Group
Lt. Col. Ramsay Potts flew 41 x combat missions in WWII, including deep penetrations from England to the Messerschmidt factory at Weiner Neustadt, Austria and German synthetic fuel plants. On 21-Nov-42, he was engaged by 5 x JU-88's over the Bay of...
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,...
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
- The B-24D, 41-24198, in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron, was one of 2 B-24Ds in the MTO based at Benghazi, Libya, with identical nose art pictures, and both named, The Vulgar Virgin, this one, 41-24198, flown...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator, Raunchy, 41-11819, was in the 344th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 9th Air Force, based at Benghazi, Libya, North Africa, in early 1943.
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, Hail Columbia, 41-11825, was assigned to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was first assigned to the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's...
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B-24D 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...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 03 September 2021 20:26:35 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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Capitals. - Kickapoo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 July 2021 09:24:33 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| 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 |
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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 |
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Ploesti Sortie Reports for the 98th Bomb Group; |
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