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345th Bomb Squadron

Squadron

  • B-24D - #4111886 - 'Lil Joe' - 345th BS - 98th BG - 9th AF, was lost on 1st Aug 43 on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. 6 crew bailed, 2 survived descent, 'Lil Joe' exploded and crashed in a field. Pilot Lt Hussey and his radioman were pulled from wreck badly burned and became POW's. 4 POW, 5 KIA. MACR 222.

    B-24D - #4111886 - 'Lil Joe' - 345th BS - 98th BG - 9th AF, was lost on 1st Aug 43 on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. 6 crew bailed, 2 survived descent, 'Lil Joe' exploded and crashed in a field. Pilot Lt Hussey and his radioman were pulled from wreck badly burned and became POW's. 4 POW, 5 KIA. MACR 222.

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  • B-24D - Approaches the Astra Romano Refinery, code named,

    B-24D - Approaches the Astra Romano Refinery, code named, "White IV" at Ploest. Romania Aug 1, 1943

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  • B-24D-85-BO #42-40654

    B-24D-85-BO #42-40654 "Kate Smith" Code: R 98th BG - 345th BS - 12th AF

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  • T/Sgt Max Wendell Lower, Radio operator/gunner on B-24 'Old Baldy' 345BS, 98BG, 9AF.

    T/Sgt Max Wendell Lower, Radio operator/gunner on B-24 'Old Baldy' 345BS, 98BG, 9AF.

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  • 1st Lt Joseph E. Finneran 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF.

    1st Lt Joseph E. Finneran 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF.

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  • B-24 42-40102 'Old Baldy' nose art flanked by Navigator Worthington A. Franks (L) and Bombardier Joseph E. Finneran (R)

    B-24 42-40102 'Old Baldy' nose art flanked by Navigator Worthington A. Franks (L) and Bombardier Joseph E. Finneran (R)

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  • SSgt Edward M Rayzak

    SSgt Edward M Rayzak

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  • B-24 Liberator #41-11766 'Chug A Lug' 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF, flew in 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by LeRoy B Morgan, returning safely to Libya. Photo taken on war bond tour. Crew left to right: Front row T/Sgt. Richard A Kraham of Cooperstown, NY radio operator; S/Sgt. John I White of Plainview Arkansas, waist gunner 2nd Row: S/Sgt. John Martko, Mainville, NJ tailgunner; 1st Lt Charles B Hill Shreveport, LA navigator; 1st Lt John W Childers, Talent, OR co-pilot; 1st Lt Reuben J Weltha, Roland, IA pilot; S/Sgt. Donald F Swanson, Walsenberg, CO, waist gunner; 1st Lt Richard J Morrow, Madison, WI bombardier; S/Sgt Prentice Boston, Moundsville, WV, waist gunner; T/Sgt. Russel T Elkin, Markleysburg, PA Engineer, Sgt Boston and Elkin can be seen on top of the plane.

    B-24 Liberator #41-11766 'Chug A Lug' 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF, flew in 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by LeRoy B Morgan, returning safely to Libya. Photo taken on war bond tour. Crew left to right: Front row T/Sgt. Richard A Kraham of Cooperstown, NY radio operator; S/Sgt. John I White of Plainview Arkansas, waist gunner 2nd Row: S/Sgt. John Martko, Mainville, NJ tailgunner; 1st Lt Charles B Hill Shreveport, LA navigator; 1st Lt John W Childers, Talent, OR co-pilot; 1st Lt Reuben J Weltha, Roland, IA pilot; S/Sgt. Donald F Swanson, Walsenberg, CO, waist gunner; 1st Lt Richard J Morrow, Madison, WI bombardier; S/Sgt Prentice Boston, Moundsville, WV, waist gunner; T/Sgt. Russel T Elkin, Markleysburg, PA Engineer, Sgt Boston and Elkin can be seen on top of the plane.

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  • B-24 Liberator - #41-23661 - 'Black Jack' - 345th Bomb Squadron - 98th Bomb Group - 9th Air Force, and crew, flew on Ploesti oil refinery raid, diverting to Sicily. Aug 1, 1943 - T/Sgt Louis A. Hoffman Eng/Top Turret Gunner, 2nd from left kneeling.

    B-24 Liberator - #41-23661 - 'Black Jack' - 345th Bomb Squadron - 98th Bomb Group - 9th Air Force, and crew, flew on Ploesti oil refinery raid, diverting to Sicily. Aug 1, 1943 - T/Sgt Louis A. Hoffman Eng/Top Turret Gunner, 2nd from left kneeling.

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  • B-24 Liberator 42-40102 'Old Baldy' lost near the target, Ploesti, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Rumanian 80 mm. Pilot 1st Lt John J Dore. 10 KIA. MACR 223. Rear L-R: Frank Norris, Joe Finneran, Worthington Franks, Will D Buchanan, John J Dore. Front L-R: Max Lower, Joe Iosco, Stan Packer, Wes Jones

    B-24 Liberator 42-40102 'Old Baldy' lost near the target, Ploesti, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Rumanian 80 mm. Pilot 1st Lt John J Dore. 10 KIA. MACR 223. Rear L-R: Frank Norris, Joe Finneran, Worthington Franks, Will D Buchanan, John J Dore. Front L-R: Max Lower, Joe Iosco, Stan Packer, Wes Jones

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Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic crossing from Brazil to Liberia, then transited east across central Africa to Sudan. Lastly the group reformed with the ground echelon which traveled by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, joining with air echelon in British Palestine.

Assigned to the newly formed IX Bomber Command, the squadron operated from airfields in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert Campaign. Also staged long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military and industrial targets in Sicily; Italy and the Southern Balkans, including attacking the Nazi-controlled oilfields at Ploiești, Romania.

Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy; continuing strategic bombardment raids on Occupied France; Southern Germany; Austria and targets in the Balkans. In the summer of 1944, the squadron participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries.

The squadron returned to the United States in May 1945; being redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bomb squadron and began training for deployment to the Central Pacific Area and conduct strategic bombardment raids over the Japanese Home Islands. Training continued until the unit was inactivated at the end of July, its equipment and personnel being merged into the other three squadrons of its host group.

Structure

Part of
  • 98th Bomb Group

    98th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942. ...

Encompassing
Not yet known
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Connections

People

  • Hilary Blevins

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 42-40316.

  • Prentice Boston

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. John Childers crew. Completed tour. Returned to USA with B-24 'Chug A Lug' for war bonds tour. Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • William Buchanan

    Military | First Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 98th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. John Dore crew. Missed the Ploesti oil refinery due to dysentery. ETD Awards: DFC, AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Roy Carney

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
    SSgt Roy E. Carney was the tail gunner of the B-24D Liberator, 41-24195, 'LIL JOE". ...

  • Eldon Carter

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Tail Gunner B-24 42-40312 'Aire Lobo', Lost over Ploesti 1 Aug 43 - A/C was hit by flak before the target and again in the cockpit area after bombing. Gunners believed wounded. A/C came down in the target area...

  • John Childers

    Military | First Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 98th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Completed tour. Returned to USA with B-24 'Chug A Lug' for war bonds tour. Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Barner Clemens

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 42-40316.

  • Norris Dietrich

    Military | Staff Sergeant | 98th Bomb Group
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 42-40316.

  • John Dore

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Pilot on B-24 42-40102 'Old Baldy' Lost near the target, Ploesti, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Rumanian 80 mm. Pilot 1st Lt John J Dore. 10 KIA. MACR 223. Awards: SS, DFC, AM (5OLC), PH.

  • Russell Elkin

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight engineer / Top turret | 98th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. John Childers crew. Completed tour. Returned to USA with B-24 'Chug A Lug' for war bonds tour. Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

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Aircraft

  • 42-40402 'The Sandman'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, named 'The Sandman' and flown by Lt. Robert Sternfels in the 9th Air force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 345th Bomb Squadron, flew on the famous mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Lt. Sternfels flew in...

  • 41-11886 'Lil Joe'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, named, 'Lil Joe', SN #41-11886, was flown on Operation Tidal Wave to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, by Lt. Lindley Hussey. 'Lil Joe' was lost on the Ploesti oil refinery raid. The aircraft was hit by flak and had a large...

  • 42-40102 'Old Baldy'

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) with John Dore crew Ploesti; Lost near the target, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Romanian 80 mm. 10 x Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 223.

  • 41-23795 'Miss Julie' 'Sneezy'

    B-24 Liberator
    Equipped with radar and was used in a sea search role early in its career and may have been operated by other than the 343rd BS. ...

  • 41-23661 'Black Jack'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D Liberator, #41-23661, 'Black Jack', was assigned to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 345th Bomb Squadron, in North Africa. 'BLACK JACK' flew on the Ploesti oil refinery bombing mission, piloted by Delbert H. Hahn. After...

  • 41-11766 Chug A Lug

    B-24 Liberator
    Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Leroy B Morgan, returning to Libya, 1 KIA [T/Sgt James VanNess, NJ] and 2 WIA (2nd Lt Victor Larson - Navigator, and T/Sgt Robert L. Tipton - Engineer).

  • 42-40316 'Snake Eyes'

    B-24 Liberator
    B-24 Liberator #42-40316 'Snake Eyes' 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, crash landing on Sicily, 1 KIA / 2 WIA.

  • 42-40654 Kate Smith

    B-24 Liberator

Citations

None

Air Force
9th
12th
15th
Type
Combat
Type category
Bombardment
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known
Aircraft used
  • B-24 Liberator

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
01 November 2016 02:50:45 466thHistorian Created entry with type, category, name, description, air forces, aircraft types, unit encompassing associations, aircraft associations and media associations
Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/345th_Bomb_Squadron

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