A new documentary on Operation Tidal Wave has been released on YouTube by TJ3 History (see link at bottom of post). Titled “Flying Through Hell to Bomb Hitler’s Oil | “Ploesti” the Documentary,” this 45-minute portrayal of the epic mission features CGI graphics interspersed with documentary film footage. It also has some perspectives from one of the mission pilots of the 98th Bomb Group B-24D “The Sandman,” Maj (then Lt) Robert Sternfels.
The documentary follows several B-24s through the mission, including 98th BG “Nightmare,” 376th BG “Brewery Wagon,” 98th BG “The Vulgar Virgin,” 93rd BG “Euroclydon the Storm,” 93rd BG “Hell’s Wench,” 93rd BG “Jose Carioca,” 98th BG “The Squaw,” 98th BG “Hail Columbia,” 44th BG “Suzy Q,” 98th BG “The Sandman,” and 389th BG “Ole Kickapoo.” Curiously absent from this short list was the mission’s true lead ship, the 376th BG’s “Teggie Ann” on whose flight deck perhaps the greatest error in mission execution on the American side of the mission took place that fateful day.
In general the documentary provides a fair overview of the mission. Generally speaking, the CGI rendering of the B-24s is superb. There are some inaccuracies, for example, depicting the mission aircraft carrying the ball turret on the belly (not present on many B-24s with the older ventral “tunnel gun” arrangement, removed for the low-level mission from others), and use of Circle B tail markings on 93rd Bomb Group (which were not yet introduced in August, 1943).
And there are some myths about Ploesti which continue to be propagated, for example, that the lead navigator for the mission was aboard the 376th BG B-24D “Wongo Wongo” (shown here crashing into the Mediterranean Sea enroute to Ploesti in 93rd BG livery). The command ship leading the mission was at the front of the bomber stream, in 376th BG’s “Teggie Ann.”
Having said this, it is recommended for anyone interested in the mission. Admittedly, 45 minutes doesn’t allow a lot of time to describe the complex mission’s origins and execution, and some details need correction or refinement as indicated above. It’s a fair effort, but the best documentary portrayal of Operation Tidal Wave is still yet to be made.
A Hand salute to the people of Romania on the cusp of their Great Union/National Day, celebrated on December 1!
It’s a wonderful experience to be published and contribute to the body of knowledge on a given subject. And perhaps even a bit more to be published in another country and language. I recently had the opportunity to contribute a historical article titled “The Last Ride of the “Brewery Wagon”” to the quarterly publication of the Romanian Air Force (Forțele Aeriene Române) official magazine, Cer Senin (Clear Sky).
Just this year Cer Senin began to publish an online English-language supplement to their magazine, something which will promote interoperability and understanding in the NATO environment and beyond. My article was published in both the Romanian- language edition and the English supplement.
The article’s origin is found in trans-Atlantic historical work over recent years with colleagues in Romania who further the study of the conduct and impact of Operation Tidal Wave, the epic August 1, 1943 USAAF low-level B-24 Liberator heavy bomber raid on the oil refineries of Ploiești, Romania. Operation Tidal Wave continues to draw interest and fascination – new details still emerge to help interpret the fierce air-ground battle, from archival sources in Romania to crash site exploration around Ploiești to the accounting for the missing from the raid by the US Defense POW/MIA accounting Agency, and more.
Based on input to my Romanian colleagues in the AeRoHistoria group to help tell the Operation Tidal Wave story which I submitted in 2021 to the National Museum of Romanian History (Muzeul Național de Istorie a României, MNIR) for the “Romania in the Second World War, 1941-1945” temporary exhibition, Gabriel Ivanescu suggested Cer Senin staff look at that input and consider a Tidal Wave article from a foreign contributor to the magazine.
Cer Senin staff member Adrian Sultanoiu reached out and asked if I might pen an article for Cer Senin based on my MNIR input about the Tidal Wave experience of the John Palm crew of the B-24D “Brewery Wagon,” the first B-24D shot down over Romanian territory on that fateful day. I agreed, and with the help of some friends I wrote the article which was accepted for publication in the July – September 2022 Issue of Revista Cer Senin Nr. 3 (170). A special thanks to Alexandru Arma for his contribution – I inadvertently left his name off the list of contributors.
The result looks fantastic! Credit to the Cer Senin team for an outstanding publication, well-done through and through, not just the historical part – please take a look and see!
The Defense Department’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA announced on 17 November 2021 that S/Sgt Charles G. McMackin, a member of the 44th Bomb Group shot down and killed on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal Wave, was accounted for. The date of accounting was 17 August 2020, but due to the requirements and process in next of kin notification and coordination it wasn’t announced until 17 Nov 2021.
Pictured here is S/Sgt Charles G. McMackin, at a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) microphone.
McMackin, of the 44th Bomb Group’s 68th Bomb Squadron, was assigned to serve as bombardier aboard B-24D-120-CO serial number 42-24995* according to some sources, letter W or C depending on the source, nicknamed “Satan’s Hell Cats.” This ship, -995, was one of the replacement aircraft flown in to Libya from Britain on 23 July 1943, just in time for participation in Operation Tidal Wave.
B-24D 42-40995 (American Air Museum in Britain)
Their target was near Brazi, just south of Ploesti, the Creditul Minier refinery, codenamed Target Blue. The 44th Bomb Group bombed it just as planned and practiced and took it out of the war. In the process, however, -995, briefed to fly on the extreme left of the first wave over the target, was hit by ground fire and smoke began to stream from number 1 engine. It was perhaps this smoke which attracted the unwanted attention of enemy fighters .
On making the navigational turn after hitting the target, McMackin’s aircraft had the misfortune to be set upon by German Luftwaffe Hauptmann Wihelm Steinhoff, from the headquarters flight (stab) of I/JG 4, flying a Me-109G-2 out of Mizil Airfield. Steinmann is often attributed in Tidal Wave books with shooting down the first B-24 on Operation Tidal Wave, “Brewery Wagon. Study of the battle in recent years suggests he did not perhaps shoot down the first combat loss at Ploesti, the 376th Bomb Group’s “Brewery Wagon,” but definitely did in the case of -995, as he himself was shot down by the bomber’s rear and top turret gunners in the low-level fight! Both aircraft fell fatally damaged to earth and burned in a field near each other about two miles south of the target.
Capt Rowland Houston’s B-24D with S/Sgt McMackin aboard burns in a field (left) near Brazi, Romania on the afternoon of 1 August 1943, with the burning wreck of its Me-109 assailant nearby (right). Gesturing with left arm and looking up is the fortunate survivor of the Messerschmitt crash, Hauptmann Wilhem Steinmann, who shot down the B-24 which shot him down as well. (Freeman, page131)
An eyewitness to -995’s demise was 68th Bomb Squadron Major George R. Jansen, pilot of 42-40071 “Margaret Ann II” who flew in the middle slot of the second wave and reported in MACR 3147: “One B-24 believed to be A/C 995 C, two miles after target was seen to be on fire in the waist and immediately thereafter A.C skimmed top of woods and fell over on other side of woods and exploded.”
Aviation historian Dan Melinte commented that not all of the bodies were recovered from the fiery crash site of -995, that maybe three were never recovered. Freeman’s states on page 131 that all nine of the Houston crew perished in the crash, but only six bodies were identified. Steinmann was thrown clear of his fighter in the crash and miraculously survived.
So, with the identification and accounting for Charles G. McMackin, the current accounting roster for the Houston crew shows as such, two members of the nine-man crew remain missing, Co-pilot Louis Girard and Navigator William C. Scott.
Like Girard and Scott, McMackin’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy. Now that he is accounted for, a rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he’s been identified.
McMackin is slated to return to his home state and will be buried on 14 April 2022, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Hat tip to Domnul Dan Melinte, who told me the news of McMackin’s accounting announcement even before the DPAA put a notice up on their website!
* There seems to be a snafu with the serial number for this aircraft, as Joe Baugher’s superb serial number website shows this number falls in the range between 42-24980 and 25039, which was assigned to the Curtiss-built P-47G-5-CU Thunderbolt, Republic P-47D-1s built under license by Curtiss-Wright Aircraft, Buffalo, New York. Designated P-47G, serial number 42-24995 (MSN 21889) was assigned to the 3rd Ferrying Group at Romulus Field, MI; It was destroyed in an accident on 21 Aug 43, in a collision with P-47G 42-25006 landing at Olmsted Field, Middletown, PA.
Instead, Baugher’s website indicates that late-model B-24D’s with a serial falling into the range between 42-40963 and 41002 were Consolidated B-24D-120-CO Liberators. And that the Houston crew flew 42-40995 (44th BG, 67th BS, 8th AF, “Satan’s Hell Cats”) shot down by Bf 109G-2 flown by Hptm Wilhelm Steinmann of JG 4/1 over Oregini, Rumania on return flight from Ploesti raid Aug 1, 1943. 9 KIA. MACR 3147 and 2416.
It was a distinct honor and privilege to be invited by the family to attend the memorial, interment and reception services held in honor of World War II Airman, Technical Sergeant (T/Sgt) Alfred Francis (aka Freddy) Turgeon in Shoreline, Washington on Saturday, 28 August 2021.
T/Sgt Alfred F. Turgeon, radio operator/waist gunner on “The Vulgar Virgin” lost in Operation Tidal Wave, Sunday, 1 August 1943 (DignityMemorial.com)
T/Sgt Turgeon was the radio operator/left waist gunner aboard the 98th Bomb Group, 344th Bomb Squadron B-24D-20-CO serial number 41-24198 named “The Vulgar Virgin.” His aircraft was in the fifth wave over target White IV, the Astra Romana Refinery on Sunday, August 1, 1943 in Operation Tidal Wave, the epic low-level attack on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania during World War II. “The Vulgar Virgin” led the five planes in the last wave of 98th BG bombers over the target that day – sadly, all five were shot down. See the earlier Festung Ploesti web log post “Return of Alfred F. Turgeon of ”The Vulgar Virgin” for some more details on the fateful mission. (Link under references below)
The weather in Shoreline, just north of Seattle, was bright and sunny, a wonderful, warm summer Saturday afternoon as the service began at 2pm local time. The eulogy from Mr. Bass was evocative, starting off with a roll call reading of some of the rich variety of nicknames of B-24’s that flew in Operation Tidal Wave: ”Kickapoo, Black Jack, Boomerang, Brewery Wagon, Buzzin’ Bear, Old Baldy, Miss Delores, Death Dealer, Flak Alley, G.I. Ginnie, Hail Columbia, Jersey Jackass, Bashful, Old Blister Butt, Sneezy, Snow White, Suzy Q, Teggie Ann, The Sandman, The Scorpion, The Witch, Tupelo Lass, Utah Man, Victory Ship, The Vulgar Virgin…”
The message from the Pastor reminded us that the fallen live on through their family members, a profound thought. That was also perhaps an encouragement to do our best in honor of our predecessors, including the valiant who fell in battle.
An American Legion member respectfully carries the urn containing the remains of T/Sgt Alred F. Turgeon after the memorial service in St. Dunstan’s Church in Shoreline, Washington. (Author)
The interment ceremony at the columbarium on the church grounds was touching, with remarks by Mr. Bass, the Pastor and a two-star Army Major General.
The Pastor at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline, Washington, speaks to family and friends gathered for the interment of T/Sgt Alfred F. Turgeon, Saturday, 28 August 2021 (Author)
These were accented by the sharp report of a 21-gun salute, the crisp sound of seven rifles firing in three volleys, followed by a bugler sounding Taps, and the flag-folding ceremony by Army Honor Guard soldiers from Fort Lewis.
A U.S. Army Honor Guard from Fort Lewis/Joint Base Lewis McChord rendered honors to T/Sgt Turgeon at his interment at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline, Washington, on Saturday, 28 August 2021 (Author)
After the service there was a brief receiving line in the foyer of the church, where the family had displayed wonderfully-crafted, artistic tributes to T/Sgt Turgeon…
Creative display in honor of T/Sgt Turgeon made by his family, shown at St. Dunstan’s church in Shoreline, Washington, on Saturday, 28 August 2021. (Author)
A tailored display in honor of T/Sgt Turgeon incorporated many visuals and graphics, including at the lower left corner from a seminar advertisement on Operation Tidal Wave held in Romania. (Author)
…along with his military awards and decorations.
Some of T/Sgt Turgeon’s military awards and decorations on display at St. Dunstan’s Church in Shoreline, Washington on 28 August 2021. From left to right in clockwise movement, the Purple Heart Medal (partial image), the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters (medal awarded four times total), the World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster (medal awarded twice, including once for participation in Operation Tidal Wave), the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal and the American Campaign Medal. At the top is the award certificate for the Purple Heart. (Author)
T/Sgt Turgeon was awarded the Purple Heart, a military decoration first created by General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. It apppears that the device at the bottom, possibly a Purple Heart ribbon, has an oak leaf cluster attached, indicating this medal was awarded two times, although if so, the OLC should also be on the ribbon to which the medal is suspended, as well as on the miniature ribbon above, as in the examples of the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross above. (Author)
Participants then adjourned to the Starr Sutherland, Jr. American Legion Washington Post # 0227 in Shoreline for a reception, where I was invited to share some remarks, as well as to display a collection of Ploesti/Operation Tidal Wave artwork, images, books, maps and scale models…
A 1/72 scale model B-24D, Me-109 and some comparative vehicles and figures, Ploesti-related books, a Ploesti jigsaw puzzle and a model airplane kit with Ploesti box art rest near the family flag from the interment ceremony at the American Legion Post display in honor of T/Sgt Turgeon. (Author)
…which caring hands thoughtfully unpacked and arranged as I simultaneously prepared to speak.
View of part of the display in honor of T/Sgt Turgeon at the American Legion Post in Shoreline, Washington, 28 August 2021. This folding display focused on the role T/Sgt Turgeon’s group, the 98th Bomb Group, performed on the mission. (Author)
A folding display featured the route to the Ploesti targets, maps of the target area and images of the attackers and defenders (Author)
What could I say that had not already been said by the other speakers? But I found something to say, something which could provide some comfort about “Freddy” to the family laying their long-lost loved one to rest this day. One excerpt conveys this:
“…The Romanian people, civil and military, as well as the German soldiers, also got a good measure of American mission planning and bravery. The Romanians were impressed at the limited number of civilian casualties inflicted in the attack, and regarded the American Airmen as chivalrous, Cavalerie, they called them, to suffer such losses and avoid harming civilians.
Romanian women held wakes for our fallen, and placed special thin cakes on their caskets, each with a small American flag made of colored candies. When a German officer asked them why they did this, and why the women were crying for the Americans, one replied “We cry, because we know American mothers soon will be crying for their sons.”
Those who fell in that fierce air-ground battle received due respect from their adversaries – the German commander, General Gerstenberg ordered proper funerals with full military honors. Our honored dead, even those at the moment unidentifiable, were buried with honors in the Hero Section of the military and civilian cemetery at Bolovan in Ploiesti…”
All-in-all, it was a fitting memorial and reception to welcome T/Sgt Turgeon back home to rest with family. We were deeply touched by the atmosphere of the proceedings, and to experience the welcome of the family, and feel the warm support of the Shoreline community and the US Army. May Alfred F. Turgeon now rest in peace.
Aside from the pilot, Captain Wallace C. Taylor, Jr., who was at the time of the shoot-down the only survivor of “The Vulgar Virgin” crew of 10, T/Sgt Turgeon was the first of the crew to be identified, albeit nearly 78 years later.
This leaves seven other members of the “The Vulgar Virgin” crew yet to be identified and/or be found. (Note, after Operational Tidal Wave, Romanian and German troops recovered and buried over 80 sets of human remains from various B-24 crash sites which were unrecognizable and unidentifiable at the time. These remains were removed from a Romanian cemetery in Ploesti after the war to a US military cemetery in Belgium. Since 2017, DPAA has directed a priority effort to identify these remains.) They are:
1st Lt. Robert N. Austin, Bombardier, Warrensburg, MO and Campbell, NY. KIA – MIA. Age 25. Remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
F/O Paul W. Packer, Co-Pilot, Cheyenne, WY. Bailed out but did not survive, body was not recovered. KIA – MIA. Age 22. Remembered on Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
T/Sgt. Gerald E. Rabb, Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, Miami, FL. Bailed out but did not survive, his body was not recovered. KIA – MIA. Age 22. Remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy
S/Sgt. Donald R. Duchene, Tail Gunner, St. Paul, MN. His body was never recovered. KIA – MIA. Age 19. Remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
S/Sgt. Louis Kaiser, Right Waist Gunner, Baltimore, MD. KIA – MIA, his body was never recovered. Age 22 – 23. Remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
S/Sgt. Ralph M. Robins, Gunner/Assistant Flight Engineer, Ossining, NY. Bailed out but did not survive; his body was never recovered. KIA – MIA. Age 23. Remembered on Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
Sgt. Arthur B. Van Kleek, Tunnel Gunner, Brooklyn, NY. KIA – MIA. Age 20. Unaccounted-for Remains, Group A, 1941-1975, his body was never recovered. Remembered on Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy.
On this 78th anniversary of Operation Tidal Wave, flown on Sunday, August 1, 1943, the mission continues to evoke memories and discussions. Some things to take of note:
This painting by Anthony Saunders was posted in Instagram by aceshighgallery in remembrance of the mission anniversary,
…with the following caption: “On this day in history, 1 August 1943…
INTO THE FIRE – Original Oil Painting by Anthony Saunders
Facing the full effects and heavy smoke of the raging oil fires below, B-24 ‘Fertile Myrtle’ and Liberators of the 98th Bomb Group pass over the Astra Romana refinery at Ploesti, 1 August 1943. Allied planners knew that if these oilfields could be destroyed it would deal a savage blow to Hitler’s armies so it came as no surprise to the brave bombers of the Ninth Air Force that both the German and Romanian defences were on full alert.”
The painting depicts dramatic moments of the 98th Bomb Group’s hellish time over the target, the Astra Romana oil refinery, also known by the code name, White IV.
In this dramatic view, B-24D-15-CO, serial number 41-24023, “Fertile Myrtle” of the 415th Bomb Squadron and the Shingler crew hit the target, and survived to return to their base in Libya. She was the lead ship in her four-plane flight in Section B. Section B was the second wave over White IV and took the fewest losses of the five 98BG waves over the target, losing “only” two out of ten aircraft.
“Fertile Myrtle,” like many other weapons of war, soon fell to the maw of war, and was lost with the entire 10-man Wiesenberg crew in a mission over Italy on August 19, 1943 (Missing Air Crew Report 325).
As depicted, “Fertile Myrtle” shows the mid-war mix of aircraft markings, with the round national insignia (dark blue and white cocarde) atop both wings with the yellow recognition ring for North Africa-based units, whilst her fuselage insignia has been modified with the bars on each side of the star and a red surround given to them. The red surround lasted only a few months, late June to early September, 1943) and was then repainted with the dark blue used in the cocarde.
Also on August 1, 2021, Mr. Steve Snyder posted the following remembrance in Facebook’s B-24 Liberator Bomber Fans group under a picture of the 98th Bomb Group’s “The Sandman” and the Sternfels crew flying low over the White IV:
This view of the 98th Bomb Group B-24D “The Sandman,” captures the moment just after the aircraft hurtled over the smokestacks at White IV, seen in the background, left. The Sternfels crew made it back to friendly territory after passing through the cauldon of the Astra Romana refinery (USAAF photo, via Mr. Steve Snyder post)
“August 1, 1943 – Operation Tidal Wave
177 B-24 bombers take off from an Allied base in Libya, bound for the oil-producing city Ploiești, Romania, nicknamed “Hitler’s gas station.” The daring raid, known as Operation Tidal Wave, resulted in five men being awarded the Medal of Honor—three of them posthumously—but failed to strike the fatal blow its planners had intended.
Operation Tidal Wave began ominously, with an overloaded bomber crashing shortly after takeoff and another plunging into the Adriatic Sea. 167 of the original 177 bombers made it to Ploiești, whose oil fields and refineries provided the Germans with over 8.5 million tons of oil per year.
Whereas most Allied bombing in World War II was carried out from a high altitude, the bombers that raided Ploiești flew exceptionally low in order to evade the Germans’ radar. The bombers lost the element of surprise, however, when one group veered off on the wrong direction, forcing the others to break radio silence in order to direct them back on course. This unplanned adjustment also led to the bombers approaching from the south, where the Nazis had concentrated their anti-aircraft batteries.
The ensuing attack was dramatic, chaotic and costly. The Allies suffered heavy casualties, and smoke from the explosions caused by the first wave of bombers made visibility difficult for subsequent waves. Survivors reported debris like branches and barbed wire hitting and even ending up on the inside of their planes.
Lt. Col. Addison Baker and Maj. John Jerstad were awarded the Medal of Honor for their (unsuccessful) attempt to fly higher and allow the crew to bail of our their badly damaged plane. Another pilot, Lt. Lloyd Herbert Hughes, also received a posthumous Medal of Honor for flying his critically-damaged B-24 into its target. Col. John Kane and Col. Leon Johnson, who each led bombing groups that reached their targets, were the only men who were awarded the Medal of Honor and survived the raid.
Although the Allies estimated that the raid had reduced Ploiești’s capacity by 40 percent, the damage was quickly repaired and within months the refineries had outstripped their previous capacity. The region continued to serve as “Hitler’s gas station” until the Soviet Union captured it in August of 1944.
310 airmen died, 108 were captured and another 78 were interned in neighboring Turkey. 88 of the original 177 B-24s returned, most of them seriously damaged.
Despite setting the record for most Medals of Honor awarded to airmen in a single mission, Operation Tidal wave was never repeated—the Allies never again attempted a low-altitude assault against German air defenses.”
The US Defense POW MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) continues to work as a special emphasis the identification of Tidal Wave Airmen remains recovered from the Ploesti battlefield years ago. These were aircrew recovered from the various crash sites of August 1st , too badly burned to be identified. Buried with honors in Romania during the war, they were recovered afterwards and reinterred in a US military cemetery in Belgium. With the advent of new technology in forensic analysis work, it’s now possible to identify some remains, and several Tidal Wave MIA’s have now been identified.
Others have yet to be identified. In the Facebook post by Mr. Steve Snyder mentioned above, Mr. George Kaylor remembered his uncle, George H. Kaylor, a gunner aboard B-24D “Margie” serial number 42-41007 of the 98th BG/343rd BS, and hoped he would soon be identified and returned home (see Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 170). “Margie” was the lead ship of her three-plane flight on the left side of Section C, the third wave over the target – all three were shot down. In fact, the entire left side of the 98th BG formation was savaged at White IV – 10 of 12 B-24s on the left side of the formation in the first four waves (Sections A-D) were lost.
Sgt George H. Kaylor was an aerial gunner aboard the 98th Bomb Group B-24D “Margie” lost at Ploesti, August 1, 1943. (Honorstates.org)
Meanwhile, at the Muzeul Național de Istorie a României (MNIR, the National Museum of Romanian History) in Bucharest, an exhibition began in July, 2021 interpreting Romania’s experience in World War II, 1941-1945.
The “Romania in the Second World War 1941-1945” exhibition is scheduled to be on display until December, 2021 in the National Museum of Romanian History (Courtesy MNIR)
Part of the exhibition includes displays of the American air campaign against Romania, 1942-1944 and a portion of one display shows some artifacts recovered from the crash-landing site of “Brewery Wagon,” the first B-24D shot down on Black Sunday. These fragments of “Brewery Wagon” were found by Romanian historian and aviation archaeologist dl. Dan Melinte, who worked with another Romanian gentleman who crafted an impressive 1/32 scale model of “Brewery Wagon” to include in the display.
Left, 1/32 scale model of 376th Bomb Group B-24D “Brewery Wagon” and aircraft wreckage recovered from her crashlanding site (Courtesy dl. Dan Melinte). Right, portion of exhibition including the model and artifacts (Courtesy MNIR)
The writer of this web log was honored to be able to contribute information on the Palm crew of the “Brewery Wagon,” one of the few 376th Bomb Group Liberators to make an attack on a target during the chaotic raid, as part of the contribution of the Asociația AeRoHistoria group. Gathered with the help of family and friend, this information included background of each crew member, the description of the mission and aftermath in captivity, as well as what could be found about the postwar lives of the survivors. It’s helpful to us in order to retain some semblance of our humanity to know and understand that our adversaries are human beings as well, even if fighting for different causes.
Several AeRoHistoria members were listed in credits (Multumiri = thanks) for contributions to the exhibition display (Courtesy dl. Gabriel Ivanescu)
So, on this 78th anniversary of Operation Tidal Wave, we salute the warriors who served that fateful day. We laud the efforts by those who can help bring the missing home, who remember and reflect on the experience, lest we forget.
The Department of Defense’s Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced on Monday, 15 March 2021, that another of the missing Operation Tidal Wave aircrew has been accounted for. T/Sgt Alfred “Freddy” Francis Turgeon, who was carried on the roster as MIA for over 77 years was accounted for on 13 January 2021. Home of record Ketchikan, Alaska, T/Sgt Turgeon was 23 years old at the time of his loss in battle.
T/Sgt Alfred F. Turgeon poses for a formal picture in his service dress uniform. He joined the military in October, 1941 before the US entry into World War II. (Courtesy Mr. David Bass)
Operation Tidal Wave was a major air raid intended to knock out the oil refineries at Ploiești, Romania, on August 1, 1943. The refineries output was use by the Axis, mostly Germany. It was an attack flown at tree-top level by B-24 Liberator heavy bombers based in North Africa in order to ensure maximum accuracy on knocking out critical elements of the petroleum refining process. The raid did not go as planned, and despite moderate success against the targets, dozens of the attacking B-24 aircraft were shot down or damaged.
98th Bomb Group B-24D Liberators on the egress after striking the Astra Romana oil refinery, Target White IV, during Operation Tidal Wave, 1 August 1943. One of their number is seen crashing in the background. At times during the egress from the target aircraft flew even lower than shown, with some planes returning with corn stalks snagged in their bomb bays. Flying so low made it difficult for fighters to attack and recover from a pass, as well as minimizing exposure time to anti-aircraft gunners on the ground. (Official USAAF photo)
Due to the chaos of the battle with many aircraft falling around Ploiești, the catastrophic crashes of some aircraft and post-battle casualty recovery of remains in poor condition, a number of the Airmen lost that day remained MIA. The unidentified bodies were buried in the Hero Section of the Bolovan Civilian and Military Cemetery in Ploiești, Prahova County, Romania. After the war, these bodies were disinterred from Romania and returned to US control. The unidentified remains of over 80 personnel were relocated to the Ardennes American Cemetery or the Henri-Chapelle Cemetery, in Belgium.
In 2017, DPAA began a focused effort using modern techniques to identify these men. Their remains were exhumed and sent to the DPAA laboratory at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. Dental and anthropological analysis, along with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and autosomal DNA (auDNA) analysis were successful in identifying the remains of T/Sgt Turgeon.
On that fateful day, T/Sgt Turgeon flew as the radio operator and left waist gunner aboard the 344th Bomb Squadron’s B-24D “The Vulgar Virgin,” a tawny-colored B-24D-20-CO 41-24198, squadron code letter C.
Crew of “The Vulgar Virgin” assemble for a picture at an airfield in Libya before Operation Tidal Wave, 1 August 1943. (Courtesy Mr. David Bass)
Capt Wallace C. Taylor and his crew, 10 in all, took off at 0709 with a load of six 500-lb bombs in the bomb bay with fuzes set for 45 seconds and four boxes of British incendiaries to be tossed out the waist gunner windows. He and his crew flew the lead position in the 98th Bomb Group’s fifth wave (Section E) of aircraft attacking the Astra Romana oil refinery, code-named White IV.
“Coming Back Was Secondary – The Last Mission of The Vulgar Virgin” by noted Aviation Artist Michael Wooten (Courtesy Mr. David Bass)
On the low-level run-in as the last wave over the target “The Vulgar Virgin” was hit by anti-aircraft fire in the nose of the aircraft, damage which may have caused a fire in the extra bomb bay fuel tank carried for this long-range mission. The pilot gave the bail out signal, pulled his aircraft up in altitude and levelled off to allow the crew a chance to jump and save their lives.
Capt Taylor, after his August 1944 release from captivity in Romania when Romania joined the Allies, was debriefed by 1st Lt. Lucille Caldwell on 30 September 1944, made the following statement about his aircraft and crew’s fate: “I immediately called the nose and tail, over the interphone, but could not contact either one. I then gave the bail out order and rang the alarm bell. I saw the co-pilot, engineer, and assistant engineer bail out. I do not know what happened to the other members of the crew. I bailed out and landed in the vicinity of Ploesti. I left the plane when those with me were out and it was impossible to stay longer in the flames and heat.”
T/Sgt Turgeon was likely in the left waist gunner position at this time, to defend the aircraft in the target area and help toss out the British incendiaries over the target. But it seems like “The Vulgar Virgin” didn’t quite reach her target. Lt. Caldwell reported in her debrief of Capt Taylor that “At the order to abandon ship, Packer (Co-pilot F/O Arthur Packer), Robbins (Robins, Assistant Engineer S/Sgt Ralph Robins, flight deck) and Robb (Rabb, Engineer/Top turret gunner T/Sgt Gerald Rabb) were seen to bail out, followed by the pilot.”
Sortie Report for the missing crew of “The Vulgar Virgin,” lost during Operation Tidal Wave, 1 August 1943. (Courtesy Ms. Tara Copp)
Pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer/top turret gunner and a waist gunner are believed to have made it out of the ship, but only the pilot survived, per Roger Freeman’s book, Ploesti Through the Lens, (p. 129) which further stated the pilot belly-landed the burning aircraft and was the only survivor. All the rest of the crew of “The Vulgar Virgin” were killed either in the crash or in the fall after bailing out from the aircraft. Pilot Wallace Taylor, badly burned on his hands and arms, became a prisoner of war. Of the five aircraft in that last wave over White IV, all five were shot down by the ferocious response from the fully-alerted and ready guns on the ground. The extra bomb bay fuel tank in the B-24s proved especially vulnerable, even when empty due to gasoline vapors.
As for where exactly “The Vulgar Virgin“ came down, Freeman wrote that she came down beside the Romanesti village forest south of Ploiești, south of Barcanesti, and/or at Tatarani, also south of Ploesti. But Romanian military historian and aircraft archaeological expert Mr. Dan Melinte believes “The Vulgar Virgin” actually may have come down on to the northeast of Ploiești near Bucov, by the Teleajen, a left tributary of the Prahova River.
Two years ago, Mr. Melinte and his colleague Mr. Marius Roberth examined a Tidal Wave B-24 crash site in the place described as the site of “The Vulgar Virgin’s” demise. They believe this site is actually that of 343rd Bomb Squadron B-24D-CO, s/n 41-11776, squadron code letter O, nicknamed “Jersey Jackass.” The letter thought to be C in a crash site picture is actually the O of “Jersey Jackass” which reportedly crash-landed in the Berceni area just east-southeast of Ploiești. But Dan pinpointed “Jersey Jackass” as coming down just southwest of Ploiești, close to Ghighiu village. There isn’t really a forest there, more like a line of tree between parcels according to his observation.
Wreckage of a B-24D Liberator near Ploiești, identified in Roger Freeman’s book (see references) as “The Vulgar Virgin,” but may actually be “Jersey Jackass” (Freeman, page 129)
Instead, Dan Melinte thinks it is possible “The Vulgar Virgin” may have come down near a bridge by Bucov, just northeast of Ploiești. He mentioned that another 98th Bomb Group aircraft, the 343rd’s “Boots,” B-24D-45-CO s/n 42-40313, squadron code letter X, part of the third wave over White IV, apparently came down just east of Ploiești. It’s possible that “The Vulgar Virgin” found her way to the east side of the city too, perhaps in response to the deadly anti-aircraft fire defending the area and/or in pulling up and maybe away for the bailout. The tail part of an unidentified B-24D in desert pink camo was photographed near Bucov bridge after the battle. In addition, there is a Romanian police report which described a parachute jumper who was captured near Bucov Bridge.
Tail section of B-24D which crashed near Bucov Bridge during Operation Tidal Wave. Is it part of the wreck of “The Vulgar Virgin”? (Courtesy Mr. Dan Melinte)
In addition, Dan shared some recollections Taylor made after the battle: “Vulgar Virgin (Wallace Taylor) Hit just before the target. Taylor lands in a cornfield and stays hidden there all day. “throughout the afternoon explosions were felt throughout the area throwing pieces of either bombs or the refinery through the corn all around me.” So he has to be pretty close to the target? He walked out of the cornfield on a path and saw lights in a house beside an orchard. Captured, he took a short ride to the village police station.” Dan thinks Taylor may have been near the Concordia Vega Refinery, White II, northeast of Ploiești, the intended target of the 93rd Bomb Group of which an unknown number attacked due to confusion (the premature turn of the first two bomb groups at Initial Point Number 2 instead of turning at IP #3) and which was also hit by some aircraft of the 376th Bomb Group.
There is a helpful chart with World War II US bomb information at the 303rd Bomb Group website that gives an idea of how far bomb fragments can fly. It shows an M65 1,000-lb general purpose (GP) bomb and largest weapon carried by some B-24s in Tidal Wave, as having a minimum safe distance of 3,000 feet (914 meters). An M64 500-lb bomb such as “The Vulgar Virgin” carried has a minimum safe distance of 2,500 feet (762 meters). http://www.303rdbg.com/bombs.html
Could this then be the actual crash site of The Vulgar Virgin? Was Capt Taylor that jumper captured near the bridge? It’s a Tidal Wave history mystery, resolution still developing. The historical record on any given event or person is only as complete as the information available to reconstruct the picture, especially difficult in the chaos of that violent air-ground battle of 1 August 1943.
Returning to T/Sgt Turgeon, for many years, his name’s been carried on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery in Impruneta, Italy. With his accounting now, a rosette will be added next to his name to indicate he is no longer missing and now accounted for.
Alfred Turgeon will be buried later this year in Shoreline, Washington, just north of Seattle, with full military honors at the Memorial Garden of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, next to his sister, Lorraine Bass (Cutler) in the family columbarium.
He is survived by his sister, Mrs. Joan Mackie (Cutler, Tucker) of Shoreline Washington, Nephews Phillip Tucker and Craig Tucker of Ketchikan Alaska and David Bass of Indianapolis, Indiana and Niece Kathy Newman (Tucker) of Seattle, Washington along with numerous great nieces and nephews.
Mr. David Bass (left) with picture of his uncle, T/Sgt Turgeon, with DPAA Director Maj Gen Kelly McKeague (USAF-Retired) at the 2019 DPAA Family Briefing in Dayton, Ohio. (Courtesy Mr. David Bass)
TSgt Turgeon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Purple Heart.
Kudos to DPAA for continuing the effort to identify the unidentified Tidal Wave fallen. Thank you to Mr. Dan Melinte from sharing current Ploiești aviation archaeology developments there. And thanks to Mr. David Bass for sharing information about his uncle, T/Sgt Turgeon, in the B-24 group in Facebook. May all the men missing at the Romanian Tidal Wave battlefield site all come home soon.
References
Hill, Michael, Black Sunday, Ploesti, Schiffer Military/Aviation History, Atglen, PA, 1993
Freeman, Roger, The Ploesti Raid Through the Lens, After the Battle/Battle of Britain International, London, 2004
There may be other examples of classic aircraft nose art out there associated with Valentine’s Day, but the 98th Bomb Group’s 345th Bomb Squadron (later in the group’s 415th BS) had one, a B-24D Liberator heavy bomber, s/n 41-11836, which carried the name “Lil De-icer” with a large heart containing mission symbols depicted by little hearts.
It’s unclear which little heart on the ship represents Lil’s epic low-level mission to Ploesti, Romania, in Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August 1943, when she and her cohorts received a lot of unwanted attention. Fortunately, she brought her crew through that cauldron. Eventually the war-weary ship was sent back to the Zone of the Interior after completing more combat missions stretching into 1944.
For some scale model color views of “Lil De-icer,” her tawny desert camouflage and colorful Valentine heart nose art, see the article “Consolidated B-24D “Lil’ De-Icer” Veteran of the Ploesti Raid August 1943,” and the views like this one:
And as for “Lil’ De-icer,” depicted, she was a character in the longest running aviation-themed comic book series by Zack Mosely, “The Adventures of Smilin’ Jack,” which first ran in the Chicago Tribune newspaper on 1 October 1933 and lasted in print with Dell Comics until 1 April 1973. “De-icers” were romantic interests in the comic.
According to correspondence in 2018 between daughter of Zack Mosley, Jill Mosley, and this web logger, the “Lil'” was short for “Little” and not for a particular woman’s name, like Lily. So the woman depicted on the B-24D could be any one of the “De-icers” in the comic series, or perhaps even a completely unrelated image. Reckon one would have to read through all the early Smilin’ Jack comics to find a match, if there is one.
Of note, during World War II a series of shorts films was produced, known as “The Adventures of Smilin’ Jack.” The series premiered on 5 January 1943 with this story line: “Just before World War II, the Chinese and American governments mount a joint operation to prevent the Germans and Japanese from taking over the strategic island of Mandon.”
So, there’s a little bit of background on some Valentine-like nose art and the story behind the “Lil’ De-icer” name on B-24D 41-11836 which flew the tough mission over Ploesti, Romania, on that first Sunday in August, 1943.
What to do? As the group turned southward, B-24D Pilot 1st Lt. John D. Palm from Lower Valley, Texas, assumed his place in the formation, on the left end of the second wave seeking the Romana Americana Refinery. But Palm’s navigator insisted the group had turned too early and was on the wrong course. Palm realized the plan was all fouled up. Having come this far to hit vital strategic targets, he broke formation and turned to the east, leaving the protection of the group as he sought to make the bombs carried over a thousand miles from North Africa count against the oil refinery targets in Ploesti, Romania.
B-24D “Brewery Wagon” in flight (B24 Best Web)
Today marks the 77th anniversary of Operation Tidal Wave, flown on Sunday, 1 August 1943, the epic low-level raid on the oil refineries which fueled a significant part of Axis oil needs for mechanized warfare. Five groups of USAAF B-24D Liberator heavy bombers flew northward from North Africa across the Mediterranean and then northeast across the Balkans to approach Romania from the west; 178 aircraft set out on the mission and the plan didn’t go quite as well as hoped, fracturing along the way to mechanical challenges, human error and chance.
Still, the low flying Liberators, striking targets at treetop level or lower, did some serious damage, like knocking out the only Romanian refinery producing aviation-quality fuel, and demonstrated the willingness, bravery and capability of Allied aircrew to attack difficult targets; five medals of Honor were awarded to men who flew this ferocious combat mission; all who flew but one (an RAF officer) received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The first B-24 to initiate an attack against the refineries, B-24D-25-CO, serial number 41-24294 of the 512th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group, Brewery Wagon. This aircraft was delivered to the USAAF in standard olive drab over neutral gray camouflage paint in December, 1942 and out of all the locations in a world war it could have gone it eventually found its way to North Africa where it was assigned to the 376th Bomb Group.
The aircraft was given the number 36 from the serial reserved for the 512th Bomb Squadron. The number was displayed on both sides of the nose and on the outboard sides of the twin tail. According to the book by William R. Bradle, “The Daring World War II Raid on Ploesti” (Pelican Publishing Co., 2017), the name Brewery Wagon was given to the ship by its regular pilot, Robert H. Storz, who was the son of a prominent beer brewer in Omaha, Nebraska.
Closeup of the artwork on the nose of “Brewery Wagon” indicating the aircraft was named early in it’s service, noting the six mission symbols shown under the cockpit. The artwork was repeated on the other side of the nose as can be seen in other photos. There were also numerous other artistic writings at various crew positions around the aircraft. (Photo from Warren Grigg, via US Army Air Corps – 376BG.com)
Color image of the nose art on “Brewery Wagon” (B24 Best Web)
Brewery Wagon flew her first combat mission on 1 May 1943 against port facilities at Reggio, Italy though the mission was aborted due to weather. The aircraft soon developed a reputation for being a kind of a lemon, mechanical issues which were noted by four different pilots who flew the ship in its first 16 combat missions, five of which were aborted for mechanical reasons; one of her pilots was killed in combat during a mission on 21 June 1943 (1st Lt. Reynolds).
The handwriting on this image gives an idea of what crews thought of the mechanically unreliable ship. (Photo from Donald Macrae, via US Army Air Corps – 376BG.com)
When Palm and his crew were assigned Brewery Wagon for her 17th and ultimately final combat mission, they were unhappy about it – one report says as the crew approached the aircraft one of them even threw rocks at it. Nevertheless, they climbed aboard and took off at dawn on the mission.
Left to right, three 512th Bomb Squadron B-24D’s, “Brewery Wagon,” “Desert Lily,” and “Wongo Wongo” (USAAF via Fold3)
Closeup of picture above showing crew gathered outside the aircraft before taking off for Ploesti, on the morning of 1 August 1943 (B24 Best Web)
Enroute to Romania, Brewery Wagon flew in close formation with two other squadron ships, #28 “Wongo Wongo” flown by 1st Lt Brian Flavelle and Lt. Guy Iovine in # 23 “Desert Lily”. Then “Wongo Wongo” mysteriously up and crashed into the sea with its entire crew lost shortly before the 376th finished crossing the Mediterranean. Lovine, a friend of Flavelle, left formation nearly hitting “Brewery Wagon” and followed “Wongo Wongo down and circling to see if there were any survivors. “Brewery Wagon and the rest of the 376th Bomb Group continued on the mission and Iovine, unable to catch up then aborted the mission.
Now over Romania solo and speeding along at 200 feet, “Brewery Wagon” was also the first B-24 shot down over Romania. As Palm and crew flew low across the Romanian countryside they emerged from a rain cloud and were taken under fire by anti-aircraft guns as they crossed the outer ring of defenses around Ploesti.
Another famous 376th Bomb Group B-24D, “Strawberry Bitch” flies low and gives an impression of the view from the ground of low-flyuing B-24 Liberators. This aircraft is preserved at the National Museum of the USAF in Ohio. (Photo from Wiley Golden, via US Army Air Corps – 376BG.com)
As Brewery Wagon crossed into the inner circle of defense she began to be hit, primarily by rapid-firing 20mm light anti-aircraft guns. The nose was hit by flak which either fatally wounded or killed the bombardier 2nd Lt. Robert W. Merrell (from Los Angeles, California and not a regular member of the Palm crew and on his first combat mission)outright and wounded or mortally wounded the navigator 2nd Lt. William M. Wright from Forney, Texas who would pay the ultimate price for his accurate navigation. Waist gunner S/Sgt Snyder was wounded by a hit that part of the plane.
Additional hits knocked out one of four engines and damaged another two – the bomber couldn’t stay in the air with such reduced power and Palm turned to the south to escape the deadly fire and attack the nearest refinery he could find. He recalled later: “By then I didn’t give a damn whose refinery it was! It was a refinery and by God I was going to get it come hell or high water!”
John D. Palm – Pilot of the ‘Brewery Wagon’ over the Ploesti raid on the oil refineries, August 1, 1943. (American Air Museum in Britain)
Unfortunately for him, a German Me-109G fighter piloted by Hauptmann (Captain) Wilhelm Steinmann who commanded the 1st Staffel of JG 4 saw Brewery Wagon and attacked, hitting the B-24 with 20mm cannon and 7.92mm machine gun fire in a pass from the rear, hitting along the back of the aircraft and the wings.
Wilhelm Steinmann (Luftwaffe.cz)
The swift fighter passed over the bomber and went ahead, turned around and made a head-on pass hitting the nose and cockpit area, the right wing and the two engines there. The attack wounded the men in the greenhouse (again) and cockpit – a 20mm shell the hit Palm himself; he was seriously injured in the blast, with his right foot essentially blown off the rudder pedal. Co-pilot Love was wounded by shell fragments.
Palm’s co-pilot 2nd Lt. William F. Love from Los Angeles, California, Somehow the wounded bomber had enough momentum to allow the pilots to put the ship into a sharp bank and clear some refinery smokestacks. Palm leveled the aircraft and jettisoned the bombs via emergency release. crash-landed his crippled ship in a cornfield near Tatarani, just south of Ploesti near the Ploesti-Bucharest railroad line. (Note, the location is about 300 meters (about three B-24 wingspans) from the Pensiunea la Gina hotel, on Str. Intrarea Gaterului, nr. 1 in the Southwest edge of Ploiesti)
The co-pilot’s quick thinking averted a greater catastrophe when he activated the engine fire extinguishers which prevented the formerly burning engines on the right wing from spreading fire to the rest of the aircraft. Like many B-24s it folded up badly and the nose with the bombardier and navigator was crushed.
Crushed nose and cockpit area of “Brewery Wagon” after her crash landing. (B24 Best Web)
The side window of the cockpit canopy jarred loose by pilot Palm and he tugged at it to make an opening: ”With the adrenaline flowing, I was able to pull the thing in. My leg was still attached by a small thread of flesh. I took the leg and laid it across my lap and dove out of the airplane. I think I was the first man out of the ship!”
Seven other crewmembers emerged from the wreck and all become prisoners of war. In addition to pilots Palm and Love, these eight survivors included flight engineer T/Sgt Alexander P. Rockinson (Canal Fulton, Ohio), radio operator T/Sgt Harold Block (Brooklyn, New York), gunners T/Sgt Austin D. Chastain (Siloam Springs, Arkansas), S/Sgt Clay E. Snyder (Paden City, West Virginia), S/Sgt William E. Thompson (St. Cloud, Florida) and tail gunner S/Sgt Dallas A. Robertson (St. Louis, Missouri).
Co-pilot Love recalled being captured by the Germans “I was prevented from returning to the ship by the German soldiers who captured us, however I persuaded two of them to go to the nose section to see if they could be of assistance. I watched them do this. One went in as far as he could. They reported that both men were dead. This was also the report of two more men sent about 30 minutes later by the German officer in charge of the station to which we were taken. It is my firm belief that Lt Merrell was killed either by enemy gunfire over the target or a few seconds later when our aircraft crash-landed.” Another crew member recalled about the bombardier Merrell that he “just heard he was blown all to pieces by flak, told to us by Romanians.”
The survivors of the crew ultimately became prisoners of war in Romanian captivity. The crew received medical aid after their ordeal such as tail gunner S/Sgt Dallas A. Robertson from St. Louis, Missouri who had a 20-mm cannon shell splinter removed from his cranium. Lt. Palm was taken to Bucharest and would lose his mangled right leg. A little over a year later they would be among the 1,173 airmen repatriated in Operation Reunion (aka Operation Gunn) after Romania joined the Allies.
So on this 1 August 2020, we salute the crew of the “Brewery Wagon” for their determination to make a difference in their part of the war. The ship may have been a sort of lemon in its brief three months of combat service, but on the big day and a brave crew it made it all the way to Ploesti.
References
Freeman, Roger, The Ploesti Raid: Through the Lens, Battle of Britain International Limited/After the Battle Magazine, London, 2004
Hill, Michael, Black Sunday: Ploesti, Schiffer Military/Aviation Military, Atglen, PA 1993
Note: This excerpt from author Dan Melinte’s article titled “Obiectiv Romano-Americana” : Indienii cu doua pene ataca! (Objective Romana-Americana: Indians with two feathers attack!), was published in the Romanian Aeromagazin. It provides details on the Romanian side of the fierce air battle that took place on this day 76 years ago over Romania when USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters made a low-level attack against the Ploesti refineries and defending Romanian IAR-81C fighters, often mistaken for FW 190 fighters. German Luftwaffe fighters also engaged the attacking P-38’s but this article focuses on the Romanian part of the battle. The writer of this web log accomplished the translation from Romanian to English and is responsible for any errors.
At 0505 hours on the dawn on 10 June 1944, 48 P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft from the USAAF’s 82nd Fighter Group (95th, 96th, and 97th fighter squadrons) took off from Vincenzo Airfield, Foggia, Italy with Lt. Col. William Litton, Commander of the Group at the head of the formation. Each plane carried under its wings a 1000-pound (455kg) bomb and an additional 300-gallon (1200-litre) fuel tank.
From Salsola Airfield in Italy the USAAF’s 1st Fighter Group took off at the same time with Lt. Armour Miller leading the group and his own 27th Fighter Squadron (radio call sign “Petdog”), Lt. John Shepard led the 71st Fighter Squadron (radio call sign “Cragmore”) while Lt. Harley Barlow led the 94th Fighter Squadron (radio call sign “Springcap”).
Lockheed P-38J Lightning no. 49 “Mon Amy,” 71st FS, 1st FG, Lt Herbert Hatch. (color profile by Teodor Liviu Morosanu, via Dan Melinte)
East of the city of Romanian city of Giurgiu, as the 1st FG turned north the 82nd FG delayed their turn forcing the 1st FG to turn east. Blue Flight of the 71st FS was separated from the 1st FG as a result of these maneuvers and was thus forced to fly alone behind the 82nd FG.
At 0710, the commander of the “Freya” radar station at Otopeni, Romania, Col. Eduard Neumann, told Cdr. av. Gh. Miclescu that a formation of enemy aircraft was over Yugoslavia. The order “Increased attention” was transmitted to all aviation units and anti-aircraft (AA) batteries. Located on Popesti-Leordeni Airfield (just south of Bucharest), the Romanian 6th Fighter Group equipped with IAR-81C fighter plane was ordered to respond by the commander, Capt. av. Dan Vizanty.
Capt. Av. Dan Vizanty, commander of the 6th Fighter Group. (Dan Melinte)
At 0745 the group was ready for takeoff. Capt. av. Vizanty recalled: “…Captured by the alarm given so early in the morning, I took my flare and fired a green rocket, which meant the immediate take-off of the entire fighter group. I got in my Ford car and started at the highest speed towards my No. 344, which was next to that of Lt. Av. Puiu Lupescu, my wingman…
Pilots of the 6th Fighter Group scramble to their IAR-81C fighters at the sound of the alarm. (Dan Melinte)
At Pipera Airfield there was also the Aeronautical Training Center (Centrul de Instrucţie al Aeronauticii, or C.I.A.) equipped with IAR-38 and Focke Wulf FW 58 Weihe aircraft. The Instrument Flying School, belonging to the C.I.A. and headed by Lt. Cdr. av. Popescu Ion – Oita, had dispersed FW-58 motors on bases at Orasti and Frumusani and on Popesti-Leordeni Airfield there were four FW-58 ready to take off with the school crews to the camouflaged bases at Frumusani and Orasti.
Romanian FW 58B, an aircraft used for advanced training, bomber training and liaison (ww2incolor.com)
At 0825 at Popesti-Leordeni took off in the FW-58 of the Instrument Flight School to disperse to the Frumusani and Orasti areas. They were immediately shot down by the Americans in the 71st Fighter Squadron, Lt.av. Iain Ion from the 6th Fighter group recounted: “…By mutual agreement it was established with the command of the 6th Fighter Group, if the alarm is raised, the FW 58 aircraft take off immediately to disperse… On 10 June, due to confusion, it was not possible for the FW 58 aircraft to take off before the IAR-81 aircraft and (they) remained (on the airfield delayed and waiting) to take off.”
IAR-81C no. 369, flown by Lt Av Limburg Nicolae “General.” (Photo Mihai Andrei collection)
Lt. Herbert “Stub’ Hatch of Green Flight, 71st FS, described the fight: “…After turning north, we continued our flight at low altitude and passed over an aerodrome (Popesti-Leordeni) surprising in the air some Do-217 bi-motors (FW-58 from C.I.A.). Commander of our squadron Lt. John Shepard is attacking, followed by three flights. The Dorniers were immediately knocked down.”
As a result of this attack the Instrument Flight School lost three high-value officers, Capt. av. Dumitrescu Constantin, Lt. av. Dinu Marian and Lt. av. Roventa Octavian, veterans of the campaign in Bessarabia and Stalingrad with many missions against the enemy.
IAR-81C no. 320, 6th Fighter Group. (color profile by Teodor Liviu Morosanu, via Dan Melinte)
Capt. av. Dan Vizanty: “…Together with my teammate, we took off immediately after the last flight and cutting off the trajectory of the band we were at the forefront of it by continuing to gain altitude and heading towards a predetermined sector, which we generally reached at about 8000m altitude. That day, while I was at 2500m altitude I heard in the helmet, in the code: Paris attention, attention Paris, Indians above the nest. I immediately recognized the voice of Capt. av. Traian Gavriliu, head of the Operations Bureau of Popesti-Leordeni Airfield, who thus informed me that American fighter planes were headed for the airfield. Then looking overboard, I see wave after wave, at very low altitude, Lightning formations, heading from the east directly to our airfield. Immediately and without hesitation I order by radio: Paris as Paris 1,2,3 (my squadrons) attack, follow me! and in a split second the situation overturns…”
Lt. av. Iain Ion from the Romanian 62nd Fighter Squadron: “…Our attack was a total surprise to the Americans, from behind, from the sun, launched at superior speed. The first three flights, the Group Commander’s Flight, the Commander’s Flight of the 62nd FS and the flight of lt. av. Nicolaescu Teodor of the 61st Fighter Squadron, fired like at a shooting range at moving ground targets. The result was unexpected, but with tragic consequences for the flights that followed. The flight of Lt. av. Posteuca Gheorghe was able to clear, but that of Lt. Av. Limburg Nicolae, of which I was a part, as the American formation that had come out of the surprise moment fought back and maneuvered to prevent our attack. Lt. av. Limburg Nicholas had to maneuver to the left, at which point he apparently collided with his teammate Adj. av. Tary Mihail, although there was a possibility that he was hit by the enemy.”
Adjutanţii aviatori (Adj.av.) Aurel Vladareanu and Pavel Coteanu from the 62nd FS spotted a formation of 4-5 Lightning planes, who wanted to escape by fleeing. Being a little higher they plunged into the American formation opening fire. Aurel Vladareanu hit a P-38, which crashed near the village of Cretesti (Vidra), and Pavel Coteanu shot down another that fell on the outskirts of the village of Frumusani. Two Lightnings, however, had managed to slip onto Coteanu’s tail. A timely maneuver brought Adj.av. Vladareanu behind one of his comrade’s followers: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. Quickly I press the button of the Mauser cannons and the fuselage of the American plane is illuminated by the explosions. My first burst hit its target.” The plane shot down by Adj. Vladareanu fell in flames on the outskirts of Fundeni-Frunzanesti.
Adj. av. Ilie Dumitru of the 61st FS charged his cannons and machine guns and looking down saw the fine silhouettes of the P-38 Lightning bi-fuselage aircraft about 150m from the ground. When he descended to 200m, he found himself excited; all over the wings and fuselages were white stars. At one point, he caught the fuselage of a P-38 in the crosshairs of his eye. He opened fire at 200m, corrected his aim and suddenly turning, (the P-38) ended up right in front of him. Adj. av. Ilie Dumitru: “…Without knowing how, I find myself with my finger on the trigger, shaken by the rumble of my cannons and machine guns… I’m taking the turn, the American pilot wants to escape. A new burst, and my projectiles go up to the engine on the right, which catches fire. His wing is on fire, and there’s no escape. He falls into the ravine, crashing to the ground. I’m stunned, and I can’t believe I took him down…”
Lt. Herbert “Stub’ Hatch of the 71st FS: “…I noticed coming from the right from 2 o’clock, another patrol of FW-190 (IAR-81C). I did the only thing possible; I pulled the yoke suddenly turning right, opening fire. The head of the formation was 150-200m in front of me and a little to the left, my burst went through the engine, the left side of the cockpit and the wing root, the 190 overturned on the right and passed me. I didn’t see him crash, but the gun camera recorded the 190 burning and my wingman Joe Morrison confirmed the crash. The other three 190s in that formation went over me and got behind the Green Flight leader and his wingman, (shooting) both of them down. I continued the right turn with my wingman (and) saw a 190 just behind my comrade Joe Jackson from White Flight. I approached from the back right and tried to hit the cockpit from 100m, but it was too late, Jackson’s plane crashed in flames, incinerating the pilot.
Fortunate survivor of the 10 June 1944 mission to Ploesti, Lt. Herbert Hatch, 71st FS, 1st FG (Dan Melinte)
The air battle around Popesti-Leordeni Airfield lasted only 12 minutes. Of the 23 6th Fighter Group planes that took off, 19 landed. The group lost three pilots: Lt. av. Limburg Nicolae with IAR-81C no. 369 that fell near Balaceanca, Adj. av. Giurgiu Alexandru shot down at Fundeni in IAR-81C no. 337 and Adj. av. Tary Mihail fell in battle at Berceni with IAR-81C no. 303.
Damaged in battle were: IAR-81C numbers 382, 342, 343 (Slt.av. Ianculescu Eugen), no. 302 (Adj.av. Nicola Ioan), no. 341 (Lt.av. Baciu Dumitru), no. 314 (Adj. av. Tutuianu Gheorghe) and no. 334 (Slt. av. Ion).
The following pilots from the 59th Fighter Squadron were all credited with an aerial victory: Capt. av. Constantinescu Petre, Lt. av. Baciu Dumitru, Adj. av. Dimache C-tin., Adj. av. rez. Nicola Ioan, Adj. av. rez. Lepadatu Ilie. From the 61st FS: Lt. av. Dumitrescu Mircea, Slt. av. Ianculescu Eugen, Adj. Maj. av. Ilie Dumitru, Adj. av. Dimache Ioan, Adj.av. Tutuianu Gheorghe, Adj. av. Cocebas Gheorghe, credited with two victories, and Adj. av. Husea Ion and Adj. av. Zamfir Gheorghe with one victory. From the 62nd FS: Adj. av. Vladareanu Aurel and Adj. av. Coteanu Petre were credited with a victory. From the same squadron Lt. av. Iatan Ion was not officially credited with a downed P-38 (probably wounded in the hospital and could not describe his fight in an official report).
On the American side, the 71st FS, out of 12 planes engaged in combat with Vizanty’s IAR- 81C group, eight planes were lost and two damaged. The following pilots fell in battle: Lt. Albert Smith, Lt. George Johnson, Lt. Joseph Jackson, Lt. Vernon Baker, Lt. Willie Flack, Lt. William Potter, all declared dead. Lt. Ralph Hisey and Lt. Rudolph Janci* were taken prisoner. Lieutenant Joe Morrison’s plane was badly damaged with a destroyed engine, but the pilot was heavily able to keep it in the air to Italy where he put it down on its belly at Bari Airfield.
Lt. Herbert Hatch was the only pilot who escaped alive from the battle over Popesti-Leordeni and managed to get back to 71st FS airfield at Salsola in Italy. His claims for five downed and two damaged FW-190 aircraft required review and approval. Three were confirmed on his gun camera film and the rest later by his wingman Joe Morrison. Lt. Carl Hoenshell also managed to escape from Popesti-Leordeni, but left without any more ammunition; on his way to Italy he was followed by a German Bf 109 based in Yugoslavia and then shot down at 0940 in Bulgaria near Dragoman north of Sofia by Lt. Taubenberger of 6/JG 51.@
Excerpt from the article “”Obiectiv Romano-Americana” : Indienii cu doua pene ataca!” by author Dan Melinte used here with permission.
* Information from Bojanic Milos in Serbia indicates Rudolph Janci was not captured but evaded in Yugoslavia. A source to support: “Rudolph Janci had very interesting story on that day. He was the only pilot from his, 71st Squadron, who made it back to base. While on the bombing run, they were attacked by 50 planes. He shot down one plane from head-on, and probably second one. His left engine was damaged and stopped working. Janci broke away from fight, and headed back home. While on the way back, he was shot from the ground, and in Bulgaria he strafed one truck until he used all of his ammo. However, damaged plane could not go further, so he had to crash land. His plane broke apart on landing, but he managed to escape without injuries. Chetnik guerrillas quickly came and took him to Soko Banja, where they hid him in civilian clothes for some time. Since he spoke Czech, he could communicate with locals.” Rudolph Janci was reportedly evacuated on August 10 from Pranjani, during first evacuation of the Halyard mission. Source: https://www.halyardmission.org/post/june-10-ploesti-raid
@ Information from Bojanic Milos in Serbia indicates Carl Hoenshell crashed and was killed in Yugoslavia, not in Bulgaria, in a crash near Knjaževac. Lt. Hatch noted in the witness portion of MACR 5634 that Hoenshell was last sighted near Nis, Yugolavia, north of Lalinac when the formation was attacked by Me-109s.
However, information from author Dan Melinte in Romania indicates a Hoenshell family relative searched for his remains first in Yugoslavia and afterwards in Bulgaria in the late 1990s. It was a long and hard effort to find him but they did. They eventually found the crash site on a farm at the Bulgarian village of Dragoman. Also, the claim of the German pilot specified that the P-38 he shot down was north of Sofia in Bulgaria. A USAF source also indicates Lt. Hoenshell’s remains were repatriated from Bulgaria: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/139143/world-war-ii-ironmans-remains-return-home/
D-Day, June 6, 1944, Day of Days, when 160,000 troops were landed by air and sea in Normandy, France, supported by over 5,000 ships and craft and over 13,000 aircraft.
While those 13,000 Allied aircraft were occupied with Normandy, Fifteenth Air Force continued the pressure on the Third Reich sending hundreds of heavy bombers and escorting fighters on missions against Romania and Yugoslavia. Three separate targets within Romania were attacked on D-Day keeping air defenders occupied for the day as well as laying the hurt on the targets they hit.
On this day, the problematic shuttlebombing effort (Operation FRANTIC) continued. The day saw 104 B-17s and 42 P-51s (which had flown to the USSR from Italy on June 2nd) attack the enemy airfield at Galati, Romania and then return to Soviet shuttle bases; eight enemy fighters were claimed shot down. Two 325th FG P-51s were lost.
One of them was flown by 2d Lt. John D. Mumford, who was shot down in the vicinity of Novotroyan, present day Novi Troyany in the Ukraine. Soviet Cossack Calvary ordered villagers who found his body to leave him where he lay. Afterward the International Red Cross confirmed that Mumford was in the plane when it crashed, but his body wasn’t recovered after the war and he was listed as MIA. In 2016 his remains were recovered from the Ukraine and in 2017 returned to the US and burial in Florida.
Via Tampa Bay Times, 16 March 2017
Meanwhile, from air bases in Italy, 570+ other bombers, and fighter escort flew to targets in Romania and Yugoslavia. B-17s hit the Belgrade marshaling yard and Turnu-Severin canal installations.
In Romania, B-24s hit two targets, with the first being the Ploesti oil refineries and the second being the marshaling yard at Brasov. At least 13 B-24s were lost in attacks on these targets, most likely at Ploesti, per the number of pertinent MACRs in the AAIR Database for June 1944. This included five from the 464th BG, four from the 465th BG, and one each from the 98th, 376th, 451st and 459th bomb groups.
View of the 16 April 1944 attack on the railroad marshaling yard at Brasov, Romania. A B-24 Liberator of the 47th Bomb Wing in the picture. Brasov is on the northern slope of the Transylvanian Alps along the line of communications to Axis forces fighting on the Eastern Front, about 175 miles away at the time. (USAAF via Fold3)
One of the groups attacking Ploesti, the 464th Bomb Group, lost five B-24s and crews on the mission. Three B-24s were lost to fighters, one to fighters and flak, and the last one unknown, maybe to flak. Of the aircrew, 10 were interned in Turkey, 11 were captured by German forces, 18 captured by Romanian forces, eight more evaded in Yugoslavia and three were killed, two with bodies not recovered (one of those in Yugoslavia), per source (Five from the 464th)
One of the 465th BG B-24s was hit in the Ploesti attack but limped away from the battle, eventually coming down in Yugoslavia near the Drina River southwest of Uzice. This and examples above show that aircraft in the campaign over Romania that were lost in battle didn’t always come down in Romania, making it a bit of a challenge to sort through and identify the numbers of aircraft and crews lost in the campaign when looking solely from within the geographic area of Romania.
Festung Ploesti: The American Air Campaign over Romania, 1942-1944 