ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280482
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| Date: | Sunday 1 August 1943 |
| Time: | 15:12 |
| Type: | |
| Owner/operator: | United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) |
| Registration: | 42-40312 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Ploiesti -
 Romania
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Benina Airfield, Benghazi, Libya |
| return to same |
B-24D Liberator #42-40312, nicknamed "Aire Lobo." On a mission out of Benina Airfield at Benghazi, Libya to knock out the German controlled oil facilities at Ploesti, Romania, during Operation Tidalwave, this airplane took a flak shell hit just moments before releasing their bomb load, then a second hit directly into the cockpit. The B-24 went down and crashed into the ground, left wing inverted, and was utterly destroyed.
All ten crewmembers aboard were killed.
(345th Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force)
The crewmembers were:
1LT John B. Thomas, O-659415, NY, Pilot
2LT David M. Lewis, O-736539, TX, Co-Pilot
2LT Robert D. Nash, O-667418, IL, Navigator
1LT George McCandless Jr., O-732643, NY, Bombardier
TSGT Elijah D. Johnson, 13035637, VA, Flight Engineer
SSGT Eldon L. Carter, 34352519, GA, Armorer-Gunner
SSGT George E. Davies, 39313315, OR, Asst. Engineer
TSGT Ernest E. Gough, 35107007, KY, Radio Operator
SSGT William A. Kneisl, 16092647, WI, Asst. Radio Operator
SSGT Richard G. Salsbury, 11016927, ME, Gunner
Sources:
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
http://usaafdata.com/?q=search&page=1606&order=field..
https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/19161
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20547449/elijah-david-johnson
USAAF Missing Air Crew Report № 227
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jul-2022 09:24 | Gumby778 | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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