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41-11819

B-24 Liberator

  • B-24D-CO Liberator 41-11819

    B-24D-CO Liberator 41-11819 "Raunchy" of 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group. Lost on the August 1,1943 low-level mission to Ploesti, Romania. She was hit by AAA over the target and exploded at an altitude of 150 feet and crashing into a field. Pilot Samuel R Neeley, 8 KIA, 2 POW MACR 169.

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  • Operation Tidal Wave - Last Briefing. - 1943

    Operation Tidal Wave - Last Briefing. - 1943

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  • B-24D 'RAUNCHY' - B - 24 - D - CO - SN #41-11819 - 9th AF - 98th BG - 344th BS. - Lost on OPERATION TIDAL WAVE, August 1,1943. Ploesti Romania. - MACR 169 - Pilot Lt. Samuel R. Neeley. Copilot - Lt. Herman H. Henslee. KIA - Aug 1943

    B-24D 'RAUNCHY' - B - 24 - D - CO - SN #41-11819 - 9th AF - 98th BG - 344th BS. - Lost on OPERATION TIDAL WAVE, August 1,1943. Ploesti Romania. - MACR 169 - Pilot Lt. Samuel R. Neeley. Copilot - Lt. Herman H. Henslee. KIA - Aug 1943

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B-24D-CO Liberator - 'Raunchy'

S/N # 41-11819

344th Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air force

'Raunchy' was lost on the August 1,1943 low-level mission to Ploesti,Romania. She was hit by AAA over the target and exploded at an altitude of 150 feet and crashed into a field. 8 KIA, 2 POW MACR 169

Crew :

1st Lt. Samuel R. Neeley - pilot (KIA)

2nd Lt. Herman H. Henslee - Copilot (KIA)

1st Lt. Joel I. Corn - Navigator (KIA)

2nd Lt. Eugene L. Rodgen - Bombardier (KIA)

Sgt. Karl T. Edelen - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner (KIA)

Sgt. Robert P. Schultz - Gunner (KIA)

Sgt. William W. Schiffmacher - Radio Operator (POW)

Sgt. Alfred D. Cason - Gunner (KIA)

Sgt. Nick A. Allen - Gunner (POW)

Service

Aircraft

  • 41-24311 'Hadley's Harem'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, named 'Hadley's Harem' was Lt. Gilbert Hadley's personal airplane and the one he flew on the mission to destroy Hitler's oil refineries at Ploesti Romania in 1943. ...

  • 41-11819 'Raunchy'

    B-24 Liberator
    B-24D-CO Liberator - 'Raunchy' ...

  • 41-11825 'Hail Columbia' 'Grumpy' 'Little Chief Big Dog'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, 'Hail Columbia', # 41-11825, originally served in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was, first, the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's...

  • 41-11768 'KICKAPOO'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D Liberator 41-11768, 'KICKAPOO', was piloted by Lt. John S. Young from Dallas, Texas as part of the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron, which arrived in North Africa in early 1943. This airplane and was Lt...

  • 42-40629 'The Scorpion'

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D Liberator 42-40629, 'The Scorpion', with the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bombardment Group, and the 565th Bomb Squadron, flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid, "Operation Tidal Wave" piloted by Lt. Kenneth M. Caldwell and Col. Jack Wood...

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Units

  • 9th Air Force

    9th Air Force

  • 98th Bomb Group

    98th Bomb Group

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

  • 344th Bomb Squadron

    344th Bomb Squadron

    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...

People

  • Alfred Cason

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
    Gunner Sgt. Alfred D. Cason DFC MIA/KIA ...

  • Samuel Neeley

    Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
    Pilot Lt. Sam Neeley flew his B-24D, named, 'Raunchy' on "Operation Tidal Wave", the famous bombing raid to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, one of the most desperate and daring bombing raids of WWII. ...

Missions

  • Operation Tidal Wave

    1 August 1943
    Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57 B...

Places

  • Benina

    Military site : airfield

Events

Event Location Date
FTR Failed To Return 1 August 1943

Lost on Ploesti oil refinery raid. 1st Aug 1943. Immediately after bomb release A/C struck an AA balloon cable attached with an explosive device which upon detonation caused a wing to disintegrate. 8 KIA 2 POW. The Radio operator and a Gunner survived the crash and became POW. Pilot Samuel R Neeley, MACR 169.
Assigned

344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF.
Nicknames
'Raunchy'
Production block number
B-24D-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:50:07 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Into The Fire - Duane Schultz
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:48:18 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:44:48 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:41:45 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:39:40 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:34:41 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:31:28 Kickapoo Changes to nicknames and aircraft associations
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2021 03:29:45 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations, unit associations and person associations
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
15 December 2020 12:10:59 Kickapoo Changes to description and person associations
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
02 December 2020 10:27:14 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Ploesti The Great Air-Ground Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
Date Contributor Update
17 October 2020 14:06:38 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Black Sunday -- Michael Hill ---- Into The Fire -- Duane Schultz
Date Contributor Update
17 October 2020 14:04:01 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Black Sunday -- Michael Hill ---- Into The Fire -- Duane Schultz
Date Contributor Update
17 October 2020 13:55:29 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Black Sunday -- Michael Hill ---- Into The Fire -- Duane Schultz
Date Contributor Update
21 November 2016 04:46:16 466thHistorian Changes to nicknames and place associations
Sources

http://www.taracopp.com/98th-Bombardment-Group-WWII
Date Contributor Update
13 March 2015 16:58:03 Al_Skiff Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, mission associations and media associations
Sources

AAM Database.

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