UPL 14346
IMAGEAt an air base near Bengasi, Cirenaica, Libya. T/Sgt Leonard S Pate, Liberator engineer of Chino, California, crawls out of the bomb bay doors of a B-24 of the 376th Bomb Group after return from the devastating low-level bombing attack on the Ploesti, Roumania oil fields and refineries. On arriving at the target, this plane's bomb bay doors jammed but the bombs (delayed action) were released and cracked open the doors, finally dropping in the oil refinery area. The raid, from first reports, wrecked the source of over 35% of Germany's war machine fuel.
Connections
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Units
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 376th Bomb Group 515th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39527258
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Honey Chile - Liberandos - Teggie Ann
- Unit: 376th Bomb Group 515th Bomb Squadron
Mission
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description: