UPL 39169

IMAGE

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Lt. Harold Korger was the navigator on the B-24D, Liberator, heavy bomber, 41-11825, Hail Columbia, on Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, in 1943. Hail Columbia, was named and piloted by Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane and Lt. John S. Young from Dallas Texas, on the mission. Note the four extra .50 caliber fixed nose guns, visible in this photo, which were added to the the lower front plexiglass nose of the five lead aircraft on the Ploesti mission to strafe and suppress the German flak guns ahead of the bombers, as they made their low level bombing runs into the Ploesti oil refinery area. Hail Columbia, and all of it's crew members, including Lt. Korger, survived the Ploesti mission with over 150 counted flak holes in their airplane, yet, with no life threatening injuries to anyone on board. Knowing they could not return to their base at Benghazi, Libya, with their aircraft so heavily damaged by the German anti aircraft flak hits over the Astra Romano Refinery complex, Group Leader and Command Pilot Col. John Kane, and his navigator, Lt. Norman Whalen, decided to try to fly south to the island of Cyprus, and crash landed in the dark, on the British air base at Nicosia, August 1, 1943. Hail Columbia, was wrecked and written off, crash landing at the British air base, August, 1,1943. The next day, as the men inspected their wrecked airplane that had carried them into the burning hell of a bombing mission, and brought them safely home, there were tears in the eyes of their, normally, stoic Commander, John "Killer" Kane. Aug, 2,1943. That's how the men often felt about their airplanes that enabled them to accomplish their missions, then brought them home and saved their lives.

Connections

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Units

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Hail Columbia - Little Chief Big Dog - Grumpy
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron

Locations

Revisions

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ContributorKickapoo
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Personal Archives - John S Young Jr

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Corrections to spelling for clarity - John S Young Jr

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Word changes for accuracy - John S Young Jr

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Black Sunday - Ploesti - Michael hill

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Into The Fire - Duane Schults

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Removed associations not depicted in the image. Associated content should be added to the AIRCRAFT and/or PERSON records.

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Removed associations not depicted in image.

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ContributorKickapoo
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John S Young Jr - personal archives

Date:
ChangesChanges to person associations and mission associations
Sources

Removed associations not depicted in the image. Associated content should be added to the AIRCRAFT and/or PERSON records.

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption, person associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Personal Archives - John S Young Jr

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to person associations
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Personal Archives - John S Young Jr

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Personal Archives - John S Young Jr

Date:
ChangesChanges to person associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Removed associations not depicted in the image. Associated content should be added to the AIRCRAFT and/or PERSON records.

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption, person associations and mission associations
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill ----- Personal Archives - John S Young Jr

Date:
ChangesChanges to person associations and mission associations
Sources

Removed associations not depicted in the image. Associated content should be added to the AIRCRAFT and/or PERSON records.

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption
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Personal Archives - John S Young, Jr

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesCreated entry with collection, caption, unit associations, person associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
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Anatomy Of A Disaster - Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Into The Fire - Duane Schultz ---- TogetherWeServed.com ---- FindAGrave.com ---- Personal Archives - John S. Young