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Military
Col. John R. "Killer" Kane
B-24D - Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane - 9th Air force - 98th Bombardment Group - 344th Bombing Squadron Bomb Group, 1943. Col. Kane picked the B-24, 'Grumpy' to be his personal airplane, for the second time, and renamed it, 'Hail Columbia' to fly the Ploesti mission, as one of the five Group Leaders' aircraft. He picked Lt. John S. Young to be his copilot for the mission, Lt. Harold Korger to be his bombardier, and Lt. Norman Whalen to be his navigator. Col. Kane was awarded the Medal Of Honor for successfully leading his element of Bomb Groups to their targets and for successfully bombing his target, the Astra Romano refinery complex. The entire crew, all survived the mission. Col. Kane and Lt. Young flew their crippled bomber, 'Hail Columbia' to Nicosia, Cyprus, and crashed on landing, destroying Kane's beloved airplane. - John Young reported that, as they were surveying the damage to "Hail Columbia' the next morning, he saw tears in John Kane's eyes. Such was how many of the men felt about the airplanes that they felt had saved their lives. August 2, 1943.
# 42-40753 ~ B-24D 'OLE KICKAPOO' - Command Pilot 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, Copilot 2ndLt. Ronald Helder, and Crew 1943. Aircraft was lost at Campina, Ploesti with both pilots and all crewmen, except two, KIA. Two crewmen survived the crash, WIA on "Operation Tidal Wave" 1 Aug 1943 - Pilot Lt. Lloyd "Pete" Hughes was awarded the Medal Of Honor for his determination to press on and bomb his target without regard to his life and safety. His copilot, Lt. Ronald Helder was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross. - All crewmen on 'Ole Kickapoo' were awarded The Distinguished Service Cross and The Distinguished Flying Cross for their bravery, skill, and sacrifice in participation with Operation Tidal Wave. Pilot: 2Lt Lloyd H. Hughes, Jr. KIA : Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously Co-Pilot: 2Lt Ronald L. Helder. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Navigator: 2Lt Sidney A. Pear. KIA : Died of wounds August 6, 1943, surgery hospital in Campina, Rumania : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Bombardier: 2Lt John A. McLoughlin. KIA : Escaped burning wreckage - Died of wounds on August 3, 1943, surgery hospital in Campina, Rumania : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: T/Sgt Joseph E. Mix. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Radio Operator: T/Sgt Louis N. Kase. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Malcolm C. Dalton. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Edmond H. Smith. WIA POW : Distinguished Service Cross Tail Gunner: S/Sgt Thomas A. Hoff. WIA POW : Distinguished Service Cross Tunnel Gunner: Sgt Avis K. Wilson. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Full names: Pilot: 2Lt Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Jr. Co-Pilot: 2Lt Ronald Lee Helder Navigator: 2Lt Sidney Allen Pear Bombardier: 2Lt John A. McLoughlin Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: T/Sgt Joseph Elzie Mix Radio Operator: T/Sgt Louis Norman Kase/Kassowitz Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Malcolm Clay Dalton Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Edmond Howard Smith Tail Gunner: S/Sgt Thomas Albert Hoff Tunnel Gunner: Sgt Avis Kenneth Wilson
Col. John R. Kane Group Leader and Pilot of the 'Hail Columbia' with his copilot Lt. John S. Young on the mission to bomb Ploesti, August 1, 1943
Newspaper articles - Ploesti
'Hail Columbia' crashed and wrecked on Cyprus Island - Center Photo Between #3 and #4 Engines - Col. John Kane with Lt. John Young, center. Lt. Norman Whalen facing camera. Notice the men closely looking at the #4 engine, which is partly off it's mounts. It had taken a direct flak hit over White IV, which destroyed the engine. Aug 2, 1943
B-24D 'Hail Columbia' After Crash Landing at Nicosia, Cyprus - Aug 1, 1943 - From left : Lt. Harry Korger Bombardier - Lt. Norman Whalen Navigator/nose gunner - kneeling, second from right, 1st Lt. Raymond Hubbard Radio operator/ gunner, and crew, the next morning after the Ploesti mission, Monday August 2nd, 1943.
Col. John R. Kane was the command pilot of his chosen B-24 for the Ploesti Bombing mission, 'Hail Columbia'. Just before the mission, Kane reassigned Lt. John Young to be his copilot in 'Hail Columbia' along with most of Young's crew form Young's B-24, the 'Kickapoo', thereby saving Lt. Young's and all of his regular crew's lives when 'Kickapoo''s engines failed on the early morning takeoff for Ploesti, and crashed in flames, killing it's pilot's and all crewmembers except two, who survived, though badly burned. August 1, 1943.
Lt. Harold Korger and Col. John R. Kane 1943
Col. John R. Kane was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor for his leadership and courage during Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti, Romania. John Kane flew as Group Leader for his 98th Bomb Group, Col. Leon Johnson's 44th Bombing Group, and Col. Jack Wood's 389th Bomb Group, all of whom attacked and bombed their assigned targets. For the mission, Col. John Kane and his copilot, Lt. John S. Young from Texas, flew Kane's B-24D, the 'Hail Columbia', named by Kane for Columbia University and successfully bombed their target, code named "White IV", the Astra Romano Refinery complex. Lt Young was awarded the Silver Star and an Oak Leaf Cluster for his Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in the mission, August 1, 1943.
John Riley Kane (January 5, 1907 – May 29, 1996) was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and later the United States Air Force. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II, for his leadership, courage, and heroism for leading the 98th, the 44th, and the 389th Bombardment Groups in Operation Tidal Wave, the low altitude attack on the oil refineries at Ploesti in 1943, all of whom successfully bombed their assigned targets, including Kane's target, the Astra Romano Refinery at Ploesti Rumania, on Aug. 1, 1943
A native of Texas, Kane joined the Army Air Corps after graduating from Baylor University. In WWII in July 1942, he was sent to the Mediterranean Theater of War where he flew 43 combat missions against shipping in the Mediterranean Sea and over Italian ports for a total of 250 combat hours in Africa, the Middle East, and, later, Europe.
In North Africa, Kane commanded the 98th Bombardment Group, a B-24 Liberator unit nicknamed the "Pyramiders". His daring flying operations caused German intelligence reports to dub him "Killer Kane."
Kane earned the Silver Star during a mission when his plane became separated from the formation and was attacked from the rear by an enemy fighter. Although the tail and top turrets of his bomber became inoperative, he successfully outmaneuvered the pursuing ME-110 through eight different attacks. The fighter eventually exhausted its ammunition and was forced to break off the attack without causing any appreciable damage to Kane's aircraft.
Kane chose his friend, Lt. John S. Young, a fellow Texan from Dallas, to be his copilot on Kane's lead aircraft for the Ploesti mission, 'Hail Columbia' and also Young's crew from Young's personal B-24, the 'KICKAPOO'. This last minute change proved very fortunate for Lt. Young and his regular crew when, subsequently, 'KICKAPOO' lost it's #4 engine on takeoff for the mission and crashed, killing it's two replacement pilots, Lt. Robert Nespor, Lt. John Riley, and all but two of it's replacement crew. After the war, Col. Kane commanded a series of airfields in the U.S. and served another year and a half in North Africa before his retirement.
Military | Lieutenant General | B-24 Command Pilot - Squadron Commander - Commanding Officer | 376th Bomb Group
Keith Karl Compton (December 9, 1915 – June 15, 2004) was an American Air Force Lieutenant General who was Vice Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command. He flew as Command Pilot with Gen. Uzal Ent on Operation Tidal Wave in the B-24D, 'Teggie Ann'...
Military | Major General | Commanding General | 376th Bomb Group
Uzal Girard Ent was an American Army Air Force officer who served as the commander of the 9th Air Force and subsequently the 2nd Air Force during World War II. He flew as mission commander on the Aug 1, 1943, Ploesti oil refinery raid...
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
First Lieutenant Gilbert B. Hadley was a B-24D Liberator bomber pilot with the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, "The Pyramiders", from Texas, and the 344th Bombing Squadron, based at Cairo, Egypt, Tobruk, and Benghazi, Libya, in the Mediterranean...
Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24D Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
2nd Lt. Ronald Lee Helder was a B-24 pilot in the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 564th Bombing Squadron in WWII. He flew as Co-pilot with his friend, Command Pilot Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes, in the B-24D Lt. Helder called, 'Ole Kickapoo',...
Military | First Lieutenant | Radio Operator | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Raymond B. Hubbard was assigned to the 9th Air force, the 98th Bombardment Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron in Libya, North Africa, 1943. He took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator #41...
Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
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Military | Colonel | Bombardier Navigator | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Harold Korger was a bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force. He flew on the famous mission, Operation Tidal Wave, Aug 1, 1943, to knock out the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. ...
Military | Captain | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Royden LeBrecht was a B-24 Command pilot of the B-24D, #4111761, The 'Squaw' in North Africa in 1942-43. Lt. Lebrecht flew on Operation Tidal Wave, the Aug 1 1943 Ploesti raid, with the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bombardment Group, and the 344th Bomb...
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
1st Lt. Robert James Nespor was a B-24D command bomber pilot in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bombardment Group, "The Pyramiders", and the 330th Bombing Squadron. For the huge mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, on Operation Tidal...
Military | Major | Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Lt. Robert Sternfels was a B-24D command bomber pilot in WWII in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bombing Group, the Pyramiders, and the 345th Bombing Squadron, who flew the famous B-24D bomber, 'The Sandman' on the mission Operation Tidal Wave to bomb the...
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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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...
B-24 Liberator
SUZY-Q, flown by Col. Leon Johnson, led the 44th Bomb Group on the Aug 1, 1943 Ploesti raid and was the most famous ship of the 67th Squadron. The plane was lost on Aug 16, 1943 on a mission to the north airfield at Foggia, Italy. The plane...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to Col. Walter T. Stewart of the 330 Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, USAAF for the mission to bomb the refineries at Ploesti Aug 1,1943. Col. Stewart named this plane, 'Utah Man', to underscore his Utah Morman background to all...
B-24 Liberator
Crew of "The Sandman" on the Ploesti raid:
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B-24 Liberator
- Not to be confused with 42-30406, 'The Vulgar Virgin' of the 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 328th Bomb Squadron - Also flew Ploesti mission - Interned Turkey Aug 1, 1943
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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.
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B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator #4111761 'The Squaw' flew on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid, recovering to Cyprus, piloted by Royden L Lebrecht. On completion of its tour, returned to Fort Worth, TX, USA for a war bond tour.
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...
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...
B-24 Liberator
# 42-40753 - B-24D 'OLE KICKAPOO' - A Consolidated B-24D bomber from the 389th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force, and the 564th Bomb Squadron from England, with it's Command Pilot, 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, and his crew, who flew on "Operation Tidal...
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...
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | McGregor, TX, USA | 5 January 1907 |
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January 5, 1907. McGregor, Texas, USA. |
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| Operation Tidal Wave | Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 |
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He was awarded the Medal of Honor for leading the 98th in Operation Tidal Wave, a low-altitude attack on oil refineries in Ploieşti, Romania. |
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| Died | Veteran's Administration Nursing Home, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA | 29 May 1996 |
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May 29, 1996. Veterans Administration nursing home, Pennsylvania, USA. |
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| Buried | ||
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Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, USA. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 04 June 2020 18:46:55 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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Black Sunday ~ Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. ~ personal archives |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 December 2018 03:17:14 | Kickapoo | Changes to role |
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 December 2018 03:15:49 | Kickapoo | Changes to role, biography, person associations, unit associations and place associations |
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 August 2018 16:11:24 | Emily | Changes to role, biography, events and unit associations |
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Minor edits to biography text and events |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 March 2018 08:25:13 | Kickapoo | Changes to unit associations |
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Operation Tidal Wave |
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| 06 March 2018 08:07:16 | Kickapoo | Changes to middlename and media associations |
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Operation Tidal Wave |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2018 09:59:27 | Kickapoo | Changes to role and biography |
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U.S. Air Force Archives |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2018 09:54:59 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
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United States Air Force Archive |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2018 09:35:08 | Kickapoo | Changes to awards |
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Operation Tidal Wave |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 April 2015 16:39:34 | Al_Skiff | Created entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nickname, nationality, highest rank, role, biography, events, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
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