343rd Bomb Squadron

Squadron
media-13728.jpeg UPL 13728 B-24D, 42-40364, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, of the 343rd Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, in the 9th Air Force. Lost on the Ploesti oil refinery mission. Pilot Lt. James Gunn, Jr. 1 Aug 1943.

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40364 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Object Number - UPL 13728 - B-24D, 42-40364, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, of the 343rd Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, in the 9th Air Force. Lost on the Ploesti oil...

Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic crossing from Brazil to Liberia, then transited east across central Africa to Sudan. Lastly the group reformed with the ground echelon which traveled by ship around the Cape of Good Hope, joining with air echelon in British Palestine.



Assigned to the newly formed IX Bomber Command, the squadron operated from airfields in Egypt; Libya and Tunisia supporting the British Eighth Army in the Western Desert Campaign. Also staged long-range strategic bombardment of enemy military and industrial targets in Sicily; Italy and the Southern Balkans, including attacking the German-controlled oilfields at Ploiești, Romania.



Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in southern Italy; continuing strategic bombardment raids on Occupied France; Southern Germany; Austria and targets in the Balkans. In the summer of 1944, the squadron participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries.



The squadron returned to the United States in May 1945; being redesignated as a B-29 Superfortress heavy bomb squadron and began training for deployment to the Central Pacific Area and conduct strategic bombardment raids over the Japanese Home Islands. Training continued until the unit was inactivated at the end of July, its equipment and personnel being merged into the other three squadrons of its host group.

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 06151631
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew Chief
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 06896401
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19080771
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-222423 / 1782A
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Edna Elizabeth
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron 512th Bomb Squadron 1st Provisional Group
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Sleepy - The Squaw
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Witch
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Nightmare
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron

Revisions

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