716th Squadron (449th BG) Original Aircraft
"DUMBO"; Delivered to Bruning 15 Oct. '43, assigned to Knapp's crew. Demise: Crashlanded 1/14/44 with no casualties at Bari, Italy, with Kendall's crew aboard. Tail #46, serial #42-07741. {Circumstances of Loss. As the Group headed out over the Adriatic, on the first leg of its flight to the target at Mostar, Yugoslavia, Kendall's crew aboard ship #741 was forced to jettison the bomb load and turn back after the "electrical system went out" and two engines failed. When the engines of ship #741 "cut off over Adriatic, [the] pilot was able to goose ship intermittently with number-2 and number-3 [engines] sufficiently to see land. Pilot warned the crew to be ready and gave sign to the gunners who parachuted successfully. Six men stayed with the ship and when Bari airport was sighted the pilot dove ship with no power and came in for landing. Landed ship [with] wheels down, rolled about 2,000 feet when left gear gave way gradually. Ship turned on left wing and ball turret which could not be retracted dug into ground ripping fuselage. Bomb bay doors [were] open [and] ripped off. Ship recovered for salvage." Thus ended the combat career of the ship which Knapp's crew had named Dumbo.} The first 449th ship to be salvaged due to combat damage.
"BRADY'S GANG"; Delivered to Bruning 25 Oct. '43, assigned to Brady's crew. Demise: Downed 1/31/44 by fighter attacks over Udine, Italy with Brady's crew aboard. 2 KIA, 8 POW, and 3 evaded to allied territory. Tail #47, serial #42-07769. {Circumstances of Loss. As the formation prepared to rally to the left immediately after bombs were released, Brady's Gang was hit by flak. The ship was seen to "go into a steep dive, level momentarily, then crash into a mountain side."}
"DEVIL'S HENCHMEN"; Delivered to Bruning 18 Oct. '43, assigned to Messenger's crew. Demise: Transferred to 15th AF Depot for major overhaul in mid-44; subsequently reassigned to another Bomb Group, post war salvaged 6/23/45; one of the very few original 449th ships to survive the war. Tail #48, then #63; serial #42-52089.
"MAW STRICKNINE"; Delivered to Bruning 1 Nov. '43, assigned to Powers' crew. Demise: Transferred to Goioa, Italy, 15th AF Depot for major overhaul in mid-44; subsequently reassigned to another Bomb Group, post-war salvaged 8/16/45; one of the very few original 449th ships to survive the war. Tail #49, serial #42-52104.
"SLICK CHICK"; Delivered to Bruning 27 Oct. '43, assigned to Roberts' crew. Demise: Transferred to 15th AF Depot 2/22/44 and returned 5/5/44. Later transferred to Depot again and subsequently reassigned to another Bomb Group; post-war salvaged 11 Aug. '45. Tail #50, serial #42-52110.
"GHOST OF THE OMAR"; Delivered to Bruning 31 Oct. '43, assigned to Browning's crew. (Named after a lounge in the Continental Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.) Demise: Downed on 9 June '44 with Collins' crew aboard. 10 POW, 1 evaded. Tail #51, serial #42-52140. {Circumstances of Loss. After rendezvousing with the other Groups, the 449th formation headed northward up the middle of the Adriatic enroute for Munich, Germany. As the formation passed over the city of Udine in northern Itlay, Ghost of the Omar -- with Collins' crew aboard -- was hit by flak. The damage was not thought at first to be severe enough to abort the mission, and the Ghost continued northward with the formation until -- some three miles west of Salzburg -- Collins' crew realized they would have to turn back. The Ghost "left the formation dropping down very low [but] under control with the two inboard engines smoking." No chutes were seen at that time and the Ghost was soon lost from sight by the other planes in the formation. Collins' crew was subsequently forced to bail out.}
"PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA"; Delivered to Bruning 1 Nov. ' 43, assigned to Bradley's crew. Demise: Downed on 2/22/44 with Bird's crew aboard. 10 POW. Tail #52, serial #42-52146. {Circumstances of Loss. On 22 February 1944, the 449th attacked the Obertraubling Aircraft Factory at Regensburg, Germany. They met stiff resistance in the form of both fighters and flak. The fighters scored direct hits on ship #52. When the last of the fighters broke off the engagement, Bird's crew began the struggle to keep their heavily damaged B-24 airborne as long as possible. As they crossed southern Austria, Bird's crew came to the realization that they would soon be forced to abandon their crippled aircraft. Some fifty miles south of Graz, Bird's crew bailed out together.}
"SOPHISTICATED LADY"; Delivered to Bruning 26 Oct. '43, assigned to R. Bird's crew. Demise: Downed by fighters on 2/25/44 with Bradley's crew aboard . 1 KIA, 9 Evaded. Tail #53, serial #41-29214. {Circumstances of Loss. On 25 February 1944, the 449th attacked the ME-109 factory at Regensburg, Germany. As the bombers rallied left off the target and emerged from the flak, the 449th formation came under heavy attack from an enemy fighter force. The enemy fighters were "extremely aggressive" and "pressed home their attacks with great vigor." The fighters scored direct hits on Sophisticated Lady forcing Bradley's crew to immediately feather the number-1 and number-2 engines. As the aircraft began losing altitude, Bradley's crew was forced to bail out. Nine chutes were seen.}
"BLIND DATE"; Delivered to Bruning 9 Nov. '43, assigned to Kennelly's crew. Demise: Downed by heavy flak and fighter attack 4/12/44 with Beam's crew aboard. 4 KIA, 6 POW. Tail #54, serial #41-29243. {Circumstances of Loss. On 12 April 1944, the 449th attacked the aircraft factory at Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. Coming off the target, the 449th was attacked by some 25 to 30 enemy fighters. At the "tail-end Charlie" position in C-section of the 449th formation, the number-3 engine of ship #54 was seen to burst into flames as a "single very aggressive fighter" pressed home the attack. Beam's crew was forced to immediately bail out as the "ship went into a spin." Six chutes were seen and the aircraft was last seen "going down in flames."}
"STINKY THE B. T. O."; Delivered to Bruning 9 Nov. '43, assigned to Oien's crew. Demise: Blew up 2/22/44 under fighter attack with Browning's crew aboard, 3 KIA , 7 POW. Tail #55; serial #42-64462. {Circumstances of Loss. On 22 February 1944, the 449th attacked the Obertraubling Aircraft Factory at Regensburg, Germany. They met stiff resistance in the form of both fighters and flak. Enemy fighters scored direct hits on ship #55 which was seen to explode.} [B. T. O. is abbreviation for "Big Time Operator"]
"THE WISE VIRGIN"; Delivered to Bruning 28 Oct. '43, assigned to Kinerd's crew. Demise: Kinerd's crew forced to bail-out due to heavy combat damage 2/22/44. No casualties. Tail #56; serial #41-28616. {Circumstances of Loss. On 22 February 1944, the 449th attacked the Obertraubling Aircraft Factory at Regensburg, Germany. They met stiff resistance in the form of both fighters and flak. The enemy fighters scored direct hits on ship #56. However, Kinerd's crew was able to keep the ship airborne until they reached southern Italy. Kinerd's crew successfully bailed out over freindly territory near Bari, Itlay}
"RAMP TRAMP"; Delivered to Bruning 21 Oct. '43. Assigned to Moore's crew. Demise: Downed with Moore's crew aboard 2/22/44. 7 KIA, 4 POW. Tail #57, serial #42-07700. {Circumstances of Loss. On 22 February 1944, the 449th attacked the Obertraubling Aircraft Factory at Regensburg, Germany. They met stiff resistance in the form of both fighters and flak. During the final minutes of the fighter attack on the 449th formation, enemy fighters scored direct hits on ship #57, Ramp Tramp -- manned by Moore's crew -- which caught fire and subsequently exploded in the air.}
"THE HEAVENLY BODY"; Delivered to Bruning 15 Oct. '43, assigned to Drinan's crew. Demise: Crashed and burned on an emergency landing during a practice flight, 7/17/44. One killed. Tail #58; serial #42-07708.
"727"; unnamed; Delivered to Bruning (date unknown), assigned to Forbes' crew. Demise: Downed 2/25/44 with Forbes' crew aboard. All 10 KIA. Tail #59, serial #42-07727. {Circumstances of Loss. On 25 February 1944, the 449th attacked the ME-109 factory in Regensburg, Germany. As the bombers rallied left off the target and emerged from the flak, the 449th formation came under heavy attack from an enemy fighter force. The enemy fighters were "extremely aggressive" and "pressed home their attacks with great vigor." Ship #59 was "last seen under control [with] engine smoking and falling back just after the target."}
"MISS LEE DING"; Delivered to Bruning 18 Oct. '43, assigned to Isgrigg's crew. Demise: Downed 6/26/44 with Sullivan's crew aboard. 2 KIA, 8 Evaded. Tail #60, then Tail #75; serial #42-07737. {Circumstances of Loss. On 26 June 1944, the 449th attacked the aircraft factory at Schwechat, Austria. Over the target, the Group encountered "intense, accurate, heavy flak" which damaged 26 aircraft. As they emerged from the flak field, Lt. Sullivan and his copilot struggled to maintain control of ship #75 as the number-1 engine refused to feather after being knocked out by flak. As ship #75 begin to fall astern the formation, ships #67 and #15 also dropped out of formation to form an escort. The three ships formed up and began trailing behind the 449th formation. No enemy fighters spotted the three stragglers. An hour later, ships #67 and #15 handed off the escort job to a formation of friendly fighters. Ship #75, still unable to feather the number-1 engine could not make it back across the Adriatic Sea to Italy. Sullivan's crew bailed out over Yugoslavia.}