718th Squadron (449th BG) Original Aircraft
"VENI, VIDI, VICI"; Delivered to Bruning 5 Nov. '43, assigned to Silvers' crew. Demise: Downed by flak 5/17/44 with Silvers' crew aboard. 7 KIA , 3 POW. Tail #17; serial #42-52150. {Circumstances of Loss. "At 1332 hours, [ship #17] had a direct hit by flak shell on #2 engine blowing the engine off and firing the ship." The pilot, Lt. H. Silvers, and the copilot, Lt. Thomas Turner, "held the aircraft under control -- straight and level until the crew could bail out. The B-24 peeled out of formation to avoid damage to other aircraft." [Enemy Evasion Aid Report ] In the photo, a fuel cloud can be seen emerging from the wing at the location of the missing engine. Shortly after this photograph was taken, the left wing collapsed. Seven members of Silver's crew, including both pilots, perished in the ensuing crash. In the post-mission debriefing, the Squadron C. O. referred to the controlled manner in which ship #17 peeled out of the formation thereby avoiding other aircraft and allowing time for crew members to begin bailing out as "the finest piece of flying ever seen."}
"41-29217"; Delivered to Bruning circa Oct./Nov. '43, assigned to Kendall's crew. Demise: Downed 1/30/44 by flak and fighters over Udine, Italy, with Kendall's crew aboard. 9 KIA, 1 POW. Tail #18; serial #42-29217. {Circumstances of Loss. On 30 Jan. 1944, thirty 449th aircraft bombed the German airfield at Udine, Italy. At 1228 hours, "immediately after bombs were away," enemy fighters, "variously estimated for 20 to 50" in number, furiously attacked the 449th formation. The enemy fighters, "mostly ME-109s with a sprinkling of FW-190s, attacked from all positions of the clock, and most of the time from below. Some attacked in 2's and 3's abreast. Attacks were pressed to within 200 and 300 yards." The attacks were "concentrated on the lower flight of the first section" which was "apparently ... left uncovered from above when the second section in making the turn for the IP swung wide over the first section while there was straggling in this flight itself." Within minutes after the beginning of the attack, three ships in the low flight of the first section were mortally damaged by the enemy fighters. Ship #18 was "reported ... to go down just south of the target." The copilot was 2nd Lt. Fletcher Porter, the original pilot of Big Noise From Kentucky.}
"HOT ROCK"; Delivered to Bruning 22 Oct. '43, assigned to Petz's crew. Demise: Sent to 15th AF Depot for major repair. Subsequently transferred to another Bomb Group. Post-war salvage 3 June '45. One of the original ships to last out the war. Tail #20, serial #41-29218.
"461"; Delivered to Bruning (unknown). Demise: Damaged by flak 4/23/44 over Vienna RR yards with Rouse's crew aboard. Crashlanded in Yugoslavia. The crew torched the ship. 1 KIA, 9 Evaded. Tail #21; serial #42-64461. {Circumstances of Loss. Thirty 449th aircraft bombed the enemy aircraft factory at Schwechat, Austria, at 1455 hours on 23 April 1944. The flak wreaked havoc on the 449th formation. Four B-24's fell victim to the deadly barrage. Ship #21 "dropped back in the formation with the number-1 engine smoking and feathered" as Rouse's crew struggled to keep the bomber airborne. Ship #21 was last seen just south of Zagreb, Yugoslavia, losing altitude. Being too low to bail out and unable to climb due to combat damage, Rouse's crew landed ship #21 in a field in Yugoslavia. The radio operator was killed in the action. After setting the ship afire, the other nine crew members contacted partisan forces and successfully evaded.}
"HARPER'S FERRY"; Delivered to Bruning 6 Nov. '43, assigned to Harper's crew. Demise: The 718th sent her to the 15th Air Force Depot in December of 1944. Post-war salvage 8/16/45. One of the few 449th original ships to survive the war. Tail #22; serial #41-28621.
"SINNERS DREAM"; Delivered to Bruning 9 Nov. '43, assigned to Chandler's crew. Demise: Downed over Udine, Italy, 1/30/44 with Chandler's crew aboard. 6 KIA, 5 POW. Tail #23; serial #41-28605. {Circumstances of Loss. On 30 Jan. 1944, thirty 449th aircraft bombed the German airfield at Udine, Italy. At 1228 hours, "immediately after bombs were away," enemy fighters, "variously estimated for 20 to 50" in number, furiously attacked the 449th formation. The enemy fighters, "mostly ME-109s with a sprinkling of FW-190s, attacked from all positions of the clock, and most of the time from below. Some attacked in 2's and 3's abreast. Attacks were pressed to within 200 and 300 yards." The attacks were "concentrated on the lower flight of the first section" which was "apparently ... left uncovered from above when the second section in making the turn for the IP swung wide over the first section while there was straggling in this flight itself." Within minutes after the beginning of the attack, three ships in the low flight of the first section were mortally damaged by the enemy fighters. Ship #23 was observed "to spiral to earth and crash" just after the target.}
"PISTOL PACKIN MAMMA"; Delivered to Bruning 19 Oct. '43, assigned to Roger's crew. Demise: Downed 4/16/44 over Brasov, Rumania, with Roger's crew aboard. 1 KIA, 9 POW. Tail #24; serial #41-28597. {Circumstances of Loss. The marshalling yard at Brasov, Rumania, was the 449th's target on 16 April 1944. As the 449th departed the target, they came under attack by enemy fighters. Three 449th aircraft, ships #24, #29, #36 fell victim to the fighters. All three aircraft were reportedly beginning to "straggle" in the rear of their formations when they were "attacked by the enemy fighters." Details of the losses were sketchy. However, aboard ship #24, the top-turret gunner was killed as the enemy fighters pressed home their attacks. Crews were observed bailing out of the three stricken bombers, all of which "went out of control and crashed."}
"DAISY MAE"; Delivered to Bruning 15 Oct. '43, assigned to Carter's crew. Received ground damage during the night of 8 Jan. '44 when an RAF Beaufighter lost control on landing and ran into her. The ship was repaired, put back into service, and flew combat missions until 1 Aug. '44 at which time it was salvaged. Tail #25; serial #41-07726.
"BIG NOISE FROM KENTUCKY"; Delivered to Bruning 5 Nov. '43, assigned to Porter's crew. Demise: Downed by flak on 5/5/44 over Bor, Yugoslavia, returning from Ploesti mission with Harper's crew aboard. 1 POW, 9 Evaded. Tail #26; serial #42-52149. {Circumstances of Loss. Thirty-eight 449th B-24s attacked the marshalling yards at Ploesti, Rumania, on 5 May 1944. Over the target, the 449th was pounded by "intense, accurate, heavy flak." As they emerged from the flak, some 25 to 30 enemy fighters attacked the formation. Four B-24s fell victim to the flak and fighters. When the enemy fighters broke of the attack, the remaining thirty-four B-24s closed up the formations, and, with the feeling that the worst part of the mission was behind them, began the long flight home. An hour after departing Ploesti -- as the formation passed directly over Bor, Yugoslavia -- flak again appeared in the sky around the lead section. The flak squarely bracketed ship #26. Both the number-3 and number-4 engines were knocked out. Lt. Paul Harper -- realizing that his plane was mortally damaged -- gave the order to bail out. At 1508 hours the crew bailed out. Big Noise "went into a spiral glide and crashed with a blinding flash." The position was noted as 4350N - 2113E.}
"EVERYBODY'S BABY"; Delivered to Bruning 25 Oct. '43, assigned to Stewart's crew. Demise: Damaged in a ground accident in early March 1944. While taxiing across the muddy field at Grottaglie, the right wheel of ship #27 struck a deep hole. The shock of striking the hole caused major damage to the trut and right wing. Ship #27 subsequently became a "spare parts" ship. Tail #27; serial #42-07756.
"YE OLDE RUGGED CURSE"; Delivered to Bruning 31 Oct. '43, assigned to Rasbach's crew. Demise: Combat damaged 2 April '44 by fighters over Steyr, Austria; Rasbach's crew made emergency landing at Foggia, Italy. Ship salvaged for spare parts. Tail #28; serial #42-07762. {Circumstances of Loss. The aircraft components factory at Steyr, Austria, was the 449th's target on 2 April 1944. At high noon -- as the lead elements of the 449th formation approached the IP -- sixty to seventy enemy fighters attacked the 449th formation. Ship #28 suffered heavy damage as the "very aggressive" ME-109s, some of which "came within 100 feet of the top turret," raked the lenght of the B-24 with 20-mm cannon fire. The number-1 engine, waist section, and flight deck were riddled. The shell fragments which richocheted through the aircraft wounded four crewmen. Flying on three engines, ship #28 managed to make it back Italy and to make an emergency landing at Foggia. The combat damage was so severe that the ship was salvaged for spare parts.}
"HELLS-A-POPPIN"; Delivered to Bruning 9 Nov. '43, assigned to Staley's crew. Demise: Downed 4/16/44 over Brasov, Rumania with Temchulla's crew aboard. 3 KIA, 7 POW. Tail #29; serial #42-52166. {Circumstances of Loss. The marshalling yard at Brasov, Rumania, was the 449th's target on 16 April 1944. As the 449th departed the target, they came under attack by enemy fighters. Three 449th aircraft, ships #24, #29, #36 fell victim to the fighters. All three aircraft were reportedly beginning to "straggle" in the rear of their formations when they were "attacked by the enemy fighters." Details of the losses were sketchy. Three crewmen aboard ship #29 were killed during the action as the enemy fighters pressed home their attacks. Crews were observed bailing out of the three stricken bombers, all of which "went out of control and crashed."}
"730"; Delivered to Bruning circa Oct./Nov. '43, assigned to Wheeler's crew. Demise: Downed 1/30/44 over Udine, Italy, when rammed by a ME-109. 10 KIA . Tail #30; serial #42-07730. {Circumstances of Loss. On 30 Jan. 1944, thirty 449th aircraft bombed the German airfield at Udine, Italy. At 1228 hours, "immediately after bombs were away," enemy fighters, "variously estimated for 20 to 50" in number, furiously attacked the 449th formation. The enemy fighters, "mostly ME-109s with a sprinkling of FW-190s, attacked from all positions of the clock, and most of the time from below. Some attacked in 2's and 3's abreast. Attacks were pressed to within 200 and 300 yards." The attacks were "concentrated on the lower flight of the first section" which was "apparently ... left uncovered from above when the second section in making the turn for the IP swung wide over the first section while there was straggling in this flight itself." Within minutes after the beginning of the attack, three ships in the low flight of the first section were mortally damaged by the enemy fighters. Ship #30 was "seen to explode and go into a spin" when "it was rammed by an ME-109, one of the [B-24s] engines being afire at the time of the collision.}
"SLEEPY TIME GAL"; Delivered to Bruning 19 Oct. '43, assigned to Wingfield's crew. Demise: Downed 2/23/44 by fighters. 7 KIA, 3 POW. Tail #31 & 29; serial #42-07745. {Circumstances of Loss. The 23rd of February 1944 saw the 449th attack the aircraft factory at Steyr, Austria. As the formation approached the target shortly before noon, "30 to 40 ME-109, ME-110, and JU-88s" attacked the 449th. The enemy fighters, attacking from the rear, scored direct hits on ship #31 which "was seen to wing over at the target and go into a steep dive" from which it never recovered.}
"WHITE FANG"; Delivered to Bruning 27 Oct. '43, assigned to Pickard's crew. Demise: Downed 1/14/44 over Mostar, Yugoslavia, with Pickard's crew aboard when struck by bombs from another aircraft in the formation. 9 KIA, 2 POW. Tail #32; serial #41-28606. {Circumstances of Loss. Operational Order Number 2 for January 14th 1944 identified the target for the day as the "TOWN OF MOSTAR." At this point in time, the 449th had not lost a plane and crew over an enemy target. Although "two ME-109s attacked the formation" and "flak over the target was heavy and moderate," the Group's first combat loss was not directly attributable to enemy action. The Group formation "followed the route but missed the IP and missed the target -- 5 miles north" with the result that the formation "circled before the bomb run began." During the circle maneuver, the 449th formation came unglued. Aircraft lost their positions relative to each other with disastrous results. When bombs were released, ship #606 with Pickard's crew was directly below the bomb bay of ship #737. The first two bombs in the string struck ship #606 amidships causing the ship to explode in mid-air in a "huge ball of fire, smoke, and debris."}
"WOODS CHOPPER"; Delivered to Bruning 20 Oct. '43, assigned to Wood's crew. Demise: Crashed 2 July '44 four miles north of home base, out of fuel, with Kirkland's crew aboard returning damaged. 3 KIA. Tail #35, #19, and #44; serial #42-07750. {Circumstances of Loss. The Chopper was lost on 2 July 1944 when it crashed just short of the runway at Grottaglie with Kirkland's crew aboard returning damaged from a mission to Budapest, Hungary. }