USAAF losses over Ploesti 24 June 1944

[Alex Smart]

Thank you UDF 00,

I had already looked on the 450 BG site.
The serial numbers of the six a/c are in earlier post.
I checked the Fold3 MACR's and Nara's POW's. The ABMC lists may not show all if some have been returned to the US.

Crew of 42-78216 so far only eight names.
The other five 450BG a/c lost all had crews of 10.
Came up with 23 POW's including Cassidy.
So wanted is at least two more names to complete the crew for 42-78216, or did she only carry a crew of eight ?

Thanks
Alex

[Frank Olynyk]

Alex,
The two missing names are:

S/Sgt John D Hull, 33719186, status: POW

Sgt Abraham Barn, serial unknown, status: unknown

From 450th BG mission records at Maxwell AFB.

I have not been able to locate a MACR for this crew. The MACR folder just has a note, Not found at time of filming. Abraham Barn does not appear in the list of POWs obtained from NARA, nor does he appear on the ABMC website. Nor does he appear in the National Cemetery Administration Gravesite Locator. Nor NARA's Enlistment database, nor Ancestry's Death Index. Very strange. This may indicate that his name is misspelled, or he deliberately changed it.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[researcher111]

Most of the the mission reports and other events at 450 BG website and other 15th AF BG's sites are outdated something which corrected numerous times by historians throughout the years. 450 BG lost 6 aircrafts on that day , in total the 15 Air Force lost 14 bombers and 3 fighters . In addition numerous observations carry wrongly spelled locations while if 450 BG claims that 39 Libs took off from Manduria how could then only 26 of them be over the target ( info updated recently, this after accounting early returns and other) . In summary the 15th AF came up with a max effort of 235 plus Libs in addition to 55 B-17's from 5th BW over target.

PS : For those interested on these figures, best thing is to buy current publications rather use as reference outdated websites

[Alex Smart]

Hello researcher111,

You say -

"Most of the the mission reports and other events at 450 BG website and other 15th AF BG's sites are outdated something which corrected numerous times by historians throughout the years. 450 BG lost 6 aircrafts on that day , while if 450 BG claims that 39 Libs took off from Manduria how could then only 26 of them be over the target ( info updated recently, this after accounting early returns and other)."

If you look again at the numbers.
39 a/c are said to have taken off, OK
3 a/c returned early, OK
29 a/c returned to Base plus 1 returned to Base later, so 30 a/c returned OK
So
39 - 3 = 36 -(29 + 1) = 6

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
And the serial number of the seventh B24 was ? please.

Thanks
Alex

[udf_00]

The 450th BG mission report was an answer to the initial post ( 98th & 449th lagging behind 376th & 450th which bore the brunt of the attack, use of rockets, sightings of
Fw 190s, Bf 110s, Ju 88s and yellow [what else!] nosed Bf 109).
For 42-78216 :
http://www.450thbg.com/real/crews/johnsonh.shtml

[Alex Smart]

Hello Frank,
Thank you greatly for your input, it is most welcome.
As for the MACR I think that craig Fuller must have had access to it as he gives the Pilot name in his website - how else would he have got the pilots name ?

DCO.
Thanks again, will see if I can find Bohn's service number, if I do I will let you know.

Now red face
The answer was here all the time and I missed it
http://www.450thbg.com/real/crews/johnsonh.shtml

Crew of B-24 42-78216 was -

P - 2Lt. JOHNSON Jr, Herbert P - O-818159 - KIA.
CP - 2Lt. BARNES, Daniel Gunningham - O-823788 - KIA.
N - 2Lt. LINDSEY, John W. - O-709935 - KIA.
B - 2Lt. LOTOW, Jason H - O1286313 - KIA.
TT - Sgt. BALEK, Louis - 33831705 - KIA.
E - S/Sgt. SHOUP, Howard W - 35787698 - KIA.
BT - Sgt. CASSIDY, William L - 17071948 - POW.
RO/WG - S/Sgt. HULL, John D - 33719186 - POW.
WG - Sgt. BOHN, Abraham - 31371559 - POW.
TG - Sgt. BRAGA, Davis A - 39041771 - KIA.

Taking into account the list in the Official 450 BG website the above is my interpretation of Crew positions given in order as usualy shown in reports.

Alex

[udf_00]

BOHN, ABRAHAM 31371559.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

Thank you ALL, for the interest and input that has paid off for one B24 crew.
"Keith A" had asked at the start for help with losses on the 24th June 44.
I think that his request has mostly if not fully been answered.
Well done.

Alex

[keith A]

Astonished as always by the depth of knowledge provided by the forum, my initial interest was to identify how accurate the LW/Rumanian claims were. It seems they were largely accurate.

best regards

Keith