Warbird Information Exchange

For some reason I'm under the impression that "Strawberry Bitch" is a veteran of the August 1, 1943 Ploesti mission. Am I correct? Or am I wrong as usual?

Dave

From the NMUSAF site:

flew combat missions from North Africa in 1943-1944 with the 512th Bomb Squadron.

IT was not in the first Ploesti mission as it was down for reapirs, but it was on the second mission to Ploesti along with several other missions.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Is the strawberry bitch at NMUSAF the actual airframe that flew in the second ploesti raid? If so, thats great. Ill take my stepmom up there to see it. Her father lead the second and maybe third raids...

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Taylor Stevenson

Hi,

She's the real deal.

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

Yeah buddy, it is all her.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

The posts stating "first", "second", and "third" Ploesti raids are getting a bit confusing.

The first American bombing raid against the Ploesti oil fields (also the very first American bombing raid in the European theater) was carried out by B-24's of the HALPRO detachment on the night of June 11-12, 1942. Strawberry Bitch was not among the participants of this raid.

The second American bombing raid against the Ploesti oil fields was the low-level attack (Operation Tidal Wave) carried out on August 1, 1943. Strawberry Bitch was not a participant in this operation either.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

This is true. She is a combat veteran, but the mystique and sacrifice of the first Ploesti raid distorts for the layman any subsequent raid. Log of the Liberators by Steve Birdsall is the definitive book on the B-24.

Again, with the phrase "first Ploesti raid" are you referring to the HALPRO raid of 1942 or Tidalwave of 1943?

Both raids carry with them a sizable amount of mystique. My guess is there are many who aren't even familiar with the HALPRO raid.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

When the second raid occurred on Aug. 1st, SB was still in the US. Her crew was not assigned until later that month.

Steve G

Colonel Harry H Halverson gathered 24 B-24D's in Mobile, Alabama where they were modified and staged eventually in Fayid for the first Ploesti raid. The first raid was flown June 11, 1942 and was unsuucessful. 13 aircraft departed to bomb through cloud cover. 12 actually did but only 7 aircraft made it to Iraq as designed. Losing several other aircraft as they were waiting in the middle east, the original force of B-24's was down to about a dozen aircraft before being absorbed into the 376th BG in Libya. The pink HALPRO B-24D's were standouts amongst the green and were eventually used in the famous Tidal wave raid...

This was the "first" raid I was referring to, you are correct. The HALPRO raid was completely unsuccessful and I discounted that.

August 1943's attack was the second raid, but the one that everyone remembers...for good reason.

HALPRO B-24's refer to the original 23 aircraft that survived the transfer to Egypt

There was only one survivor that returned to the states...

41-11636 "Wash's Tub" what happened to this plane?

[quote="Joe Scheil"]

This was the "first" raid I was referring to, you are correct. The HALPRO raid was completely unsuccessful and I discounted that.

[quote]

Completely unsuccessful? That's entirely too subjective.

The RESULTS of the HALPRO raid indicate that the Luftwaffe was forced to recognize Ploesti as a vulnerable target, and thus began committing increased numbers of men and weapons into its defense...men and weapons that could have been used on different fronts in '42 and '43.

Unfortunately for the Tidal Wave participants, they now faced increased obstacles to overcome during their attack.

The men of both HALPRO and Tidal Wave were heroes of the highest order during dark times. Discount HALPRO? Aren't we historians?

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

SB did indeed bomb Ploesti. It is in her log books. It was not on the infamous raid that you are talking about. It DID bomb Ploesti on another mission. My source is one of the main historians for the museum.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Ploesti was a target many times for several groups. There wasn't just one target there. The 461st, for example, had at least seven Ploesti missions, yet each one was a different target.


Steve G