41-28880 Winnie the Pooh / The Ghost Ship

B-24H-15-DT

 

A 34th BG Original.

 

This was a Gee-H equipped pathfinder aircraft.

 

MISSION LIST

 

A 34BG Original. Name was Winnie the Pooh.

Mission #2 May 24, 1944 41-28880 L/E Culver Winnie the Pooh

Mission #3 May 25, 1944 41-28880 L/E Brain Winnie the Pooh (Airborne Spare)

Mission #4 May 27, 1944 41-28880 L/E Culver Winnie the Pooh

Mission #5 May 28, 1944 41-28880 L/E Winnie the Pooh (unused ground spare)

Mission #5 May 28, 1944 41-28880 L/E Winnie the Pooh (unused ground spare)

Mission #6 May 29, 1944 41-28880 L/E Winnie the Pooh (scheduled for Culver, but replaced)

                     May 29, 1944 41-28880 L/E Halbert Winnie the Pooh (local flight)

Mission #7 May 30, 1944 41-28880 L/E Kiley (unused ground spare on Hardstand #20)

Mission #8 May 31, 1944 41-28880 L/E Culver Winnie the Pooh

 

Transferred to the 486BG.  Name and noseart were changed.

NOTE: The following 486BG information was compiled by Tom Brittan. Thanks Tom!

With the 486th BG the plane had a Sharkmouth painted, at first just one side and was known, at least informally as The Ghost Ship.

 

486BG Mission #17 June 6, 1944 41-28880 P/S Moseley

486BG Mission #18 June 7, 1944 41-28880 P/S Roper

486BG Mission #19 June 8, 1944 41-28880 P/S Burkhardt

486BG Mission #20 June 11, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #21 June 12, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #22 June 14, 1944 41-28880 P/S Hilfinger

486BG Mission #25 June 17, 1944 41-28880 P/S Huff

486BG Mission #26 June 20, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #27 June 20, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #39 July 5, 1944 41-28880 D/R Moore (Group Lead)

486BG Mission #44 July 14, 1944 41-28880 D/R Hall (flew lead with 487BG)

486BG Mission #46 July 18, 1944 41-28880 D/R Ashley (spare)

486BG Mission #47 July 19, 1944 41-28880 D/R Senseney

 

Transferred to the 34 BG. Name unknown.

Markings at this time would have also included the Sharkmouth added by the 486th BG.

 

Mission #46 July 29, 1944 41-28880 B/S Waldorf

Mission #47 July 31, 1944 41-28880 B/S Waldorf

Mission #61 August 16, 1944 41-28880 B/S Johanson

Mission #62 August 18, 1944 41-28880 B/S Johanson (Flew Deputy Lead of the 493BG A Group

 

MISSION DETAILS                          

 

Mission #2 May 24, 1944 41-28880 L/E Culver Winnie the Pooh                                                Poix

Flew position 3-3 in Low Squadron.

Carried 12 500 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the secondary target of Poix at 0925 hours from 22,000 feet.

No damage reported.

Culver, Douglas E. (P)                         2 Lt         O-805407

Ettelbrick, Charles H. (CP)                  2 Lt         O-816274

Hunter, Harry F. Jr. (B)                        2 Lt         O-695499

Hoffman, William H. (R)                      S/Sgt      13135960

Daniels, Earl M. (E)                              S/Sgt      31281388

Denny, Howard H. (BG)                      Sgt          33422306

Morellino, Salvatore F. (TG)               Sgt          12049623

Crawford, William F. (NG)                   Sgt          31062391

Neverman (G)

 

Mission #3 May 25, 1944 41-28880 L/E 18BS Brain Winnie the Pooh

Took off at 0520 hours.

Flew as Airborne Spare, unneeded so returned early.

Carried 12 500 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base

No damage reported.

Landed 0916 hours.

Brain, S. M. (P)

Buenger, R. L. (CP)

Stevens, R. N. (N)

McCarthy, D. J. (B)

Stygall, S. A. (R)

Craft, J. (E)

David, A. J. (NG)

Nowakowski, C. F. (TG)

Tipton, E. A. (BG)

Schopf, P. R. (G)

 

Mission #4 May 27, 1944 41-28880 L/E Culver Winnie the Pooh                                                                Metz

Took off at 0833 hours.

Flew position 4-3 in Lead Squadron.

Carried 10 500 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base.

No damage reported.

Landed 1604 hours.

Culver (P)

Ettelbrick (CP)

Hunter (B)

Hoffman (R)

Daniels (E)

Denny (BG)

Morellino (TG)

Crawford (NG)

Neverman (G)

 

Mission #5 May 28, 1944 41-28880 L/E Winnie the Pooh (unused ground spare)

 

Mission #6 May 29, 1944 41-28880 L/E Winnie the Pooh (On Hardstand #20, scheduled for Culver, but replaced)

 

                     May 29, 1944 41-28880 L/E Halbert Winnie the Pooh

Took off at 1514 hours on a local flight.

Landing time not recorded on this date.

 

Mission #7 May 30, 1944 41-28880 L/E Kiley Winnie the Pooh (unused ground spare)         Diepoltz

Whatever damage was suffered on the previous mission must have been very quickly repaired as this plane is listed as a ground spare with the Kiley crew on stand by. It did not, however, have to fly this mission.

Kiley (P)

Bailey (CP)

Alder (N)

Covington (B)

Curtin (R)

Frick (E)

Mongeon (NG)

Dyer (TG)

Barry (BG)

Stanton (G)

 

Mission #8 May 31, 1944 41-28880 L/E Culver Winnie the Pooh                                Mission to Belgium was recalled

Took off at 0753 hours.

Carried 6 1000 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base.

The mission was Recalled.

Landed 1225 hours.

#3 Supercharger lags at altitude. Inspected and repaired.

Culver (P)

Nigg, Stanley A. (CP)          2 Lt         (from crew #64)

Hunter (B)

Hoffman (R)

Daniels (E)

Denny (BG)

Morellino (TG)

Crawford (NG)

Neverman (G)

Funk (Photographer)

 

NOTE: The following 486BG information was compiled by Tom Brittan. Thanks Tom!

With the 486th BG the plane had a Sharkmouth painted on co-pilot side and was known, at least informally as the “Ghost Ship.”

See: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Aircraft/Ghost.htm

 

Transferred to the 486 BG, 833rd Squadron, letter S

Flew missions with the 833rd Squadron between June 6, 1944 and June 20, 1944

486BG Mission #17 June 6, 1944 41-28880 P/S Moseley

486BG Mission #18 June 7, 1944 41-28880 P/S Roper

486BG Mission #19 June 8, 1944 41-28880 P/S Burkhardt

486BG Mission #20 June 11, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #21 June 12, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #22 June 14, 1944 41-28880 P/S Hilfinger

486BG Mission #25 June 17, 1944 41-28880 P/S Huff

486BG Mission #26 June 20, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

486BG Mission #27 June 20, 1944 41-28880 P/S De Witt

 

Transferred to the 486 BG, 834th Squadron, letter R

Flew missions with the 834th Squadron between July 5, 1944 and July 19, 1944

486BG Mission #39 July 5, 1944 41-28880 D/R Moore

486BG Mission #44 July 14, 1944 41-28880 D/R Hall (flew lead with 487BG)

486BG Mission #46 July 18, 1944 41-28880 D/R Ashley (spare)

486BG Mission #47 July 19, 1944 41-28880 D/R Senseney (The last 486BG B-24 mission)

 

Transferred to the 34 BG, 4th Squadron as “B/S”.

 

Markings at this time would have also included the Sharkmouth added by the 486th BG, probably on both sides by this time but at least on the co-pilot’s side.

 

Mission #46 July 29, 1944 41-28880 B/S Waldorf                                                                           Juvincourt

Took off at 0432 hours.

Flew Lead of a 490BG Squadron attacking Laon.

Carried 6 500 lb bombs. Dropped on Primary at 0842 hours from 23,000 feet.

No battle damage reported.

Landed 1046 hours.

Check landing gear. Inspected and repaired.

Charging cable to left nose gun broken. Replaced.

Waldrof (P)                           1 Lt

Clasullo (CP)                         2 Lt         (note spelling difference below)

Mangan (N)                          1 Lt

Biegler (N2)                           2 Lt            

Schwab (B)                            2 Lt

Cohen, R. R. (R)                    T/Sgt

Edwards (E)                           T/Sgt

Larsen (G)                              S/Sgt

Montague (G)                       S/Sgt

Wolf (G)                                 S/Sgt

Cochran (Command Pilot)

 

Mission #47 July 31, 1944 41-28880 B/S Waldorf                                                                           Laon Athies

Took off at 0906 hours

Flew Deputy Lead of Lead Squadron.

Carried 6 500 lb bombs. Dropped on Primary at 1309 hours from 22,500 feet.

No battle damage reported.

Landed 1549 hours.

Throttles need adjusting. Inspected and repaired.

Waldrof (P)                           1 Lt

Glasullo (CP)                                         (note spelling difference above)

Mangan (N)                          1 Lt

Biegler (N2)                           2 Lt            

Schwab (B)                            2 Lt

Cohen, R. R. (R)                    T/Sgt

Edwards (E)                           T/Sgt

Larsen (G)                              S/Sgt

Montague (G)                       S/Sgt

Wolf (G)                                 S/Sgt

 

There is a rather long unexplained gap between missions. No battle damage had been reported on either of the previous missions.

 

Mission #61 August 16, 1944 41-28880 B/S Johanson                                                                  Halberstadt

Carried 12 500 lb bombs. Dropped on the secondary target, although the group reported no visible hits in the target area.

Johanson, Alf H. (P)            1 Lt         O-666187

Griffis, Robert R. (CP)          2 Lt         O-816297

McWay, Robert (N)             2 Lt         O-702466

Lombardo, Vincent (N2)      2 Lt         O-694917

Graham (B)                            2Lt

Trotter, Raymond (R)          T/Sgt      19193322

Copeland, Bernie L. (E)       T/Sgt      18091860

Hunter (G)                             S/Sgt                  

Adrignola, Leonard J. (G)   S/Sgt      36655159 (also spelled Andrignola)

Sadowsky, Alvin G. (G)       S/Sgt      32697885

Sumpter (an add on, could also be a photographer)

 

Mission #62 August 18, 1944 41-28880 B/S Johanson

Flew deputy lead of 493BG’s "A" group with the Johanson crew.

 

Transferred to 406th Squadron.

 

Bits and Pieces says it was transferred to MTO

 

September 18, 1945 salvaged at Altus, OK