42-52755 Dynamite ‘N Dodo (#2)

B-24H-15-FO

 

NOTE: This is the only 8th Air Force heavy bomber known to have shot down a V-1 buzz bomb. According to Hudson (R) on the Noble Wright crew, it was George Baldwin (TT) on this crew who shot down the V-1 "buzz bomb" while returning from a mission to France flying in 42-52755, Dynamite 'N Dodo. The exact date of this incident has yet to be determined. (See Memdlesham Memories, Dec 1986, page 2.)

 

This plane was named Dynamite ‘N Dodo by the Wright crew to replace the original Dynamite ‘N Dodo, 41-29522, that they flew over to England but which had been almost immediately transferred to another group, even before the Wright crew ever flew a mission in it. Its name is noted in several sources as Percolatin’ Pete. Perhaps this was its name with a subsequent group.

 

MISSION LIST

 

Missions with the 486BG. Name unknown.

 

486BG Mission #1 May 7, 1944 42-52755 N/K Stuart

486BG Mission #3 May 9, 1944 42-52755 P/K Dickerson (Did not take off due to bombs not being loaded or fused on time.) (probably should be N/K)

486BG Mission #4 May 11, 1944 42-52755 N/K Delanois

486BG Mission #6 May 23, 1944 42-52755 N/K Stuart

486BG Mission #7 May 24, 1944 42-52755 N/K Hillfinger

486BG Mission #9 May 27, 1944 42-52755 N/K Stuart

486BG Mission #11 May 29, 1944 42-52755 N/K Stuart

486BG Mission #12 May 30, 1944 42-52755 N/K Stuart

 

Transferred to the 34BG. Named Dynamite ‘N Dodo, replacing 41-29522.

 

Mission #10 June 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F (ground spare)

Mission #11 June 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F (ground spare)

Mission #13 June 7, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #14 June 11, 1944 42-52755 D/F (or 2775) 4BS Wright

Mission #15 June 12, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #16 June 14, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Blackburn

Mission #17 June 17, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #22 June 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #23 June 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Gardner

Mission #25 June 25, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Swenson

Mission #28 June 29, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (Aborted – supercharger)

Mission #29 July 2, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Marks

Mission #30 July 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (incorrectly shown as D/L)

Mission #32 July 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Boshears (Bombs hung up – later jettisoned)

Mission #32 July 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F Winsor (ground spare)

Mission #33 July 9, 1944 42-52755 D/F Wright

Mission #36 July 17, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #37 July 18, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #38 July 19, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Harmon

Mission #39 July 20, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (Aborted – mechanical)

Mission #42 July 25, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Smith, J. C.

Mission #44 July 27, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Harmon

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Vande Gouche

Mission #46 July 29, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #47 July 31, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #48 August 1, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #49 August 2, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Wright

Mission #50 August 3, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Simpson

Mission #53 August 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Hollowell

Mission #55 August 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #56 August 10, 1944 42-52755 D/F 391BS Foster

Mission #57 August 11, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #58 August 13, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Thrun

Mission #59 August 14, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #60 August 15, 1944 42-52755 D/F Howard (Airborne spare)

Mission #63 August 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (Aborted – mechanical)

 

Transferred to the 492 BG.

 

MISSION DETAILS

 

Mission #10 June 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F (ground spare)

 

Mission #11 June 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F (unused ground spare)

On Hardstand #11.

 

Mission #13 June 7, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Took off at 1651 hours.

Flew position 3-3 in Lead Squadron.

Carried 12 500 lb bombs. One Bomb dropped by mistake on the Primary target, 11 bombs brought back..

Landed at Station 131, Nuthamstead Hertz. Will need gas in order to return to home base.

Three flak holes in right horizontal stabilizer.

Wright (P)

Scales (CP)

Gordon (N)

Hildebrand (B)

Hudson (R)

Jones, D. (E)

Biksey (G)

Stark (G)

Devine (G)

Baldwin (G)

 

Mission #14 June 11, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (incorrectly shown on a couple of forms as 2775)

Took off at 0452 hours.

Was to fly position 4-3 in Low Squadron.

Carried 24 250 lb GP bombs. Brought back all bombs to base due to ABORT.

Aborted at 14,000 feet after having lost two turbo superchargers, rendering further climb impractical.

No battle damage reported.

Landed 0803 hours.

Wright (P)

Scales (CP)

Hildebrand (B)

Hudson (R)

Jones (E)

Devine (NG)

Starks (TG)

Biksey (BG)

Baldwin (G)

Litsey (Photographer)

 

Mission #15 June 12, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Took off at 0517 hours.

Flew position 3-1 in High Squadron.

Carried 24 250 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 0910 hours from 22,600 feet.

No damage reported.

Landed 1112 hours.

Wright (P)

Scales (CP)

Hildebrand (B)

Peterman (R)         (from Crew #2)

Jones (E)

Devine (NG)

Starks (TG)

Biksey (BG)

Baldwin (TT)

 

Mission #16 June 14, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Blackburn

Took off at 0346 hours.

Flew position 2-2 in Low Squadron.

Carried 52 100 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base.

Slight battle damage reported.

Landed 0922 hours.

Blackburn (P)

Little (CP)

Conklin (B)

Younker (R)

Bushey (E)

Dolley (BG)

Stark (TG)

Eshman (NG)

Clements (G)

 

Mission #17 June 17, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Took off at 1655 hours.

Flew position 4-1 in Low Squadron.

Carried 12 500 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 2023 hours from 17,000 feet.

Major battle damage reported.

Landed 2245 hours.

Wright (P)

Scales (CP)

Gordon (N)

Hudson (R)

Jones, D. (E)

Devine (NG)

Starks (TG)

Biksey (BG)

Baldwin (G)

 

                       June 23, 1944 42-52755 D/F Wright

Took off at 1630 hours on a flight to Sudbury.

Landed 2037 hours.

 

Mission #22 June 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Took off at 0442 hours.

Flew in Lead Squadron.

Carried 52 100 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 0817 hours from 21,800 feet.

No damage reported.

Landed 1007 hours.

Wright (P)

Scales (CP)

Gordon (N)

Hilderbrand (B)

Hudson (R)

Jones, J. (E)

Biksey (BG)

Starks (TG)

Devine (NG)

Baldwin (G)

 

Mission #23 June 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Gardner

Took off at 1635 hours.

Flew position 3-1 in Lead Squadron.

Carried 24 250 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the Primary. Results unobserved.

No damage reported.

Landed 2112 hours.

Gardner, H (P)

Maxwell (CP)

Koppleman (N)

Pugh (B)

Tunnell (R)

Gray (E)

Leach (BG)

Smart (TG)

McDonough (BG)

Lockleer (G)

 

Mission #25 June 25, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Swenson

Took off at 1538 hours.

Flew position 4-3 in High Squadron.

Carried 6 1000 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary.

No damage report.

Landed at North Holt, took off again and landed at Mendlesham at 0018 hours, June 26, 1944.

Swenson (P)

Arango (CP)

Swanson (N)

Clemens (B)

Baker (R)

Garmon (E)

Rockwell (BG)

Gillespie (TG)

Moreno (NG)

Barron (G)

 

Mission #28 June 29, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Took off at 0530 hours.

Flew position 4-1 in Lead Squadron.

Aborted. Supercharger trouble.

Landed 0718 hours. No sortie.

Wright (P)

Scales (CP)

Gordon (N)

Hilderbrand (B)

Hudson (R)

Jones, J. (E)

Biksey (BG)

Starks (TG)

Devine (NG)

Baldwin (G)

 

Mission #29 July 2, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Marks

Took off at 1005 hours.

Flew position 4-1 in Group B with target of Haute Cote.

Carried a K-21 camera.

Carried 18 250 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base due to 10/10 undercast and failure of GH equipment in the Lead plane.

Slight battle damage reported.

Landed 1510 hours.

Marks (P)

Turko (CP)

Goetsch (N)

Merwin (B)

Wood (R)

Neel (E)

Cole (BG)

Baglio (TG)

Nolan (NG)

Cresiski (G)

 

Mission #30 July 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (incorrectly shown as D/L)

Mission #32 July 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Boshears (Bombs hung up – later jettisoned)

Mission #32 July 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F Winsor (ground spare)

 

Mission #32a July 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F Hart

This second mission of the day was scrubbed.

 

Mission #33 July 9, 1944 42-52755 D/F Wright

Mission #36 July 17, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #37 July 18, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

 

Mission #38 July 19, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Harmon

#3 prop governor inoperative. Inspected and repaired.

 

Mission #39 July 20, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (Aborted – mechanical)

Mission #41 July 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F (ground spare)

Mission #42 July 25, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Smith, J. C.

Mission #44 July 27, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Harmon

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Vande Gouche

Mission #46 July 29, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #47 July 31, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #48 August 1, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #49 August 2, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Wright

Mission #50 August 3, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Simpson

Mission #53 August 6, 1944 42-52755 D/F 7BS Hollowell

Mission #55 August 8, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #56 August 10, 1944 42-52755 D/F 391BS Foster

Mission #57 August 11, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #58 August 13, 1944 42-52755 D/F 18BS Thrun

Mission #59 August 14, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright

Mission #60 August 15, 1944 42-52755 D/F Howard (Airborne spare)

Mission #63 August 24, 1944 42-52755 D/F 4BS Wright (Aborted – mechanical)

 

Transferred to the 492 BG.