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
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