WWII Heavy Bomber B-24 "Miss-I-Hope" New Info!

[Indofred]

Indofred did this picture get reversed somehow? Zero's didn't have left handed engines. It's either that or someone grafted a Russian M-14 radial onto it! (Or the whole thing is a replica)

Well spotted.
As to the answer, I have no clue but there are several possibilities.
It's unlikely there were any Russian aircraft around Indonesia at the end of WWII but such an engine could have been fitted at a later date.
It could also be something as simple as they didn't have the correct prop when they set the thing up as an exhibit.

If I get chance to return to the museum, I'll try to find out but this could suggest my guess has merit.
Pacific Wrecks - A6M5 Model 52 Zero Tail 30-1153

 

[Pumpfakes]

I had the negative of Miss -I- Hope developed but don't have enough posts to put it up on this site yet. I put it up on the B-24bestweb group on facebook if you are on there. Or reach me through the email on my son's web site: kurtshistoricsites.com

 

[Mad Scientist]

I had the negative of Miss -I- Hope developed but don't have enough posts to put it up on this site yet. I put it up on the B-24bestweb group on facebook if you are on there. Or reach me through the email on my son's web site: kurtshistoricsites.com

That's great!

Sorry but I don't have a FaceBook account, could you send it to me via PM here? I'll post it for ya'.

EDIT: I'll make a FaceBook account just for this.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Here it is! This is the first picture I've seen with the entire stateside crew listed.

 

[jwoodie]

My dad flew a B-17 out of England (379th BG) in WW2. During his first mission (1943), he and the other pilot were hit by an ME-109 in a head-on attack over Wilhelmshaven. Ironically, they were the only members of their flight crew to survive the war. After several months in the hospital, he returned to complete 33 missions and was awarded the DFC.

According to B-17 pilots, the ungainly B-24 was the package that the B-17 came in. ;-)

Yeah, except for the fact that the B-24 was faster, could fly farther and with a heavier bomb load, the B-17 was superior in every way.

My Grandfather was slated to fly the P-80 after the war but was scratched from training when it was found that he could not fit his 6'3" frame in the cockpit. He told me could not close the canopy with his flight helmet on!

The B-24 had superior stats, but couldn't take a punch. Without air superiority, they would have been flying coffins. The B-17 was the only heavy bomber of WW2 that could fight its way into enemy-controlled airspace and deliver precision daylight bombing.

My dad was also 6'3" and couldn't fit into a P-38.

 

[jwoodie]

In 1943 a mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of WW II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control, probably with a wounded pilot, then continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Fortress named "All American", piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron. When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through connected only at two small parts of the frame, and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest; the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner's turret.


Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft miraculously still flew!

The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart.

While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target.


When the bomb bay doors were opened, the wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes and haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position. The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky.

For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn.


Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the appendage was waving like a fish tail and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out.

The fighters stayed with the Fortress, taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane to land it.


Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear.


When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed.

 

[tedgorton]

If we can determine what Squadron your Uncle was assigned to I'd be happy to research those records for you (no charge of course!) I did the same for this gentleman who flew with my Grandfather. I met him at his home in San Jose and we flew on the Collings Foundation B-24!

Hello--I apologize for picking up only on the proffered help point, but I wonder if you would have any leads for me. My Dad Theodore H (Ted) Gorton was a pilot and then Squadron Commander with the 451 BG (725 Sq) then from June 44, the 484 BG. He mentioned flying planes with names like Fertile Myrtle, the Belle of St Joe (his hometown in MO) or Pistol Packin' Mama. He enlisted in 1939 and was a Lt Col by 1943 or 44 (aged 25 or 26). He said he was based at "Foggia" but I think that was a generic name for several airfields in the "Boot". He flew more than 30 missions and survived the war.
Many thanks for any ideas I could follow up, or information or photos you might come across
Ted Gorton (Jr)

 

[daveman]

In 1943 a mid-air collision on February 1, 1943, between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area, became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of WW II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control, probably with a wounded pilot, then continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Fortress named "All American", piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron. When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away. The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through connected only at two small parts of the frame, and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest; the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner's turret.


Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft miraculously still flew!

The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart.

While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target.


When the bomb bay doors were opened, the wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes and haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position. The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky.

For a brief time, two more Me-109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn.


Allied P-51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures shown. They also radioed to the base describing that the appendage was waving like a fish tail and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out.

The fighters stayed with the Fortress, taking hand signals from Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out. He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane to land it.


Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear.


When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured. No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed.