US Army Air Force

Ship No 72

461st BG

An US Army Air Force's Liberator overflying Elba Island, Thyrrenian Sea, Italy, 1944. The aircraft is the Consolidated B-24G-10-NT, serial number 42-51422, Ship no 72 of 767th Squadron, 461st Bombardment Group (H) "Liberaiders", based at Torretta, Foggia Airfield Complex, Italy. The No 72 is a replacement aircraft assigned, in finish natural metal, at 767th Squadron at date 8 September 1944. Its life with the "Liberaiders" was very brief: on return from the mission of 20 november 1944 againts the fuel synthetic oil refinery of Blechhammer, in Germany, ran out of fuel over the Yugoslavia and its crew was compelled to ditch the plane but a short distance off the Italian coast in the Adriatic. Five of eleven man crew were lost. Victor Sierra