US Army Air Force

Three Liberator, none survived

US National Achives

Three USAAF’s Consolidated B-24 Liberator of the 512th Bomb Squadron, 376th Heavy Bomb Group “ The Liberandos”, 9th Air Force, at Benina airfield, Benghazi, Libya, prior to the low level mission to Rumanian Ploesti Oil Fields, August 1,1943. None of this three planes, notice the first in all dark green finish, the other in the pink sand finish, survived to year 1943, two of them lost quite during the Ploesti mission. The nearest, "Brewery Wagon", B-24D-25-CO s/n 41-24294, not returned from Ploesti, shot down over Ploesti by a Bf 109, crew two KIA seven POW. Second aircraft from left: "Desert Lily" later renamed "Minerva II" (23-A), B-24D-25-CO s/n 41-24258, shot down by a German fighter Bf 109G-6 near Wiemath, Austria, November 2,1943, crew 8 KIA, 2 POW. Third aircraft, "Wongo Wongo!" (28-D), B-24D-70-CO s/n 42-40563, crashed into Mediterranean Sea for unknown reasons after the take-off for the Ploesti mission on August 1, 1943, all 10 crewmember killed. Victor Sierra