“Sweet Talkin’ Woman” B-24D-CO-41-11592
1st. Lt. Walter Hurley, commanding
309th (H) Bombardment Group;
78th Bombardment SquadronHome BASE: Fayid, Egypt
MISSION NBR. 01
Mission Date: 12 June, 1942
Target: Astra oil refinery; Ploesti, Romania
BOMBER POSITION: bomber stream
Completed missions: 0
Credited enemy aircraft: 0
CREW| NAME & RANK | POSITION | THIS MISSION | CLAIMS | KILLS | FCOA | AWARDS |
| Hurley, Walter - 1Lt. | pilot | 1 | | | | |
| Yevich, John - 2Lt. | copilot | 1 | | | | |
| Twining, Ewan - 2Lt. | bombardier | 1 | | | | |
| Hubbard, Henry - 2Lt. | navigator | 1 | | | | |
| Farley, Bob = MSgt. | engineer | 1 | | | | |
| Howard, Albert - Sgt. | radioman | 1 | | | | |
| Clay, Robert - Sgt. | ball gunner | 1 | | | | |
| Young, Harry - Sgt. | left waist | 1 | | | | |
| Post, Donald - Sgt. | right waist | 1 | | | | |
| Grant, George - Sgt. | tail gunner | 1 | | | | |
on target - 30%
Safe Landing: at RAF Fayid
CREW CASUALTIES: 2Lt. Twining, Ewan - KIA
BOMBER DAMAGE:left wing flap inoperable [10]
bombardier heat out [10]
navigator heat out [10]
pilot window hit [10]
ball turret guns jammed permanently [20]
Superficial x11 (22)
Bombardier - KIA [10]
Peckham Points: 92 – can be repaired overnight
Awards: Purple Heart - 2Lt. Twining, Ewan (posthumous)
Ruleset: TFTENEMY AIRCRAFT THIS MISSION
| E/A ENCOUNTERED | E/A ESCORT ENGAGE | E/A CLAIMED | E/A CREDITED | E/A FBOA |
| TOTAL | 16 | 0 | 5 | 2⅚ | 3 |
| Me-109 | 8 | | 3 | 1⅚ | 2 |
| Me-110 | 2 | | | | 1 |
| C.202 | 6 | | 3 | 1 | |
Number of Enemy Attacks: 9
Ammo used: 34
AFTER ACTION REPORTThe officers took up their stations and the gunners crowded around the waist windows. We all peered out as the smudge pots intermittently placed along runway were lit. A green flare shot skyward signaling the squadron to go to full-throttle. Once the second flare went up and our bomber rolled down runway until aloft. The crew let out a gasp, releasing their tension as if a spring was sprung. Sweet Talkin’ Woman left RAF Fayid behind as she climbed to altitude and joined the string of bombers from the 78th.
Our bomber droned through the darkness heading north, then northeast toward Greece. In the darkness all we saw were the occasional sparks emanating from the exhaust ports of the planes ahead. It was as if fireflies were drifting across the night sky. Once we came to Chios Island Lt. Hubbard directed us north toward Romania. Intelligence earned our confidence today; we saw nothing of the enemy until our bomber arrived over Ploesti.
Bomb RunThe flak surrounding the refinery did not strike our bomber on the way in, nor on the way out.
Flying in unscathed Lt. Twining had all the time in the world to line up on target. Observations made assessed that 30 percent of the bombs fell on and around the refinery.
Enemy Aircraft AttacksHaving the Group arrived and bombing the refinery had the same result as poking a hornet’s nest. Before we could leave the target area enemy fighters came to knock us to the ground.
A duet of Jabo-110s zoomed in from ahead level. Our defensive fire had no effect. One of the 110s landed a couple shells ineffectively on our bomber. He looped back to attack from behind level, while his wingman flew off into the bomber stream. Sgt. Grant in the tail watched as the enemy looped back. He lined-up on the 110 claiming to have shot away the tailplane, but did not see it go down.
We exited the target zone headed south over Bulgaria. A quartet of 109-Emilies made a coordinated attack on us from ahead-level, behind-low & level; and from the right. With so many targets all but the navigator and left waist put up a hail of defensive fire. Sgt. Clay in the ball turret pummeled the wing of his target, but he continued the attack. MSgt. Farley and Sgt. Post combined their fire on the 109 at the right. They were rewarded when the 109 caught fire and exploded in a fireball. The remaining trio of 109s shots inflicted no damage and they flew out of our vantage point.
Almost like déjà vu a nearly identical quartet of 109-Emilies made the same coordinated attack on us from ahead-level, behind-low & level; and from the right. The gunners once again put up a hail of defensive fire, with much the same result. Sgt. Clay in the ball turret hit the fuselage of his target, but it continued the attack. MSgt. Farley and Sgt. Post combined their fire on the 109 at the right. Their shots tore into the rudder and left wing. The 109 continued its ineffective attack, faltered in space, and fell from the skies. Two of the 109s punched more holes in our bomber, and put the left flap out of commission. Sgt. Grant reported both tail guns had jammed.
Two of the 109s came round for a second shot at our bomber. One came from 30-right level; the other from right low. Sgts. Clay and Post engaged the attacking from right low. Their combined fire set the engine afire and the 109 exploded in a fireball. MSgt. Farley and Lt. Hubbard missed the ace-109 (the rudder was tagged with kill ribbons) coming in from 30-right level. This 109 pressed his attack so close we could see the white’s of his eyes. The result was tragic; Lt. Twining (the bombardier) was killed and the pilot’s window was cracked.
As soon as the quartet of 109s appeared, they we gone just as quick. Our bomber continued to fly south out over the Aegean, paralleling the Greek coast. The crew worked frantically to recover from the last attack. Lt. Twining was sobbing and screaming in pain as blood pooled and froze at his feet. Lt. Hubbard examined the bombardier to find both his legs beneath the knees had been shattered and torn. There was nothing that could be done; he died shortly afterword. In the course of time the bombardier was moved to the navigator’s position and Lt. Hubbard manned the Browning in the nose. Through all this Sgt. Grant worked to unjam the tail twin guns.
Following in the bomber stream we continued to head further south over the Aegean toward Crete. Crossing the Cyclades a duet of Folgore-202 came to confront us. Sgt. Grant had managed to get the tail guns operational in time to contribute to our defensive fire. This encounter with the Italians proved uneventful as neither side damaged the other.
Reaching the vicinity of Crete we were confronted again by Italian fighters. A quartet of Folgore-202s attacked from ahead level and low, one from 30-left level and behind high. Five of the crew singled out a target and fired. The ball turret jammed. Sgt. Grant peppered away at the 202 behind claiming to have done cumulative damage to have destroyed it. No other hits were reported. The 202s did punch a few more superficial holes into our bomber.
Two of the Folgore-202s came back to make a second attack. Both chose to attack from 30-left high and low. Without the ball turret the 202 coming in low attacked with impunity. All the defensive fire could not find their marks. The Italians penetrated the empty bomb bay, and damaged the heating system in the nose compartment.
One of the Folgore-202s came back for a third attack, this time from ahead high. Lt. Hubbard and MSgt. Farley zeroed in on the enemy. Their fire must have struck the fuel tank for the 202 exploded suddenly and vanished in pieces.
Leaving Crete behind our bomber did not encounter the enemy for the duration of the mission. For a time we flew on in formation over the Mediterranean. However, with the heat out in the nose compartment I decided to drop to 10,000 feet for the last third of the return flight to base. Sgt. Clay worked to unjam his guns within the confines of the ball turret. He only managed to make the matter worse.
Once we reached RAF Fayid I had Sgt. Howard send up a red flare and signal the base to have an ambulance meet our bomber. Lt. Yevich and I had no trouble making a safe landing, ready to fly another day.
DEBRIEFINGGunnery Review BoardMe109 - top turret & right waist - full credit
Me109 - top turret & right waist - ⅓ credit
Me109 - ball turret & right waist - ½ credit
C.202 - tail turret - ½ credit
C.202 - top turret & nose - ½ credit
Crew Casualties: Disposition & Replacements2Lt. Ewan Twining (bombardier) - KIA
replacement bombardier
2Lt. Frank SherwoodBomber Repairs & Dispositionrepairs can be accomplished overnight.
available 13-June.
ENEMY AIRCRAFT BY POSITION
| Lt. Twining | Lt. Hubbard | MSgt. Farley | Sgt. Howard | Sgt. Clay | Sgt. Young | Sgt. Post | Sgt. Grant |
| Me-109 claimed |
| | 1 | | ½ | | 1½ | |
| Me-109 credited |
| | ⅔ | | ¼ | | 11/12 | |
| Me-109 FBOA |
| | | | 2 | | | |
| Me-110 FBOA |
| | | | | | | 1 |
| C.202 claimed |
| ½ | ½ | | | | | 1 |
| C.202 credited |
| ¼ | ¼ | | | | | ½ |
Read more:
509th-vbw.proboards.com/thread/1639/mission-001-ploesti-romania?page=2#ixzz5v5mj1NxK
