It was during the many missions flown against enemy positions and troop concentrations that one of the bravest acts of self-sacrifice in the history of the 376th occurred. On May 23, 1944, a mission was sent out to bomb enemy troops and supplies at Frascati, Italy. The anti-aircraft fire was both accurate and intense. Aircraft 85, piloted by Bob Gallagher, received a direct hit underneath the waist windows which traveled upwards and exploded. The entire top of the bomber was blown out from the radio antenna to aft of the waist windows. Two life rafts and several parachutes were blown out by the explosion and several of his men were wounded. Other serious damage was rendered to the bomber. Here was a choice no man should have to face. Should the unwounded men, and the men with parachutes, bail out and save their own lives while the wounded, and men who had lost their chutes in the blast, remain and go down with the stricken ship?
Anyone who knew Bob Gallagher and his co-pilot, Hollis Fuller, or any of the crew, would know there was no doubt in anyone's mind what they would do. Give up? Sacrifice the wounded men? Every man for himself? No! Not those boys of the 376th. They were going to try and bring the damaged plane to the nearest friendly field with every soul aboard or die in the attempt. And those men died! Every one of them!
Despite the terrible damage inflicted to their bomber, Bob piloted it out to sea and rid himself of his load of bombs and then headed his crippled aircraft for Naples. All went well until within sight of the airfield at Naples, when suddenly, the crippled bomber went out of control and crashed to the ground. The frayed controls could hold no longer. No survivors was there to tell of those terrible hours in the air. Radio facilities had been blasted out of Gallagher's bomber when it was hit. No one knows the heroic acts that occurred aboard the stricken ship. What went on up there in the air between these doomed men and their God...God alone knows. Our story is based on eye-witness reports of other pilots who tried to escort Bob and his heroic "One for all and all for one" crew safely to a friendly base. Bob Gallagher, the little, happy-go-lucky, smiling Irishman received a posthumos award of The Distinguished Service Cross. His crew received posthumous awards of The Silver Star for gallantry in action.
It was dogged, determined, heroic acts like Gallagher's, and Fuller's, and later on, Frank Christiansen's (The Terrible Swede), who also won the D.S.C. for his unfailing courage and undaunted spirit in combat, that helps make up the traditions, the history, devotion, and the jealous affection for the honor of the group we have. More D.S.C.'s have been won by men of the 376th than any other group in the 15th Air Force. And more Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Crosses, Legion of Merits, and Bronze Star Medals also, if the truth were know. Not all the heroic acts that make up the historic traditions of the 376th were performed by airmen, or in the air. The ground personnel have their share of Soldier's Medals gained by saving another's life at the risk of their own.
Throughout the year, oil installations, ball-bearing and aircraft factories, engine and tank factories, airdromes, harbor installations, railway lines, yards and bridges, troop concentrations and other strategic targets were blasted in Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Greece, Roumania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. All these and many more were on the 376th intensive bombing program.
The group gave air support to the Russian Armies both in Roumania, and southeastern Poland when it led the entire 15th Air Force in the attack on the Bucharest railyards. The group participated in the invasion of southern France when coastal batteries, barbed-wire, pill-boxes, mine fields, fortifications and other strongholds were neutralized before the waves of infantry, engineers and artillery swarmed ashore.
For the outstanding and highly successful mission on June 16, 1944, when the entire set-up of tanks, oil refineries, distillation and cracking plants at Bratislava, Czechoslovakia were utterly destroyed, the 376th won its third citation as a Distinguished Unit.
Other oil targets were hit repeatedly to prevent any great German recuperation of these industries. The vitally important Breener Pass railway lines, tunnels and bridges in north Italy, as well as supply depots, were bombed in the closing months of the year of 1944. Rail installations and bridges were attacked in Hungary and Yugoslavia repeatedly in order to check the flow of vital supplies to the German fronts. Troop movements were attacked also. On Nov. 8, Colonel Graff led a successful mission to destroy troop concentrations at Prijepolje, Yugoslavia. Just as a sample of precision bombing dealt out to other targets, this day the 376th dropped every bomb directly within a 1000 feet circle and scored a 100% record. How this perfect record affected the enemy troops concentrated in that 1000 foot area is no military secret for they are long past caring.
On February 1, 1945, another milestone in the long and gallant career of the 376th was set up when Colonel Graff led the unit on its 400th combat mission. It was also the Colonel's last sortie against the enemy before being eligible to return to the United States for reassignment. The group felt his loss very keenely as he had been responsible for building up his group to a high state of efficiency.
On 22 February, 1945, Colonel Robert H. Warren assumed command of the 376th Bomb Group. Colonel Warren comes to the 376th, not as a stranger, but as an old friend, as he commanded the 515th Squadron for several months early in 1944. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, and won his pilot's wings at Maxwell Field in March 1941. Col. Warren, like his predecessors, is a strict and most fair officer; a 'brass hat' without ostentacious display of brass.
He has stated he will make no change in the policies of the 376th, but will ever strive to uphold and maintain the same high standards; standards and achievements which have given the 376th its glory, its history, its traditions and its honors.
One of the most famous photos of the war, this Liberator took a direct flak hit to a wing while taking part in the crew's 15th mission in support of the 8th army. Only one crew member survived
As this short history goes to press the enemy has been defeated on every front and now fights with his back to the wall in Germany, parts of Hungary and Austria, and northern Italy in the Po River valley. The 376th has advanced a long ways, from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia to Italy. It has aided in the liberation of those countries as well as Greece, Crete, Bulgaria, Roumania, Albania, France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Sicily and more than half of Italy. Three times it has been cited as a Distinguished Unit, and has been awarded 9 campaign, or battle stars, and is now expecting the 10th. Veterans of the 376th who joined the group in Palestine or Egypt and are still with the group are authorized to wear these nine campaign stars. They are as follows:
- EGYPTIAN*LIBYAN: For those who were with the group up to and including February 12, 1943.
- TUNISIAN: November 8, 1942, to May 13, 1943
- SICILIAN: May 14, 1943 to August 17, 1943.
- PLOESTI: August 1, 1943. Only men associated with the group at this time may wear the star for 'The Battle of Ploesti'.
- NAPLES*FOGGIA: September 9, 1943 to January 21, 1944.
- SOUTHERN FRANCE: August 15, 1944 to September 14, 1944.
- ROME*ARNO: January 22, 1944 to (date still open).
- NORMANDY: June 6, 1944 to July 21, 1944 (Strategic support).
- AIR OFFENSIVE OVER EUROPE: July 4, 1942 to June 5, 1944.
The Liberando shield insignia of the 376th Bomb Group, although still unofficial, is yet the unanimous choice of all personnel. The winged Sphinx is symbolic of the Middle East where the group commenced operations. It is depicted in yellow. The blue background of the shield is for the blue of the Air Force as well as for the intense blue of the African sky at night. The terra-cotta red beneath the Sphinx is for the red soil of the Western Desert around Gambut, Solluch, and Benghazi. LIBERANDOS are members of the 376th Bombardment Group. The bomb is self-explanatory. The circle, pyramid, diamond, and the square on the bomb represent the four squadrons that make up the 376th Bomb Group.
During its career, the 376th has been a unit in three different Air Forces. First the Ninth Air Force, then the 12th Air Force, and at the present time, the 15th Air Force.
A B-24J trails smoke as it flies through heavy flak over Vienna
It is not generally known that the 376th has, within the group, as Air Force all its own. This air force is The Yugoslav Air Force, operated by Yugoslav nationals trained in the United States. They made their debut in November 1943 in four B-24 Liberator bombers presented to them by President Roosevelt at Bolling Field on their completion of a year's training in America. Teaming up with the 376th, the Yugoslav's returned, on November 16th, to bomb hangars, administration buildings and parked aircraft at Eleusis Airdrome, northwest of Athens, Greece. It was from Eleusis that these same Yugoslav airmen escaped in their own planes when Axis troops over-ran Greece in the Spring of 1941. After receiving the Liberators from President Roosevelt, the Yugoslavs ferried them to Cairo, where King Peter officially accepted them on behalf of the Yugoslav exile government. They have fought honorably, bravely and have a distinguished war record. Never have they been called upon to fight against, or attack targets, in their own country. Their losses, for such a small air force, have been extremely heavy. Today only one Liberator remains of the four originally presented to them. The others have been lost in combat against the enemy.
Additional Sources:
376hbgva.com
www.brooksart.com
www.mecri.org
www.daveswarbirds.com
www.wpafb.af.mil
users.rlc.net
