Searchers find five World War II-era US bombers in waters off Croatia

Stars and Stripes ^ | November 21, 2022 | Wyatt Olsen

[fidelis]

Searchers have located the wrecks of five B-24 bombers that crashed into the Adriatic Sea during World War II, three of which are associated with 23 still-missing crew members.

The search mission – conducted over a two-week period in August off the coast of Croatia – was a partnership between Project Recover and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

It was the culmination of a lengthy process of researching military records and obtaining needed permits from Croatia, Mark Moline, the mission leader and a cofounder of Project Recover, said in a phone interview Thursday.

Along with the B-17, the B-24 Liberator was a mainstay for U.S. strategic bombing in the European theater, with almost 19,000 of the heavy bombers built during World War II. It was utilized by all the American service branches in Europe and the Pacific.

The wrecks of an estimated 30 U.S. warplanes are believed to lie submerged in what was a frequent “ditching area” for crippled warplanes in the vicinity of the search area in the Adriatic Sea, which lies between Italy and the Balkans.

“Most of those aircraft took off from Italy and would bomb Europe,” Moline said. “Then, if they were attacked and limping and couldn't make it back to Italy, they didn't go directly back across the Adriatic.”

Instead, the pilots flew down the coast of what was then Yugoslavia – now Croatia – and ditched the aircraft in waters not controlled by the Nazis, Moline said. Some crews made it to safety; others did not...

[SunkenCiv]

If they hadn’t been tough to defeat, it wouldn’t have taken two world wars. :^)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Wow, #3 was a real weirdo. How did he turn out afterwards?

[AFret.]

5 Medals of Honor were awarded for Tidal Wave. The most of any single action during the war...

[fidelis]

I’ll keep my eyes open for it. I only ran across this article by happenstance. I also would like to know what they found out.

[dpetty121263]

I knew a Gentleman who was a gunner in the 9th and flew it, he was the one who told me you could walk across all the lead the Germans were throwing up.

[AFret.]

I knew a Gentleman who was a gunner in the 9th and flew it, he was the one who told me you could walk across all the lead the Germans were throwing up.

---

Some of the flack towers were shooting DOWN on the passing B-24’s. They were flying so low, one airplane returned to Benghazi with corn stalks in his bomb bay.
Compare those heroes to the losers we have infesting our country today.

[fidelis]

Compare those heroes to the losers we have infesting our country today.

I just finished reading accounts of Guadalcanal and Tarawa. The more I read about those that preceded us, the more I am in awe of them.

[dpetty121263]

Yes the flew low, really low the entire way to avoid German radar and fighters..The Gentleman told me least for his squadron fighters were not that bad till the outbound leg, Flak was bad in and out he said. he told me the squadron leader when down before the IP, then the 2nd in command moved up and then he got hit and fell out, a Sr member of the squadron moved up, made it over the oil refineries, dropped his load and took a direct hit in the bomb bay, blew up and then it was every man for himself. Said everyone on his plane was wounded some how. Got back on 3 engines and 100 gal of gas.

[AFret.]

Compare those heroes to the losers we have infesting our country today.

I just finished reading accounts of Guadalcanal and Tarawa. The more I read about those that preceded us, the more I am in awe of them.

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Have read those as well. The heroism of those young Marines wading thru the lagoon at Tarawa should be taught to every American..and honored everyday.

[AFret.]

Yes the flew low, really low the entire way to avoid German radar and fighters..The Gentleman told me least for his squadron fighters were not that bad till the outbound leg, Flak was bad in and out he said. he told me the squadron leader when down before the IP, then the 2nd in command moved up and then he got hit and fell out, a Sr member of the squadron moved up, made it over the oil refineries, dropped his load and took a direct hit in the bomb bay, blew up and then it was every man for himself. Said everyone on his plane was wounded some how. Got back on 3 engines and 100 gal of gas.

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You have probably already read but if not, “Ploesti- The Great Ground Air Battle of 1 August, 1943” by James Dugan and Carroll Stewart is an excellent narrative of the raid.
Also “Black Sunday”...excellent.
The story of 1st Lt George Winger is an example of the gallantry displayed at Ploesti. George was an aircraft commander who had already completed his 25 missions and completed his combat tour. Volunteered to stay and fly the Ploesti mission before returning home.
According to his wingman, George was hit over the target and on fire in the bomb bay. He knew he was doomed. George looked over to his wingman, raised his right hand to salute, pulled the nose up to allow those that could, to jump..and died when his B-24 stalled and crashed.
We sometimes think of those who have gone before thru the ages, that we would like to meet if given the chance...I would be honored to meet George Winger.
____

[dpetty121263]

I have a copy of Black Sunday around here in a box, that is why they are called the Greatest Generation...

[ridesthemiles]

IIRC, at one time during the war, we were building one B-17 PER DAY.

[PLMerite]

“...he was the one who told me you could walk across all the lead the Germans were throwing up.”

They used to call it a “carpet of Flak.”

[PLMerite]

Here’s what I was able to find out about what happened to the aircraft and crew:

https://worldwarwings.com/the-controversial-footage-of-a-b-24-shot-down-debunked/

[PLMerite]

“IIRC, at one time during the war, we were building one B-17 PER DAY.”

At peak production, between the three plants (Seattle, Long Beach and Burbank), Boeing was squeezing out up to 16 per day. I don’t know how many individual parallel assembly lines they were running to get that number.

[jmacusa]

I've seen this video many times and it does appear as if bombs from another plane hit the wing.

I've also seen a picture once of a B 17 that had it's right rear tail stabilizer knocked off by another plane that was above it.

Apparently formation flying was often difficult especially if the ‘’boxes’’ that each bomber flew was knocked out of formation by heavy flak or German fighters.

[SunkenCiv]

Looks like the Project Recover people don’t release such info, waiting for the Pentagon to contact the next of kin etc.

[SunkenCiv]

Agony Wagon: The Consolidated B-24 Liberator, WWII’s Unsung Heavyweight
https://airwingmedia.com/articles/2016/agony-wagon-the-consolidated-b-24-liberator-wwiis-unsung-heavyweight/

B24 Liberator
Dive Site, War Grave
https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/b24-liberator/

[SunkenCiv]

(contains one short account of the oilfield raid)

Consolidated B-24 Liberator
18,188 planes produced, entered service 1940
B-24D specs: top speed 303 MPH, 11 machine guns, max. bomb load 8,000 lbs.
By Stephen Sherman, Aug. 2002. Updated January 21, 2012.
https://acepilots.com/planes/b24.html

[SunkenCiv]

The Sandman a B-24 Liberator, piloted by Robert Sternfels.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/The_Sandman_a_B-24_Liberator%2C_piloted_by_Robert_Sternfels.jpg

Captions and Titles from Published Works
2003: One of the most famous images of World War II shows The Sandman, piloted by Robert Sternfels, as it emerges from a pall of smoke during the TIDALWAVE mission.
2002: The Sandman barely clears the stacks of the Astra Romana refinery.
1944 (unreversed):Note 1 HITLERS NO. [sic] 1 oil source, Ploesti, Rumania, was bombed Aug. 1, 1943, by a large force (177) of B-24s which came in at smokestack level, braved oil and bombs exploding close beneath them to hit refineries, tanks, cracking plants. 53 aircraft and 660 air crewmen were lost.
1 August 1943
National Museum of the US Air Force
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/media_search.asp?q=ploesti
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/070802-F-1234S-006.jpg
Author Jerry J. Joswick, the only survivor of the 16 cameramen of the operation