PYND48048 PYN-up TIDAL WAVE B-24D Nose Art #5

Description

Nose art and special markings for FIVE B-24D veterans of TIDAL WAVE!

• B-24D-25-CO 41-24294 Brewery Wagon, 376^th Bomb Group, 512^th Bomb Squadron. BW was one of only five 376^th BG aircraft that even attempted to bomb the refineries at Ploesti, and had, arguably, the most famous nose art of all TW ships. All nose art, while similar, was different on each side of the nose. Pilot John Palm, who lost a leg in his ship’s belly landing, attempted independently to attack, a thoroughly suicidal, exceptionally brave, and nearly unprecedented action by a heavy bomber pilot. It was also unusual for a 9^th Air Force Lib to have the RAF fin flashes applied to the outer fins only (normally the flash was on both sides of each fin).
• B-24D-CO 41-11815 Daisy Mae, 98^th Bomb Group, 415^th Bomb Squadron. One of the most famous 98^th ships, old Daisy’s iconic nose art was well known both during the war and to modelers since. She survived the TW mission.
• B-24D-CO 41-11766 Chug-A-Lug, 98^th Bomb Group, 345^th Bomb Squadron. Like Daisy Mae, Bashful/Jersey Jackass, and Per-Diem The Second, Chug was a very old airframe by the time of TIDAL WAVE. Nonetheless, although she hit a barrage balloon cable over the target area that sliced the leading edge of the right wing, she survived the mission, although an 88mm Flak burst directly above the top turret killed the gunner, and her navigator was wounded by another Flak hit.
• B-24D-CO 41-11776 Jersey Jackass/Bashful belonged to the 98^th Bomb Group, 343^rd Bomb Squadron. Originally named Jersey Jackass on the left nose and Jersey Jerks on the right, when the 343^rd commander decided to make his unit the “Snow White Squadron,” the Jersey Jerks name was painted out and the Bashful artwork added to the left side nose. The old Jersey Jerks name was still clearly visible and is provided as part of the Bashful decal. It appears the tiny Jersey Jackass bombing mission marker logos continued to be used after the Bashful name was added, because no other type of mission markers were used by the time she was shot down at Ploesti. The Bashful name is often depicted as black, but it was definitely red.
• B-24D-CO 41-11935 Per-Diem The Second, 376^th Bomb Group, 514^th Bomb Squadron. PD was one of only five 376^th ships to attempt to attack the refineries, and one of only three to be successful in their attack. As one of the first olive drab Libs to reach the desert, her camouflage finish was extremely beat up, making this ship a model weathering challenge. With her weathered finish she will be an eye-catcher in any collection! Although her Field Number (nose/tail number) had been changed from 31 to 60 by the time of TIDAL WAVE, the old “31” was still clearly visible in three of the four locations. (Photos taken long after TW show the olive drab overpaint on the “31s” had almost completely worn away, making the white 31s again clearly visible under the 60s on the nose.) The instruction booklet gives many more interesting details about this ship.