World War II Database

1. My two Grandpas fought on opposite sides says:
27 Jan 2013 11:21:38 AM

Not the correct Date !
First , the told attack on August 1st 1943 was a complete low level raid .
And second , look on these Liberators .
They're built with Emerson nose turrets which were not at ETO before the End of Summer 1943 in greater numbers .
And third , they're coloured in olive drab while all Libs on August 1st 1943 wore sand / yellow , that sometimes turned to pink caused by the desert sun .

After all I know this Photo was taken over the same target on August 1944 by the 15th AF coming from Italy (Foggia)

The first Raid was done by the 12AF,coming from Libiya(several USAAF bases around Benghazi)

Although the same picture actually is shown at Wikipedia under 'Operation Tidal Wave ' it truly belongs to a later Operation .
And they're really no D-versions cause the have Nose turrets.

Thanks for attention

A 43 yr old guy who's excessively familar with the history of air war and who completely grew up supervised by this generation that fought in or against these Bombers .
And further I was a modelkit builder for more than 25 Years . MAin theme : airwar over GErmany and occupied areas

2.  David Stubblebine says:
27 Jan 2013 03:48:42 PM

To ‘My two Grandpas fought on opposite sides’: Thank you for posting this comment. Your knowledge of the subject seems quite authoritative. The official USAF caption for this photo (and even Wiki’s on the Operation Tidal Wave page) identifies the bombers as part of the 15th Air Force, as you said. The 15th AF was not even formed until 3 months after Tidal Wave. Based on this and everything else in your Comment, I believe your assessment is correct. The caption has been corrected accordingly.

3. Zoran Petek says:
1 Feb 2015 04:39:19 AM

These are 15th AF, 451st BG B-24s over Ploesti on 31 May 1944. Shown is 728th BS B-24 Con Job, serial 42-78145, later shot down over Vienna on 22 August 1944.

4. robert e stoll says:
4 Nov 2017 11:35:05 AM

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING THE BOMBADIER ON THE B24 WHO TOOK THIS PICTURE OVER THE PLOESTI OIL FIELDS, HE WAS WITH THE 456TH BOMB GROUP. HIS NAME WAS RICHARD R. GANCZAK, HE HAD A TOTAL OF 60 MISSIONS, 30 AS A RADIOMAN, HE WAS SENT TO BOMBADIER SCHOOL FOR THE NOURTON BOMB SIGHT AND WAS ASSIGNED TO HIS OLD UNIT AS A BOMBADIER WHERE HE SERVED ANOTHER 30 MISSIONS, ON ONE MISSION HE TOOK THE PICTURE THAT IS LISTED HERE, AFTER TRADING HIS FOUNTAIN PEN FOR A CAMERA. WHEN THEY RETURNED FROM THE MISSION, HE TURNED THE CAMERA IN TO HEADQUARTERS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE FILM, HE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE PICTURE, HE WAS DISCHARGED IN 1945, IN THE EARLY 1990'S HE SHOWED THE PICTURE TO A GROUP OF HIS FRIENDS. HE PASSED AWAY DEC. 7TH 2014. I SUBMITTED HIS STORY TO LEGIONTOWN MAGAZINE AS THE PLOESTI BOMBADIER, IF YOU SHOULD CHECK THIS OUT, YOU WILL FIND PICTURES AN AN INTERVIEW HE GAVE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES. I WOULD LIKE THIS INFORMATION PLACED WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, HIS NAME IS LISTED WITH JOSEPH J. SPAGNOLA COLLECTION, IT WOULD BE NICE IF HE HAD HIS OWN COLLECTION. MY GOAL IS TO GET RICHARD R GANCZAK CREDIT FOR THE PICTURE OF THE B24 OVER THE PLOESTI OIL FIELDS. I HOPE I CAN BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE.