This B24 was originally assigned to 44BG but then transferred into the 98th's 343rd Bomb Squadron. It was assigned to the crew of Lt Muehlberg who flew it on at least 24 combat sorties -- the first being against the Corinth Canal in Greece on 25th August 1942. Later missions were flown to strike shipping targets in Benghasi harbour. It was almost lost on 2nd December when another crew (Lt Groff) took the B24 to strike Naples. One hour into the flight, all four engines cut out simultaneously but, fortunately, were restarted as the airplane plummeted towards the sea.

Prior to the invasion of Sicily, "Jersey Jackass" pounded the ferry terminal at Messina to prevent German forces evacuating the island. Strikes against Palermo, Naples and other Italian targets continued well into 1943 and on 17th July it had another lucky escape when flak ripped 40 holes in the side, shot away hydraulic lines and shattered the bomb doors. However, the veteran B24 was repaired and was one of those famed ships which flew the daring low level strike against the Ploesti oil refineries on 1st August 1943. On that day it was assigned to a crew from 389BG (Lt McGraw) but was shot down over Romania with the loss of six of its crew and three listed as POWs.

The nose art cleverly incorporated Hitler's distinctive features into his simplistic artwork of an ass's rear end -- it was undoubtedly a popular image amongst air and ground crew men. If you have any further knowledge or photographs of this aircraft or its crews please make contact.

Known Mission List

Date	Pilot	Target	Notes
25 Aug 1942	J R Muehlberg	Corinth Canal	?
29 Aug 1942	J R Muehlberg	Shipping strike	Returned early - aborted - hydraulics + 2 generators out
5 Sep 1942	J R Muelhberg	Candia Bay	Shipping strike
25 Sep 1942	J R Muehlberg	Shipping strike	#2 eng malfunctioned
3 Oct 1942	J R Muehlberg	Navarino Bay	Shipping strike
9 Oct 1942	J R Muehlberg	Benghasi shipping	Lost #4 supercharger, jettisoned bombs
16 Oct 1942	J R Muehlberg	Benghasi shipping	Abortive due to weather, bombs returned
19 Oct 1942	J R Muehlberg	Benghasi shipping	Returned early - aborted - #3 engine out
28 Oct 1942	J R Muehlberg	Navarino Bay	Shipping strike
4 Nov 1942	C C Clinton	Benghasi harbour	?
6 Nov 1942	Capt J R Muehlberg	Benghasi harbour	?
10 Nov 1942	Capt J M Kilgore	Benghasi harbour	Returned early - mechanical trouble
23 Nov 1942	Capt J R Muehlberg	Tripoli	Abortive due to weather
28 Nov 1942	Capt J R Muehlberg	Tripoli	?
2 Dec 1942	G E Groff	Naples harbour	All 4 engines stopped over sea but restarted
28 Dec 1942	Capt J R Muehlberg	Sousse	Aborted just prior to target due to oxygen loss
1 Jan 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Tunis harbour	Returned early - tail turret out, landed at Kabrit
8 Jan 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Bizerta shipping	rerturbed early -- #1 engine lost oil
15 Jan 1943	J D Harden	Tripoli	Flak damage to nose and wing
24 Jan 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Palermo Docks	?
31 Jan 1943	G R Groff	Messina ferry slipway	?
3 Feb 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Palermo / Messina	returned early -- #2 supercharger out
13 Feb 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Naples / Palermo	returned early -- gunner sick
23 Feb 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Messina ferry slipway	Lost top and tail guns just after target
13 Mar 1943	J D Harden	Naples harbour	?
18 Mar 1943	Lt Jorgensen	Naples harbour	Returned early -- #1 and #4 engines out
24 Mar 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Messina ferry slipway	?
2 Apr 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Naples harbour	Returned early -- crewman suffered epileptic fit
5 Apr 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Palermo	?
7 Apr 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Palermo	Aborted -- lost formation in bad weather
11 Apr 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Naples	?
13 Apr 1943	Capt J R Muehlberg	Catania	?
15 Apr 1943	Capt J R Muelhberg	Palermo	?
26 Apr 1943	D S Watt	Bari airfield	?
28 Apr 1943	D S Watt	Messina ferry terminal	One Me109 claimed destroyed
1 May 1943	D S Watt	Reggio harbour	Abortive due to weather
4 May 1943	D S Watt	Reggio harbour	?
21 May 1943	D S Watt	Reggio di Calabria	One Me109 claimed destroyed
25 May 1943	C S Looker	Messina	Returned early -- #1 engine feathered, smoking and windmilling
7 Jul 1943	D C Johnson	Gerbini	?
11 Jul 1943	C W Gooden	Vibo Valentia	?
17 Jul 1943	L E Murphy	Naples	Hit by flak -- 40 holes, hydraulics shot out
1 Aug 1943	J J McGraw (389BG)	Ploesti	MISSING -- down in Romania, 6 KIA, 3 POW

 

© Ray Bowden 2 December 2023