Kenneth DeLong Mission July 8, 1942

***MISSION 7

Tues. 7/7-Thurs. 7/9 HOME BASE. Lydda, Palestine

TARGET Benghazi Harbor, Libya (convoy)

COMBAT HRS. (this mission) 13:30 total tour 67:35

BRIEFING 1200 (7/8) TAKE OFF 1720 (7/7) LANDING 1840 (7/7-Fayid)

                                 TAKE OFF 1555 (7/8) LANDING 0220 (7/9 at Heliopolis)

                                 TAKE OFF 0620 (7/9) LANDING 0645 (7/9 at Fayid)

                                 TAKE OFF 0900(7/9) LANDING 1020(7/9 at Lydda)

CREW Lt. T. D. Brown PLANE NO. 17

BOMB LOAD 6-1000 lb. TARGET TIME SUNSET BOMBING ALT. 23000'

NO. of PLANES 6 of our B-24's

BOMBING RESULTS Saw bombs hit in harbor area near ships.

ENEMY ACTION Anti-aircraft fire was very heavy. Shrapnel hit upper turret and bomb bay doors. No fighter aircraft were seen.

OTHER REMARKS After leaving the target area, we flew back--mostly over water ... had difficulty locating Fayid ... running low on fuel ... requested permission to land at Heliopolis on sand runway ... RAF personnel were very hospitable ... took off for Fayid at daylight ... it was a weary crew that finally reached Lydda at 1020 ... only to be told the shocking news that #4 "Ole Rock" had been seen to go down in flames over the target ... Group History says 4 ME-l09's attacked the formation before reaching the target. We lost one B-24 and 2 fighters were shot down. I show nothing about a fighter attack but we agree about the lost crew: 1st Lt. K. W. Butler (Pilot) and Lt's. Kyser and Hiatt, Sgt's. Cwikiel.and Blair and Corporals Thompson and Bedrosian---good buddies from HALPRO “B" Flight, crew #10.

376 ARCHIVES

The website 376bg.org is NOT our site nor is it our endowment fund.

At the 2017 reunion, the board approved the donation of our archives to the Briscoe Center for American History, located on the University of Texas - Austin campus.

Also, the board approved a $5,000 donation to add to Ed Clendenin's $20,000 donation in the memory of his father. Together, these funds begin an endowment for the preservation of the 376 archives.

Donate directly to the 376 Endowment

To read about other endowment donation options, click here.


My Trip to San Pancrazio

October 2019


Reunion

NOTE change in month !!!

DATES: Oct 26-29, 2024

CITY:Tucson, AZ

HOTEL: Double Tree Suites Airport hotel

7051 South Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85756

520-225-0800


Click here to read about the reunion details.

previous reunions


For Sale

The Other Doolittle Raid


The Broken Wings of Zlatibor


The Liberandos


Three Crawford Brothers


Liberando: Reflections of a Reluctant Warrior


376th Bomb Group Mission History


The Last Liberator


Full Circle


Shadows of Wings


Ten Men, A "Flying Boxcar," and A War


I Survived Ploesti


A Measure of Life


Shot Down In Yugoslavia


Stories of My Life


Attack


Born in Battle


Bombardier's Diary


Lost Airmen


Langdon Liberando