Daniel Rice, flight log

Click on the date to read about the specific mission.

Aerial flights beginning with departure from Herington, Kansas APE for overseas service, and ending with our last combat mission. Basic data from my official "Individual Flight Record", AAF Form 5. Supplementary data from 376th Group mission reports, from the combat record of B-24D No. 42-72843 (the Strawberry Bitch), and my own notes and recollections. Most of these flights, but not quite all, included the entire crew.

1943

DATE HOURS

08/28 08:15 Herington, Kansas to Dow Field, Bangor Maine. At Dow Field. we were given secret orders directing us to "-report to the 13th Replacement Control Depot, 9th Air Force, Cairo, Egypt, for further assignment and duty".

08/29 04:55 Bangor, Maine to Gander, Newfoundland.

08/30 10:20 Gander to Prestwick, Scotland. Took off at 08:45 PM local time. Metzger was delayed until next day.

09/02 02:25 Prestwick to St. Mawgan, Cornwall, England. This was the "jumping off" point for the next leg of the flight to Africa. Here, we discovered a fuel leak from the left wing tip tank. Gasoline had been trickling down across our No.1 engine exhaust system.

09/03 03:05 St. Mawgan to Snetterton Heath, northeast of London. Sent to a B-24 repair depot at Watton to get the gasoline leak fixed. Due to insufficient briefing prior to the flight coupled with radio restrictions in England, we landed at this B-17 operational base by mistake. Stayed overnight.

09/04 00:30 Snetterton Heath to Watton. This was a grass field.

09/06 02:35 Watton bacle to St. Mawgan.

09/06 09: 55 St. Mawgan to Marrakech, Morocco, Africa. Took off about midnight. Flew southwest to get away from the French coast, then south until we were clear of enemy territory, then turned southeast toward Marrakech.

09/07 04: 40 Marrakech to Algiers. I 'm not sure this date is correct. It would-mean that after flying all night to get to Marrakech, We would have taken off again that same day for Algiers. I thought that we stayed overnight at Marrakech.

09/10 04:00 Algiers to Tripoli. Landed at Casa Benina.

09/11 06:50 Tripoli to Heliopolis, Egypt (Cairo).

09/12 00:45 Heliopolis to Devesoir, by the Great Bitter Lake, south of Ismailiya. Airplane to be readied for combat.

09/16 04:40 Devesoir to Berka Two at Benghazi. Libya. We and our airplane were assigned to the 512th Squadron. Metzger's crew and airplane to the 514th, both parts of the 376th Group.

09/17

09/20

09/22

09/23 01:00 Local. I do not recall the purpose of this flight.

09/24 04:00 Berka Two to Enfidaville, Tunisia. First trip of the move from Benghazi to Enfidaville.

09/24 04:25 Enfidaville to Berka Two. Return trip for second load.

09/25 03:50 Berka Two to Enfidaville. Finished the move.

10/01

10/03 03:50 Enfidaville to Benghazi. Moved back temporarily to support British action in the Dodecanese Islands. Landed after dark at Benina main, 98th base.

10/04

10/05

10/07

10/08 00:25 Benina Main to Berka Two. Returned yesterday's airplane to base.

10/08

10/10

10/11 04:10 Berka Two to Enfidaville. First trip on the move back to Tunisia.

10/12 04:30 Enfidaville to Berka Two.

10/12 03:40 Berka Two to Enfidaville. Completed the move.

10/17 01:45 Local. I don't recall the purpose.

10/18 02:05 Local. I don't recall the purpose, but one of these was a practice mission on which I was detailed as an observer with one of the new Yugoslav crews. I watched the pilots from a standing position at the entrance to the cockpit, and was never so scared in my life as I was when they misjudged their turn onto the final approach, and got under another airplane. I was so relieved to stand safely on the ground again that I couldn't remember how we got there.

10/19

10/24

10/30

11/02

11/02 02:25 Local. I don't recall the purpose.

11/09

11/10

11/11

11/15

11/17 05:15 First attempt to move to San Pancrazio. Communications section delayed in setting equipment loaded, and we were late getting started. Ran into bad weather as we approached Italy, including wing icing. Turned back. Became unsure of position in darkness· and weather in the Tunis-Bizerte area. Used aural null procedure vii the radio compass to find heading back to Enfidaville.

11/18 03:15 Enfidaville to San Pancrazio. Delivered the communications section.

11/18 03:00 San Pancrazio to Enfidaville. Return trip. Discovered that officers' baggage, personal effects, and tent had been taken. Didn't know where nor by whom.

11/19 03:00 Enfidaville to San Pancrazio. Move completed.

11/24 

11/25

11/26 04:15 San Pancrazio to Bizerte. To see if we could find our personal things among Group property due to be shipped by sea. Did not find.

11/27 03:45 Bizerte to San Pancrazio. Returned empty handed.

11/28 01:10 Local. Probably to slow time an engine.

11/29

12/01

12/03

12/06

12/09 01:30 Local. Purpose unknown.

12/10

12/11 04 :20 Fiume, Italy. Oil Refinery. Recalled due to weather.

12/15

12/18 01:10 Local. Copilot for Capt. miller. Gunnery test.

12/19

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