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Paul Bellamy
10/12/2008 2:57:58 PM | I pulled the well-known photo of a 401BG plane over the Rocket Research Establishment at Peenemunde from the NARA files:
Let's have a closer look at the plane:
The 401st flew two missions to Peenemunde, No.111 on the 18th July 1944 and No.133 on the 25th August 1944.
The NARA photo is dated as being received from the Bureau of Public relations on early September 1944, so I'd suggest it is of the August mission. The aircraft's heading also matches the mission route for that mission given in "Return from Berlin", although the lack of information on the July mission means it cannot be ruled out at present.
Paul Bellamy
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Paul Bellamy
10/12/2008 3:04:30 PM | Onto identifying the Fortress in the photo.......
The starboard wingtip looks to be a replacement bearing olive-drab paint, and there are markings visible on the fuselage. Zooming in and rotating the image reveals.........
Some nose art, dark background with a lighter something within, and a squadron code: SC-something with two pointy bits........
Looking at the summary for Mission 133 (as I have nothing else to work with for Mission 111), shows the following 612th Squadron aircraft that day:
SC-J
SC-D
SC-L
SC-R
SC-A
SC-M
SC-C (twice....... odd)
SC-G
Out of those SC-M fits the partial image best, so let's look at the plane and it's nose art, to see if it matches the part visible in the overhead photo.
42-107039 Ice Cold Katy:
The top part of the artwork seems to match too. : )
So, not a 100% confirmation, but more than a "possible".
Can I call it a "Probable" ID?
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
10/12/2008 4:15:34 PM | I did not know there were so few flights over Peenemunde. My fathers flight journal shows his crew flying a mission over Peenemunde on:
17 July 1944 Peenemunde, Germany
His crew was the D Day Dottie and he was on Lt. W. J Mc Keon's crew of the 613th.
Jackie
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Paul Bellamy
10/24/2008 1:15:22 PM | Thanks to Win supplying me with a copy of the original uncropped photo, I can confirm this is Mission 133, 25th August 1944.
The photo was taken by the strike camera of 42-102393 SC-R "Diana Queen of the Chase", flying in the same formation lead box at an indicated altitude of 22,000 feet.
Underneath the dust and smoke of the bomb bursts is the Group's target, the two V2 Rocket experimental workshops (Versuchwerke fur V-2).
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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donkirk
9/20/2009 12:34:18 PM | I appreciate the time and effort it must have taken to make the tentative identification on Ice Cold Katy. From the mission list on 401bg.com, the confirmed missions credited to the plane apparently begin with group mission 124 on 6 August 1944; if that listing is correct the photo of the plane must be from group mission 133 on 25 August 1944, flown by 1st Lt L.H. Ludeman and crew.
I'm new to the group, and generally new to research on the 8th USAAF and 401BG; my interest is especially in Ice Cold Katy because my brother flew most of his missions as her radio operator. I'll be watching for additional details about the plane and her crews.
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