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42-96255, B-26F-1, 586th BS/394th BG, Thomas C. Howard,
Holmsley South, Great Britain, August 1944
43-34150, B-26G-1, 2/Lt. Eulan W. Covey, 494th BS/344th BG,
Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France, late 1944
The 394th Bomb Group was formed on February 15,
1943 and activated on March 5. From the beginning,
its crews trained for combat deployments in
Europe with Marauders. In February and March
1944, the group moved to England to Boreham Base
and was assigned to the 9th Air Force. By March,
its Marauders were flying attacks on ground
targets in France, with frequent targets being V-1
missile bases, marshalling yards, and bridges.
When D
-
Day came, the 394th BG bombed German
positions at Cherbourg and other targets. After
moving to the Continent in late August 1944, the
group began operating against targets in Germany
and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. After
the surrender of Germany, it remained in Europe
as part of the Occupation Forces. In September it
began training with the A-26s and in December
1945 was redesignated the 394th Bomb Group
(Light). Upon return to the United States, the group
was inactivated on March 31, 1946. The pilot of the
aircraft with the drawing of an Indian fox and the
name Miss Manookie was Lt. Thomas Craddock
Howard, co-pilot David Hollice Hughes. The artist
of the painting on the nose was S/Sgt. Frank
M. Spangler Jr. a professional cartoonist in civilian
life, who decorated a number of other aircraft of
the group with his hilarious paintings and made
a living as an artist after the war. Miss Manookie
flew a total of 60 combat missions during the war.
After the 344th Bomb Group was established on
August 31, 1942, it was activated on September 8,
1942. From the beginning, it flew B-26s and served
as a Replacement Training Unit. It then moved to
England during January and February 1944 and
began operations as part of the 9th Air Force
in March. During the landings, it supported the
operation that led to the capture of the Cotentin
Peninsula and subsequent Allied operations
in the Caen area. It then participated in the
Battle of Bulge and continued to operate until
April 1945. In September of that year, it moved
to Germany as part of the occupation forces
and began rearmament to A-26. In December it
was redesignated the 344th Bomb Group (Light)
and was inactivated on February 15, 1946, after
moving to the United States. The aircraft, named
Gravel Gerty, sported the inscription Concrete
Mixer on the left engine cowling, which related to
the name of the aircraft. We don't know if it was
painted also on the right engine, but the decal is
included in the sheet for that position as well.
KITS 06/2024
INFO Eduard
37
Červenec 2024