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BOXART STORY
During the so-called "Shuttle" missions,
using bases in the USSR, the US Air Force hit
a total of 24 strategic Axis targets from June
to September 1944. The first Shuttle Mission,
designated Frantic 1, was scheduled for June 2,
1944. It deployed 130 B-17 bombers and 70 P-51s
from the 15th Air Force based in Italy. One of
the fighter units chosen for the mission was
the 325th FG "Checkertails." Its commander,
Col. Sluder, later recalled that the preparation
for the mission was top secret, and only five
officers from his unit knew about it. His unit
had flown Mustangs in combat for the first time
on May 27, 1944, so this was still a completely
new aircraft to his men. Additionally, ground
personnel had to be transported to the Soviet
Union. The mechanics received new uniforms
and boarded B-17 bombers from the 2nd BG.
They were convinced they were flying to the UK
or even home. When they learned during the
flight where they were actually going, many
were shocked. On board one of the bombers
was Gen. Ira Eaker, commander of the Allied air
forces in the Mediterranean.
The mission of June 2, 1944, was not just
a flyover of enemy territory, its objective was
the railway station in Debrecen, Hungary.
Eaker placed great emphasis on keeping the
fighter escorts close to the bombers, which
were carrying more valuable cargo than usual.
Only one B-17 was lost after being hit by flak.
The bombers then landed at Poltava in Ukraine,
and the "Checkertail Clan" eventually found
Pyriatyn airfield, located a little further west,
after some navigational difficulties. Soviets
and American personnel were waiting for them
at the scene, having prepared conditions for
maintenance and operations.
The Soviets did not allow photographs of the
bases to be taken back to the West, but the
Americans smuggled a few films out. Soviets
provided plenty of food, drink, and singing
performances. The female soldiers were
initially shy about dancing with the Americans,
but after the Soviet commander ordered the
ladies to dance, that part of the program was
filled as well. From the American side, fighter
pilot Bob Barkey had quite a success with his
tenor.
On June 6, 1944, the command of the 15th
Air Force planned a strike against targets in
the Balkans from two directions. The refinery
at Ploiești was attacked from Italy by 310
Liberators with fighter escorts, which attracted
most of the Axis fighter units in Romania.
Other raids from Italian bases targeted Brașov,
Pitești, Turnu Severin, and Belgrade in occupied
Yugoslavia.
From the east, 104 B-17 crews from the Poltava
base and 42 Mustangs from the 352nd Fighter
Group flew over Romania. Their destination
was Galați airfield in eastern Romania. They
managed to hit the airfield due to good visibility,
and none of the bombers were shot down.
Although enemy fighters were spotted by the
Flying Fortress crews, the enemy fighters were
so far away that the Americans were unsure of
their identification. The formation then returned
to Poltava, and after landing, the crews learned
of the commencement of the landings in France.
The fighter escort experienced a slightly
different situation. Americans clashed with
Romanian Bf 109 G-6s from the elite Grupul
9 vânătoare. The Americans claimed six
downed fighters and one Ju 88. One of the
victories was scored by the aforementioned
1/Lt. Barkey, whose aircraft is depicted on
Piotr Forkasiewicz's boxart. The Romanians
machines were only damaged and several
of them made emergency landings after the
battle. They did, however, manage to shoot
down two Mustangs. Lt. Donald J. MacDonald
was captured and Lt. John D. Mumford was
missing. Moreover the P-51 of 2/Lt. Barrie Davis
was severely damaged by Romanian fighter ace
Lt. av. Ion Dobran. Wounded Davis managed to
make it to Mirgorod, Ukraine without a canopy
and with severely damaged tail surfaces. He
received the first Purple Heart for a combat
mission from Soviet territory. Ion Dobran was
forced to make an emergency landing with his
damaged Bf 109 when he came under fire from
1/Lt. Wayne Lowry. Details of this engagement
can be found, for example, in the Osprey
publication "Rumanian Aces of World War 2" by
Dénes Bernád.
Operation Frantic 1 was completed on June
11, 1944. On the return of the American crews
to Italy, the target was the Romanian airfield of
Focșani. The first Shuttle Mission was judged
a great success. However, subsequent Frantic
missions gradually encountered problems and
security risks that contributed to the growing
distrust between the Western Allies and the
Soviet Union.
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
The First Frantic
Text: Jan Bobek
INFO Eduard
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August 2024