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| USAAF 5th AF 43rd BG 403rd BS   USAAF 1944 |
Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego. Constructors Number 3046. At the factory, painted with olive drab upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24J-50-CO Liberator serial number 42-73476. In the United States, nicknamed "Wolf Pack" in in light yellow block letters with a thin red outline with nose art of a woman with brown hair and black high heels running while being chased by two big bad wolf characters from the Walt Disney cartoon "Three Little Pigs" with one wolf pointing towards the woman and the other chasing. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. On November 30, 1943 arrived Garbutt Field and modified at the Townsville Air completed in the middle of January 1944. Wartime History In early January 1944 assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG), 403rd Bombardment Squadron (403rd BS). This bomber retained the nickname and nose art from the United States. On January 14, 1944 took off from Garbutt Field piloted by 1st Lt. Paul H. Cober and flown to Dobodura loaded with liquor for the squadron. On the right side of the nose was a scoreboard with bomb markings indicating missions flown in uneven rows. Below the cockpit window "Mom" and "Liz" on the bombardier's window. Assigned to crew chief TSgt William H. McGee, Jr. The upper portion of the tail was white with large 476 (last three digits of the serial number). On January 18, 1944 first combat mission over Hansa Bay and sustained damage from anti-aircraft fire. On February 13, 1944 took off piloted by Putnam on a bombing mission over Kavieng. On February 16, 1944 took off piloted by 1st Lt. Paul H. Cober on a bombing mission over Kavieng. On February 17, 1944 took off piloted by 1st Lt. Paul H. Cober on a bombing mission over Talasea. On March 16, 1944 took off piloted by 1st Lt. Paul H. Cober on a bombing mission over Momote. On March 22, 1944 took piloted by 1st Lt. Paul H. Cober off on a bombing mission over Wewak. On April 12, 1944 took off piloted by 1st Lt. Paul H. Cober on a bombing mission over Hollandia. On October 10, 1944 took off piloted by Taitch on a bombing mission against Balikpapan on Borneo and returned with 125 holes from anti-aircraft fire. On October 31, 1944 damaged by anti-aircraft fire over Cebu. On May 30, 1945 took off on a bombing mission against Takao (Kaohsiung) on Formosa (Taiwan). On May 31, 1945 piloted by Anderson on a bombing mission against Taihoku (Taipei) on Formosa (Taiwan). In total, this bomber flew at least 96 mission totaling 1,000 combat hours of flying. Fate On June 7, 1945 at Clark FIeld retired from flying combat missions as the last bomber with olive drab paint scheme in the squadron. Ultimate fate unknown likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24J-50-CO Liberator 42-73476 Ken's Men Against The Empire Volume II (2019) pages 211 (photo), 215 (artwork), 233 (profile 28), 239 (Profile 28 detail), 379 (403rd BS, 42-73476), 422-423 (Profile 28 description) 423 (photo), 463 (index Wolf Pack) Contribute
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