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| USAAF 5th AF 43rd BG 64th BS |
Aircraft History Built by Consolidated. Constructors Number 4331. At the factory completed with an aluminum finish. On March 24, 1944 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24J-160-CO Liberator serial number 44-40395. In the United States, the ball turret was removed. Flown overseas by Captain Chevis T. Amick via Hickam Field and arrived in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) on May 25, 1944. Wartime History During June 1944, assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG), 64th Bombardment Squadron (64th BS). On July 1, 1944 first combat mission on a bombing mission against Kamiri Airfield on Noemfoor. By early August 1944, this bomber had flown a total of 22 missions when nicknamed "Bob's Hope" in cursive font with the nose art of an Indian riding a bomb looking though a periscope atop a star inside a circular background on the right side of the nose only. The artwork was likely painted by SSgt Sarkis E. Bartigian. The left side of the nose was unpainted and the bomber had no scoreboard. On August 26, 1944 christened by Bob Hope during his USO tour of Owi Island who commented "They named this ship after me because they couldn't keep the nose down" and was photographed with the bomber. The tail had horizontal red and white stripes against a vertical blue down the forward edge of the rudder and a diagonal line on the opposite side, another squadron motif. Later, modified in the field adding an extra windown in the bombardiar position. Wartime History On June 16, 1945 took off from Clark Field armed with 260 pound fragmentation bombs on a bombing mission against Keelung Harbor (Kiirun Harbor) on the northern tip of Formosa (Taiwan). The formation included B-24s from 43rd BG, 22nd BG and 380th BG. Over the target, anti-aircraft fire was heavy and accurate and damaged seven B-24s including this bomber, knocking out the hydraulics and landed without breaks and was damaged skidding to a stop and afterwards was written off. Fate Afterwards one engine was immediately removed to repair B-24J "Lovely Annette" 44-40808. The rest of the bomber was abandoned and stripped for usable parts. On September 26, 1945 broken up for scrap at Clark Field. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24J-160-CO Liberator 44-40395 Ken’s Men Against The Empire The Illustrated History of the 43rd Bombardment Group During World War II Volume II: October 1943 to 1945 B-24 Era (2019) pages 145 (photo), 230 (profile 14), 237 (profile 14 detail), 306 (June 16, 1945), 308, 373 (64th BS, 44-40395), 390, 413-414 (profile 14 description), 441 (index Bob's Hope) Contribute
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