Tag Archives: Operation TIDALWAVE

Medal of Honor, Second Lieutenant Lloyd Herbert Hughes, United States Army Air Corps

Second Lieutenant Lloyd herber Hughes, United States Army Air Corps.
Second Lieutenant Lloyd Herbert Hughes, United States Army Air Corps.

Medal of Honor

Lloyd H. Hughes (Air Mission)

Rank and Organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S Army Air Corps, 564th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
Place and Date: Ploetsi Raid, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943.
Entered Service At: San Antonio, Tex.
Born: Alexandria, La.
G.O. Number 17, 26 February 1944.

Medal, Medal of Honor, United States Army, largeCitation: For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. On August 1943, 2d Lt. Hughes served in the capacity of pilot of a heavy bombardment aircraft participating in a long and hazardous minimum-altitude attack against the Axis oil refineries of Ploesti, Rumania, launched from the northern shores of Africa. Flying in the last formation to attack the target, he arrived in the target area after previous flights had thoroughly alerted the enemy defenses. Approaching the target through intense and accurate antiaircraft fire and dense balloon barrages at dangerously low altitude, his plane received several direct hits from both large and small caliber antiaircraft guns which seriously damaged his aircraft, causing sheets of escaping gasoline to stream from the bomb bay and from the left wing. This damage was inflicted at a time prior to reaching the target when 2d Lt. Hughes could have made a forced landing in any of the grain fields readily available at that time. The target area was blazing with burning oil tanks and damaged refinery installations from which flames leaped high above the bombing level of the formation. With full knowledge of the consequences of entering this blazing inferno when his airplane was profusely leaking gasoline in two separate locations, 2d Lt. Hughes, motivated only by his high conception of duty which called for the destruction of his assigned target at any cost, did not elect to make a forced landing or turn back from the attack. Instead, rather than jeopardize the formation and the success of the attack, he unhesitatingly entered the blazing area and dropped his bomb load with great precision. After successfully bombing the objective, his aircraft emerged from the conflagration with the left wing aflame. Only then did he attempt a forced landing, but because of the advanced stage of the fire enveloping his aircraft the plane crashed and was consumed. By 2d Lt. Hughes’ heroic decision to complete his mission regardless of the consequences in utter disregard of his own life, and by his gallant and valorous execution of this decision, he has rendered a service to our country in the defeat of our enemies which will everlastingly be outstanding in the annals of our Nation’s history.

Medal of Honor, Major John Louis Jerstad, United States Army Air Corps

Major John Louis Jerstad, United States Army Air Corps. (U.S. Air Force)
Major John Louis Jerstad, United States Army Air Corps.

Medal of Honor

John L.  Jerstad (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps, 9th Air Force.
Action: Ploesti Raid, Rumania, 1 August 1943.
Entered service at: Racine, Wis.
Born: 12 February 1918, Racine, Wis.
G.O. No: 72, 28 October 1943.

Medal, Medal of Honor, United States Army, largeCitation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. On 1 August 1943, he served as pilot of the lead aircraft in his group in a daring low-level attack against enemy oil refineries and installations at Ploesti, Rumania. Although he had completed more than his share of missions and was no longer connected with this group, so high was his conception of duty that he volunteered to lead the formation in the correct belief that his participation would contribute materially to success in this attack. Maj. Jerstad led the formation into attack with full realization of the extreme hazards involved and despite withering fire from heavy and light antiaircraft guns. Three miles from the target his airplane was hit, badly damaged, and set on fire. Ignoring the fact that he was flying over a field suitable for a forced landing, he kept on the course. After the bombs of his aircraft were released on the target, the fire in his ship became so intense as to make further progress impossible and he crashed into the target area. By his voluntary acceptance of a mission he knew was extremely hazardous, and his assumption of an intrepid course of action at the risk of life over and above the call of duty, Maj. Jerstad set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.

Medal of Honor, Lieutenant Colonel Addison Earl Baker, United States Army Air Corps

Lieutenant Colonel Addison L. Baker, United States Army Air Corps
Lieutenant Colonel Addison Earl Baker, United States Army Air Corps

Medal of Honor

Addison L. Baker

Rank and Organization: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S Army Air Corps, 93d Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
Place and Date: Ploetsi Raid, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943.
Entered Service at: Akron, Ohio.
Born: Chicago, Ill.
G.O. No. 20: March 11, 1944.

Medal, Medal of Honor, United States Army, largeCitation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy on 1 August 1943. On this date he led his command, the 93d Heavy Bombardment Group, on a daring low-level attack against enemy oil refineries and installations at Ploesti, Rumania. Approaching the target, his aircraft was hit by a large caliber antiaircraft shell, seriously damaged and set on fire. Ignoring the fact he was flying over terrain suitable for safe landing, he refused to jeopardize the mission by breaking up the lead formation and continued unswervingly to lead his group to the target upon which he dropped his bombs with devastating effect. Only then did he leave formation, but his valiant attempts to gain sufficient altitude for the crew to escape by parachute were unavailing and his aircraft crashed in flames after his successful efforts to avoid other planes in formation. By extraordinary flying skill, gallant leadership and intrepidity, Lt. Col. Baker rendered outstanding, distinguished, and valorous service to our Nation.

Medal of Honor, Colonel Leon William Johnson, United States Army Air Corps

General Leon William Johnson, United States Air Force
General Leon William Johnson, United States Air Force

Medal of Honor

Leon W. Johnson (Air Mission)

Rank and Organization: Colonel, U.S Army Air Corps, 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
Action: Ploetsi Raid, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943.
Entered Service at: Moline, Kans.
Born: Columbia, Mo.
G.O. No.: 54, September 7, 1943.

Medal, Medal of Honor, United States Army, largeCitation: For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on August 1, 1943. Col. Johnson, as commanding officer of a heavy bombardment group, let the formation of the aircraft of his organization constituting the fourth element of the mass low-level bombing attack of the 9th U.S. Air Force against the vitally important enemy target of the Ploesti oil refineries. While proceeding to the target on this 2,400-mile flight, his element became separated from the leading elements of the mass formation in maintaining the formation of the unit while avoiding dangerous cumulous cloud conditions encountered over mountainous territory. Though temporarily lost, he reestablished contact with the third element and continued on the mission with this reduced force to the prearranged point of attack, where it was discovered that the target assigned to Col. Johnson’s group had been attacked and damaged by a preceding element. Though having lost the element of surprise upon which the safety and success of such a daring form of mission in heavy bombardment aircraft so strongly depended, Col. Johnson elected to carry out his planned low-level attack despite the thoroughly alerted defenses, the destructive antiaircraft fire, enemy fighter airplanes, the imminent danger of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous element, of oil fires and explosions, and of intense smoke obscuring the target. By his gallant courage, brilliant leadership, and superior flying skill, Col. Johnson so led his formation as to destroy totally the important refining plants and installations which were the object of his mission. Col. Johnson’s personal contribution to the success of this historic raid, and the conspicuous gallantry in action, and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty demonstrated by him on this occasion constitute such deeds of valor and distinguished service as have during our Nation’s history formed the finest traditions of our Armed Forces.

Medal of Honor, Colonel John Riley Kane, United States Army Air Corps

Colonel John Riley Kane, United States Army Air Corps. (Baylor University)

Medal of Honor

John R. Kane (Air Mission)

Rank and Organization: Colonel, U.S Army Air Corps, 9th Air Force.
Action: Ploetsi Raid, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943.
Inducted: Shreveport, La.
Born: McGregor, Tex.
G.O.#54, 9 Aug 1943.

Medal, Medal of Honor, United States Army, largeCitation: For conspicuous gallantry in action and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 Aug 1943. On this date he led the third element of heavy bombardment aircraft in a mass low-level bombing attack against the vitally important enemy target of the Ploesti oil refineries. En route to the target, which necessitated a round-trip flight of over 2,400 miles, Col. Kane’s element became separated from the leading portion of the massed formation in avoiding dense and dangerous cumulous cloud conditions over mountainous terrain. Rather than turn back from such a vital mission he elected to proceed to his target. Upon arrival at the target area it was discovered that another group had apparently missed its target and had previously attacked and damaged the target assigned to Col. Kane’s element. Despite the thoroughly warned defenses, the intensive antiaircraft fire, enemy fighter airplanes, extreme hazards on a low-level attack of exploding delayed action bombs from the previous element, of oil fires and explosions and dense smoke over the target area, Col. Kane elected to lead his formation into the attack. By his gallant courage, brilliant leadership, and superior flying skill, he and the formation under his command successfully attacked this vast refinery so essential to our enemies’ war effort. Through his conspicuous gallantry in this most hazardous action against the enemy, and by his intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Col. Kane personally contributed vitally to the success of this daring mission and thereby rendered most distinguished service in the furtherance of the defeat of our enemies.

Colonel John Riley Kane, United States Air Force