B-24D (The Little Gramper) 42-40722

42-40722

The Little Gamper right after its 16th combat mission (Pisa Italy)

AIRCRAFT TYPE: B-24D-90 MANUFACTURE: CO

CONSTRUCTION #: 1799 SERIES NUMBER: 25 / 45

DATE BUILT: 00 May 1943 DATE ACCEPTED: 28 April 1943 DATE SOC: 31 May 1945

AIR FORCE	WING	GROUP	SQUADRON	DATE OF SERVICE
8th AF		389th	566th	03 June 1943 – 03 July 1943
9th AF		389th	566th	03 July 1943 – 25 August 1943
8th AF	2nd CBW	389th	566th	25 August 1943 – 16 September 1943
12th AF		389th	566th	16 September 1943 – 4 October 1943
8th AF	2nd CBW	389th	566th	04 October 1943 – 12 June 1944
8th AF	95th CBW	491st		12 June 1944 – 14 August 1944
8th AF	95th CBW	491st		00 August 1944 - 14 September 1944

GROUP MARKINGS	SQUADRON	ID MARKINGS	DATE ASSIGNED
		O-	23 June 1943
Circle-C		O+	September 1943
Circle-Z

• AIRCRAFT NAME: The Little Gramper

• FINAL LOCATION:: Scrapped - England

HISTORY

#	DATE	MISSION	PILOT	COMMENTS
	28 May 43	Airfield Location: San Diego
	30 Apr 43	Airfield Location: Davis Monthran Field, AZ		CO - modification center
	28 May 43	Airfield Location: Lowry Field, CO		WTTC - Combat Crew Training
	02 Jun 43	Airfield Location: Lincoln AAF, NE		POM - Prepare for Overseas movement
	13 Jun 43	Airfield Location: Dow Field, ME		Overseas departure field
	16 Jun 43	Airfield Location: Langford Lodge, N. Ireland		UGLY - 8th AF Modification Center
	22 Jun 43	Airfield Location: Hethel Field
	03 Jul 43	Airfield Location: Airfield Location: Benghazi, Libya (Berka 10)		ACHE assigned to 9th AF
1	9 Jul 43	Maleme, Crete target: airfield	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.
2	11 Jul 43	Reggio di Calabria, Italy target: port facilities	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.
3	12 Jul 43	Reggio di Calabria, Italy target: port facilities	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.
4	14 Jul 43	Messina, Italy target: port facilities	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.
5	16 Jul 43	Bari, Italy target: airfield	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.
6	19 Jul 43	Rome, Italy target: railroad yard	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.
7	01 Aug 43	Campina, Romania target: oil production	Lt. Dieterle, J.W.	Combat damage (AA): # 3 engine
8	13 Aug 43	Wiener-Neustadt, Austria target: aircraft production	Capt. Conroy, T.C.
9	16 Aug 43	Foggia, Italy target: airfield	Capt. Conroy, T.C.
10	19 Aug 43	Foggia, Italy target: railroad yards	Walsh
11	21 Aug 43	Camcello, Italy target: railroad yards	Walsh
	25 Aug 43	Airfield Location: Hethel Field	Walsh	Assigned to 8th AF
12	7 Sep 43	Texel target: Convoy	Walsh
13	9 Sep 43	Longuenesse, France target: airfield	Walsh
14	15 Sep 43	Chartes, France target: airfield	Walsh
	19 Sep 43	Airfield Location: Massicault, Tunisia		Assigned to 12th AF
15	21 Sep 43	Bastia, Corsica target: port facilities	Walsh
16	24 Sep 43	Pisa, Italy target: railroad yard	Vaughn
17	01 Oct 43	Wiener-Neustadt, Austria target: aircraft production	Walsh
	03 Oct 43	Airfield Location: Hethel Field		Assigned to 8th AF
18	09 Oct 43	Danzig, Poland target: U-boat yards	Fravega
	10 Oct 43	Diversion	Fravega
19	03 Nov 43	Wilhelmshaven, Germany target: port facilities	Vaughn
20	18 Nov 43	Oslo, Norway target: Kjeller airfield	Walsh
21	01 Dec 43	Solingen, Germany target: industry	Moore
22	11 Dec 43	Emden, Germany target: industry	Walsh
23	13 Dec 43	Kiel, Germany target: Port Facilities	Moore
24	16 Dec 43	Bremen, Germany target: Port Facilities	Walsh
25	20 Dec 43	Bremen, Germany target: Port Facilities	Moore
26	24 Dec 43	Pas De Calais, France target: no-ball site	Vaughn
27	31 Dec 43	St Jean D’Angely, France target: airfield	Walsh
28	04 Jan 44	Kiel, Germany target: Port Facilities	Walsh
29	07 Jan 44	Ludwigshafen, Germany target: industry	Vivian
30	14 Jan 44	Pas De Calais, France target: no-ball site	Walsh
31	21 Jan 44	Pas De Calais, France target: no-ball site	Walsh
32	02 Feb 44	St Pol, France target: no-ball site	Walsh
33	06 Feb 44	Chateaudun, France target: Airfield	Walsh
34	10 Feb 44	Gilze-Ruin, France target: Airfield	Walsh
35	12 Feb 44	Siracourt, France target: no-ball site	Walsh
36	13 Feb 44	Pas De Calais, France target: no-ball site	Walsh
37	20 Feb 44	Brunswick, Germany target: aviation industry	Gold
38	21 Feb 44	Achmer, Germany target: airfield	Vivian
	22 Feb 44	Enschede, Germany target: aviation industry	Vivian	Aborted
39	24 Feb 44	Gotha, Germany target: aviation industry	Lewis
40	08 Mar 44	Berlin, Germany target: Industry	Blessing
41	13 Mar 44	France target: No-Ball	Snyder
42	15 Mar 44	Brunswick, Germany target: aviation industry	Snyder
43	20 Mar 44	Frankfurt, Germany target:	Searcy
44	23 Mar 44	Munster, Germany target:	Blessing
45	26 Mar 44	Siracourt, France target: no-ball site	Brown
46	27 Mar 44	Pau target:	Searcy
47	08 Apr 44	Braunschweig, Germany target:	Rice
48	09 Apr 44	Tutow, Germany target:	Wyatt
49	10 Apr 44	Orleans, France target:	Brown
	00 May 43	Airfield Location:Metfield Airfield		Transferred to 491st BG – assembly ship
	12 June 44	North Sea		First mission as assembly ship
	00 Sep 44	unknown		Replaced by B-24J-150CO 44-40165 for Assembly ship
	31 May 45	unknown		SOC - scrapped

PHOTOS

Painting The Little Gamper.

Assembly Ship in Colour

Close-up of nose markings (note: upper turret still installed)

The Little Gramper (Ass'm Markings)

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

• B-24 Best Web