The Planes of the 486th
6A Sahara Sue
After arriving in Egypt - Bob O'clock collection
Rick and Jeff Wolford Collection
Sahara Sue put into storage behind The Wolf some time before the summer of 1944
Courtesy of Mike Laney
6A Sahara Sue II
sn. 43-4019
The Rick and Jeff Wolford collection
Charles Cook Collection
6B The Devil's Helper
SN 42-32309
The second 6B
SN. 43-3481
The Bob O'clock collection
Catania, Sicily, September 1943
Cpl. Stuczyk, Lt. Duskiewicz, Lt. Ohman, Lt. Murphy,
Front Row: S/Sgt. Brown, T/Sgt. Shinn, S/Sgt Helferich.
486th Bomb Squadron War Diary
The World War photo collection
The 3rd 6B the devil's helper
SN. 43-27487
​
B25J She received a direct hit from an 88Mm shell and went down on a mission over Campo near the Austrian border. E.V. Mack, the pilot was the only survivor
The Devil's Helper and crew just returned from a mission. The crew are as follows - Sgt J. Mignago, S/Sgt D. Linnabarry, Lt. Outlaw, Lt. J Galletin, Sgt. J. Sztyga, Cpl. H Roberts
December 1944
486th bomb squadron war diary
​
The Angelo Adams Collection
The Charles Cook Collection
6C Prop Wash
SN. 42-53454
The first 6C crashed on November 15th 1943
​
​
Catania, Sicily 1943 Back from Left to right - T/Sgt. Dupuy, Cpl. George Deyoung, Lt. Hendricks,
S/Sgt H.G. Walters, Lt. Howard,
Front Row - Lt. Parham and T/Sgt/ Max Sandmeler
486th Bomb Squadron War Diary
6C The kawani kid ii
SN. 41-22980
The second 6C was a plane that transferred from the 310th B.G. and was lost at during the Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius at Pompeii
The John Pulos Collection
6C Oh-Kay
SN. 43-4074
%20better_JPG.jpg)
_JPG.jpg)
Clifton Bennet admiring the nose work - courtesy of Carole Bennett Tackett
6D Cow Town Avenger
SN. 42-32316
Jan 25th 1944 - 486th Squadron War Diary
​
Today's mission was the 85th for 6D (316). It is a B-25C, is one of the original ships brought from the States, and has more missions than any other plane in the Squadron. Major (then Capt.) Hackney piloted her from the States, other
members of the crew being Lt. O'Clock, Lt. Moody, Sgts. Villard, Arnold, Kramer, and Falter. She received modification at Bizerte, has 417 hours and 15 minutes to her credit, and has had five engines. One engine was shot out Jan 14th on the raid on Pontecorvo bridge, when Lt. Glade brought her home with one rudder unusable. On this mission the radio gunner bailed out. She is crewed by T/Sgt. Max I. Hart, S/Sgt. Dellavan Guthridge, and Sgt. Robert Jones. They say she has never gone to the Service Group for major repairs
​
Feb 24th 1944 - 486th Squadron Diary
Today's mission was the one-hundredth for 6D, “Cowtown Avenger.” Lt. Milloway and S/Sgt. Max Hart have been eager to run up the record for her, and she's the first in the Group to reach the century mark
6D was one of the original squadron planes, it was flown over by Maj. Hackney and Lt. Bob O'clock and was originally known as yard bird. The plane became Maj Hackney's and was named after his hometown. The first two photos come form the Bob O'clock Collection.
Standing left to right -SGT Hart (crew chief)
LT Duane Glade (Pilot) with the glasses, others unknown - Kneeling 1st one unknown, 2nd Delbert Gibson ( bombardier, Navigator) 3rd Wayne Hartsook (Co-Pilot)
6E Who Cares?
SN. 42-43472
​
Rick and Jeff Wolford Collection
The 2nd 6E Shark Mouth
SN. 43-27728
July 3rd 1944
​
Big event of the day was the rough mission – another oil dump. Lt. Pike's hydraulic brakes failed on his return and his ship barreled off the end of the runway and after losing the landing gear on the rough ground, slid to a stop in the gully 100 yards from the end of the strip and then crumpled in two about 12 feet from the tail. Fortunately the ship did not burn and the crew experienced only a shakeup, except for Sgts. Diehl and McHale who were bruised
_JPG.jpg)
_JPG.jpg)
The Third 6e Shark Mouth
SN 43-28080
This Photo was taken by Nick Loveless Tail Gunner and Mission photographer
Lt Donald Allen 2nd from the left standing
August 2nd 1944
​
Mission to France! Conjectures are abundant; does this presage an early invasion? Bets were made and as the time unfolds its poignant episodes the players will have cast their lot. The mission was confirmed by PI as having destroyed the bridge. The flak was heavy and a majority of the planes were holed. One flak burst exploded within the right wing of Lt. Hill's ship and caused the ship to flip over. Lt. Hill quickly cut the left engine and flew home. Upon his arrival he again started the right engine and landed with a hole so big one could not reach across it with both arms outstretched. Lt. Hill deserves more than praise for such handling and we hope he gets the DFC
​
February 1945
Fresh back from a mission against the brenner rail lines
Top Row lt. g.p. davis, t/sgt w.f. powers, lt. r.e. donaldson,
s/sgt j.o. soggins. Kneeling lt. C.A. horton, lt r.f. kennedy
s/sgt G.s. bogart
486th Bomb Squadron War Diary
_JPG.jpg)
6F San Antoneo Rose
SN 43-27629
Rick and Jeff Wolford Collection
6G 43-28069 no name
6H No Name
SN 43-4063
Photos of 6H courtesy of the 57th Bomb Wing Association archive.
6I - unkown
6J Ladies Delight
SN 43-4033
Shot down by flak on April 4th 1945 while flying a phosphorus mission. Pilot John L Ellis, Co-pilot Glen Medus, Bombardier Carl D Wilson, Radioman Joe Kulynych, Turret Gunner Robert King, and Tail gunner Puliegh Mason all survived and were taken prisoner. The night before the mission Glen Medus was playing cards with Major Hackney. He told the Major he had a bad feeling that if he wasn't taken off the phosphorus mission he wasn't coming back. Hackney told him he couldn't take him off the mission.
6j with an escort of p-47 thunderbolts
6k I'll take you home again kathleen SN 42-64061
.png)
Courtesy of Mike Laney
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
6k I'll take you home again Kathleen II
sn 43-4061
​
​
6K flew her first mission against the Rail Yards at Orvieto, Italy on April 23, 1944.
​
On July 5, 1944, 6K’s nose gear hydraulics failed during landing, and the nose section, engines and propellers, were damaged. Lt. Heathorn was the pilot. This was 6K’s 36th mission and the target was the Ostiglia Fuel Dump. On this mission, the formation was aggressively attacked by 8 ME 109s when the formation started its bomb run. When 6K lost her nose, she also lost the majority of her name. It was decided that after the new nose section was installed, that she would have to earn her name back by completing 100 total missions.
​
Information provided by Mike Laney
Courtesy of Bob Mell
Prior to 6K’s 100th Mission: Kneeling: T/Sgt Robert D. Stevenson, S/Sgt. Simon Levine, T/Sgt. Ralph Jones, T/Sgt. Rocco A. Petrozzi (Crew Chief); Standing: Lt. Robert J. Zywicke, Lt. Otis O. Outlaw, Lt. James D. Smith, Lt. Francis J. Gowski. Taken December 31, 1944. (M. Laney Collection c/o Rocco Petrozzi).
After 6K’s 100th Mission: Corporal T. R. Peters and T/Sgt. Rocco Petrozzi celebrating 6K’s 100th mission.
(M. Laney Collection c/o Rocco Petrozzi)
After 6K’s 100th Mission: Crew chief T/Sgt. Rocco Petrozzi about to repaint the name on 6K after completing 100 missions, as promised.
(M. Laney Collection c/o Rocco Petrozzi)
Coming Home: F/O Animan, F/O E. B. Noah, 1st Lt. Charles Wagaman, Sgt. Garland. The Radio Operator Sgt. Burton Garber took this photo before take-off.
​
Courtesy of Charles "Doc" Wagamon
6l - rinky doo
SN 43-2763
​
​
6m schnapps yo-yo
SN 43-27709
1944 - 486th Squadron Diary
​
Nov 5th -Lt. Brandle's ship did not return and it was last seen entering a cloud bank enroute to the target. We expect word that he landed at another field.
​
Nov 6th - Lt. Brandle and his crew have not returned – We are hoping fervently – !
​
Nov 8th - No word on 6M and it is feared Lt. Brandle's ship is definitely “missing.”
Nov 10th - Lt. Brandle's ship is now considered lost and to the memory of the crew we say “Happy Valhalla.”
On November 5th 1944 Schnapps Yo-Yo flew into a cloud bank and disappeared. The ship was never scene again. This particular incident was even used in Joseph Heller's "Catch-22". You can read the full story in the stories section. There is an article written by Nick Loveless, a tail gunner who witnessed the event.
​
​
​
Captain Herbert Nafe and crew Cheif T/Sgt John A Whipple from the 486th Squadron Diary
6N The Old Mill
SN 43-28073
​
​
​
​
6N NO Name
SN 43-27784
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
6P Leaky Lucy
SN ??-?591
Jan 24th 1944 - 486th Squadron Diary
​
6P is a B-25C crewed by T/Sgt. Flynn and S/Sgt. Doyle. Major Hackney brought her over from Deversoir and named her “Leaky Lucy.” She was received in the squadron at Sfax, and has 333 hours and 52 combat missions. Her armor, armament, and her virtues are similar to those of 6S. The picture on her nose is that of a nude woman on a latrine
486th War Diary
6P No Name
SN 43-27661
​
​
.jpg)
6Q Noah's ARK
SN 43-27784
6R Out of Bounds
SN 43-27662
​
​
28 Dec 1944 Plane 6R-662
Borovnica E. Railroad Viaduct, Yugoslavia
From Left to Right - SGT Grainger Bombardier, Lt. Espy Copilot, Sgt Smith Engineer/Turret gunner, Sgt Nick Loveless Photo/Tail gunner, Sgt Carter Radio/ Waist Gunner, Lt. PAul COntino Pilot
From the Collection of Nick Lovelss
Rick and Jeff Wolford Collection
6S No Name
SN ??-??39
​
Jan 24th 1944 - 486th Squadron Diary
​
6S is a B-25D with 285 hours and 45 combat missions to her credit. She has no name, and was a replacement in at Hergla. She had waist guns and squadron-installed tail gun and armor on the floor of the bombardier's compartment and in the lower-turret well. She is well liked, a fast ship, and ideal wing ship. She has no picture on her nose. Her crew chief is S/Sgt. Addision and assistants are Sgt. Frank Miller and S/Sgt. Kernicki. She's given little trouble and hasn't had an engine change since we've had her. She was shot up some by an ME 109 over Athens in November
​
​
​
​
6S No NAme
SN 43-27700
57th Bomb Wing Archives
57th Bomb WIng Archive
Jeff Wolford Collection
6t - ?
SN 43-27903
6u - lil bea hind
SN 42-53464
6p - ?
SN 43-27661
6U Lil Bea Hind II
SN 43-27647
6v - bottoms up
SN 42-53471
​
​
​
​
​
_JPG.jpg)
_JPG.jpg)
6V Bottoms up II
SN 43- 4082
shot down on March 18th 1945
​
​
​
6V No Name
SN 43-27900
Rick and Jeff Wolford Collection
Rick and Jeff Wolford Collection
6w - section 8 / idiot's delight
sn 327-505
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
From the 486th bomb squadron war diary
6X THE ALICE L
SN 43-27491
_JPG.jpg)
6Y YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
SN 43-27670
​
​
​
​
6Z - AFTER WOMEN OR LIQUOR
43-27505
From left to right - Nick Loveless- tail gunner, Morris - Co Pilot, Michael Soltis- Pilot, K. Brown - Engineer/Turret Gunner, A. Morrow - Radio Operator. Courtesy of Nick Loveless
Unknown Planes that are believed to be 486th planes
486th Bomb Squadron
340th Bomb Group
