“Honkey Tonk Gal / Naked Truth, The”

B-24D serial 42-40265, assigned to the 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, departed Site #7 Bengasi on 1 August 1943 on a combat mission to the Ploesti oil fields in Romania, piloted by Lieutenants Hubert Womble and Lawrence Lancashire. The aircraft was lost as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during the low-level attack.

Anti-aircraft damage forced the aircraft down at approximately 1150pm on 1 August 1943 near the town of Ploesti, Romania. The crew lowered the gear for an emergency landing in a wheat field roughly 5 to 10 miles from Ploesti; a wing caught the ground and the aircraft ground-looped. Several crew members were seen standing near the aircraft on the ground; the entire crew survived and was taken prisoner.

The forced landing was confirmed by photographs taken by the 44th Bomb Group, which flew over the same area approximately 15 to 20 minutes later. The aircraft was described as riddled during the low-level attack, with no altitude remaining for any alternative to a crash landing.