“Hells Wench”

Hell's Wench served as the lead ship of the 93rd Bomb Group on the low-level Ploesti mission of August 1, 1943, flown by Colonel Addison Baker with co-pilot Major John Jerstad. Leading the left file of the Circus formation at zero altitude after the force had mistakenly turned toward the wrong target, Baker made the decision to break off and turn 90 degrees toward Ploesti.

Approaching the target, Hell's Wench took repeated hits and caught fire. Baker and Jerstad pressed on to lead the formation to the substitute target before the aircraft went down; there were no survivors. Baker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for continuing the attack despite the aircraft's condition.