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  B-25C-NA Ole Cappy Serial # 41-12938

405th Bombardment Squadron

38th Bombardment Group

Fifth Air Force

 

Ole Cappy is seen parked at 7-Mile, Port Moresby, in late 1942 just before boarding supplies to fly a cargo run down to Cairns for fresh supplies and administrative purposes. The collapsible hammocks are for the crew, whilst to the left is a US 55-gallon fuel drum.

By March 1944 only four of the Group's original Mitchells were still flying combat with the 38th Bombardment Group. They were #41-12895 Grasscutter, 107 Combat Missions-335 Combat Hours #41-12905 Tokyo Sleeper, 131 Combat Missions, 447 Combat Hours #41-12908 Mavourneen, 95 Combat Missions, 363 Combat Hours, and Ole Cappy, 116 Combat Missions, 408 Combat Hours

On 14th December 1942 Ole Cappy and friends "really had a field day", according to the squadron records, which went on to say, "The Japs tried to land a support party for Buna up the coast at Mambare. In all a total of seven Group missions were flown that day, and completely wiped out that landing party. The planes would land, the crews would rush off for a hearty meal of hard tack and water, while the ground crews were frantically refueling and reloading bombs and ammunition. Twenty-pound frag bombs were being carried, for the landing was being accomplished in barges, with supplies being floated ashore in cargo nets suspended from empty fuel drums. It was found that frags and strafing put the binger on the drums and nets, not to mention the barges. In the rush to reload one of the clusters of six became un-banded, and the pilot of Ole Cappy, anxious not to miss the fun, had them tossed in loose in the back end. Upon reaching the target these loose bombs were dropped through the camera hatch, and one of them overturned a barge. In those days a crew of seven was carried and everybody but the pilot had a chance to toss out a bomb by hand. Upon return the pilot entered a complaint, requesting that hereafter frags should be bound in clusters of seven so that he could join in the party too".

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