MUD FISH (PIC 3)

NAME

SER

BLK

SERIAL #

RCL/#

V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

MUD FISH

41-24308

308

375

00-3

N/A

Port (Left) Side

Contributor - Jack Gross
Theater Commander, Gen. Joseph Stillwell is at the left, standing by the nose. Gen. Claire Chennault, Commander 14th AF is third from left. Gen. Edgar Glenn, Chief of Staff 14th AF is fourth from left. Lt. Arthur Karp, Pilot, is standing at right. The nose of the B-24 is resting on wooden supports.
On 8 July 43, elements of the 425th BS departed Kunming to raid shipping in Haiphong harbor. As MUD FISH was getting off the ground, another B-24 drifted into its path in a crosswind. The Pilot, Lt. Arthur Karp, veered to the side and his nose wheel struck a large concrete paving roller, knocking it out of one socket, dangling in the slipstream. Stories vary about where the wheel dropped - one version has it falling off or being kicked off over the target with a salvo of bombs (unlikely); another is that, after dropping the bombs on target, the Flight Engineer, Sgt. Brainard Ferguson, beat it with an axe until it fell away. Lt. Karp was commended for a smooth, two-wheeled, tail-low landing. The aircraft was repaired and returned to duty. It was eventually condemned 27 Mar 44.