Crew 56

"Snude's Dudes" were just that! A great bunch of guys teamed up to do a job. To Ben Kaplin, "Lt Carroll Snusted was a 'Cool Cat.' No matter how panicky we got on a mission, he always managed to settle things down. He was a damn good pilot and leader. We were a damn good crew." P-56 flew 27 mission to Japan and stopped at Iwo Jima only three times, once for fuel and two for damages to the plane. They received their DFC for a Tokyo mission May 23; it was a medium altitude, night incendiary strike. From the IP into the target area, their airplane encountered searchlights, heavy caliber anti-aircraft fire and vicious attacks from enemy fighters and suicide planes. Despite this determined opposition, the crewmen maintained their bomber on the briefed heading without evasive tactics. At the target where the enemy defenses were most concentrated, they dropped their bombs squarely on the aiming point with devastating effect. Immediately after bombs were dropped, a Baka attempted to ram the B-29 on a nose attack, but by a skillful maneuver the A/C succeeded in evading this suicide plane. As the Baka passed under the plane, the tail gunner exploded it with a well-directed burst. The courage of this veteran crew and outstanding skill in carrying out repeated assignments earned them this great credit and the Army Air Forces. Our ground crew took very good care of our ship. Before we would leave, they would give us coral rocks, asking that they be returned. We always did!. They would also melt flavored sugar cubes in water in their canteens - we would pile them in the camera hatch so they could enjoy the cold drinks when we would get back. The crew had a rule about the "can" in the radar compartment "He who uses it first gets to empty it." Our poor CFC man, Deeter, could never hold his water; of the 27 missions, he had to do the honors every time. Left gunner Moore stayed in the Air Force. He flew 86 missions in Korea as a fighter-bomber. Later he flew F-84's and F-100's in TAG. He left the Air Force as a Major in the Pentagon as a research and development officer. Buck Sgt to Major! Left Gunner Floyd Ihde is still around. A/C Snustad is gone the cancer route. 2nd Lt Clayton Evans, Navigator, was lost on his way home with another crew.