He left A&M and joined the Army on January 28th 1942 at the age of 20. He was married on November 8, 1942. He earned his wings on November 20, 1942 and joined the 389th Bombardment Group in North Africa in June of 1943 and completed 5 combat missions.
He then took part in Operation Tidal Wave... the Raid on Ploeisti 1 August 1943.
179 B-24 took off for an 2,400 miles round trip. Dropped bombs for extremely low altitudes. 54 planes did not return including 2nd Lt. Hughes'... He was 22 years old.
During the August 1, 1943 bombing mission over the Cmpina oil fields north of the Ploiesti oil fields in Romania, Hughes was the pilot of a B-24 flying in the last element of a formation. When he arrived in the target area the enemy defenses were already alerted by previous aircraft. He approached the target at a planned, but dangerously low altitude, through intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire and densely arranged barrage balloons. Several hits from both large and small caliber anti-aircraft guns seriously damaged his aircraft and caused gasoline to leak from tanks in the bomb bay and left wing. The leak was so heavy that it blinded his waist gunner's view. Hughes could have attempted a forced landing of his damaged aircraft in one of the surrounding grain fields before he reached the target area which was blazing with burning oil tanks and refinery equipment. Flames were reaching high above the bombing level of the formation. Knowing the consequences of entering the inferno with his airplane leaking gasoline in two places, Hughes elected to carry on, rather than jeopardize the formation and the success of the attack. He flew into the wall of fire at about 30 ft (9.1 m) above the ground and dropped his bomb load with precision.
He emerged from the conflagration with the left wing of his aircraft on fire. He attempted to pull up and away from the action, trying to save his plane and crew. He successfully slowed the plane's speed from 225 to 100 miles an hour. It looked as if he would be able to crash land in the dry river bed of the Prahova River, when suddenly the left wing flew off and the plane cartwheeled into the ground. Of the ten men aboard the B-24, Hughes and five others were killed, two died of their wounds within days and the two who survived the crash became prisoners of war.
Of interest about the Ploiesti Raid, the commander of the 98th Bomb Group , Colonel John Kane, also earn the Medal of Honor. He was from McGregor, Texas and played fooball at Baylor.
660 men lost. 440 confirmed KIA.
Sorry but I cannot post photos.
He then took part in Operation Tidal Wave... the Raid on Ploeisti 1 August 1943.
179 B-24 took off for an 2,400 miles round trip. Dropped bombs for extremely low altitudes. 54 planes did not return including 2nd Lt. Hughes'... He was 22 years old.
During the August 1, 1943 bombing mission over the Cmpina oil fields north of the Ploiesti oil fields in Romania, Hughes was the pilot of a B-24 flying in the last element of a formation. When he arrived in the target area the enemy defenses were already alerted by previous aircraft. He approached the target at a planned, but dangerously low altitude, through intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire and densely arranged barrage balloons. Several hits from both large and small caliber anti-aircraft guns seriously damaged his aircraft and caused gasoline to leak from tanks in the bomb bay and left wing. The leak was so heavy that it blinded his waist gunner's view. Hughes could have attempted a forced landing of his damaged aircraft in one of the surrounding grain fields before he reached the target area which was blazing with burning oil tanks and refinery equipment. Flames were reaching high above the bombing level of the formation. Knowing the consequences of entering the inferno with his airplane leaking gasoline in two places, Hughes elected to carry on, rather than jeopardize the formation and the success of the attack. He flew into the wall of fire at about 30 ft (9.1 m) above the ground and dropped his bomb load with precision.
He emerged from the conflagration with the left wing of his aircraft on fire. He attempted to pull up and away from the action, trying to save his plane and crew. He successfully slowed the plane's speed from 225 to 100 miles an hour. It looked as if he would be able to crash land in the dry river bed of the Prahova River, when suddenly the left wing flew off and the plane cartwheeled into the ground. Of the ten men aboard the B-24, Hughes and five others were killed, two died of their wounds within days and the two who survived the crash became prisoners of war.
Of interest about the Ploiesti Raid, the commander of the 98th Bomb Group , Colonel John Kane, also earn the Medal of Honor. He was from McGregor, Texas and played fooball at Baylor.
660 men lost. 440 confirmed KIA.
Sorry but I cannot post photos.
