Hobilar
Airman
In June 1942, a specially trained bomber outfit, commanded by Colonel Harry A Halverson, with 23 early B-24Ds reached the Middle East. THe HALPRO unit, or Halverson Provisional detachment was made up of members of the 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and was heading east with the intention of being used by the 10th Air Force in China for bombing raids on Tokyo. After they reached Fayid in Egypt however, it became apparent that they were needed to combat German forces in the immediate vicinity. And so they were kept in theatre.
To HALPRO fell the honour of making the first USAAF bombing mission against the German forces in Europe. On the night of 11-12 June 1942 thirteen Liberators struck the oil refineries at Ploesti in Romania (a place that much later in the war would be the target for other American bombers- but with dreadful losses). Four of the HALPRO Liberators force-landed near Ankara in neutral Turkey on the way back from the mission. One " Brooklyn Rambler" was late repaired by Turkish engineers and eventually repatriated to the USA.
To HALPRO fell the honour of making the first USAAF bombing mission against the German forces in Europe. On the night of 11-12 June 1942 thirteen Liberators struck the oil refineries at Ploesti in Romania (a place that much later in the war would be the target for other American bombers- but with dreadful losses). Four of the HALPRO Liberators force-landed near Ankara in neutral Turkey on the way back from the mission. One " Brooklyn Rambler" was late repaired by Turkish engineers and eventually repatriated to the USA.