Ploesti--The Movie: Help Needed

[Capt. Vick]

I have a feeling that this story is now being wrapped up into the Spielberg/Hanks "The Mighty Eight" HBO mini-series, and will not be a stand alone movie.

IIRC B-24's where borrowed from the 8th for the raid.

 

[StevenSmith]

Bill,
I understand what you are saying. I read the script prior to writing previous post. I think what you say works if you are not dealing with a historical event that includes real people with reputations. But since Russ was a real person, who was no question about it a war hero, a reference I saw as to his being the worst pilot in the air force is insulting. Also, the bumbling actions you have him taking, throughout the script, fall in that category as well.

As you know being an authority, and it was a combination of luck and skill I am sure, he completed the Ploesti mission and was one of a few pilots who landed back at Benghazi, without crew casualties. This is a man who spent the rest of his life flying planes professionally, very successful Skagit Valley, WA crop dusting firm, until he died of a heart attack in 1989. He had both legs for all of his life, never lost one and he never met royalty after crashing a plane.

He was a good guy and much respected by other survivors of the raid. The following comments were posted at another WWII B-24 themed site by the nephew of Joe Avendano. Joseph Avendano Duran, has spent years studying his well-known pilot uncle's life and his death. Joseph Avendano Duran wrote: "Steve, it was great to see your post on Russell Longnecker. My uncle Joe Avendano flew many of the same missions with the 93rd BG. After the low level Ploiesti mission, my uncle Joe would become the operation officer for the 328th squadron and Russell Longnecker would take over my uncles 93rd 328th squadron -- the Dogpatch raiders a/c and crew. Russell was known for his great flying ability as a pilot!"

So, if you plan to make up a composite character, I suggest you make one up with a fictitious name (movie goers would never know you made up a pilot name) vs. besmirching a real person who served his country well and was a hero. I am sure that Russell's son and daughter, both of whom are very much alive, would much appreciate your not portraying their late dad as inept.. Thanks for the consideration, since this script involves real people with living family members.
Steve

 

[GrauGeist]

I have a feeling that this story is now being wrapped up into the Spielberg/Hanks "The Mighty Eight" HBO mini-series, and will not be a stand alone movie.

IIRC B-24's where borrowed from the 8th for the raid.

Not borrowed, but assigned. They were:
44th BG
93rd BG
398th BG

 

[tlcopp]

Not borrowed, but assigned. They were:
44th BG
93rd BG
398th BG

HI, not the 398th; the 98th, the Pyramidiers. The 376th also flew Ploesti with them. My grandfather flew Ploesti, and before that flew with the Mighty Eighth - 448th Bomb Group. I've gathered about 30,000 photographs of the mission reports of both bomb groups and extensive research on Ploesti that I have collected since 2009 at the National Archives. it is here, and free to anyone as part of the way I honor his memory:

www.taracopp.com

 

[fubar57]

Thank you for the link Tara and to your grandfather...

Geo

 

[Capt. Vick]

Excellent tribute

 

[GrauGeist]

HI, not the 398th; the 98th, the Pyramidiers. The 376th also flew Ploesti with them. My grandfather flew Ploesti, and before that flew with the Mighty Eighth - 448th Bomb Group. I've gathered about 30,000 photographs of the mission reports of both bomb groups and extensive research on Ploesti that I have collected since 2009 at the National Archives. it is here, and free to anyone as part of the way I honor his memory:

www.taracopp.com

Oops, my error, that is supposed to be the 389th (Sky Scorpions). The three I listed (44th, 93rd and 389th), were 8th AF.

The 98th and 376th were, of course, 9th AF.

If you jump back to my original post, you'll see those three were posted in response to a question about being loaned for the mission from the 8th AF.

 

[Pops]

As the 75th anniversary of Tidal Wave nears, I skimmed through the prospective movie script (cue crickets on the movie status) and there is a lot of good work in it, a great start but agree that a composite character misrepresenting a true person is inappropriate. And I think the public can take a dose of reality with regard to the variety of personalities that planned and then carried out the raid in the five groups involved. Some of the details are disappointing and need better refinement, with constant reference to green ships - what about the "Pink Ladies" in the 98th BG and 376th BG? Teggie Ann was a pink ship, not a green ship, and Addison Baker didn't lead the mission and not in that ship either (script page 69). His reputation is not honored acribing navigational errors to him in leading the mission. Would have had a lot more drama with Ent and Compton in pink Teggie Ann and IMHO not overcomplicated the story by closer tracking to reality. And what more fantastic military aircraft visual contrast can you get than a god's eye view of pink ladies roaring low over the verdant Romanian countryside? And another example, with the German 20mm flakvierling (script page 76), cutting fuzes on 20mm ammo? Don't know enough about the ammo for light flak but with a contact fuze in the nose and self destruct at some point in flight, what fuze is there to cut? A good start 7 and 1/2 years ago but still needs work.