"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.