The WOLF WAGON

NAME

SER

BLK

SERIAL #

RCL/#

V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

WOLF WAGON, The

JSA

42-50600

801

850

00-1

N/A

Contributor - Brendan Wood
Shown with Pilot Carl D. Scharf (Standing Far Left).

Info Contributor - Tom Brittan
The nose art and name were painted on 42-50600 in Kansas where the aircraft was picked up in early Jun 44. It arrived at Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland, on 13 or 14 Jun 44 where the aircraft and crew were separated. The crew went to 392nd BG and the aircraft went to BAD 1 or 3 where it was given Carpetbagger configuration and painted black. I suspect that the name and nose art were over-painted after being there for only a few weeks.
As a Carpetbagger, it was assigned to 850th BS in 801st BG (P) with RCL "G". The squadron was re-designated on 13 Aug 44 857th BS in the second organization of 492nd BG, the re-designation at that time of 801st BG(P).
The plane's first mission was 1 Jul 44. On the 16 Sep 44 mission, rudder parts were torn off over the Channel and the pilot aborted to Ford, Sussex, where extensive sheet metal and fabric repairs were made to the aircraft from 17 through 25 Sep 44. It no longer appears on 492nd BG inventory reports for 6 Dec 44 or subsequent months.