The “HOO! JIVE!” Story

by Jim Benz

08/29/24

The “Hoo Jive” was a B-24H Liberator #42-52174, Production block number: B-24H-10-FO Liberator,  produced by Ford Motor Company at its River Rouge plant in Detroit Michigan.

The Hoo Jive’s First Crew

The “Hoo Jive’s” first crew consisted of: pilot – Lt. Alfred P Tolley, co-pilot – Lt. Frank Guild; navigator – Lt. Paul Pflug; bombardier – Lt. Maurice LEE Strait; tail gunner -Sgt. George Kardos; radio operator – S/Sgt. Winfred Maxxwell; 1^st engineer – S/Sgt. Everrett W Vogan; engineer-gunner – S/Sgt. Henry De Sautel; engineer-gunner – S/Sgt. Kenneth Wise; and, armorer-gunner – S/Sgt. Sam S Rainer. The crew were with the 453^rd Bomb Group, 734^th Bomb Squadron.  They picked up their plane the first week in December 1943 at Hamilton Field, CA. and then flew their new plane cross-country to their Port of Embarkation at Morrison Field, FL. 

The 453^rd was sent to England as part of the 8^th Army Air Forces in late December 1943.  The 453rd would be stationed at a former RAF Base at Old Buckenham in Norfolk, England – Station 144. The air corps flew their planes to England via the Southern Trade Route. Each plane was flown ‘across’ by its crew individually (not as a group) so as not to attract attention. The ground echelon travelled to England by boat.  The Tolley crew had a relatively uneventful journey to Europe. There was a problem with the front wheel when landing – it would turn sideways; and an incident with a major updraft/downdraft when crossing the equator which caused them to nearly nose-dive into the Atlantic. (See “HOO JIVE” A Tough Old B-24 article) They arrived in England two days before Christmas. The rest of the 453^rd arrived by the end of January 1944.

The “Hoo Jive’s” first bombing mission was on February 6, 1944. The crew bombed rocket installations on the Rocket Coast at Siracourt, France. It was the second bombing mission flown by the 453^rd, the 212^th mission by the 8^th AAF. The Tolley crew completed their mission, encountered little resistance, saw no enemy fighters and received only one flak hole in the tail.

The second mission was on February 15^th (453^rd Mission 6/8^th AAF 223) to Siracourt/Pas de Calias. They led an element, dropped their bombs, encountered moderate flak, had a few more holes, saw no enemy fighters, and returned okay.

The “Hoo Jive” flew two missions during ‘Big Week’; one on Sunday, February 20^th over Brunswick (7/226), and the other on Friday, February 25^th over Gotha (11/235).  Over Brunswick, (Little “B”), they led the high right element. They encountered heavy flak and saw fighters for 55 minutes. It was the biggest air battle of the war so far, dozens of dog fights, aircraft falling like flies, lots of chutes. Over Gotha, they led the second section of the 453^rd. They hit the target, encountered heavy flak, and were attacked by ME-109s & FW 190s, Tail gunner Sgt. George Kardos got a FW109. They saw many dog fights, and the enemy suffered great losses. This was a rough one – there were three hundred and three bullet holes in the ship’s tail.

Mission five for the “Hoo Jive” and its crew was on March 5^th over Bergerze, France (Bergerac Airfield near Paris) (13/248). Capt. Douda was command pilot. They flew lead for the first time. It was the longest flight yet. There were no fighters. Four runs were made on the target, but no bombs were dropped.

The first time the name ‘Hoo Jive’ is recorded as the plane’s name was in a note made by Winfred G Maxwell (Radio Operator) in his personal journal after the crew’s 6^th mission which was part of the first big raid over Berlin on March 6^th, 1944 (14/250). The name had apparently been decided upon by the crew sometime prior to this note.  At some point, “Hoo Jive” was painted on the nose of the plane. According to Sam Rainer who was one of the gunners on the planes first crew –

The name “Hoo Jive” came from one of our crew members, who referred to a pretty girl as a Hoo Jive. Since we could not agree on any specific name, we called our plane the “Hoo Jive.”

It may have some connection to the crews ‘activities’ in the Hollywood area from the time they were stationed at March Field, CA just before departing the States.

On the March 6^th raid over Berlin, Capt. Douda once again served as the Command Pilot. The Hoo Jive led the element behind the lead element. It was the first big daylight raid on ‘Big B’, one of greatest air battles of war. There was intensive flak – the worst ever – which covered the whole city in a solid cloud of smoke. The crew hit their target, but the “Hoo Jive” returned with numerous flak holes. No enemy fighters were encountered by the crew over Berlin; our fighters provided good cover. The “Hoo Jive’ also picked up a few bullet holes when attacked by rookies in a twin engine which is now at bottom of the North Sea. All returned okay. However, Vogan was hit in the right leg but only sustained a bruise, it did not even bleed. Sixty-nine bombers and eleven fighters were lost that day, the greatest loss by the 8^th Air Force on any single day of the war. Four bombers were lost from the 453^rd.

The crew’s seventh mission on March 20^th was over Frankfurt, Germany (21/269). Squadron C. O. Major Hubbard was in command. The “Hoo Jive” flew the 453rd lead. The crew flew across the German border but abandoned the mission due to bad weather. They saw no enemy fighters but did encounter heavy flak.  The Hoo Jive collected a few new holes.

On March 23^rd, the “Hoo Jive” was flown by a different crew – the Mike Guimon crew. The Guimon crews’ primary mission was to bomb Handorf an airfield, near Munster, Germany but due to cloud cover the secondary target, a railroad yard outside of Munster, was hit.

If a crew had a furlough, or if a crew’s plane was still in need of repair, it was common for a crew to fly another crews’ plane. The ground crews always stayed with the same aircraft.

The Tolley Crew’s eighth mission was on March 24^th over Demart, France (24/277). Major Cofield was in command and the “Hoo Jive” again flew lead for the 453^rd. Bad weather covered the target; the bombs were not dropped. There was intense flak at Abbeville. Engine 1 & 4 engines were hit and feathered. Engine 1 restarted, but the plane lost 10,000 ft in one minute. Bombs were jettisoned in the Channel. “Hoo Jive” received the most flak holes yet, No one was hurt.

The ninth mission was over Pas de Calais, France on March 26^th, 1944 (25/280).  Major Sullivan was in command. Once again, the Hoo Jive flew lead for the 453^rd. The crew made two runs on the target. Intense, accurate flak was encountered. The Abbevillle Kids shot the ship full of holes. The right tire on the main landing gear was shot out. The Hoo Jive returned, made a good landing, but skidded off the runway into the mud. This would be the last mission the Tolley crew would fly with the 453^rd.

After their ninth mission, the Tolley crew was transferred to the 389^th Bomb Group, 564^th Bomb Squadron, to become a PFF crew. Path Finder Force crews used the new H2X air to ground radar system called ‘Mickey” to locate targets on the ground through cloud cover. PFF planes would lead other bombers to the target.  Tolley’s crew transferred at the end of March 1944.  They would leave the “Hoo Jive” behind with the 453^rd BG, 734^th BS.  However, in Winfred’s notes on their crew’s 16^th mission, now with the 389^th BG, on May 8^th he refers again to their plane as the ‘Hoo! Jive!’ But on the back of a photo is written Hoo Jive jr.

The Hoo Jive’s Second Crew

A second crew piloted by Lt Michael Guimon and was assigned to the Hoo Jive after the Tolley crew. They too flew for the 453^rd BG/734^Th BS. They likely flew the plane in April, May and possibly into June of 1944. They had arrived in England in late December 1943 when the 453^rd transferred to England. The co-pilot was Lloyd Smith. Smith’s son,  Ken believes his father flew the Hoo Jive on D-Day. How many missions this crew flew is unknown. One of Michael’s sons, Kevin Guimon, says a list of his dad’s missions might be available.

(More to come)

The Hoo Jive’s Third Crew

A third crew piloted by Lt. Charles R Huntoon appears to have taken over the Hoo Jive in June of 1944.  The Huntoon crew was assembled at Blythe, California where they had gone for eight weeks of combat crew training.  This is where the crew started training as a crew, flying B-24’s.

At that time, the crew consisted of ten men as follows:

1^st Lt. Charles R. Huntoon Jr 0380452, First Pilot.

2^nd Lt. Harold S. Call 0816228, Co Pilot.

2^nd Lt. Edgar M. Parmentier 0700757, Navigator.

2^nd Lt. Robert W. Hunt 0698562, Bombardier.

S/Sgt Robert L. Pierce 36580104, Radio Operator.

S/Sgt Robert T. Gustafson 39277388, Flight Engineer.

Sgt. Fletcher W. Swezey Jr. 31332918, Tail Gunner.

Sgt. Robert (nmi) Holloway Jr., 38398566. Waist Gunner.

Sgt. Ernest D. Gammon 34257460. Waist Gunner.

One of the original ten men was soon lost due to sickness and never caught up with the rest. He was replaced by S/Sgt. Jack W Ward, Left Waist Gunner.

The training was very concentrated. During this training period many pilot friends were lost through airplane accidents, more than during their combat tour. 

The Huntoon crew also claims to have flown on D-Day; but may have flown a different plane. The third crew flew 25 ½ missions. 

On August 25, 1944, the plane flew its last mission. The Hoo Jive was severely damaged in combat, but the crew was able to make an emergency landing in neutral Sweden. Only one outboard engine, number 1, was still operating. 

This story has been recounted numerous times by the pilot, Charles Huntoon (See attached). The crew was interned, but managed to be returned to England over the next several months.

Charles was the last to be returned.  He had been placed in charge by the Swedes of maintaining the B-24s that had been forced to land there. Naturally, he favored his own plane. The Hoo Jive received four rebuilt engines. On July 7, 1945, Huntoon was eventually allowed to fly the plane back to England, landing at Burtonwood, after the war in Europe had ended. The Hoo Jive was the last B-24 to be returned from Sweden.

Huntoon reports that “the Hoo Jive always returned to Old Buc with more gas than the rest and managed to maintain altitude with only one outboard engine.” 

Of the thirty plus crew members that flew on the Hoo Jive for almost 60 missions, none were lost or injured.

Final Notes

Some of Huntoon’s crew had managed to ‘snitch’ a couple of pieces from the Hoo Jive. The “Hoo Jives’” clock was presented to Charles, The Hoo Jive’s ‘Skipper’, as a birthday present in 1944.  Huntoon treasured the gift for the rest of his life. Charles lived to be 103. He died in 2018. Both the “Hoo Jives’ ” clock and the compass from the pilot’s control panel are now on display at the Maine Military Museum in South Portland, Maine.