Sunday, August 11, 2024

A North Carolina man has put a unique, historically-accurate wrap over his Tesla truck that honors the WWII bomber his grandfather piloted, assigned to the 449th Bomb Group in Grottaglie, Italy in 1944



Kinsinger was the pilot of Silver Babe’s 10-man crew. The same group picked it up from the factory, ferried it to Italy and flew it on 50 missions over enemy territory.

Though most B-24s were painted green during the war, the “Silver Babe” got its nickname because it remained — like the Cybertruck — paint-free. The plane was the 449th’s first all-aluminum ship with its silver coloring standing out among the sea of olive bomber planes.

But while Kinsinger and his crew made it home, Silver Babe did not. The plane was lost in December 1944 in the Yugoslavian mountains after suffering heavy flak damage over the oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, Austria. The entire crew bailed out and were returned by Yugoslavian Partisans on Jan. 5. 1945.

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