41-11593 Black Maria II

Black Maria II, serial number 41-11593, was one of the 23 B-24s that was part of HALPRO.  The original "Black Maria" was an automobile owned by the John H. Payne, the pilot who ferried Black Maria II overseas.

She was assigned RCL #18, and was on the first HALPRO mission of June 12, 1942 to the Ploesti oilfields.  She was also on the second HALPRO mission against the Italian fleet, June 15, 1942.

Official USAF photo

Newspaper article from Alphonse Izzo

She was reassigned to RCL 50.  Black Maria II was lost on January 11, 1943 with the John Payne crew.

Missions Flown

Group      Date      A/C # and   Mission Target         Pilot
Mission #               letter

  1   1   6/12/1942 18       Polesti Romania                     John Payne
  2   2   6/15/1942 18 O    Convoy Mediterranean           John Payne
  3 10   7/  2/1942 18       Tobruk Libya                          John Payne
  4 13   7/  4/1942 18 O    Benghazi Libya                      John Payne
  5 14   7/  6/1942 18       Benghazi Libya                       John Payne
  6 16   7/  8/1942 18 O    Benghazi Libya                       John Wilkinson
  7 19   7/11/1942 18       Tobruk Libya                          John Payne
  8 22   7/15/1942 18 O    Benghazi Libya                       John Payne
  9 24   7/17/1942 18       Tobruk Libya                          Martin Walsh, Jr
10 26   7/19/1942 18 O    Tobruk Libya                          John Payne
11 28   7/21/1942 18 O    Suda Bay Crete                       Richard Sanders
12 30   7/23/1942 18 L     Benghazi Libya                      Robert Paullin
13 32   7/25/1942 18 O    Tobruk Libya                         Therman Brown
14 34   7/28/1942 18 O    Suda Bay Crete                       John Payne
15 37   8/  1/1942 18 J     Convoy Mediterranean            John Payne
16 38   8/  4/1942 18 O    Convoy Mediterranean           Charles Blankenhorn
17 39   8/  6/1942 18       Tobruk Libya                          John Payne
18 40   8/24/1942 18 O    Tobruk Libya                          Homer Adams
19 42   8/30/1942 18 O    Tobruk Libya                          John Payne
20 43   9/  1/1942 18 O    Canea Crete                           George Uhrich
21 44   9/  3/1942 18 O    Convoy Mediterranean           Delmar Rogers
22 45   9/  7/1942 18       Convoy Mediterranean           Therman Brown
23 51   9/27/1942 18 O    Benghazi Libya                      Richard Sanders
24 52 10/  1/1942 18 O    Convoy Mediterranean           John Payne
25 54 10/  9/1942 18 O    Benghazi Libya                      Mark Mooty
26 55 10/11/1942 18 O    Convoy Mediterranean           Sam Oglesby
27 58 10/16/1942 18 O    Benghazi Libya                      George Uhrich
28 60 10/20/1942 18 O    Tobruk Libya                         Cecil Patterson, Jr
29 63 10/26/1942 18 O    Convoy Mediterranean          Cecil Patterson, Jr
30 66 10/30/1942 18 O    Maleme Crete                        John Kidd