The 389th Bomb Group was unique among all groups assigned to the USAAF because it actually commenced operations in July 1943 out of North Africa that culminated in the infamous Ploesti mission in August. After returning to England in September, the combat crews joined in on the grim duty of hammering Nazi Germany’s industrial resources. By April 1945, 321 missions had been flown during which over 17,000 tons of ordnance was dropped. The cost was 153 B-24s MIA or lost over England. They were known as “Sky Scorpions� from their detachment in North Africa.