“Everything but the kitchen sink”

On September 19, 1944, the leading crew of the 500th Bomb Squadron finally dropped the kitchen sink, of “everything but the kitchen sink” fame, on the Japanese. The project was conceived by T/Sgt. Fred J. Guetgemann of the Squadron intelligence section Corporal Clarence F. Duval constructed it out of sheet metal and Sgt. George Brasko did the paint job. After sitting around for some time awaiting a suitable target, the new Squadron C.O., Capt. Max Mortensen, finally dropped it on a mission to Sidate Airdrome in the Northeast Celebes. Due to a short approach, the sink was dropped with some haste and landed in a palm grove outside the town. From left to right, the men in this photo are: Capt. Mortensen, T/Sgt. Gerald E. Paquette, radio-gunner, S/Sgt. William S. Bailey, turret gunner, T/Sgt. Talmadge O. Epps, engineer-gunner, and T/Sgt. Neal H. Ryan, bombardier-navigator. Members of this crew flew more missions than any other in the 345th Bomb Group. Mortensen and Epps completed 109, while Ryan flew 113 missions. By this date, RITA’S WAGON had reached 100 missions, although only 77 are shown on the scoreboard.

This photo and the story can be found on p. 190 of Warpath Across the Pacific.