The B-24 was the most produced American bomber in WWII. The demand was so great that Consolidated was unable to keep up so contracts were awarded to Douglas, Ford and North American. The D variant became the most numerous with 2,698. The design of the B-24 allowed it to carry the same payload as the Boeing B-17 and do it faster and further. Compared to the sleek look of the B-17 the B-24 looked awkward and B-17 crews referred to it as the crate the B-17 was shipped in.
B-24D-1-CO 41-23689 was built in San Diego and delivered on July 18, 1942. It was initially assigned to the USAAF 44th BG and named Minerva. Minerva was one of the first B-24's to be used in Europe and survived the Ploesti Raid. In January 1944 the aircraft became the property of the 392nd BG and took on the role of assembly ship. This type of aircraft normally was unarmed but Minerva retained some armament for awhile. In 1944 the aircraft was damaged and salvaged by the 93rd BG.