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Taylor, James G., Pilot Chojnowski, Edward J., Co-Pilot Scott, Theodore R., Navigator Robinson, Donald J., Bombardier Murphy, Thomas I., Engineer/Gunner Austin, Jack J., Radio Operator/Gunner Cain, Alfred R. Jr., Gunner Carroll, Edgar R., Gunner Holleran, Joseph D., Gunner Zehfuss, Edward, Gunner Thanks to Donald J. Robinson for the following: I am writing to update the 461st Bomb Group web site with some information regarding Mission No. 166, 31 January 1945, Target: Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria. The web site shows for this mission: "Major
Baker led the Blue Force in a second attack on the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery on
31 January 1945. His three flight
formation dropped its bombs by the pathfinder method with unobserved results. A graph showing the comparative standings in bombing accuracy
of the 21 Groups in the Air Force is not available for January.
The Group, however, rated 10th, with an average score of 33.2." I was a bombardier on
James G. Taylor's crew on the Blue Force on this date.
The history posted to the web site does not show a missing plane from the
Blue Force on that day. Nearly
out of gas we were forced to leave formation before reaching the target.
We tried to reach the Russian lines, but had to bail out before reaching
Lake Balaton in Hungary because the gas ran out. The entire crew made
a successful jump and were captured by German and Hungarian troops .
The Kriegsgefangenen listed for 31 January 1945 shows all the names of
our crew members as having been captured. So it appears that
the Kriegsgefangenen list is accurate, however, the mission should show a plane
missing from the Blue Force on that date. I
could furnish copies of the documentary evidence I have of this mission.
This information was previously submitted to Rob Hoskins without
response. |
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