(A)
Narrative History
The narrative story of the
461st Bombardment Group (H) for the month of January 1945 can be
quickly told. It was another month of
many combat crews and too few combat airplanes. It was a long month of rain, snow, driving winds, and seas of
mud. It was a month of stand-downs, of
bigger and better bond raffles, of growing importance of the Group Band, and of
various types of staff meetings.
Members of both the air and the ground echelons tried to keep their
impatience, caused by the bad weather, partially under control by closely
following the reduction of the German bulge on the Western Front in the
Ardennes by the United Nations Armies, and the rapid advance of the Russian Armies
across Poland and Hungary. The Russian
drive was of special interest because the Russians either captured or
eliminated five of the hottest targets left to the Fifteenth Air Force and the
Group: The synthetic oil refineries at
Blechhammer North, Blechhammer South, and Odertal in Germany; Oswiecim, Poland;
and at Moravska Ostrava, Czechoslovakia.
(B)
Operations
The bad weather of January
was the worst in which the Group has operated since its arrival in the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations. As
compared to the fifteen missions in October, nineteen in November, and
seventeen in December, the Group flew but eight missions during the month of
January. A total of fifteen
non-effective missions were planned during the month. Almost all of these were briefed and “scrubbed”. The missions were curtailed in number due
both to the location and the kind of weather that prevailed in January.
During the Spring and Summer
months of 1944 the 461st Group had bombed targets in the following
countries: France, Italy, Austria,
Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Roumania, Yugoslavia, and Greece. In 1944 when the weather was bad over the
Alps, the Apennines, or the Dinaric Alps, the Group could operate nearly every
day by hitting targets either east or west of bad weather over these
mountains. By January of 1945, however,
Northern Italy, Austria, and Germany, together with very limited areas in
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia, constituted the only area left for
strategic bombing within range of the Fifteenth Air Force. Thus it happened that when the weather was
bad during the month at the Base, over the mountains, or at the target, the
Group was compelled to stand down.
At his press conference in
Rome on 2 February 1945, the Commanding General of the Mediterranean Army Air
Force, Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker, said, “If there is any one rule about
weather, it is its uncertainty”. Under
date of 18 January 1945 the Fifteenth Air Force issued a monograph entitled
“Operational Employment of Lone Wolf Tactics”.
In this monograph can be found an illustrated non-technical discussion
of the weather conditions that influence the operations of the groups in the
Air Force.
NEW CREWS
A total of twenty-four new
crews were received during the month.
Paragraph 1 of Group Special
Orders No. 2, dated 2 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this Gp PAC VOCG 15AF, 31 Dec 44, the fol
named combat crew personnel are further asgd to squadrons as indicated, eff 31
Dec 44”:
764th
Squadron
1st
Lt. Guy W. Lively and crew
765th
Squadron
2nd Lt. Cornelius
H. Brady and crew
2nd
Lt. Hohnson S. Miller and crew
766th
Squadron
2nd Lt. Raymond L. Coleman
and crew
2nd
Lt. Claude D. Fernstein and crew
767th
Squadron
2nd Lt. Robert P. Bogner and
crew
2nd
Lt. Charles D. McGinnis and crew
Paragraph 1 of Group Special
Orders No 4, dated 7 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this Gp PAC VOCG 15AF, 7 Jan 45, the fol
named personnel are further asgd to squadrons as indicated, eff 7 Jan 45”:
764th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Marvin W. Rathfelder and crew
765th
Squadron
2nd Lt. Ernest L. Skinner
and crew
2nd
Lt. Leonard S. Wojtkowiak and crew
766th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Charles T. Courtney and crew
767th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Donald L. Ryan and crew
Paragraph 1 of Group Special
Orders No 5, dated 8 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this Gp PAC VOCG 15AF, 6 Jan 45, the fol
named personnel are further asgd to squadrons as indicated, eff 6 Jan 45”:
764th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Warren E. Petty and crew
765th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Donald W. Michaelis and crew
766th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Conrad E. Mahlum and crew
767th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Harlow R. Huchzermeier and crew
Paragraph 1 of Group Special
Orders No 13, dated 20 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this GP VOCG 15AF, 19
Jan 45, the fol named personnel are further asgd to the 767th Bomb
Sq, eff 19 Jan 45”:
2nd
Lt. William P. Hettinger, Jr. and crew
Paragraph 5 of Group Special
Orders No 15, dated 20 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this GP VOCG 15AF, 18
Jan 45, the fol named personnel are further asgd to the 765th Bomb
Sq, eff 18 Jan 45”:
2nd
Lt. LeRoy M. Nayes and crew
Paragraph 7 of Group Special
Orders No 15, dated 23 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this Gp PAC VOCG 15AF,
22 Jan 45, the fol named combat crew personnel are further asgd to squadrons as
indicated, eff 22 Jan 45”:
765th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Robert L. Brewster and crew
767th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. George T. Henry and crew
Paragraph 1 of Group Special
Orders No 18, dated 27 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this Gp PAC VOCG 15AF,
26 Jan 45, the fol named combat crew personnel are further asgd to squadrons as
indicated, eff 26 Jan 45”:
764th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Roger S. Ross and crew
766th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. John C. Bontempo and crew
Paragraph 1 of Group Special
Orders No 19, dated 29 January 1945, reads as follows: “Having been asgd to this Gp PAC Par 2, SO
25, Hq 22nd Repl Bn, dtd 26 Jan 45, the fol named combat crew
personnel are further asgd to squadrons as indicated, eff 28 Jan 45”:
765th
Squadron
F/O
Walter Baran, Jr. and crew
766th
Squadron
2nd
Lt. Howard J. Barcus and crew
MISSIONS
The first mission of the
month of January was a four-flight formation that was led by Captain Veiluva on
4 January. The target was the North
Marshalling Yard at Trento, Italy, which is located on the railroad connecting
Verona and the Brenner Pass. The target
was bombed visually for a score of 25 per cent. There were no enemy fighters and for some unexplainable reason
not as much flak as had been anticipated.
The main pattern of the bombs fell on the east side of the marshalling
yard with some hits in the partially filled yard and some on the South choke
point.
On 5 January 1945 the Group
Air Inspector, Captain Trommershausser, got his first assignment as a Group
formation leader. The target was the
East Sidings of the marshalling yard at Zagreb, Yugoslavia. On take-off the planes in the four-flight
formation worked their way up individually through a solid stratocumulus cloud
layer and assembled on top for the mission.
As had been the case for many months, the crews had been briefed to bomb
targets in Yugoslavia only by the visual method. When the formation arrived at Zagreb they found their target
covered by a nine-tenths layer of clouds.
After four unsuccessful bomb runs they abandoned the target and returned
their bombs to Base.
Mission No. 161, which was
flown on the 8th of the month, was a briefed pathfinder four flight
formation led by Lt. Colonel Lawhon with the South Main Marshalling Yard at
Linz, Austria, as the primary target.
At the keypoint the formation was compelled to make a 360-degree circle
to get above the high cirrus. In the
target area the solid deck of cirrus was so high that the formation could not
get above it for a bomb run. After
abandoning the primary target, Lt. Colonel Lawhon attempted an attack on the
first alternate target, the marshalling yard at Graz, Austria, but there, too,
the high cirrus prevented close formation flying. At Klagenfurt, Austria, the formation finally dropped its bombs
on the marshalling yard through a solid undercast with unobserved results. The plane flown by 2nd Lt. Thomas
R. Wiley became separated from the formation and failed to return from this
mission.
Mission
No. 162, 9 January 1945 - Vienna South Ordnance Depot, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 162, 10 January 1945 - Regensburg Oil Storage, Germany (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 162, 12 January 1945 - Regensburg Oil Storage, Germany (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 162, 13 January 1945 - Linz Main Marshalling Yard, Austria, and Bolzano Main
Marshalling Yard, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 162, 14 January 1945 - Vienna Southeast Railroad Targets, Austria
(Cancelled)
Mission
No. 162, 15 January 1945 - Treviso Marshalling Yard, Italy
A whole week passed before
the Group was able to fly Mission No 162.
Finally, on the 15th of the month, Major Poole led another
four-flight formation in a visual attack on the marshalling yard at Treviso,
Italy. Many of the bombs dropped short
but others fell in the target area for a score of 32.1 per cent. There was not too much flak at the target
but it was extremely accurate. As a
result, eight of the twenty-three planes over the target were hit and one man
was wounded.
Mission
No. 163, 16 January 1945 - Regensburg Oil Storage, Germany (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 163, 19 January 1945 - Brod Railroad Bridge, Yugoslavia
On the 19th of
the month Major Mixson led a three-flight formation in an attack on the
railroad bridge across the Sava River at Brod, Yugoslavia. Despite the fact that some of the bombs were
over, there was a solid concentration and direct hits on the target. The mission was scored at 43 per cent, the
highest average for visual bombing obtained during the month of January. Again the enemy flak in Yugoslavia was
extremely accurate though not too intense.
The flak caused a fire in the nose of the lead plane that compelled the
764th Squadron Navigator, 1st Lt. Robert A. MacDiarmid;
the Squadron Bombardier, 1st Lt. Robert A Herold; and the nose
turret navigator, 1st Lt. John F. Chaklos to abandon the plane near
the target. The first fire was
eventually extinguished and Major Mixson and his pilot, Lt. Parsonson, returned
it to the Base. Nine other planes in
the formation were damaged by flak and two men were wounded.
For mission No. 164 Captain
Roberts drew the assignment of leading what turned out to be the roughest
mission of the month of January. The
target was the North Main Marshalling Yard at Linz, Austria. For purposes of destroying rolling stock in
the yard, 100 pound general purpose bombs were used. With only four-tenths cloud coverage at the target the flak was
extremely intense, accurate, and heavy.
Twenty-one of the twenty-five airplanes over the target were hit. Two of these were extremely hard hit and
exploded before they could completely roll out of the formation on the bomb
run. These explosions spread the
formation with the result that the bombs were scattered over a comparatively
large area at the extreme northern end of the marshalling yard. The two planes lost were flown by 2nd
Lt. Joseph M O’Neal and 2nd Lt. James R. Yancey. Four other combat crew members were wounded
on this mission.
Mission
No. 165, 21 January 1945 - Vienna Railroad Work Shops, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 22 January 1945 - Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria, and Fortezza
Marshalling Yard, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 23 January 1945 - Korneuburg Oil Refinery, Vienna, Austria, and
Fortezza Marshalling Yard, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 25 January 1945 - Linz South Main Marsahlling Yard, Austria
(Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 26 January 1945 - Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 27 January 1945 - Linz South Main Marsahlling Yard, Austria, and Verona
Torto Nuova Marshalling Yard, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 28 January 1945 - Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria, and Linz South
Main Marsahlling Yard, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 29 January 1945 - Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria, and Trento North
Marshalling Yard, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 30 January 1945 - Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria, and Trento North
Marshalling Yard, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission
No. 165, 31 January 1945 - Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria
Ten briefings were conducted
during the last third of the month of January before Mission No. 165 was
finally flown. On the last day of the
month, Lt. Colonel Hardy led the Red Force in a three-flight formation on a
pathfinder attack on the oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, Austria. The mission went very well until the time of
the bomb run. On the bomb run Lt.
Holmes, the mickey operator, had the target in his scope but lost it when the
formation was forced off the heading of the bomb run by another Group. He was unable to pick up the target again on
a second attempted attack on the target.
Most of the bombs were returned to the Base.
The plane flown by 2nd
Lt. Edward K. Delano ran out of gas and was compelled to ditch not too far off
the coast of Yugoslavia on the return route.
Those killed were the pilot and 2nd Lt. Frank P. Hower, 2nd
Lt. John O. Ungethuem, S/Sgt. Raymond H. Steelman, Cpl. Richard J. Gomez, and
Pfc. William M Gross. After having been
soaked in the cold January waters of the Adriatic, the following members of the
crew got aboard a life raft where they remained for twenty-two hours before
being picked up: Cpl. Robert C. Neel,
Cpl. William F. Nourse, Cpl. Wallace D. Olsen, and Cpl. Carl B. Peterson. For nine members of this crew this was their
third mission, but S/Sgt. Steelman would have completed his tour of duty on the
mission had he lived.
Major Baker led the Blue
Force in a second attack on the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery on 31 January. 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.
WASHINGTON
|
SUBJECT: |
New Year’s Message |
|
TO: |
Commanding
Generals, Air Forces and Major AAF Commands Director,
Air Technical Service Command Commanding
Generals and Commanding Officers, Independent AAF Activities Commanding Generals, All Air Forces and AAF
Commands in Theaters of Operations |
1.
We
of the AAF have good reason to be proud of our achievements during the past
year, which marks the true coming of age of air power. New chapters in military history and theory
have been written across the skies, and our long hard years of research,
development, procurement, and training have been more than justified in action
by our men and planes.
2.
Today’s
remnants of the once powerful Luftwaffe can scarcely remember the time when
they flew supreme over their own and conquered lands; and the Japanese Air
Force is being taught the lesson of American Superiority. The outer walls of Hitler’s vaunted Fortress
Europe have been breached by our blows; today the Nazi soldier at the front
looks around him at the chaos caused by the devastating attacks of our tactical
aircraft and sees behind him at home the dusty wreckage of German industries
and communications. In the South
Pacific we have hammered the Jap on base after base along the way to Tokyo
until today our forces stand at the gates of Manila. Within the last two months the island heart of the Japanese
Empire has only begun to feel the power of our B-29’s.
3.
Our
successes in the air, however, have not been limited to the purely destructive
ones of modern war; we have been building for the peace as well. The Air Transport Command has but shown us
the possibilities of air communications and has accumulated valuable experience
for the better days to come. In
operational theaters, the I Troop Carrier Command has done tirelessly and well
the work of carrying fighting men both to and from the battlefields. And the vast China theater is entirely
dependent for its daily growing supplies on the men flying over the Hump.
4.
Those
at home have contributed greatly to the performance of their comrades
overseas. The procurement of supplies,
the work of maintenance, the unending research; the selection and training of
personnel, and the provision of replacements; the many special sections and
services whose difficult and painstaking tasks so often go unnoticed in final
results; the valuable seasoning experience provided for combat crews by out
continental air forces; all these are vital factors in the splendid work of the
AAF overseas.
5.
The
practical test of operational experience in the field, both abroad and at home,
has resulted in the improvement of many methods of procedure, weapons and
equipment, and the improvised development of many ideas, techniques or new
applications of material and weapons provided.
I am vitally interested in receiving at his Headquarters and such ideas
so that we may put them to work and disseminate them to other commands. These new ideas can play a large part in
giving to the AAF the greatest possible striking power.
6.
Gratifying
as the results of the past year’s labors have been, we must not think that our
job is done. The toughness of the
enemy’s fiber may be judges by the beating he has stood up under thus far. He will take considerably more. Our resolve for the year to come must be to
hit him harder and harder, faster and faster, until his strength is finally
broken.
7.
As
we enter the New Year, I want to extend my good wishes to all members of your
command, and to encourage you in your determination to attain even greater
successes then in 1944.
Commanding
General, Army Air Forces
|
FROM: |
CG, 49TH BOMB WING (H) 0-11100A |
|
TO: |
CO, 461ST Bomb Gp (H) |
Following message received
from Twining cit XVAF A234 personal command message following is message
received from Eaker.
“After reviewing the
operational summaries of your strategic air force for 1944, I believe there is
no organization fighting the enemy which has greater cause for pride in its
accomplishments. Your leaders have been
aggressive, your combat crews have been courageous, and your maintenance and
support personnel have been industrious.
“Please extend to every
member of your command my congratulations and great pride in their 1944
accomplishments and say that I wish ardently for each one of them continued
success and safety in the New Year.”
HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH AIR
FORCE
Office of the Commanding
General
APO 520
|
201.22 |
9 January 1945 |
|
SUBJECT: |
Commendation |
|
TO: |
See Distribution |
1.
The
Commanding General, Army Air Force, has sent the following message that I am
pleased to pass to all units of this Air Force.
“The activities of the Fifteenth Air Force during the past year have had far-reaching effects and have contributed greatly to the world-wide successes of the AAF.
“The strategic attacks
against the German aircraft industry carried out by your planes have visibly
hastened the collapse of the Luftwaffe.
The destruction of Eastern European oil reserves has been felt
throughout the German air and ground forces alike. The shuttle run to Russian bases taught the enemy that no corner
of Europe was safe from our attack.
“In the year to come we are
looking forward to even greater triumphs by the Fifteenth. Though all your hard-won victories, I want
you to know that you and every member of your Command carry with you my very
best wishes for 1945.”
2.
It
is desired that this communication be brought to the attention of all
personnel.
N.F. TWINING
Major General, USA
Commanding
APO
520 U S ARMY
|
201.22 |
31 January 1945 |
|
SUBJECT: |
Commendation |
|
TO: |
All Units This Command |
1.
The
following letter from General H.H. Arnold to Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker,
Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, is
quoted for your information:
“You are well aware how great the successes of the AAF have been during
the past year, and I congratulate you on your outstanding share in them.
“The powerful attacks against the enemy’s oil reserves in Eastern
Europe have done much to cripple his mobility against our ground forces, to say
nothing of the effect on his aviation.
The continual pounding of his communications in the Balkans and in
supplies where he needed them most, or to withdraw when he was hard
pressed. The softening-up of the
coastal defenses of Southern France before invasion, and the subsequent attacks
against German communications in the same area were of inestimable aid to the
rapid progress of our ground forces.
“As we close in on Germany, your blows will become heavier and heavier; we at home envy MAAF its chance to share so greatly in the victory. You and your entire Command have my most cordial good wishes for the New Year.”
2.
Lieutenant
General Eaker’s letter to Major General Twining in further reference to the
accomplishments of our Strategic Air Force is quoted herewith:
“As you appreciate, I believe, I have always made it clear to the
higher headquarters and to the world at large, through the press, that I
credited the Fifteenth Air Force, its Commander, staff and fine constituent
Wings and Groups, for the remarkable achievements on the strategic side insofar
as American forces are concerned in this theater. I shall always continue that policy.
“I would, therefore, like you to tell your commanders and staffs that
General Arnold’s commendation really belongs to them. I have had occasion many times in the past year, officially and
publicly, to commend Wings, Groups and Squadrons of your organization, and the
Air Force as well, for its outstanding achievements. I join with General Arnold in a year-end commendation for your
overall effort, which is unsurpassed by any strategic air force anywhere in the
world.”
3.
It
is the desire of the Commanding General that these expressions of commendation
from both General Arnold and Lieutenant General Eaker be brought to the
attention of all personnel of your Command together with his personal
commendation and appreciation for your cooperation and efforts without which,
such accomplishments could not have been possible.
By
command of MAJOR GENERAL TWINING:
R.K. TAYLOR
Colonel, GSC
Chief of Staff
MISSING IN ACTION
|
|
|
|
Mission |
|
|
Rank |
Name |
Home Town |
Date |
Target |
|
2nd
Lt. |
Thomas
R, Wiley |
Stamford,
Tex. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
2nd
Lt. |
Wellington
A. Gillis |
Malden,
Mass. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
F/O |
Bernard
R. Goldstein |
Las
Vegas, Nev. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
F/O |
Bernard
H. Hershkowitz |
Newark,
N.J. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Roy
L. Noble |
Elliott,
Pa. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Robert
D. Norris |
Kansas
City, Mo. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Clarence
L. Gilmer |
Hubard,
Ore. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
James
A. Glasson, Jr. |
Taft,
Tex. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Sgt. |
Forrest
M. Bentz |
Sinking
Springs, Pa. |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Sgt. |
Oliver
I. Snow |
Freeport,
Maine |
8
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1st
Lt. |
Robert
A. Herold |
Cleveland,
Ohio |
19
Jan 45 |
Brod |
|
1st
Lt. |
Robert
A. MacDiarmid |
Simi,
Calif. |
19
Jan 45 |
Brod |
|
1st
Lt. |
John
F. Chaklos |
Detroit,
Mich. |
19
Jan 45 |
Brod |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2nd
Lt. |
Joseph
M. O’Neal |
Buckley.
W. Va. |
20
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
2nd
Lt. |
Roderick
E. Rothe |
Green
Bay, Wis. |
20
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
1st
Lt. |
Donald
S. Teller |
Kansas
City, Mo. |
20
Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
2nd
Lt. |
Norman
E. Knoke |
Chicago,
Ill. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
T/Sgt. |
Donald
M. Martin |
Effingham,
Ill. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Sgt. |
Francis
T. Keenan |
Chicago,
Ill. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Gino
F. Rossini |
Chicago,
Ill. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Thomas
R. Ellis |
Farrell,
Pa. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Pfc. |
Harry
Nowosilski |
Chester,
Pa. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Burton
F. Mitchell, Jr. |
Mt.
Holly, N.C. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2nd
Lt. |
James
R. Yancey |
Lexington,
Ky. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
2nd
Lt. |
August
M. Albergts |
Rochester,
N.Y. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
F/O |
John
H. Krueger |
Minneapolis,
Minn. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
F/O |
George
(NMI) Raino |
Denver,
Colo. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Fred
A. Helwig, Jr. |
River
Forest, Ill. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Anthony
J. Monaco |
Long
Island, N.Y. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Arthur
M. Harris, Jr. |
Durham,
N.C. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Robert
H. Gibbs |
Evansville,
Wis. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
George
L. McRae |
Melrose,
Mass. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Joseph
W. Morrell |
Roan
Mt., Tenn. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
|
Cpl. |
Lloyd E. Kenyon |
Jefferson, Okla. |
20 Jan 45 |
Linz |
(C)
Photo Section
The enclosed photographs
accompany this History for the month.
(D)
Special Accounts
Officers
|
24 December 1944 - |
Marion
C. Mixson, 764th Squadron Commander, from Captain to Major. |
|
7 January 1945 - |
Jack
Pogue, Assistant Group Engineering Officer, from First Lieutenant to Captain. |
|
10 January 1945 - |
Charles
R. Phillips, 766th Squadron Commander, from Captain to Major. |
|
10 January 1945 - |
Frank
M. Poole, 767th Squadron Commander, from Captain to Major. |
|
24 January 1945 - |
Robert
K. Baker, 765th Squadron Commander, from Captain to Major. |
|
26 January 1945 - |
Brooks A. Lawhon, Commanding Officer, from
Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel.(2) |
Enlisted Men
|
MOS |
Name |
Grade |
|
542 |
Gerard
V. Smith |
S
Sgt to T Sgt. |
|
940 |
James
Van Nostrand |
S
Sgt to T Sgt. |
|
938 |
Andrew W. Poznecki |
S Sgt to T Sgt. |
(Prisoners of War)
|
Rank |
Name |
MIA Date |
Target |
|
Sgt. |
D.T.
Leatherman, Jr. |
4
October 1944 |
Munich |
|
Sgt. |
Regis P. Mannion |
4 October 1944 |
Munich |
(Returned to Duty)
|
Rank |
Name |
MIA Date |
Target |
Returned Date |
|
1st
Lt. |
Clarence
P. Marshall |
15/12/44 |
Linz |
5
January 45 |
|
Cpl. |
Guy
V. Bosso |
17/12/44 |
Odertal |
14
January 45 |
|
1st
Lt. |
Charles
V. Lang, Jr. |
17/12/44 |
Odertal |
14
January 45 |
|
2nd
Lt. |
Oliver
Maggard, Jr. |
17/12/44 |
Odertal |
14
January 45 |
|
Cpl. |
Lon
N. Reed, Jr. |
17/12/44 |
Odertal |
14
January 45 |
|
Cpl. |
Arthur
W. Bettinger |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
18
January 45 |
|
2nd
Lt. |
Bates
Boles |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
18
January 45 |
|
Cpl. |
Joe
R. Bryant |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
18
January 45 |
|
F/O |
William
C. Hart |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
18 Janu |