(A) Narrative
The outstanding event of the month of November for all members of the Group was the awarding of a War Department Unit Citation to the Group by Major General Nathan F. Twining, Commanding General of the Fifteenth Air Force, on 6 November 1944.
HEADQUARTERS
FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE
APO 520
23 October 1944
GENERAL ORDERS)
NUMBER 4115)
Citation of Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I
SECTION I -- CITATION OF UNIT.
Under the provisions of Circular No. 333, War Department, 1943, and Circular No. 89, NATOUSA, 10 July 1944, the following unit is cited for outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy:
461ST BOMBARDMENT GROUP. For outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy. On 12 April 1944, the Group was assigned the task of preparing maximum aircraft for an attack on the Duna Repulogepgyar Aircraft Components Plant at Budapest, Hungry. The successful destruction of this aircraft factory would greatly reduce the output of enemy aircraft that were sorely needed by the hard-pressed air force. Realizing the importance of this mission and the extreme hazards to be encountered on this operation, the ground crews worked arduously and enthusiastically to have their aircraft in the best mechanical condition to insure the success of t his attack. On 13 April 1944, thirty-eight (38) heavily loaded B-24 type aircraft were airborne and set course for their destination. Despite severe and adverse weather conditions encountered enroute, they maintained their compact formation and proceeded to the target. Deep within hostile territory, the Group, then unescorted by friendly fighters, was viciously attacked by aggressive waves of persistent enemy fighters, firing rockets, cannon and machine guns, in a desperate effort to break up and destroy the formation before it reached its vital objective. Under continued heavy attacks from enemy fighters, together with intense, heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire encountered over the target, displaying outstanding courage and determination, the gallant crews maintained their tight formation and battled their way through the enemy defenses. Though their aircraft sustained severe damage from enemy fire, with outstanding airmanship they accomplished a highly successful bombing run, with the entire tonnage of bombs from the Group concentrated in the immediate target area. Numerous direct hits were scored on the seven (7) factory buildings composing the complex, with incalcuable severe damage being inflicted from blast and near misses. Through their highly effective defensive fire, together with their superior ability to hold a compact formation under such heavy opposition, the Group was able to destroy three (3) enemy aircraft and probably destroyed (3), while their own loss was held to a minimum of three (3) bombers. The tremendous material damage inflicted by the Group on this vital enemy target, contributed greatly to the curtailment of the enemy’s aircraft production at a most critical time. By the conspicuous gallantry, determination and professional skill of the combat crews, together with the superior technical skill and devotion to duty of the ground personnel, the 461st Bombardment Group has reflected great credit upon itself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
By command of Major General TWINING:
/s/ R.K. Taylor,
Colonel, GSC,
Chief of Staff.
OFFICIAL:
/s/ J.M. Ivins,
Colonel, AGD,
Adjutant General.
Only a very few of the combat crew personnel who flew the mission on which the citation was earned on 13 April 1944, or who were members of the Group a that time were still members of the Group on 6 November when the citation was presented. But almost all of the original ground personnel were on the Base for the occasion. Despite the fact that there was a “double header” mission that day, many of these ground personnel were in formation for the presentation.
As these officers and men took their places and performed their parts in the ceremonies, there were memories of other days and places and of flying personnel no longer with the Group. Memories of Gowen Field, where the original Group cadre was organized; of the humidity of Orlando, Florida, and the mosquitoes and afternoon rains of Pinecastle, where the air echelon of the original cadre received its first training as a Group; of the strict regulations and the good food at the Kearns Basic Training Center, where the orginal cadre of the ground echelon was stationed for its first training with the Group; of the salt flats of isolated Wendover; of the morning fogs of Hammer Field; of the embarkation from Camp Patrick Henry; of a long boat ride across the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; of the cold marble halls of the Collegio Constanzio Ciano; of the jaunt across Italy in “40 and 8” cars; of the various experiences of the off-loaded air echelon at Morrison Field; of the winter mud of Oudna; of the multiplicity of difficulties, problems, and hardships of establishing a base at Torretta; of the many handicaps of the training program in March; of the pride with which all had watched the 461st climb to the top of the Fifteenth Air Force in bombing accuracy; of the planning, excitement, and hustle of missions’ preparations; of the long drone and suspense of take-offs for missions; of formations of planes flying majestically over the field to peel off for landing at the conclusion of missions; of planes straggling back from rough targets; of red flares from returning planes on the final approach to the field, signaling wounded men aboard or an emergency landing; of flares from the tower to pilots who were fighting for a more favorable position on the final approach to the field because their planes were low on gas; of planes stopping on the taxi strips from which wounded men were transferred to ambulances; of combat mission experiences told by crew members at interrogation and in mess halls, clubs, and tents; of hundreds of flying officers and men who had been killed or wounded or were prisoners of war or were missing in action or had finally returned from enemy-occupied territory to go back to the United States; of other hundreds of flying personnel who had finished their missions and had gone home; of Major Burke, who had led the Budapest mission and was now missing in action; and of Colonel Glantzberg, who had trained this proud Group, brought it overseas, led it to superior achievements, and was now gone home.
All polished and pressed, they made an excellent appearance as, led by the Fifteenth Air Force Band, they passed in review for the Major General in their first military formation since coming overseas. But these ground personnel were not the only ones at the presentation ceremonies. Their ranks were gretly enlarlged by the presence of hundreds of replacement flying officers and men who were proud to be assigned members of the 461st Group and to pass in review as members of the Group for the Commanding General of the Fifteenth Air Force. Then, too, the 484th Group, with which the 461st had shared the Base since April, was also receiving a Unit Citation. On the ground, as in the air, the two Groups were still together in formation.
There in the front rank was the commanding General of the Fifteenth Air Force, Major General Nathan F. Twining, to make the award and decorate the colors. In the reviewing party with the General was Colonel William L. Lee, the 49th Wing Commanding Officer; Lieutenant Colonel Hawes, the Commanding Officer of the 461st Group, who had been a member of the Group for a year; Lieutenant Colonel Busch, Deputy Commanding Officer of the 484th Group; and the staff officers of each Group. Out on the parade grounds were the Deputy Group Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Lawhon, who was acting Wing Commander of Troops; Lieutenant Colonel Grogan, who was the Group Commander of Troops; and Major Scott, who published the orders.
On 2 November Miss Betsy Workman, the American Red Cross Clubmobile Staff Assistant, was assigned to another base. Her place with the 461st was taken by Miss Josephine L. Ryan of Seattle, Washington. “Jo” was quickly accepted by the man and officers as a member in good standing with the Group. She managed the improvement and winterization of her doughnut and coffee dispensing facilities, smiled the engineers into gravelling the approach to her headquarters; and set up a twenty-four hour coffee dispensing service for the man who work nights on the line.
On 10 November Lieutenant Colonel Hawes and Major Donovan, with a crew made up of individuals selected from various combat crews; flew a cargo mission to the United Kingdom for the Fifteenth Air Force Headquarters. Due to unexpected difficulties encountered on the trip, they were gone several days from their respective commands. When the Group Commander returned to the Base he learned of his promotion to the rank of full colonel.(1)
Late in November Master Sergeant William E. Shiffermiller was discharged from the Army to accept a battle appointment as second lieutenant effective 1 December 1944. Master Sergeant Shiffermiller had been a tail gunner on a crew that came overseas with the 98th Bombardment Group. After completing a tour of duty in Africa with that Group in 1942/3, he was returned to the United States where he was eventually assigned as a tail gunner on a combat crew of the 461st Group. After flying approximately one-half of the number of missions required to complete a tour of duty with this Group, he was removed from his crew to be come the Group Gunnery Officer. His outstanding record as a tail gunner with the two heavy bombardment groups, his accomplishments as an instructor in gunnery, and his development of a fire control system, which was accepted by the Fifteenth Air Force for use by all B-24 Groups in the Air Force, earned for his this battle appointment. He became the first enlisted man in this Group ever to receive a battle commission.
United States where he was eventually assigned as a tail gunner on a combat crew of the 461st Group. After flying approximately one-half of the number of missions required to complete a tour of duty with this Group, he was removed from his crew to become the Group Gunnery Officer. His outstanding record as a fail gunner with the two heavy bombardment groups, his accomplishments as an instructor in gunnery, and his development of a fire control system, which was accepted by the Fifteenth Air Force for use by all B-24 Groups in the Air Force, earned for him this battle appointment. He became the first enlisted man in this Group ever to receive a battle commission.
On 5 November Company L, a 366th Infantry Detachment (colored) of the 3rd Battalion, moved from the Base at Torretta. Under command of Captain Lloyd R. Riley, members of this company had served from 6 May to 5 November inclusive as a security detachment for the Group in such a manner as to reflect a great deal of credit upon themselves and their commanding officer.
(B) Operations
The month of November saw two squadron commanders, Major Edwin T. Goree and Major Harrison G. Word, complete a tour of duty in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations and return to the United States. It also saw several innovations prescribed by the Fifteenth Air Force in an effort to negate bad flying weather and to impose the will of the United Nations upon the enemy.
Realizing that bad flying conditions would hamper formation flying by comparatively large numbers of planes, the Air Force continued to employ the practice of assigning two missions for a single day, each of which was flown by a reduced force. This procedure necessitated the planning, briefing, and reporting of two missions on the same day and frequently called for two different bomb loads. To execute new tactics the pathfinder airplanes were equipped with de-icer boots and sent out individually in small numbers to bomb targets from above a complete undercast on days when the bad weather prohibited formation flying. Pathfinder airplanes were also dispatched individually to bomb targets at night above a complete undercast.
To the RDX, the incendiary, and the frag cluster bombs, which had been used by the Groups in the past, were added three new modifications or types of bombs: (1) On seven missions during the month some of the bombs in the load were fused with delay action fuses from six to seventy-two hours; (2) screamers were fastened to the bombs that were used on two different missions; and (3) propaganda leaflets were dropped on certain missions in an additional bomb which was added to the load.
The bombing accuracy of the Group for the month of November was seldom scored by the Air Force because of the limited number of missions on which the Group bombed visually. From an average score of 63.4 with which the Group haad ranked fourth in the Air Force for October, the bombing accuracy dropped in November to 31.4 and the Group to the tenth position in the Air Force.
In flying nineteen missions during the month the crew members amassed a total of 2663 combat hours. Of the 421 planes that were airborne, there were 47 early returns but none of these were returned by weather. The Group dropped 500.1 tons of bombs on targets, lost seven airplanes, had eight battle fatalities, twelve combat crew members wounded, and a total of sixty-four officers and men missing in action. In the encounter of the month with enemy fighters the Group destroyed one, probably destroyed another, and damaged four.
A total of twenty-two new crews were received during the month of November.
764th Squadron
2nd Lt. James G. Taylor
765th Squadron
2nd Lt. Arthur L. Hughes
766th Squadron
2nd Lt. Joseph M. O’Neal
767th Squadron
2nd Lt. Robert E. Harrison
764th Squadron
2nd Lt. Kenneth B. Smith
2nd Lt. Raymon E. Spehalski
2nd Lt. Neal Clay, Jr.
2nd Lt. Thomas B. Lightbody
2nd Lt. Marion C. Sargent
765th Squadron
2nd Lt. Robert S. Staples
2nd Lt. John c. Stegeman
2nd Lt. James R. Yancey
2nd Lt. Earl R.St. John
766th Squadron
2nd Lt. Roger Nixon
2nd Lt. Robert M. B. Barnhart
2nd Lt. Thomas H. Merkouris
2nd Lt. Robert K. Coats
767th Squadron
2nd Lt. Thomas F. Villing
2nd Lt. Frederick b. Capalbo
2nd Lt. Doyle R. Langley
2nd Lt. James H. Schultz
2nd Lt. Joseph C. Kuestersteffen
M I S S
I O N S
The primary target for the first mission in November was the South Ordnance Depot at Vienna, Austria. The thick layers of clouds that had been encountered over Italy and over the Adriatic practically dissipated over Yugoslavia. Atmospheric conditions were such over the Alps, however, that extreme haze and vapor trails reduced visibility to one mile. Under these conditions the third alternate, the marshalling yard at Graz, Austria, was selected for attack. Bombing was done by the pathfinder method. On the bomb run the “mickey set” was hit by flak and rendered practically useless. The photographs, which are not very clear because of haze and clouds, reveal that the target was not hit. Seven of the airplanes of the Group became separated from the formation and bombed the marshalling yard at Liebing, Austria, with unobserved results. Returning crews brought with them a healthy respect for the flak at Graz that had holed nine of the airplanes over the target.
Mission No. 124, 3 November 1944 – Herman
Goering Benzol Plant, Linz, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission No. 124, 3 November 1944 –
Klagenfurt Aircraft Factory, Austria
A “double header” mission was planned for 3 November, but because of the weather the large force was stood down. Mission No. 124, flown that day, was the first of the individual airplane missions to be flown by this Group. Beginning at 1122 hours four planes took off at one-minute intervals to bomb the aircraft factory at Klagenfurt, Austria. The airplane commanders on each of the planes were Lt. Colonel Hawes, Major Goree, Captain Mixson and Captain Roberts. The weather at the target was ten-tenths undercast, as briefed. Each plane dropped its bombs by the pathfinder method and returned safely to Base. The plane ran into clear icing conditions on this mission. Had the plane in which Captain Mixson was riding as copilot been flown by a pilot and copilot not accustomed to flying in icing conditions, it probably would have spun in over the Adriatic. As it was, Captain Mixson’s full year of experiences while on anti-submarine patrol stood him in good stead.
Mission No. 125, 4 November 1944 – Augsburg
Marshalling Yard, Germany
On 4 November, Major Word led a large formation through spotty weather to attack a marshalling yard at Augsburg, Germany. The weather on take-off and over Yugoslavia was bad, but over the Alps it was CAVU. As the formation approached the target area, unfortunately, it was discovered that the target was completely obscured by ten-tenths cloud coverage. Bombs were dropped by pathfinder method with unobserved results.
Mission No. 126, 5 November 1944 –
Florisdorf Oil Refinery, Vienna, Austria
Another “double header” was flown on 5 November. One formation, led by Major Donovan, attacked the Florisdorf Oil Refinery at Vienna, Austria. Again the bombing was done by the pathfinder method and again the results were unobserved. Of the twenty-five single engine enemy fighters that made one pass at the formation between Lake Balaton and the target, one was destroyed, one probably destroyed, and four damaged. Damage to flak over the target was extremely light for the Vienna area.
Mission No. 127, 5 November 1944 – Ali
Pasin Most Marshalling Yard near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
The second half of the “double header” of 5 November provided Lt. Colonel Hardy with his first opportunity to lead a Group formation on a combat mission. The target was the Ali Pasin Most Marshalling Yard near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Clearing weather over the Adriatic gave the crew members hopes of being able to see their target; however, a large cloud formation appeared over the target. Lt. Colonel Hardy did a 360-degree turn and led his small formation around the edges of the cloud cover but was unable to find an opening through which to attack the target.
Mission No.128, 6 November 1944 – Power Sub
Stations, Bolzano, Italy
Another “double header” mission on 6 November. Captain Mixson led the smaller formation against the power sub stations at Bolzano, Italy. Despite the haze and the extremely intense, heavy flak, the score of this mission was 49 percent. Eight of the thirteen planes over the target were hit by flak that killed two individuals and wounded a third. The dead, Sergeant Don R. Trail and Second Lieutenant Doc W. Roberts, were in two different airplanes.
Mission No. 129, 6 November 1944 – South
Ordnance Depot, Vienna, Austria
The larger of the two formations that flew a mission on 6 November had as its primary target the Vosendorf Oil Refinery at Vienna, Austria. Bombing through a solid undercast the mickey operations selected the South Ordnance Depot as the target for the attack. Five enemy airplanes were seen in the Lake Balaton area but there were no encounters. Flak a the target was extremely rough for a cloudy day. The formation was led by Major Goree who completed his tour of duty on this mission. Of the four officers who were the squadron commanders on 2 April 1944 when this Group flew its first combat mission. Major Goree was the only one to complete a tour of duty with this Groui. He was also the first squadron commander in the Group ever to complete a tour of duty. (Lt. Colonel Knapp, Lt. Colonel Applegate, and Major Dooley were all transferred to the 451st Group before completing their tour of duty.)
Mission No. 130, 7 November 1944 – Ali
Pasin Most Marshalling Yard near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
The target for Mission 130 on 7 November was the Ali Pasin Most Marshalling Yard near Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. This target was of high priority at the time it was attacked because of the use the Germans were making of it in their withdrawal from Greece. Because of the military importance of the target and because of the fact the target was bombed visually, it was a great disappointment to the Group to almost completely miss it. The intense, accurate, and heavy flak defending this target hit sixteen of the twenty-four planes in the formation, and wounded one man.
Damage Assessment Report
HEADQUARTERS FORTH-NINTH BOMB WING
APO 520 U.S. ARMY
16 November 1944
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SUBJECT: |
Attack on Sarajevo of 7 November 1944. |
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TO: |
S-2, 451st Bomb Group S-2, 461st Bomb Group S-2, 484th Bomb Group |
1. “For your information, following is a report received from ground sources on results of the attack on Sarajevo, 7 November:
“’Sarajevo arms repair work shops, gas works, engine house, railroad works shop destroyed or severely damaged. At Ali Pasin Most Railroad repair shop, six locomotives destroyed and station installations heavily damaged. On road between Derventa and Doboj, three locomotives and one armored train destroyed. Casualties at Sarajevo high with the First Ustachi, regiment wiped out.’”
Mission No. 131, 10 November 1944 – Herman
Goering Benzol Plant, Linz, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission No. 131, 11 November 1944 – Sillien
Highway Bridge, Austria
Another “double header” was assigned for 11 November but only one of the formations got off. This one was led by Major Word, who was pressing to complete his tour of duty. The primary target was the benzol plant at Linz, Austria. Bad weather made it impossible to reach the target. Major Word swung the formation around and began looking for a target of opportunity to bomb visually. The only target which could be found was a highway bridge a Sillien, Austria, which was bombed through an eight-tenths undercast with unobserved results.
Mission No. 132, 11 November 1944 –
Isarco/Albes Railroad Bridge, Italy (Cancelled)
Mission No. 132, 12 November 1944 – Herman
Goering Benzol Plant, Linz, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission No. 132, 13 November 1944 –
Osterriechische Automobifabrics, Vienna, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission No. 132, 14 November 1944 –
Southeast Goods Depot, Vienna, Austria (Cancelled)
Mission No. 132, 15 November 1944 –
Innsbruck Main Marshalling Yard, Austria
Mission No. 132 on 15 November was flown by four individual airplanes against the main marshalling yard at Innsbruck, Austria. The loss of the plane flown by Lieutenant Beatty on this mission was both the first plane lost to combat during the month and also the first plane ever to be lost by the Group on this type of mission. Nothing was heard or seen of this plane after it took off, but it is believed to have iced up.
Mission No. 133, 16 November 1944 - West
Marshalling Yard, Munich, Germany
Mission No. 133 which was led by Lt. Colonel Lawhon on 16 November with the West Marshalling Yard at Munich as the primary target served to demonstrate again that an almost unlimited number of variables and one seemingly unimportant little mistake can completely ruin a mission for a whole formation. After the planes were on their bomb run, the nose turret navigator in the lead plane, while moving around in his heavy flying clothing, accidentally hit a switch with his shoulder and released the bombs. All the other bombardiers in the formation toggled their bombs, as briefed, on the lead plane. Knowing that all the bombs in the formation were away, Lt. Colonel Lawhon pulled the formation off the bomb run to avoid unnecessarily going over the heavy flak at Munich.
Mission No. 134, 17 November 1944 –
Florisdorf Oil Refinery, Vienna, Austria
Another “double header” on 17 November. Major Word became the second squadron commander in the Group to complete a tour of duty by leading the smaller of the two formations of the day in attacking the Florisdorf Oil Refinery at Vienna. The ten-tenths undercast necessitated instrument bombing with unobserved results and probably also reduced the accuracy of the enemy flak over the target.
Mission No. 135, 17 November 1944 –
Blechhammer South Synthetic Oil Refinery, Germany
The other half of the “double header” of November 17th saw the larger of the two formations of the day led by Lt. Colonel Lawhon. The solid undercast which had been experienced earlier in the day by the formation over Vienna also prevailed over the South Synthetic Oil Refinery at Blechhammer, Germany. More pathfinder bombing with unobserved results.
Mission No. 136, 18 November 1944 –
Villafranca Airdromes, Italy
Good weather and good bombing marked the 136th mission of the Group that was a frag job against the Villafranca Airdrome in Italy. A large formation of forty planes was led by Major Rider. Three well-concentrated patterns hit at lleast twelve enemy airplanes on the ground and started several small fires in revetments.
Mission No. 137, 19 November 1944 –
Vosendorf Oil Refinery, Vienna, Austria
On 19 November Captain Roberts, the 766th Operations Officer, led the Group formation in attacking the Vosendorf Oil Refinery at Vienna, Austria. This was the first time a formation of the 461st Group had ever been led by a squadron operations officer. Despite the nine-tenths undercast that necessitated pathfinder bombing, the flak was extremely accurate. Eight of the twenty-six planes over the target were hard hit by flak, one was lost, one man was killed, and another was wounded. The plane that was lost was flown by 2nd Lt. Arthur E. Farnham, Jr. The man fatally wounded was Staff Sergeant Charles V. Rentschler.
COMMENDATION
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From: |
Lee, CO 49TH Bomb Wg. |
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To: |
Commanding Officer, 461st Bombardment Group. |
“The following teletype is quoted for your information. With pride I pass to you and your officers and men the following cable from General Arnold:
“Fifteenth Air Force operations from 16 through 19 November 1944 have been noted with appreciative interest. Worthy of commendation is the sustained effort on successive days. Convey to all members of your command participating my heartiest appreciation for a well-done job. The ground maintenance crews in particular should be most emphatically informed that their untiring efforts are most deeply appreciated not only by air crews but by all members of higher echelons, especially myself. The AAF is indeed proud of the men on her ground crews who made possible each new air success.’”
Mission No. 138, 20 November 1944 –
Blechhammer South Synthetic Oil Refinery, Germany
On 20 November Lt. Colonel Lawhon, flying more than his share of the missions through bad weather due to the absence of Colonel Hawes and Major Donovan, led the Group and the Wing in attacking the South synthetic Oil Refinery at Blechhammer, Germany. This was the fifth mission to be flown by this Group against a Blechhammer target. It proved to be the first time the combat crews had ever seen this target. Weather over the target was CAVU. The smoke screens, which had always completely obscured this target on all previous missions by this Group, were ineffective. It may have been the enemy was slow in getting the screen started, but observations reveal that a strong surface wind was blowing the smoke away from the target. The radio monitor picked up enemy fighters in the area, but none were seen.
Swinging northward off the briefed course to avoid a clouded area and maneuvering the Wing formation in a superior manner in a desperate effort not to permit an opportunity to really hit a Blechhammer plant fail him at the last moment, Lt. Colonel Lawhon ran into a great deal of flak but brought the Group formation straight across the target. Many of the bombs in the first attack unit of the Group fell northwest of the target, but those of the second attack really struck home. The bombs fell in the center of the target scoring many direct hits and near misses on vital installations. The boiler house received hits and and near misses as did the sulphur removal plant and the gas generating plant. Other installations receiving hits and near misses were the circulator house, the south rejector house, the north rejector house, the coal gas plant, the gas cleaning plant, and the cooling towers. The marshalling yard on the east edge of the refinery was also hit.
The mission was highly successful but costly. Twenty-three of the twenty-six planes over the target were hit by flak. On the return route both 2nd Lt. Robert A. Crinkley and 2nd Lt. Arthur L. Hughes bailed their crews out over Yugoslavia. 2nd Lt. Charles F. Krahn and four other members of his eleven-man crew were lost when he ran out of fuel and was compelled to ditch the plane but a short distance off the Italian coast in the Adriatic.
Mission No. 139, 21 November 1944 – Troop Concentrations West of Novi Pazar, Yugoslavia
Poor visibility and flak at unexpected places interfered with a two-flight frag formation led by Captain Mixson against German troop concentrations in Yugoslavia on 21 November 1944. Photographs show that the bombs fell across the railroad tracks and the highway three miles southeast of Cacak.
|
From: |
Lee, CO 49th Bomb Wing |
|
To: |
CO, 461st Bombardment Group |
“The following message received from General Spaatz, forwarded from General Twining, is passed on to you for your information: ‘Highly gratified t the excellent progress you are making in bombing under adverse weather conditions by day and night.’”
Mission No. 140, 22 November 1944 – West Marshalling Yard, Munich, Germany
In attacking the West Marshalling Yard at Munich on 22 November, Major Rider, leading the formation, proved himself a real formation leader. On the way over the Alps enroute to target the Group, flying behind the 451st that was being led by Colonel Knapp, ran into a deck of cirrus with bases at 20,000 and tops at 28,000 feet. As they approached the target the cloudiness increased. Far short of the target the pilots were compelled to fly formation on inst. Over the target the cirrus was ten-tenths, but Major Rider kept the whole formation together and brought it back over the Alps through weather as bad as that over the target. The bombing, of course, was done by instruments with unobserved results.
One plane in the formation rammed its nose turret into the tail turret of the plane ahead of it. Both turrets were destroyed but no one was hurt. Leaks in the fuel lines, which were caused by flak, compelled 2nd Lt. Thomas D. Welton to bail his crew out south of the bomb line in Italy.
Mission No. 141, 23 November 1944 – Troop concentrations at Novi, Pazar,
Prijepolje, and Visegrad, Yugoslavia
(Cancelled)
Mission No. 141, 24 November 1944 – West Marshalling Yard, Munich,Germany
(Cancelled)
Mission No. 141, 25 November 1944 – West Marshalling Yard, Munich, Germany
For the last mission of the month, which was flown on 25 November, the Group went back again to the West Marshalling Yard at Munich, Germany. This, however, was a night mission, the first one ever to be flown by the Group. The three individual airplanes on the mission were piloted by Lt. Barnes, Lt. Hess, and Lt. Miller. Two of the planes, feeling that the nine-tenths cloud coverage in the target rea warranted them sufficient protection against possible enemy fighters and searchlights, bombed the marshallling yard by the pathfinder method. The third plane, flown by Lt. Barnes, developed oxygen leaks which necessitated the bombing of Haiming, Austria, as a target of opportunity.
Mission No. 142, 27 November 1944 – Brux Synthetic Oil Refinery, Czechoslovakia (Cancelled)
Mission No. 142, 30 November 1944, Main
Marshalling Yard, Innsbruck, Austria (Cancelled)
MISSING IN ACTION
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Mission |
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Rank |
Name |
Home Town |
Date |
Target |
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1st Lt. |
William H. Beatty |
Meadville, Pa. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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2nd Lt. |
Arnold T. Hayes |
Boston, Mass. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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1st Lt. |
Emil H. Berg |
Chicago, Ill. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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1st Lt. |
Eltinge H. Read |
Hadley, Idaho |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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1st Lt. |
Paul A. Dietrick |
Washington, D.C. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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1st Lt. |
James E. Lace |
Holcomb, Ill. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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Sgt. |
Frederick C. Carlton |
Ayer, Mass. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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S. Sgt. |
Warren J. Livaudais |
Southport, La. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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S. Sgt. |
James Lambas |
Glendale, Cal. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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S. Sgt. |
Valgene E. Schultz |
Menomonie, Wis. |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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Sgt. |
Leroy W. Tackaberry |
New York, NY |
15/11/44 |
Innsbruck |
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1st Lt. |
Arthur E. Farnham, Jr. |
Needham, Mass |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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2nd Lt. |
Eugene B. Thomas |
Eureka, Cal |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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2nd Lt. |
Robert W. Eckman |
Chicago, Ill. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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2nd Lt. |
Marvin Stoloff |
Newark, N.J. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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S. Sgt. |
Carl J. Sanderson |
Ansonia, Ohio |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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Sgt. |
Percy A. Peterson |
Osseo, Wis. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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Sgt. |
Roscoe E. Teal |
Seward, Neb. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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S. Sgt. |
Thomas M. Connolly, Jr. |
Boston, Mass. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
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S. Sgt. |
Franz F. Holscher |
Rocky Mountain, N.C. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
||
|
S. Sgt. |
Henry J. Shay |
Kansas City, Mo. |
19/11/44 |
Vienna |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Charles F. Krahn |
Eau Claire, Wis. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Andrew W. Vanace |
Albany, N.Y. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Robert J. Lindley |
Rockford, Ill. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
F/O |
John H. Zimmerlee, Jr. |
Nashville, Tenn. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
S. Sgt. |
R.A. Ruble |
Alvin, Tex. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
S. Sgt. |
Charles H. Murphy |
Terre Haute, Ind. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Sgt. |
Theodore Marinucci |
Lorain, Ohio |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Sgt. |
Don S. McDaniel |
Hilton, W.Va. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
T. Sgt. |
Charles L. Blacker |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
T. Sgt. |
Charles W. Brooks |
Warren, Ohio |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Pfc. |
James H. Lane |
Dalton, Ga. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Arthur L. Hughes |
San Marcos, Tex. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Leonard W. Wager |
Brammerton, Wash. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
F/O |
William C. Hart |
Queens Village, N.Y. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Bates Boles |
Devol, Okla. |
20/11/44` |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Cpl. |
Joe R. Bryant |
Woodland, Tenn. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Cpl. |
Wayne W. Boyce |
McPherson, Kans. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Cpl. |
Dewey R. Large |
Seviersville, Tenn. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Cpl. |
Douglas Meifert |
Milwaukee, Wis. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Cpl. |
Robert L. Scanlon |
Detroit, Mich. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
Cpl. |
Arthur W. Bottinger |
Rochester, N.Y. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
S. Sgt. |
Dorance R. Shaffer |
Dayton, Ohio |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
Robert A. Crinkley |
Minnneapolis, Minn. |
20/11/44 |
Blechhammer |
||
|
2nd Lt. |
James O. Owens |
|||||