Date: Oct 9, 43
Dispatched: 52 Aborts: 4
Mission: General withdrawal support to 2nd TF 120 B-17’s Field Order: 152
Time Up/Down: 15:48 hrs 18:23 hrs Leader: Major Duncan
Target: Danzig/Gyndia
Claims Air: 00-00-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00
Group made landfall at Den Helder, 24,000ft, 16:40 hrs. Made a left turn just north west of Leeuwarden at 16:50 hrs. Saw bombers directly ahead. Swept in behind and positioned themselves with bombers at 17:05 hrs. Made landfall at Cromer at 17:50 hrs. Formation covered a wide area abreast. No e/a seen. Weak flak from Den Helder and Leeuwarden. Accurate for height inaccurate for direction. Several B17s seen flying clear from rendezvous to home base, but [radio] whine still persistent. Lt. Thistlethwaite of Gp HQ participating.
350th: Major Duncan. T/U 15:35 hrs. 18:15 hrs. T/D Total flight time 2:40 hrs. One returned early due to belly tank trouble [no further details]. Major Duncan led the Squadron and made contact with the bombers at the proper altitude and proper place. No enemy action seen.
Major | Glenn E. | Duncan | (Sqdn Ldr) |
1st Lt | Alan W. | Lowe | |
1st Lt | Melvin P. | Dawson | |
2nd Lt | Robert N. | Ireland | |
Capt | Stanley R. | Pidduck | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | Richard A. | Stearns | |
2nd Lt | William J. | Price | |
2nd Lt | Robert C. | Peters | |
1st Lt | Wilford F. | Hurst | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | William F. | Tanner | |
1st Lt | John L. | Devane | |
2nd Lt | John | Zolner | |
Capt | Dewey E. | Newhart | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | John H. | Winder | |
1st Lt | William W. | Odom | |
1st Lt | Tom | Lorance | |
2nd Lt | Francis T. | Walsh | |
2nd Lt | Dwight A. | Fry |
351st: Major Christian. T/U 15:40 hrs. T/D 18:34 hrs. Total flight time 2:54 hrs. Route: In south of Texel Islands, Leeuwarden, north out to sea, back to base.
Major | Shannon | Christian | (Sqdn Ldr) |
2nd Lt | William T. | Thistlethwaite | |
1st Lt | Francis N. | King | |
2nd Lt | Richard D. | Stanley | |
Capt | Walter C. | Beckham | (Flt Ldr) |
1st Lt | Gordon B. | Compton | |
1st Lt | William J. | Maguire | |
2nd Lt | Benedict E | Kraft | |
Capt | Jack R. | Walsh | (Flt Ldr) |
F/O | Joseph E. | Wood | |
1st Lt | William R. | Burkett | |
2nd Lt | Lloyd A. | Thornell | |
Capt | Orville A. | Kinkade | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | Herbert K. | Field | |
1st Lt | Harry F. | Hunter | |
2nd Lt | Francis L. | Edwards | |
2nd Lt | Harold J. | Morris | |
1st Lt | Vic L. | Byers |
Aborts/Early returns
42-7987 | ABT pilot error | YJ-J |
352nd: Major Bailey. T/U 15:53 hrs. T/D 18:17 hrs. Total flight time 2:24 hrs. Withdrawal support to bombers. Mission carried out as directed. Reached rendezvous on time but bombers were several minutes late. One B-17 with wheels down dropped out to left of formation about 50 miles east of Englisg coast and one flight followed it down until it disappeared in the overcast. Some difficulty was experienced in picking out assigned boxes because bombers were flying a spread out ine abreast formation. Twelve [aircraft] down at Metfield [and] four down at Thorpe Abbots.
Major | William B. | Bailey | (Sqdn Ldr) |
2nd Lt | Edison G. | Stiff | |
1st Lt | Clinton H. | Sperry | |
2nd Lt | Clifford | Armstrong | |
Capt | Charles J. | Hoey | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | Joseph | Schillinger | |
2nd Lt | Gordon L. | Willits | |
2nd Lt | Victor L. | Vogel | |
Capt | Raynor E. | Robertson | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | Harry H. | Dustin | |
1st Lt | Gordon S. | Burlingame | |
1st Lt | Charles W. | Kipfer | |
1st Lt | Wilbert H. | Juntilla | (Flt Ldr) |
2nd Lt | Hildreth | Owens | |
1st Lt | Edward M. | Fogarty | |
2nd Lt | Donald J. | Corrigan |