Date: Feb 4, 44
Dispatched: 45 Aborts: 2
Mission: Withdrawal support to 2nd ATF, 360 B-17’s (3rd Div)
Field Order: 234 Target: Frankfurt
Time Up/Down: 11:47 hrs 14:24 hrs Leader: Lt Col Rimerman
Claims Air: 00-00-00Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00
Group made L/F at Flushing, 21,000ft, 12:25 hrs. Flew on course to planned R/V where 1st Div B-17s and some B-24s were met at 12:52 hrs, 25,000ft. 10/10ths overcast – no check points. Proceeded to Brussels area on Parker’s instructions. Out enemy coast at Ostend 13:40 hrs, 15,000ft. Individual boxes in good formation. Winds appeared less than forecast. No e/a seen. Shortly after L/F in, Group observed bombers escorted by P-38s and some P-47s on way out. When Group coming out enemy coast many boxes of 3rd Div bombers seen in mid Channel flying towards the Straits of Dover. Lt Col. Rimerman, 1st Lt. Herfurth and 1st Lt. Thistlethwaite of Group HQ participated.
350th: Lt Col. Rimerman. T/U 11:45 hrs. T/D 14:20 hrs. Total flight time 02:35 hrs. L/F in on course at 12:22 hrs, 20,000ft. R/V with bombers on course, 12:52 hrs, 24,000ft. Fairly good. No e/a. L/F left bombers. Left coast Ostend, 13:40 hrs. 5/10th at 3000ft layer of patchy cirrus at 18,000ft.
| Lt Col | Ben | Rimerman | (Sqdn Ldr) |
| 1st Lt | Melvin P. | Dawson | |
| 2nd Lt | Kenneth | Chetwood | |
| 1st Lt | John | Zolner | |
| 1st Lt | John L. | Devane | (Flt Ldr) |
| 1st Lt | Tom | Lorance | |
| 1st Lt | William F. | Tanner | |
| 1st Lt | Richard A. | Stearns | |
| Capt | Charles W. | Dinse | (Flt Ldr) |
| 1st Lt | Wayne K. | Blickenstaff | |
| 1st Lt | Robert S. | Hart | |
| Capt | Robert E. | Fortier | (Flt Ldr) |
| 1st Lt | Carl W. | Mueller | |
| 1st Lt | Joseph F. | Furness | |
| 1st Lt | Chauncey | Rowan |
351st: Major Beckham. T/U 11:40 hrs. T/D 14:20 hrs. Total flight time 02:40 hrs. Route: In at Flushing, over Stavelot, out at Flushing. Flushing at 12:25 hrs at 26,000ft. Good close formation. P-38s seen coming out while Squadron going in. 8 P-51s seen with bombers on R/V. P-47s seen going in when Squadron coming out. Stavelot (estimated) at 13:05 hrs at 25,000ft. Flushing at 13:29 hrs at 16,000ft. Balloon, shaped like barrage balloon, seen at St. Trond at 20,000ft. Aircraft seen taxiing on St. Inglevert airfield. 1 abort oil leak [this does not fit with the 3 aborts and1 early return reported in other Squadron records].
| Major | Walter C. | Beckham | (Sqdn Ldr) | YJ-X | |
| 2nd Lt | William T. | Thistlethwaite | YJ-R | ||
| 1st Lt | George N. | Ahles | YJ-A | ||
| 2nd Lt | Irving | Toppel | YJ-I | ||
| 1st Lt | William R. | Burkett | (Flt Ldr) | YJ-B | |
| 2nd Lt | Hassell D. | Stump | YJ-N | ||
| 2nd Lt | John G. | Treitz | YJ-P | ||
| 2nd Lt | Harry D. | Milligan | YJ-Y | ||
| 1st Lt | Gordon B. | Compton | (Flt Ldr) | YJ-D | |
| F/O | Joseph E. | Wood | YJ-W | ||
| 2nd Lt | Herbert K. | Field | YJ-F | ||
| 2nd Lt | Don M. | Hurlburt | YJ-H | ||
| 2nd Lt | Francis L. | Edwards | (Flt Ldr) | YJ-M | 42-75114 |
| 2nd Lt | Edgar J. | Albert | (Relay) | YJ-H | |
| Capt | Frederick H. | Lefebre | YJ-L | ||
| 2nd Lt | Jack | Terzian | YJ-G | ||
| 1st Lt | Harry F. | Hunter | YJ-P |
352nd: Capt. Robertson. T/U 11:52 hrs. T/D 14:21 hrs. Total flight time 02:29 hrs. Withdrawal support to 2nd ATF (3rd Div) B-17s. 1 abort (Capt. Robertson-oil leak). Landfall made over Flushing, 23,000 ft, 12:28 hrs. R/V with 24 CWs of B-17s near Malmedy at 12:42 at 24,000ft. Bombers were believed to be of the 1st Div. One CW of B-24s seen in the immediate vicinity. Bomber formation was good, close and easy to cover. Observed other P-47s and P-38s. Left bombers at 22,000ft over Brussels at 13:15hrs. Left coast at Knocke at 13:28 at 20,000ft. No unusual flak. R/T exceptionally good. No sea activity. 8 to 9/10 cloud coverage prevailed over the continent with tops at 24,000ft. Parts of the continent were observed to be covered with snow. Course: Landfall, R/V, withdraw, landfall out, home.
| Capt | Raynor E. | Robertson | (Sqdn Ldr) | SX-S |
| 1st Lt | Herman | Herfurth | SX-E | |
| 1st Lt | Gordon L. | Willits | SX-X | |
| 1st Lt | Charles W. | Kipfer | SX-Q | |
| Capt | Wilbert H. | Juntilla | (Flt Ldr) | SX-F |
| 2nd Lt | Richard V. | Keywan | SX-Y | |
| 1st Lt | Gordon S. | Burlingame | SX-G | |
| 2nd Lt | Hildreth R. | Owens | SX-D? | |
| Capt | Charles J. | Hoey | (Flt Ldr) | SX-A |
| 2nd Lt | William S. | Marchant | SX-N | |
| 1st Lt | Robert P. | Geurtz | SX-D? | |
| 2nd Lt | Joseph A. | Schillinger | SX-J | |
| 1st Lt | Edward M. | Fogarty | (Flt Ldr) | SX-O |
| 1st Lt | William J. | Jordan | SX-T | |
| 2nd Lt | Donald J. | Corrigan | SX-Z | |
| 2nd Lt | Maurice | Morrison | SX-R | |
| 1st Lt | James N. | Poindexter | SX-H |
Group ERTN/Aborts:
| 42-75114 | ABT no belly tank pressure | YJ-M | Lt. Edwards flying. |
| 42-75676 | ABT rough engine | ?* | |
| 42-8378 | ERTN gas smell in oxygen system | LH-? | |
| 42-8005 | ERTN tach out | LH-? |
*This could be Capt. Robertson from the 352nd. For some unknown reason the other aborts or early returns from the 351st by Capt. Lefebre and Lts. Hunter and Terzian were not recorded by the Group.
353rdFighterGroup 