Mission#82 February 21, 1944 – Target: Gutersloh (GAF Control).

Date: Feb 21, 44

Dispatched: 50 Aborts: 3

Mission: Target support to 2nd ATF, 120 B-17s (1st Div)

Field Order: 246 Target: Gutersloh (GAF Control)

Time Up/Down: 13:16 hrs     16:03 hrs Leader: Major Bailey

Claims Air: 00-00-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00

L/F in Katwijkat 14:05 hrs, 25,000ft. Sighted bombers at 14:29hrs. R/V with three CWs 1st Div approx 14:35 hrs; bomber formation good. Exact location unknown. Escorted bombers almost to English coast. L/F out north of Egmond 15:35 hrs, 22,000ft. Many friendly fighters seen. Large orange explosion with black smoke vicinity of Osnabruck. No bombers seen in area. Bombs were dropped on Osnabruck, Lingen and either Coevorden or Hardenberg. Moderate flak Munster accurate for height. At Zuider Zee 4 Me109s were bounced by another Group. One Me109 believed destroyed. Reception from Parker good halfway from enemy coast to R/V point. Capt. Charles Stafford, Capt. John Rose and 1st Lt. Herfurth of Group HQ participated.

350th: Major Pidduck. T/U 13:10 hrs. T/D 16:20 hrs. Total flight time 03:10 hrs. L/F on course 14:03 hrs, 25, 000ft. R/V n of course 14:40 hrs, 28,000ft. P-38, P-51. No e/a. Left bombers Zuider Zee 15:15 hrs. Left coast 15:24 hrs, 23,000ft. Flak negligible. Bombing concentrated hits on town, probably Lingen. R/T normal. Edge of overcast ran east and west making enemy territory visible to north of course in Zuider Zee area and to the east of Zuider Zee. 10/10 overcast along course and to the south.

Major	Stanley R.	Pidduck	(Sqdn Ldr)
Capt		Barnhart*	(366th FG)
1st Lt	John	Zolner
1st Lt	Carl W.	Mueller
1st Lt	Wayne K.	Blickenstaff	(Flt Ldr)
Lt		McGuire*	(366th FG)
1st Lt	Francis T.	Walsh
1st Lt	John H.	Winder
1st Lt	John L.	Devane	(Flt Ldr)
Capt	John B.	Rose
1st Lt	Robert N.	Ireland
2nd Lt	Kenneth	Chetwood
1st Lt	William J.	Price	(Flt Ldr)
F/O	William W.	Hargus
1st Lt	Melvin P.	Dawson
1st Lt	Roland N.	McKean
1st Lt	Robert S.	Hart
1st Lt	Tom	Lorance

*Capt Barnhart and Lt McGuire of the 366th FG flew for combat familiarisation.

351st: Major Beckham. T/U 13:13 hrs. T/D 16:20 hrs. Total flight time 03:07 hrs. Route: In north of Hague, R/V at Triangle Division (place unknown), out at Egmond. Withdrawal support. North of Hague at 14:03 hrs, 25,000ft. R/V with triangle Division at 14:40 hrs place unknown. Good bomber formation. P-38s and several of the 56th Group observed. Left bombers near enemy coast. [L/F out] Egmond at 15:31 hrs at 22,000ft. Effectively hit target (not identified). Remarks: 4 Me109s bounced by P-47s over Zuider Zee. 1 Me109 destroyed. New charge in radios effectively cut out interference. Many pilots prefer new high altitude fighter map used for the first time today.

Major	Walter C.	Beckham	(Sqdn Ldr)	YJ-X
Major		Holt*		YJ-H
Capt	Charles L.	Stafford		YJ-A
2nd Lt	Frank J.	Mincik		YJ-T
1st Lt	Frank N.	Emory	(Flt Ldr)	YJ-E
Lt		Kerr*		YJ-I
2nd Lt	Herbert K.	Field		YJ-F
Capt	Frederick H.	Lefebre	(Flt Ldr)	YJ-L
2nd Lt	Hassell D.	Stump		YJ-S
2nd Lt	George F.	Perpente		YJ-G
2nd Lt	Don M.	Hurlburt		YJ-H
Capt	Vic L.	Byers	(Flt Ldr)	YJ-V
2nd Lt	Harry D.	Milligan		YJ-Y
1st Lt	William J.	Maguire		YJ-M
2nd Lt	John G.	Treitz		YJ-B
1st Lt	Gordon B.	Compton	(Flt Ldr)	YJ-O
F/O	Joseph E.	Wood		YJ-N
2nd Lt	Richard D.	Stanley		YJ-Z
1st Lt	Robert S.	Hart		LH-Y
F/O	Cletus	Peterson	(Not dispatched)	YJ-P

*Major Holt and Lt. Kerr of the 366th flew with the Squadron for combat familiarisation.

352nd: Major Bailey. T/U 13:10 hrs. T/D 16:22 hrs. Total flight time 03:12 hrs. Withdrawal support to First Division of B-17s, two Combat Wings of Second Task Force. L/F in on course at 14:05 hrs, 21-22,000ft. Sighted bombers at 14:29 hrs and took up escort of 3 CWs in the vicinity of target at 14:35 hrs at 20-22,000ft. Bomber formation good – very few stragglers. P-38’s and P-47’s seen. Bombers were all along route on withdrawal and cover was given all the way to base. Left coast N of Egmond at 15:25 hrs at 20,000ft and made right-hand orbit and at 15:32 hrs made second L/F out at 23,000ft. Heavy, accurate flak, accurate to height and position at Munster with white puffs above and bunches of black puffs below. Observed at Munster; one huge fire seen at Osnabruck, Lingen; and concentration of bombs SE corner of Coevorden, Holland. Parker very good. Peculiar chatter on “A” channel. Apparently controller had transmitter open and conversation from controller’s room picked up. Tugs and barges sighted in Zuider Zee. Solid overcast S of briefed course but clear N of course. Horizontal and vertical visibility good.

Major	William B.	Bailey	(Gp and Sqdn Ldr)	SX-B
2nd Lt	Wilton W.	Johnson		SX-S
1st Lt	James N.	Poindexter		SX-H
1st Lt	Herman	Herfurth		SX-A
1st Lt	Clinton H.	Sperry	(Flt Ldr)	SX-F	42-75622
2nd Lt	William S.	Marchant		SX-Y	42-22465
2nd Lt	Joseph A.	Schillinger		SX-J
Capt	Wilbert H.	Juntilla	(Flt Ldr)	SX-K
Capt		Orsinger		SX-O
1st Lt	Gordon S.	Burlingame		SX-U
2nd Lt	Edison G.	Stiff		SX-L
Capt	Thomas J.	Forkin	(Flt Ldr)	SX-W
Lt		Lusby		SX-V
1st Lt	Gordon L.	Willits		SX-X
2nd Lt	Harry H.	Dustin		SX-Z

*Capt Orsinger and Lt Lusby of the 366th flew with the Squadron for combat familiarisation.

Group Aborts/ERTNs

42-22465	ABT oil leak	SX-Y	Lt. Marchant flying.
42-75622	ABT oxygen leaked out	SX-F	Lt. Sperry flying.
42-75271	ABT/ERTN belly tank	SX-G*	Not listed.

*There is no record of SX-G on the flight plan or Control Tower Log for this mission. It probably failed early and was scrubbed from the mission by the Squadron, but still made it into Group records which note three aborts.