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.
I really enjoy reading the Mission records – great stuff and looking forward to more!
Thank you for the outstanding work on the 353rd!
Mike Martorella
Thanks Mike – the 353 don’t get enough coverage for some reason compared to the other groups. This is my bit to put their history out there.