RICHARD HOLUB'S - 722nd Squadron Ordnance - WAR DIARY

Dec. 24, 1943

Landed in Italy (Naples)

Feb. 22, 1944

Have been here two months now and went through all kinds of hardships.

#714 – "The Ghost"

This plane was shot down over Germany's target by four ME-109's. Was the first plane we lost.

Feb. 22

#760 – Nose wheel shot away, tail gunner (Hellem) hit by flak. Waist gunner hit, also (Johnson). Plane crashed on runway. A wonderful job by pilot. 

Feb 23

Our group took a beating today but got the target.

721 st Sqd – lost 3 ships.

723 rd Sqd – lost 4 ships.

Sqd Commander shot down.

#753 – cracked up on runway.

#740 – couldn't get landing gear down. Crew bailed out over runway. Plane crashed in ocean.

Feb 23rd – April 24 th 

#141 – Lost in Action

#252 – Lost in Action

#088 – Good friend Lt Cavarte from Minn. Bombardier – shot down over target.

#603 – Group ship serviced by me shot down by fighters.

#281 – Shot down.

#252 – My ship – second one shot down that day. 30 missions the most in the Sqd.

#731 – Cracked up on runway.

April 25

#180 – lost in action

#852 – shot down over France

#376 – lost our sqd. Commander.

April 29 – May 10

Returned to his ????? planes left in sqd. April 30.

#221 - #122 - #152 - #144 - #096 - #085 – Planes left that we came over with. 6 left out of 15 or 16. We have had 26 planes in our sqd to this date.

#760 – Radar ship

#805 – Madam Shoo Shoo – My plane.

#332 – Boobie Trap

#984

#960 – Shot full of Flak, raid over Toulon, France, but landed safely. Went up next day.

(Male Call) Friend's brother (Shanken) is the Navigator on this ship. Sweats every mission out hoping his brother returns. Both from the North side of Chicago.

#760 – this ship cracked up May 3 as it was taking off. It had 10 – 500 pound bombs on but they didn't explode. None of the crew were killed. Radar ship.

April 30th

We got in four new planes, #154 - #969 - #216 - #194.

May 10 th

The plane #901 that was reported missing returned to base today.

May 12 th

We loaded the B-24H up last night with 12 – 500lb bombs per ship. They took off at 5 A.M. today. Returned at 11 A.M. bombed the front lines. We lost two planes.

#046 -#122 – We have only four old planes left out of our original. The rest are new ones. Planes were to take off at 1300 but had weather set in over target, so they had to return. We are really giving the Germans hell.

May 14 th

We used our first 500H incendiary bombs. Bombed Northern Italy. Very successful.

May 15 th

No mission. Had our third alert. No enemy planes though. They bombed airfields in central Italy. Naples, etc…

May 16 th

No mission. Planes we have left in our Sqd.  144 – 484 – 901 – 216 – 152 – 085 – 260 – 194 – 285 – 221 – 805 – 960 – 154 – 332.

It's rally getting hot here. Lots better sleeping now.

#805 – my ship cracked up in Naples.

May 22

Got in new plane #488.

May 24

#960 shot down over target. Got in two new planes 331 – 282 (silver)

May 30

#901 was shot down over France.

#085 was shot up bad and landed in Foggia. Will be back soon. Have had several alerts from enemy aircraft this week. They dropped over 20 paratroops sabotages but almost all are rounded up.

June 1 st

Lost two original ships today. #144 blew up in mid-air & #194 shot down.

June 5 th

#859 new ship (Radar)

June 8

New ship #380 (silver)

June 24

Today we pulled a raid on Ploesti, Romania, it was supposed to be a surprise but backed out some where & the German fighters were there to greet us. We shot down 5 - in return they got 3 of our bombers. #984 – #216 – #380.  New ships #387 - #458.

June 25

#334 & #221 lost on raid on Vienna. #334 exploded in air when No. 1 engine caught fire. This was one of our most successful missions. All planes hit target with 500 pounders. #177 new plane.

June 26 th

We pulled another raid today 30 miles this side of Bucharest. 250 pounders – twenty per ship. This morning guards captured a saboteur putting booby traps in our bombs. The third saboteur caught in our bomb dump. Believed to be one of the paratroopers.

June 27 th

No mission

June 28 th

No mission

June 29 th

Just got through pulling a week of guard duty on the planes. No danger at all. Surprised.

Ships we had & have.

#221 – Tony Gayle

#122 – Margie

#197

#141 – Marty the Rubble Maker

#152 – Down and Go

#760

#144 – Rum Buggy

#753 – Little Lulu

#740 – Big Blow Out

#096

#085

#252 – Frisco Belle

#714 – The Gallopin Ghost

#088 – Patricia Ann

#083 – Reddy Teddy

#603 – Chiquita Mia

#281 – Tanta Liza

#760 – Dauntless Dutchess

#234

#731 – Janner I

#805 – Madam Shoo Shoo

#376 – H.A.CO.

#382 – Boobie Trap

#180 – Maiden USA

#177

#409 – Snatch

#901

#984

#960 – Male Call

#154

#194 – Lorene

#285 – Illegal Eagle

#216 – Janner III

#488 – Two Way Stretch

#331

#282

#334

#710

#859 – Radar ship

#380

#387

#458 – Queen Ann

#177

#085 – Stinky Siren

July 3, 1944

#085 - Lost in action over Vienna. It had 51 missions when it went down. One of our old ships.

#154 also lost over Vienna. Lost two ships that day. Knocked hell out of target.

July 4, 1944

#177 – lost in raid on Romania. Plastered target.

#409 is a new ship we just got in. In place of #085. Also #197 in place of #154.

Before the planes came back from their mission we have new ones to replace the ones lost on that day. Pretty fast.

July 5 th , 1944

Recalling in planes in present and past.

#152 – Down & Go

#122 – Margie – lost May 12

#252 – Frisco Belle – lost March 24

#096 – Marty the Rubble Maker – lost May 12

#716 – lost Feb 15

#141 – Termite Chaser – lost April 13 th

#603 – Chiquita Mia – lost April 12 th

#144 – Rum Buggy – lost May 29

#085 – Stinky Siren – lost July 3

#088 – Patricia Ann – lost March 24

#714 – Galloping Ghost – lost Feb 22

#281 – Tanta Liza – lost Feb 25

#731 – Janner I – lost March 11

#221 – Tony Gayle – lost June 26

#740 – Big Blow Out – lost Feb 24

#753 – Little Lulu – lost Feb 24

#376 – H.A. Co. – lost April 29

#260 – Male Call

#805 – Madam Shoo Shoo – lost May 21

#180 – Maiden USA – lost April 24

#582 – lost April 29

#332 – Boobie Trap

#083 – Reddy Teddy – lost March 24

#760 – Dauntless Duchess – lost May 3

#960 – Mail Call – lost May 24

#216 – Janner III – lost June 24

#194 – Lorene – lost May 29

#154 – lost July 3

#901 – lost May 30

#285 – Illegal Eagle

#488 – Two Way Stretch

#331

#380 – lost June 24

#710

#984 – lost June 24

#859 – radar ship

#334 – lost June 24

#282

#387

#458 – Queen Ann

#177 – lost July 4

#409 – Snatch

#197

Went to Rest Camp and discontinued keeping diary until returning home.

May 25, 1945

Landed in Boston.