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HEADQUARTERS 721ST BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H)
450TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)
APO 520 U. S. ARMY
10 May 1944
SUBJECT: Historical
Records.
TO: Commanding General, Fifteenth Air Force, Attention:
Historian (through channels).
1. Unit
history of the 721st Bombardment Squadron (h) for the period 1 April
1944 to 1 May 1944.
a.
The present designation of the unit is 721st Bombardment Squadron
(H), 450th Bombardment Group (H), 47th Wing.
b.
Changes in organization.
(1)
None
(2)
None
(3)
None
(4)
None
c.
Strength, commissioned and enlisted.
(1)
Month of April
Enlisted
Men Officers
(a)
at beginning 395 89
(b)
net increase (c)
net decrease (d)
at end 395 89
d.
Station – Army Air Base, Manduria, Italy.
e.
Movements – None.
f.
Campaigns – None.
g.
Operations – The Squadron area has completely changed since the day of arrival
at this base. Instead of a muddy area with pup tents scattered around, tents
for the mess hall, Squadron Headquarters, and Personnel Supply we now have a
well organized Squadron Area with both pyramidal tents and stone houses lined
up on three (3) company streets. Both the officers and the enlisted men have
neat, well equipped mess halls. Daily inspections are held and every Saturday
morning the Squadron Commander inspects the entire area. The Day Room is well
under construction and when completed will be the largest on the base.
As
is evidenced by the target for the missions flown this month the 450th
Bombardment Group (H) is no longer flying "milks runs" but is on the threshold
of a forthcoming victory alongside of its sister units of the Mediterranean
Strategic Air Force which is helping to pound Germany into submission.
Movies
were shown at the theater in Oria three (3) times a week by the Group Special
Service. The better movies were: "These Heavenly Bodies" starring Hedy La Mar,
"No Time For Love" with Claudette Colbert, "Cabin In The Sky" with Ethel
Waters, "Girl Crazy" starring Mickey Rooney, "What A Woman!" with Rosalind
Russell as the star, James Cagney in "Johnny Come Lately", "Action In The North
Atlantic" with Humphrey Bogart, and "Lady Takes A Chance" with Jean Arthur. At
all performances large crowds witnessed these movies. An Italian stage show was
presented 21 April at the afternoon and evening performance of the movie
"Dangerous Blonde". The acts met with the approval of the men who witnessed the
show. Although not on the same standard as the American shows they were
different!
Weekly
News Presentations were given by Captain Charles S. Bowman and Lieutenant
Robert S. Ogozalek in the S-2 War Room. As is evidenced by the large crowds
attending these lectures both officers and enlisted men are interested in this
weekly summary of the latest war news. Photos of the latest bombings made by
this Group are shown by Lieutenant Borden S. Chronister. On 6 April 1944 Air
medals were given to members of the combat crews who had completed five (5)
missions and who had not received them at the presentation made in March.
Special Easter Sunday services were conducted by the Chaplain, Captain Paul M.
Stevens. An outdoor service was held with an unusually large attendance. The
newly organized choir made their first appearance. Communion was held for all
men who wished to partake of it. Cameramen not only from the Group but also
from other organizations near here were busy during the entire service taking
pictures. On 17 April 1944 Major Doyle J. Clark, the Squadron Executive Officer
called a meeting to inform the men that the area was not in good shape and told
them to clean the areas around their tents immediately after the meeting
adjourned. On this day a volley ball court was completed in the Squadron area.
Group Boxing Matches were inaugurated on the evening of 23 April 1944. The
first night's bouts were witnessed by a large attendance and met with the
approval of all the men. The fights have become a weekly feature and are held
every Sunday evening. During the afternoon of 27 April 1944 representatives
from this Squadron attended a meeting held by 47th Wing in the S-2
War Room. Colonel Kyle was the speaker. Following are the officers who were
promoted this month: Second Lieutenants Stanly I. Gottlieb, Leonard (NMI)
Robbins, Maynard I. Wayne and Robert H. Leebody were appointed First Lieutenant
effective 9 April 1944. Second Lieutenants Theodore W. Schunk and Robert S.
Ogozalek were appointed First Lieutenant effective 12 April 1944.
A
catastrophe occurred sometime late in the afternoon of 18 April 1944. First
Lieutenant Thomas A. Scott, accompanied by Second Lieutenant Francis R.
Huisking, Second Lieutenant Joseph J. Basamania, and Staff Sergeant Morris T.
Risko, went to Foggia to bring back their ship, "Paper Doll", which had been
left there a number of days before coming back from a mission. On the return
trip, the plane crashed, killing all occupants. The cause of the crash has not
been determined. The funeral services for these men were held the following
afternoon. They were given a full military funeral and large numbers of the
Squadron attended to pay their last respects.
(1)
Number of missions: 17, Sorties
160.
(2)
The targets of the important missions flown this month were located in Austria,
Hungary, Roumania, Bulgaria, Southern France and Northern Italy. Marshalling
yards, aircraft factories, airdromes and submarine facilities were the
objectives.
(3)
Following is a description of the important missions:
2
April 1944. Ten (10) B-24's took off in the Group formation at 0730 hours to
bomb the Daimler-Puch Factory, Steyr, Austria. Two (2) retuned early. Seven (7)
dropped twenty-one (21) tons of 500# (.10-.01) G.P. bombs on the target at 1234
hours. One, piloted by Second Lieutenant Earl G. Anderson, brought back his
entire load three (3) tons and the other early return, First Lieutenant Leroy
D. Tate salvoed his bomb load. First Lieutenant Claude S. McIver and crew
landed at the Island of Vis. As our formation approached the target, it was
found to be entirely covered with heavy smoke and bombs were dropped as close
to the aiming point as possible under the circumstances. It is believed that
good coverage resulted. Visually, it was impossible to distinguish the exact
results obtained by our Group. Photo coverage showed the target area so smoke
concealed that damage assessment could not be made. There were no crew injuries
and all planes with exception of Lieutenant McIver's returned safely to the
base.
3
April 1944. The target was the marshalling yards at Budapest, Hungary. The
number of our planes participating were ten (10), leaving at 0630 hours to bomb
the south half of the main marshalling yards. There were no early returns. They
dropped thirty (30) tons of 500# (.10-.025) G.P. bombs on the target at 1133
hours. As the target was approached it was seen that smoke screens had been
started and that the target area was 6/10 obscured. The Northeast end of the
marshalling yards was still visible and the bombardiers were able to use it for
target identification purposes. Visual assessment of the damage was virtually
impossible as the smoke screen thickened but crew members were almost unanimous
in declaring the target well hit. The greatest concentration of bursts appeared
to be in the center of the yard, according to photo coverage. A great explosion
and ire was caused by hits on adjacent oil refinery and a large fire was started
in a factory building. All of our aircraft returned safely to the base but some
did receive damage from flak. First Lieutenant Edmund H. Wolcott's ship had
flak holes all over, the gas and oil lines were cut and some electric
instruments were knocked out. First Lieutenant Irving J. Weilert's plane was
hit by flak in the nose turret, No. 1 engine cowling, in the waist, in the tip
turret and the hydraulic line were shot out. There were holes all over the
nose, cockpit, wings, bomb-bays, waist and tail in the plane piloted by First
Lieutenant Merle W. Emch. ON the ship of Second Lieutenant John T. Devane the
right bomb-bay doors were torn off the rollers, the nose turret was hit and the
oxygen set afire. Sixty-three holes were counted in the plane and the left tire
was blown out. On this raid the following men were wounded: First Lieutenant
Edmund H. Wolcott suffered flak wounds in the legs; Second Lieutenant William
J. Heiser suffered wounds in his left heel; Sergeant Thomas J. Isgrigg was
wounded in the left leg; and, Staff Sergeant Wilbur D. Mangrum suffered slight
flak wounds on the forehead.
On
4 April 1944 ten (10) B-24's took off in the Group formation at 1010 hours to
bomb the Bucharest Marshalling Yards. One (1) returned early, First Lieutenant
Merle W. Emch and crew due to mechanical failure and brought back the bomb
load. Nine (9) dropped twenty-seven (27) tons of 500# G.P. (.10-.025) bombs on
the target at 1406 hours. Attack was made on a direct course down the railroad
tracks from the Northeast. Our aiming point was covered by a concentration of
hits. Photo coverage showed large fires started among rolling stock and tank
cars. There was a large explosion as bombs hit a large building inside the
tracks near a choke point. Damage to our aircraft was as follows: The hydraulic
line in the rear turret was shot out on First Lieutenant Howard L. Anderson's
ship; and, the plane piloted by Major Wendall M. Van Sickle was hit in the
waist by 20 m.m. cannon fragmentation. Staff Sergeant Ernest (NMI) Santoscoy a
member of the crew on that ship received wounds on the head. This was the only
crew member who suffered injuries. All planes returned safely to the base.
Another
important mission was flown 5 April 1944. Nine (9) B-24's took off at 1146
hours to bomb the marshalling yards and adjacent industrial areas at Ploesti,
Roumania. Two (2) returned early, Second Lieutenant John T. Devane and Second Lieutenant
Lloyd R. Bishop, jettisoning their bomb load in the Adriatic Sea. Seven (7)
dropped twenty-one (21) tons of 500# G.P. bombs ½ fused (.10-.025) and ½ fused
(.10-.01) on the target at 1437 hours. All ships returned safely to the base.
Just prior to the target it was observed that there was some obscurity due to
smoke from posts but the haze was light and certain identification features
could be seen. Photo coverage shows several direct hits on installation units,
which started a large fire and caused a huge explosion. Another fire and
explosion was caused by hits on four (4) large storage tanks and still another
fire was started by directs on large buildings believed to be a tank car loading
station and among the tank cars. There were several direct hits on the Southeast
end of the Spur Marshalling yards among cars and installations with resultant
fires. There were also hits on a railroad overpass and on the north choke point
of the marshalling yards. There was one crew injury: T/Sgt Robert E. Monohan
suffered minor head wounds. The B-24 piloted by Second Lieutenant Russell E.
Boggs was hit by flak in the left wing, the nose turret plexi-glass was broken
and also that of the top turret. There were seventy-two (72) holes in the ship
and the NO. 1 engine had to be feathered on the plane piloted by First
Lieutenant LeRoy D. Tate. All planes and crews returned safely to the base. One
(1) enlisted man, Staff Sergeant Thomas R. Tornillo, bailed out over the
target.
On
12 April 1944 nine (9) B-24's took off at 0811 hours to bomb the factory
buildings of the Wiener Neustadt Aircraft Assembly Plant. One (1) First
Lieutenant Thomas A. Scott returned early. Eight (8) dropped sixteen (16) tons
of 100# (.10-Inst) G.P. bombs on the target at 1205 hours from 23,000 to
26,500'. The target area was heavily hit and a concentration of bombs was noted
on railroad and highway overpass south of the target area. Photo coverage
showed the heaviest concentration on the south two-thirds of the target area
and extending across highway and railroad. The north half of the target area
was smoke obscured when this Group reached the target and both visual and photo
observation was impossible, however it is believed that this area was also well
covered. Staff Sergeant J. R. (IO) Frank suffered a leg wound due to flak.
Several hits by flak in the nose, right wing, nacelle on No. 3 Engine, the
tail, left wing, the waist and the nose turret were suffered by Second
Lieutenant Wade H. Williford's ship. Second Lieutenant Howard L. Anderson's
ship was also hit by flak in the oil line, in the right vertical stabilizer and
several other places. Other than these injuries and damages to the aircraft all
other crews and ships returned safely to the base.
Ten
(10) B-24's took off at 0900 hours, 13 April 1944, to bomb Vecses Airdrome,
Budapest, Hungary. None returned early. Twelve (12) tons of 20# A and M # 41
bomb s were dropped on the target at 1234 hours from 20,000' – 22,000'. The
greatest concentration of hits were to the right of the aiming point and in the
south-east dispersal area. Some hits were seen in the East dispersal and in the
hangar areas. Photo coverage showed seventy (70) dispersed aircraft consisting
of fighters and bomber-transport aircraft of which thirty-five (35) were
destroyed on the ground and five (5) were damaged. All planes returned to the
base safely at 1510 hours. There were no injuries to any of the crew members.
On
15 April 1944 eleven (11) B-24's took off at 0818 hours to bomb Bucharest
Marshalling Yards. Four (4) returned early; Second Lieutenant Claude T. McIver,
First Lieutenant LeRoy D. Tate, First Lieutenant William A. Clarke and First
Lieutenant Lloyd R. Bishop. Seven (7) dropped 17.50 tons of 500 # (.10 - .01)
G.P. bombs on the target at 1210 hours. Bombing was done through solid overcast
on Pathfinder ship. It is believed that hits were recorded on the Southwest
corner of the city of Bucharest. Photo coverage showed a solid unbroken bank of
clouds which effectively screened the target. Results are unknown. All planes
returned safely to the base without damage. None of our crew members were
injured.
On
17 April 1944 eleven (11) B-24's took off at 0916 hours to bomb the center of
Sofia, Bulgaria by P.F.F. There were no early returns. Twenty-two (22) tons of
100# (.10 - .01) A and M 30 G.P. bombs were dropped on the target at 1228 hours
from 20,500' – 21,500'. The bombing of this Group was done by Pathfinder which
was to select the center of the city as the aiming point. Photo coverage showed
approximately two hundred (200) bursts in the city beginning 2000' Southwest of
the Cathedral and extending southward for 4000'. Bursts were noted in the
industrial area between the Southeast of the marshalling yard and in the Cathedral
extending 3500' Southeast. There were also one hundred thirty (130) hits on the
marshalling yards and installations, eight (80) bursts on tracks and rolling
stock which started fires and fifty (50) other bursts on the repair ship and
large warehouse on the Southeast side of the marshalling yard. Sergeant Harold
A. White suffered wounds in the right leg from shrapnel. This was the only crew
injury. The ship piloted by First Lieutenant Lloyd R. Bishop, of which Sergeant
White is a crew member, received minor flak holes in the tail, and the ship of
First Lieutenant Leonard B. Scott also received small flak holes in the tail.
All ships returned safely to the base.
Eleven
(11) B-24's took off at 1000 hours, 23 April 1944, to bomb Schwechat Aircraft
Factory. There were no early returns. Twenty-seven and one-half (27 ½) tons of
500# (.10 - .025) R.D.X. bombs were dropped on the target at 1445 hours from
22,000'. Crew members observed some hits around aiming point, along hangar line
and among hangars. There were reports of bombs striking the roof of the
building designated at the aiming point and bouncing off which would indicate a
heavy reinforced concrete and steel construction. Photo coverage indicates
approximately fifteen (15) bursts in workshop area between the main assembly
shop and the highway running to Vienna. There were several direct hits on
buildings, about twenty-five (25) bursts on the runway and some forty (40) hits
2000' – 4000' east of the field. There was considerable smoke over the target
area which made additional assessment difficult. Two (2) of the ships received
minor flak holes but other than that all ships returned safely to the base
undamaged. There were no crew injuries suffered on this mission.
On
24 April 1944 nine (9) B-24's took off at 0824 hours to bomb Ploesti East
Marshalling Yards. There were no early returns. Twenty-two and one half (22 ½)
tons of 500# G.P. bombs (.10 - .025) were dropped at 1217 hours from 22,000' on
the target area. Our aiming point and the south end of the town was completely
covered by smoke screen. Most of our bomb hits were in the northeast portion of
the city; in addition, specific strikes were observed on the east side of the
Vega Oil Refinery, starting a huge fire; and on railroad tracks causing a fire
among the rolling stock. Sergeant Donald A. Fring suffered injuries caused by
flak. Some of the planes received minor flak holes but all returned safely to
the base.
The
next important mission was flown 29 April 1944. Nine (9) B-24's took off at
0722-0808 hours to bomb Toulon Harbor, France. There were no early returns.
Five (5) dropped twelve and one half (12 ½) tons of 1000# G.P. (.1 - .01) bomb
on the target. First Lieutenant Harvey E. Helmberger dropped four (4) bombs on
the target and jettisoned one (1) because of malfunction of the bomb release
mechanism caused by flak. Second Lieutenant Irving J. Weilert dropped three (3)
bombs on the target and jettisoned two (2) in the Mediterranean Sea. The two
bombs jettisoned hung in the racks and the armament gunner levered them out
with a screw driver. Second Lieutenant Claude T. McIver released two (2) bombs
by sight, salvoed two (2) and one which hung was released manually in the
Mediterranean Sea. Second Lieutenant Russell E. Boggs had to jettison his
entire bomb load in the Mediterranean Sea because of malfunction of the No. 1
engine. A very heavily concentrated smoke screen obscured the target area.
Returning crews believe that the bomb run was excellent and that many hits on
or near the aiming point should have resulted. Nine (9) returned to the base at
1530 hours. Lieutenant Boggs and crew had to land at Naples, Italy in order to
refuel, but returned to the base later that same day. There were no crew
injuries.
On
30 April 1944 ten (10) B-24's took off at 0802 – 0830 hours to bomb
Allessandria Marshalling Yards, Italy. There were no early returns. Twenty-five
(25) tons of 500# (.10 - .025) G.P. bombs were dropped on the target at 1230
hours from 19,000' – 20,000'. The bombs were seen to it the marshalling yard,
in the fields near the marshalling yards and photographic coverage shows many
other burst in the city and three (3) direct hits on the state buildings.
Several direct hits were observed on the munitions plant and much red flame and
black and grey smoke was seen from that location. All planes returned safely to
the base. There were no crew injuries.
h. The
Squadron Commanding Officer, Major Howard A. Davis, participated in four (4)
missions this month. The objectives were: Daimler-Puch Factory, Steyr, Austria,
2 April 1944; Weiner Neustadt Aircraft Assembly Plant, Austria, 12 April 1944;
Schwechat Aircraft Factory, Austria, 13 April 1944; and, the marshalling yards,
Allessandria, Italy, 30 April 1944. Major Davis and his crew experienced much
anxiety and danger on returning from the mission to Weiner Neustadt, Austria.
Four (4) clusters of bombs hung in the bombracks when they were released and
the arming wires on them were broken. The Bombardier, First Lieutenant Chester
F. Kingsman, and the Navigator, First Lieutenant Raymond E. Barthelmy climbed
in the bomb bay and disarmed the bombs while the ship was in flight. One (1)
bomb's vane had come out and only a slight jar would have set off the bomb. The
ship returned to the base and they were instructed by radio from the ground by
the Armament Officer how to take the fuse out of that particular bomb. After
quite a length of time, this was accomplished, and then the bombs were
jettisoned in the Adriatic Sea. Normally under such extreme danger, the crew
would be likely to bail out, but owing to one of the crew members, Staff
Sergeant Frank who was badly wounded in the leg by flak, the entire crew chose
to see the whole thing through.
i. Losses
in action.
(1)
On 5 April 1944 on the mission to bomb the marshalling yards at Ploesti,
Roumania, one enlisted man bailed out over the target.
S/Sgt
Thomas R. Tornillo 32466984
(2)
On 16 April 1944, on the mission to bomb the marshalling yards at Brasov,
Roumania, one B-24 was lost as a result of enemy aircraft. Members of the crew
were:
2nd
Lt. Jack E. Dyer 0-691485
2nd
Lt. Walter M. Bensley 0-816210
2nd
Lt. Ronald G. Sorensen 0-694812
2nd
Lt. George A. Ryan 0-700772
Sgt Levin J. Gearhart 37232468
Sgt Samuel C. Hardsley 31270214
Sgt John R Broyles, Jr 34505119
Sgt Delton M. Phillips 39696413
Sgt Tony B. Morrow 12033730
(3)
On 25 April 1944, on the mission to bomb Varese, Italy, two (2) crew members
bailed out of their ship when it went into a spin; and, two B-24's disappeared
in the clouds.
S/Sgt William R. Bristol 16143979
Sgt Samuel E. Armstrong 18047625
1st
Lt. Howard L. Anderson 0-697104
2nd
Lt. Joseph R. Henchman 0-689965
2nd
Lt. Laurence (NMI) Levinson 0-1703118
2nd
Lt. George W. Murray, Jr 0-748118
S/Sgt Raymond F. Welty 33302575
S/Sgt William J. Ford 17083141
S/Sgt Fred L. Walch 39187254
S/Sgt Edward W. Molenda 35579638
Sgt John E. White 20810243
1st
Lt. Abner D. Hervey 0-749239
1st
Lt. Leslie J. Paul 0-747312
1st
Lt. Chester F. Kingsman 0-738930
1st
Lt. Raymond E. Barthelmy 0-674105
S/Sgt Charles T. Wernett 13027447
T/Sgt Benjamin A. Stock 32378224
S/Sgt Frank R. Collings 32626578
S/Sgt John O. Brown 37437311
S/Sgt William W. J. Shergold 12005895
S/Sgt Stephen (NMI) Malarik 12203110
S/Sgt Tilman J Thompson 36222185
j.
Following are the members of this Squadron who have received awards during this
month.
Purple
Heart
1st Lt. Edmund H. Wolcott 0-799526 Mission:
Aircraft Factory, Steyr, Austria 2 April 1944.
2nd Lt. William U. Heiser 0-749634 Mission:
Marshalling Yards, Budapest, Hungary, 3 April 1944.
Sgt. Thomas J. Isgrigg 38214364 Mission: Marshalling Yards, Budapest,
Hungary, 3 April 1944.
S/Sgt. Ernest (NMI) Santoscoy 38214364 Mission:
Marshalling Yards, Bucharest, Roumania, 4 April
1944.
Sgt. Donald A. Fring 16115210 Mission: Marshalling Yards, Bucharest,
Roumania, 4 April
1944.
T/Sgt Robert E. Monohan 31135290 Mission: Marshalling Yards, Ploesti,
Roumania, 5 April 1944.
Sgt. J. R. (IO) Frank 38428302 Mission: Aircraft Factory, Weiner
Neustadt, Austria 12 April
1944.
Sgt. John (NMI) Dolida 32392975 Mission: Sofia, Bulgaria, 17 April 1944.
Sgt. Harold A. White 35406937 Mission: Sofia, Bulgaria, 17 April 1944.
k. Credit
for destroying enemy aircraft was received by the following crew members:
Sgt Edwin (NMI)
Hoime 37321318 1 – ME 109 3-4-44
2nd Lt. Robert H. Leebody 0-749619 1
– ME 109 4-4-44
S/Sgt Robert S
Bulkley 32674281 1 – ME 109 5-4-44
Sgt J. R. (IO) Frank 38428302 1 – FW 190 5-4-44
Sgt Donald R.
Spencer 31312733 1 – FW 190 5-4-44
Sgt. Vern A. Garras 13110264 1 – ME 109 5-4-44
S/Sgt Samuel C.
Belgio 32624341 1 – FW 190 5-4-44
Sgt Gerry (NMI)
Curreri 32629955 1 – FW 190 5-4-44
S/Sgt Richey E.
Nelson 18118403 1 – FW 190 5-4-44
S/Sgt John (NMI)
Panos 32514147 1 – FW 190 16-4-44
Sgt Harold A. White 35406939 1 – FW 190 16-4-44
2. Enclosed
is the war diary of this unit for the period 1 April 1944 to 30 April 1944.
For
the Commanding Officer:
ROBERT
S. OGOZALEK,
1st
Lt., Air Corps,
Squadron
Historian.
1 April 1944
The crews
met for briefing at 0900 but he mission was cancelled at 1000 because of
weather conditions. Yes, it was raining by 1100, even if the sky was cloudless
at 0900. Just another example of Italian weather.
Life in the
squadron continued as usual with the exception of the afternoon mail call. This
turned out to be THE package mail call which only comes once or twice a month.
There was a huge pile of packages, but no mail. However, this is onetime when
there's no groans because of lack of mail – the contents of the packages take
care of that.
2 April 1944
The crews
were briefed at 0600 and took off on the 42nd Group mission at 0730,
the target being the Daimler-Puch A/C Factory at Steyr, Austria. The planes
participating in this mission were flown by: Lts. E. Anderson, Tate, T. A.
Scott, H. Anderson, Dyer, Bishop, Boggs, Hervey, and Major Davis. Lts. Tate and
Anderson were early returns because of mechanical trouble. Lt. McIver landed at
the Island of Vis on the Yugoslav coast because of trouble, but continued on to
the base shortly afterward. This squadron dropped 21 tons of demolition bombs
on the target.
As the
formation approached, the target was found to be entirely covered with heavy
smoke and the bombs were dropped as close to the aiming point as possible under
the circumstances. The photo coverage showed the target so smoke concealed that
damage assessment could not be made. The formation was attacked by many E/A in
the target area consisting of ME-109's, ME-110's, FW-190's and ME-202's. The
fighters kept the boys busy, but there were no claims by any of our A/C. The
"Windo", metallized paper that was scattered from the planes to confuse the
radar of enemy A.A. guns seemed to have effect for although the fire was intense
and heavy – it was inaccurate.
Church
Services were held this morning for Protestants and Catholics and the
attendance was good.
The weekly
news presentation was given at 1830 by Capt. Bowman and Lt. Ogozalek. The usual
large crowd was the attendance.
3 April 1944
The War
Birds of the 721st again spread their wings on this morning at 0630
to take part in the 43rd Group mission, the target being the
Budapest Main M/Y. The planes taking part in this mission were flown by: Lts.
Emch, K. Anderson, Wolcott, Weilert, Bishop, DeVane, Williford, Tate, Boggs,
and Capt. Pitt. The ships carried 12 X 500 G.P. bombs on this mission. There
were no early returns on this mission. The boys were strictly "on the ball"!
They scored 90 bursts in the M/Y, 10 hits on an adjacent oil refinery, and
numerous buildings, warehouses and factories, However, this was far from being
a "milk-run" for they encountered 15/20 ME-109's and 5 FW-190's and the flak in
the target area was intense, accurate, and heavy. Lt. Edmund H. Wolcott
suffered flak wounds in the legs, Lt. William L. Heiser was wounded in the
right heel by flak, and Sgt. Thomas J. Isgrigg was wounded in the leg by flak.
Sgt. Hoime claimed one ME-109 as a probable on this mission. Also, S/Sgt Wilbur
D. Mangrum suffered slight wounds on the forehead.
The planes
returned to the base at 1352 hours and all were jubilant over the success of
the mission. They soon rushed to the doughnut line after landing for the
doughnuts and coffee furnished by the Red Cross.
The movie
for today at the theatre in Oria was "These Heavenly Bodies" starring Hedy
Lamarr, so there was a large crowd at both shows.
4 April 1944
The planes
of the 721st Squadron again "hit the air" to participate in the 45th
Group mission to bomb the Bucharest M/Y and the planes on this mission were
flown by: Lts. L. B. Scott, DeVane, Clark, Weilert, Hervery, Williford, Eldred,
Anderson, and Major Van Sickle. Lt. Emch was an early return today. This was
the Group's 44th mission and the planes carried 12 X 500 lb. G.P.
bombs on this mission. Another successful mission! The target was well covered
with hits causing immense damage. 70 hits were scored in the N.W. M/Y, starting
large fires among rolling stock and tank cars, a high explosion in S.E. end of
N.W. M/Y as bombs hit a large building inside the tracks near the choke point
and there were many other hits on locomotive sheds, industrial buildings and
warehouse buildings.
Though the
mission was a great success, it was far from being a "milk run", also. They
encountered 10/15 ME-109's and FW-190's, 5 ME-202's, 10 JU-88's, 4 I-AR's, and
one ME-110. Flak was slight to moderate, inaccurate, and heavy over the target
and flak was encountered at numerous points enroute to the target and back.
Sgts. Santessey and Bulkesy received minor injuries from fragments of an
exploding 20 mm. shell. Lt. Leebody claimed one ME-109 shot down, and S/Sgt
Eugene A. Lloyd claimed one FW-190 damaged.
Another
successful mission under the belt of this Group and everyone is looking forward
to many more like it.
5 April 1944
The planes
of the 721st Squadron again "hit the air" to participate in the 45th
Group mission to bomb the Ploesti M/Y and adjacent industrial area. The planes
took off at 1117 hours and were flown by: Lts. Boggs, Tate, Eldred, Clark, E.
Anderson, Emch, and Capt. Pitt. The planes carried 12 X 500 G.P. bombs on this
mission. Lts. Bishop and DeVane were early returns from this mission. The boys
were "on the ball" again and hit the target right "on the nose" doing
widespread damage. Many direct hits were scored on distillation units, storage
tanks, buildings, tank cars, and on the S.E. end of the Spur M/Y.
The boys
caught it hot and heavy on this strip also, but they just took it in their
stride. They encountered 50/60 ME-109's and FW-190's, 10 ME-110's, and 10/15
JU-88s. S/Sgts. Bulkley and Curreri both claim an FW-190 destroyed each.
S/Sgts. S. C. Belgio claims 1 ME-109 destroyed. Sgt. J. M. Clark claims one
FW-190 destroyed. S/Sgt. J. R. Frank claims one FW-190 destroyed. Sgt Spencer
claims one ME-109 destroyed. Sgt. Monroe claims one FE-190 destroyed. Thus, our
gang can "dish it out" as well as take it. The only crew injury was S/Sgt R. E.
Monahan which was a minor head injury.
The ship in
which S/Sgt Tornillo was the tail Gunner was hit by a 20 mm. shell, setting the
wiring and hydraulic fluid in the tail turret on fire. The concussion of the
explosion blew Sgt. Tornillo back in to the fuselage. Seeing the ship on fire,
and evidently stunned from the explosion, Sgt. Tornillo bailed out through the
camera hatch before anyone had time to stop him as the waist gunners were
fighting off attacks from enemy fighters. The fire was extinguished and the
plane returned to the base safely.
6 April 1944
There was
no combat mission flown on this date due to adverse weather conditions.
During the
afternoon, crews who had flown over 5 missions but who had not received their
Air Medals were presented them this afternoon.
The last
practice for tonight was held in the Chaplains office for the Easter Service. A
good crowd was present.
7 April 1944
The crews
took off this morning at 1003 hours on the 46th Group mission to
bomb the M/Y at Mestre, Italy. The planes today were flown by: Lts. DeVane, Bishop,
Clark, H. L. Anderson, K. Anderson, Dyer, Williford, and Capt. Pitt. Lt.
Weilert was an early return today. The ships carried 12 X 500 lb. G.P. bombs
today and plastered the target and surrounding area. A very heavy concentration
of bombs were dropped on the R.R. Station and adjoining yard areas, on
warehouses and industrial plants. All planes returned at 1533 hours and "hit"
the usual doughnut and coffee line.
There was a
matinee and evening show today with the attraction being "Cabin In The Sky", starring
Ethel Waters and of course there was a large crowd to see this.
8 April 1944
The crews
were briefed at 0745 for a mission but it was cancelled soon after briefing.
A practice
mission was flown soon after to "brush up" on the formation flying.
The men,
who are of the Jewish Faith, went to Easter Refugee Jewish Services tonight
that were held in Taranto.
9 April 1944
There was
no mission today due to threatening weather, so the church Services were well
attended.
The
Protestant Services was held out on the field with a silver B-24 for the
background of the altar. The choir and organ were standing on one side of the
altar and there was a background of palm fronds on the other side.
There were
650 bomb stands for the congregation to sit on, but the crowd was estimated at
1300. Many pictures were made of this service, including movies. A communion
service was held at the close of the service.
The weekly
News Presentation was held at 1830 tonight and the usual "full house' was
repeated, in fact, many couldn't even get inside the door of the War Room.
10 April 1944
There was
no briefing or mission today as Ole Sol was pretty well covered by cloud
throughout the day.
A practice
mission was flown during the afternoon to familiarize new crews with this type
of formation flying.
The movie
today was "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" which was in a lighter vein and was
enjoyed by all who attended.
11 April 1944
The crews
were briefed at 0900 for a mission, but it was cancelled at 1000 because of weather
conditions in the target area.
Another
practice mission was flown during the afternoon to give new crews more
experience in the formation flying and it was impressed on them that staying in
a tight formation was a necessity for safety.
12 April 1944
The crews
were briefed this morning and took off at 0811 hours on the 47th
Group Mission to bomb factory buildings of the Wiener Neustadt Aircraft
Assembly Plant. The planes were flown this morning by: Lts. L. B. Scott,
Weilert, Tate, Emch, Eldred, Williford, H. Anderson, Boggs, and Major Davis.
Lt. T. A. Scott was an early return on this mission. The bomb load today was 40
100 lb. G. P. bombs which caused quite a bit of trouble in the bomb racks.
Major Davis led this Group's formation today and led them directly over the
target, chalking up another good mission for this Group. Photo coverage showed
concentrations of bursts on the south two-thirds of the target and extending
across the highway and railroad. A large work shop received many hits and also the
Hansehel and Sohn Factory. Many bursts with heavy concentration hit on the
north side of the A/P, extending west across the highway and railroad. This,
another red-letter day for the 450th Bombardment Group.
There were
no encounters on this mission but intense, excellent, heavy type flak was
experienced over the target causing much damage and flak was encountered along
the route to the target and back.
S/Sgt
Hinnenkamp was wounded by flak and also S/Sgt Frank. These were our only crew
injuries.
Major Davis
and his crew surely did experience much anxiety and danger of this mission. 4
clusters of bombs hung in the bomb racks when they were released and the arming
wires on them were broken. The Bombardier, Lt. Kingsman, and the Navigator, Lt.
Barthelmy climbed in the bomb bay and disarmed the bombs while the ship was in
flight. One bomb's vane had come out and only a slight jar would have set off
the bomb. The ship returned to the base and they were instructed by radio from
the ground by the Armament Officer how to take the fuse out of that particular
bomb. After quite a length of time, this was accomplished, and then the bombs
were jettisoned in the Adriatic. Normally under such extreme danger, the crew would
be likely to bail out, but owing to one of the crew members. S/Sgt Frank, who
was badly wounded in the leg by flak, the entire crew chose to see the whole
thing through. This was a fine example of courage and ability.
The movie
today was "Girl Crazy", starring Mickey Rooney. A USO stage show was also
presented and capacity crowds were present at both shows.
13 April 1944
The planes
took off today at 0900 hours on the 48th Group mission to bomb the
Vecec A/D, at Budapest. The planes were flown today by: Lts. McIver, Bishop,
Emch, L. L. Anderson, DeVane, Weilert, Dyer, Gallagher, Hervey, and Boggs.
Again the boys were "on the beam" and they caused great damage to the airdrome
today, the bomb load being 20 Frag clusters to the ship. The greatest
concentration of hits were to the right of the aiming point and in the
southeast dispersal area. Thirty-five fighters and bomber transport planes were
destroyed and five were damaged. There were no encounters with E/F today which
added greatly to the happiness of the crews. However, the flak that was encountered
over the target was moderate, good, and heavy. Flak was also encountered
enroute to and from the target. All planes returned to the Base safely at 1510
hours, and the crews made a "beeline" for the Red Cross doughnut and coffee
line. Also, there were no crew injuries today.
14 April 1944
No mission
today as Ole Sol had again become bashful and hid behind the clouds.
A practice
mission was flown during he afternoon for the benefit of new crews. Well, they
should have plenty of good experience under their belts when they hit the real
thing!!
The movie
today was "Buffalo Bill", starring Joel McCrae and Linda Darnell.
15 April 1944
The planes
took off at 0818 hours on the 49th Group mission to bomb the
Marshalling Yards at Bucharest. The bomb load today was 10 X 500 lb. G.P. bombs
to the ship. The planes participating in the mission today were flown by: Lts.
E. Anderson, Dyer, H. L. Anderson, DeVane, L. B. Scott, Gallagher, and Capt.
Pitt. Lts. McIver, Tate, Clarke, and Bishop were early returns today. The
target was completely covered by overcast today and all bombed on Pathfinder
ships. It is believed that the W.W. corner of the city was hit, but actual
results are unknown. Although E/A were sighted, there were no encounters as
they were engaged by the P-38 escort. Slight, inaccurate, heavy flak was
encountered over the target, and flak was also encountered along the route to
and from the target. All planes returned to the base at 1520 hours, and they
had no crew injuries today.
16 April 1944
The ships
took off this morning at 0753 hours on the 50th Group mission. The
planes participating in the mission today were flown by: Lts. McIver, Tate,
Eldred, Weilert, Bishop, Boggs, E. Anderson, and Capt. Pitt. Lt. Emch was an
early return today. The bomb load was 10 X 500 G.P. bombs and the target was
the Brasov M/Y. Lt. Boggs and Lt. Emch brought their bombs back to the base,
but Lt. E. Anderson jettisoned his bombs in Rumania to try to stay in
formation, but was soon forced to fall out. The target area was well covered
with an excellent concentration of bombs at the Aiming point. A huge column of
smoke was seen at the Aiming Point from oil fires and other fires and smoke
were seen over the entire M/Y as the formation pulled away. Another Red Letter
day to be chalked up to the 450th! This was no "milk run" whatsoever
as 20/30 ME-109's and FW-190's attacked the group very aggressively. S/Sgt
Penos and Sgt. White each claim one FW-190 destroyed. Lt. Dyer's ship was shot
down by the E/F and 9 chutes were seen from his plane. The boys also
experienced slight to moderate, inaccurate, heavy type flak over the target.
Other than the loss of Lt. Dyer's ship and crew, all of our shops returned
uninjured and all crews uninjured.
Church
Services were held this morning by both Protestants and Catholics. The
Protestant Service was held out on the field where the Easter Service was held
last Sunday. The announcement was made that the Protestant Service would be
held there from now on.
17 April 1944
The
"White-Tailed Liberators" again spread their wings this morning, taking off at
0916 hours on the 51st Group mission to bomb Sofia, Bulgaria. The
bomb load today was 40 100 lb. Demo. bombs to the ship. The planes participating
in today's raid were flown by: Lt. Weilert, E. Anderson, Emch, McIver, Boggs,
Gallagher, DeVane, Bishop, Tate, L. B. Scott, and Eldred. The bombing today was
done by Pathfinder method which was to select the center of the city as the
Aiming Point. Photo coverage showed approximately 200 bursts in the city
beginning 2000 ft. S.W. of the Cathedral and extending southward for 4000 ft.
Bursts were noted in the industrial area between the S.E. end of the M/Y and
Cathedral extending 3500 ft. S.E. There were also 130 hits on the M/Y and
installations, 80 bursts on tracks and rolling stock which started fires and 50
other bursts on the repair shop and large warehouse on the S.E. side of the
M/Y. Another Red Letter day for the 450th and a raid that should
certainly be of consequence to the Russian Forces, also.
The only
fighters encountered today were 8/10 ME-109's and FW-190's, but the attacks
were not aggressive on the whole and only
one of our ships was hit by a 20 mm. shell, causing an injury to Sgt
Harold A. White, who suffered wounds in the right leg from shrapnel. Flak was
experienced over the target area, being moderate to intense, accurate, and
heavy of the barrage type. Flak was also encountered at two other points
enroute. The ships returned at 1415 hours and the men gathered on the ground in
the doughnut and coffee line.
The movie
today was "What A Woman", starring Rosalind Russell. Good crowds were in
attendance at both shows.
18 April 1944
There was
no mission on this date due to adverse weather conditions. Squadron activity
was confined to the usual channels with the preparing of the planes for the
next mission.
A
catastrophe occurred sometime late this afternoon. Lt. T. A. Scott, accompanied
by Lt. Huisking, Lt. Basamania, and S/Sgt Riskol, went to Foggia to bring back
their ship, "Paper Doll" which had been left there a number of days before
coming back from a mission. On the return rip, the plane crashed, killing all
occupants. The case of the crash has not been determined.
19 April 1944
There was
no mission today due to adverse weather conditions. Maybe it's spring, but this
Italian weather is still almost unpredictable from day to day.
The movie
today was "Johnny Come Lately", starring James Cagney and a large crowd was the
attendance for both shows. Numbers had to walk back from the afternoon show,
however, due to lack of transportation.
The funeral
services for Lt. T. A. Scott, Lt. Huisking, Lt. Basamania, and S/Sgt Risko were
held this afternoon at Bari. They were given a full military funeral and large
numbers of the squadron attended to pay their last respects to these men.
20 April 1944
The planes
took off this morning at 0940 hours to bomb the M/Y at Trevio, Italy. The bomb
load today was 10 X 500 G.P. bombs per ship. The ships flying today were flown
by: Lts. DeVane, Gallagher, Weilert, H. L. Anderson, Boggs, E. Anderson, Emch,
and Hervery. Lt. Clark and Lt. Eldred returned early, returning his bomb load
to the base. There was a complete overcast in the target area which prevented
the dropping of any bombs. For the same reason, the formation was unable to
select any alternate target. All other planes jettisoned their bombs in the
Adriatic Sea. The planes landed at 1550 hours without any plane damages or crew
injuries. However, flak was encountered at several points along the route, but
it was inaccurate.
Everyone
tramped to the weekly PX for their rations which includes a coke now. They sure
do taste good, even without ice!
21 April 1944
The crews
were briefed this morning at 0745 and took off at 0840 to bomb Ploesti. Major
Davis, the Squadron Commander was the Group leader, but shortly after leaving
on course, all planes were recalled by Wing because of weather conditions.
The movie
today was "Dangerous Blonde" and there was an Italian stage show at both shows,
also. Although quite different from the American USO shows, they certainly
provide plenty of laughs.
22 April 1944
There was
no mission today due to adverse weather conditions. Squadron inspection was
held at 0900 this morning. Other squadron activities were confined to the usual
channels.
23 April 1944
The
"White-Tailed Liberators" took off this morning at 1000 hours on the 54th
Group mission. The target today was the A/C Factory at Schwechat, Austria and
the bomb load today was 10 X 500 G.P. bombs per ship. The planes participating
in today's mission were flown by: Lts. Emch, Eldred, H. L. Anderson, E.
Anderson, McInver, Gallagher, Bishop, DeVane, Weilert, Capt. Pitt, and Major
Davis. There were no early returns on today's mission. The target was well hit
on this mission, but some bombs were observed bouncing off the roofs of the
buildings after hitting, indicating that they were of very heavy, reinforced
concrete and steel construction. Photo coverage showed bursts in workshop area
between main assembly shop and highway running to Vienna.
There were
direct hits on buildings and one runway. A number of E/A were destroyed on the
ground. There were no encounters with E/F today, but the flak over the target
was intense, accurate, and heavy. The ships returned to the base at 1750 hours
with no crew injuries and with only minor damage to two aircraft due to flak.
Protestant
and Catholic Church services were held this morning. Protestant Services were
held out on the field south of the hangar.
The weekly
News Presentation was given tonight by Capt. Bowman and Lt. Ogozalek. A very
large crowd was present as usual.
24 April 1944
The mission
today was to Ploesti, Romania, and the target today was the M/Y. The planes
took off at 0830 and were flown by: Lts. Helmberger, Eldred, Hollander, Tate,
Emch, McIver, Bishop, Weilert, Gilday, and Gallagher. Lt. DeVane never took
off. The target had a few hits on it but otherwise, most of the bombs fell
short of the target. Flak was very heavy, intense, and accurate. Although there
were not many hits on the aiming point, many large oil fires were started.
Lt.
Hollander, pilot of #227, had a rather unusual experience today and one that he
isn't likely to forget soon. He flew without his steel helmet up till just a
few minutes from the target and then finally decided to put it on. Just a few
minutes before the target, a large piece of flak came through the window of the
plane, striking his helmet, knocking Lt. Hollander out of his seat on the floor
and also knocking his helmet off. Other than the scare, Lt. Hollander suffered
no other effects from this incident, but I should imagine that he'll be a firm
believer of wearing the steel helmet from now on.
The movie
at the theatre in Oria today was "Action in The North Atlantic". A large
attendance was present.
25 April 1944
Briefing
was held at 0700 this morning. The target was the Varese A/C Factory in
Northern Italy above Milan. The bomb load was 10 X 500 G.P. bombs per ship, and
they took off at 0830. Flying today were; Capt. Pitt, Lts. Hervey, E. Anderson,
H. Anderson, DeVane, Gallagher, Helmberger, McIver, Hollander, and Eldred.
Capt. Pitt, Lts. E. Anderson, Helmberger, McIver, Hollander, and Eldred
returned early. The mission was unsuccessful. Two of our crews are missing,
Lts. Hervey and H. Anderson.
Nothing
reliable had been reported on these two crews. The weather today has been "on
and off", sunny, showers, and misty. Two of Lt. E. Anderson's gunners bailed
out when his ship lost altitude in a spin which was caused by another ship
coming up in front of him in a cloud, throwing him in its prop wash.
Marlene
"Legs" Dietrich was to stage a show for the men tonight but due to her illness,
the show was postponed until a later date.
Colonel
Mills and all the Pilots held a "Critique" this evening in the War Room.
26 April 1944
There was a
very early morning briefing today. The target scheduled was the Airdrome at
Wiener-Neustadt. The mission was briefed, but was immediately scrubbed due to
weather conditions.
The wind blew
and the remainder of the day was very dreary. Lt. Chronister gave an
interesting Target Information Lecture to the bombardiers this afternoon.
There was a
movie today at Oria which was "Riding High", starring Dorothy Lamour. A large
crowd was present at both shows.
27 April 1944
The crews
were briefed this morning to bomb the Airfield at Wiener-Neustadt but the
mission was again scrubbed just after briefing because of weather conditions.
It was
partly cloudy all day, but the sun managed to shine through most of the day
making it very nice and warm.
Representatives
from this Squadron attended a meeting held by Wing in the War Room this
afternoon. Colonel Kyle was one of the speakers at this meeting.
28 April 1944
The crews
were briefed and took off on the 57th Group mission at 1115 to bomb
the Port Installations at Orbetallo, Italy. The bomb load today was 10 X 500
demolition bombs on each ship. The crews flying today were: Lts. Clarke, Boggs,
Gilday, Tate, Helmberger, Emch, E. Anderson, Gallagher, Weilert, and DeVane.
The weather was cloudy and quite cold today.
The planes
found their target, but only a few of the bombs hit the target, the majority of
them striking in the water. All of the ships returned at 1715 and there were no
crew injuries. The Group experienced moderate, extremely accurate, heavy flak
over the target which holed several of our ships. The target was partially
cloud obscured during the bomb run and although many hit were observed striking
the water, there is a possibility of hits that did not show on the photos.
There were
two shows at the theatre today which had a very good attendance. The movie was
"A Lady Takes a Chance", starring Jean Arthur and John Payne.
29 April 1944
The crews
were briefed early this morning for the Group's 58th mission. They
took off at 0730 – once again to strike the Harbor of Toulon, France! The bomb
load today was 5 X 1000 lb. demolition bombs per ship. The crews flying today
were: Capt. Pitt, Lts, Helmberger, Boggs, Gilday, Emch, McIver, Bishop,
Weilert, Martin. All crews completed the mission successfully today – no early
returns. A very heavily concentrated smoke screen obscured the target area and
was very effective, however, returning crews believed that the bomb run was
excellent and that many hits on or near the aiming point were scored. Photo
coverage showed bursts beginning 2500 feet south of the target and extending
into the smoke on a favorable axis. No enemy fighters were encountered today,
but the flak was extremely accurate, believed to be the most accurate this
Group has ever experienced. All ships in this squadron returned safely,
however, Lt. Bishop had to stop at Naples on the return to pick up more gas to
reach this base. There was also no crew injuries on this mission.
An orientation
lecture was given to the new crews in the War Room this morning by the Intelligence
Section.
30 April 1944
The crews
were briefed this morning and took off at 0802 hours on the 59th
Group mission to bomb the M/Y at Allessandria. The bomb load today was 10 X 500
demo bombs per ship. The crews flying today were: Major Davis, Lts. Scott,
DeVane, Tate, Helmberger, Gallagher, McIver, Emch, Martin, and Gilday. Major
Davis led the whole 47th Wing on this mission. After making a good
run on the target, approximately 50 hits fell in the M/Y but a large number
fell in fields east of the South M/Y. Several direct hits were scored on
ammunitions plant and much red flame and black and gray smoke were seen from
that location. No enemy fighters were encountered today and the flak was light
and inaccurate, heavy type. All planes returned without damage or crew injuries
at 1230 hours.
Church
Services were held this morning, the Protestant Services were held in the 331st
Mess Hall because of extremely high winds.
The weekly
news lecture was given tonight at 1830 in the War Room by Capt. Bowman and Lt.,
Ogozalek. A very large crowd was present tonight as usual, the British being
well represented. Thus, the end of another month for the 721st
Bombardment Squadron in a theater of operations.
Robert S Ogozalek,
1st Lt., Air Corps,
Squadron Historian
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