457th Bomb Group 457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 188		 748th Bomb Squadron
457th Bomb Group 748th Bomb Squadron
                                         (457th Home) (Back)            Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:15

Mission Narrative

Mission No. 188
Date - February 16, 1945
Target - Gelsenkirchen, Germany
The target for the 8th Air Force was synthetic oil plants in Germany. The 457th was assigned to bomb industrial targets in the city of Gelsenkirchen. The group and wing assembly was accomplished without difficulty and the bomb run was in squadron formation. Contrails, haze and low fog made visual bombing impossible and bombs were dropped using G-H equipment. Bombing results were fair.
Flak was moderate but accurate and one plane, s/n 44-6831, piloted by Lt Roland Brazier, took a direct hit in the right wing. The wing broke off and the plane rolled over twice and spun out of sight (see photo). Six members of the crew were killed and 4 were POW's.
The rest of the group landed at another field that night because of inclement weather at Glatton.

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......... Crew

The crew was as follows:
  Plane s/n 44-6831
PilotLt Roland H. Brazier. POW
CopilotLt Alvin G. Hazlett POW
NavigatorLt William J. Diehl POW
BombardierLt William F. Freeman   KIA  
Aircraft EngineerSgt Walter H. Klimhoff   KIA  
Radio OperatorSgt Stanley L. Murray   KIA  
Left Waist GunnerSgt Daniel S. Hochberg POW
Right Waist GunnerSgt Richard C. Trapp   KIA  
Tail Gunner Sgt Stanley D. Swanson   KIA  
Ball Turret GunnerSgt William J. Conner   KIA  
                                         (457th Home) (Back)            Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:15
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the Content:  Willard (Hap) Reese (Website Author)