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457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 53 |
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| 457th Bomb Group | 748th Bomb Squadron |
| (457th Home) (Back) Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:11 |
Mission NarrativeMission No. 53Date - May 28, 1944 Target - Dessau The 457th put up only16 aircraft which led the 94th Wing on this mission to Dessau. The Luftwaffe put up over 450 fighters on this date and shot down 32 bombers. The target was manufacturing facilities of the Junkers Aircraft Co. This was the second mission in two days to feel the attack of the Luftwaffe's ME-109's. The group lost three of the sixteen planes to an attack by 50 or 60 fighters. The lead aircraft, with Air Commander Major George C. Hozier, lost an engine in the fighter attack but maintained the lead until bombs were dropped. For his action on this mission he received the Silver Star. The planes lost were Lt clyde Knipfer s/n 42-31520, Lt Rudolph Stohl s/n 42-97067, and Lt Emanuel Hauf s/n 42-97452. Plane s/n 42-97067, named "Black Puff Polly" and piloted by Lt Rudolph M. Stohl, was hit by ME-109's. With two engines out and flames coming from the third, Stohl gave the order to bail out. One member of the crew was killed by a burst of 20 mm shells. The rest of the crew were captured and became POW's. |
......... Crew
| Pilot | Lt Rudolph M. Stohl | POW | |
| Copilot | Lt David W. Schellenger | POW | |
| Navigator | Lt John D. Millham | POW | |
| Bombardier | Lt James E. Thomas | POW | |
| Aircraft Engineer | Sgt Robert C. Kreite | POW | |
| Radio Operator |  | Sgt Walter W. Wagoner | KIA |
| Left Waist Gunner | Sgt Irwin A. Welling | POW | |
| Right Waist Gunner | Sgt William F. Bemis | POW | |
| Ball Turret Gunner | Sgt Sheldon E. Moore | POW | |
| Tail Gunner | Sgt Charles L. Stewart | POW |
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