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457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 0 |
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| 457th Bomb Group | 748th Bomb Squadron |
| (457th Home) (Back) Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:13 |
Mission NarrativeMission No. 0Date - April 21, 1944 Target - Merseberg, Broke up over field This was a mission scheduled to Merseberg, Germany and was recalled due to bad weather after serveral planes had taken off. The plane s/n 42-97236, piloted by Lt Owen B. Coffman, while climbing into formation, encountered a heavy downdraft and the plane went into a dive. The pilot overcorrected in trying to pull out and the plane broke in half near the bomb bay. Parts of the plane fell in the vicinity of the field at Glatton. Four of the crew were able to bail out and survived. The remainder were killed. |
......... Crew
| Pilot |  | Lt Owen B. Coffman | KIA |
| Copilot | | Lt Stewart Barnes | KIA |
| Navigator | | Lt Joseph J. Peacock | KIA |
| Bombardier | | Lt Lowell D. Baker | KIA |
| Aircraft Engineer | Sgt Leroy L. Logan | ||
| Radio Operator | | Sgt Joseph T. Paddock | KIA |
| Left Waist Gunner | Sgt Morris R. Walker | ||
| Right Waist Gunner | | Sgt Donald L. Moore | KIA |
| Ball Turret Gunner | Sgt James C. Hilty | ||
| Tail Gunner | Sgt John P.Medica |
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