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 42-97452, piloted by Lt Emanuel Hauf, was hit by enemy fighters and number 4 engine was set afire. The fire subsided and Lt Hauf continued in the formation until they crossed into Belgium. The fire in engine 4 began to flare up again and the plane dropped out of formation and headed down to ditch in the Channel. As they descended the right wing broke off the plane and it exploded just above the water. None of the crew survived.