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457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 128 |
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| 457th Bomb Group | 748th Bomb Squadron |
| (457th Home) (Back) Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:16 |
Mission NarrativeMission No. 128Date - September 28, 1944 Target - Magdeberg, Crashed nr Brussels This mission to Magdeberg turned out to be one of the worst mission for the 457th since it began flying. Six crews were lost. The Group put up 36 planes and their target was to be the Krupp machine shops at Magdeberg where anti-aircraft guns and tanks were made. Just before reaching the IP the group was attacked by 25 to 50 ME-109's and FW-190's. The fighters attacked from 4 oclock and 9 o'clock low and hit hardest at the rear of the formation. Five planes were lost to fighters: s/n 43-37518, s/n 43-38181, s/n 43-38026, S/N 43-37834 and 42-97470. One other plane s/n 42-102948 was lost to flak at the target. Bombing was by PFF and the results were unobserved. P-51's arrived to drive off the attacking planes after the damage was done. Three other planes received major damage and twelve received minor damage from flak and fighters. Plane s/n 42-97955, piloted by Francisco Gamboa, was attacked by Luftwaffe ME-109's and FW-190's over the target at Magdeburg, Germany. The plane left the formation and managed to stay aloft till they were over Belgium where they crash landed near Brussels. All of the crew survived and returned to Glatton. |
......... Crew
| Pilot | Lt Francisco Gamboa | ||
| Copilot | Lt Raymond G. Ressner | ||
| Navigator | F/O Milton Braverman | ||
| Bombardier | Lt Hiram M. Drachs | ||
| Aircraft Engineer | Sgt Stanley Zocks | ||
| Radio Operator | Sgt Robert B. Black | ||
| Left Waist Gunner | Sgt Thomas C. Elliott | ||
| Ball Turret Gunner | Sgt Lyle W. Astry | ||
| Tail Gunner | Sgt John R. Weathoff |
Plane s/n
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