 |
457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 72 |
 |
| 457th Bomb Group | 750th Bomb Squadron |
| (457th Home) (Back) Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:18 |
Mission NarrativeMission No. 72Date - June 21, 1944 Target - Berlin - landed in Sweden On June 21st the 8th Air Force sent 935 bombers to bomb motor industry targets in Berlin, Germany. Nineteen bombers were lost on this mission. One hundred thirty four bombers flew from England to bomb Berlin and then on to a base in Russia. The operation was known as "Frantic" and was a disaster. 47 of the 73 planes that landed at a Russian airfield were attacked on the ground by German fighters and were destroyed. The 457th Put up 37 aircraft with Major Leroy Watson in command. Flak was moderate but two planes, s/n 42-107015 and 42-31656 from the 457th were lost. Plane 42-31656 blew up over the target and the other left the formation over the Baltic Sea and flew north to Sweden. The crew was interned in Sweden for the remainder of the war. Plane s/n 42-107015, flown by Lt Robert Krumm whose regular plane, "Flak Dodger," was in the hanger for repairs. The plane they were assigned was a "lemon" which no one wanted to fly. On the way to the target they lost one engine through malfunction and then another for the same reason. They knew this plane could not get them back to England and opted instead to land in Sweden. They landed safely and were interned in Sweden for the remainder of the war. |
......... Crew
| Pilot | Lt Robert M. Krumm - INT | ||
| Copilot | Lt Leo R. Green - INT | ||
| Navigator | Lt Robert Horn - INT | ||
| Bombardier | Lt Lawrence Walsh - INT | ||
| Aircraft Engineer | Sgt Joseph L. Hibbs - INT | ||
| Radio Operator | Sgt Billy Hightower - INT | ||
| Left Waist Gunner | Sgt Charles Hrubos - INT | ||
| Right Waist Gunner | Sgt Anthony Vitale - INT | ||
| Ball Turret Gunner | Sgt John Barrett - INT | ||
| Tail Gunner | Sgt Anthony Tozzi - INT |
Plane s/n
| Note: Please feel free to send your observations/comments on the Content: Willard (Hap) Reese (Website Author) |