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457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 165 |
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| 457th Bomb Group | '749th Bomb Squadron |
| (457th Home) (Back) Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:20 |
Mission NarrativeMission No. 165Date - December 30, 1944 Target - Kaiserslautern, Germany On this last mission of 1944, the 8th Air Force put up over 1200 bombers to attack transportation and communication centers in support of the ground forces. The target for the 457th was Kaiserlautern, Germany and was expected to be PFF bombing because of the weather. The course over the continent was as briefed but near the IP the PFF equipment of three of the lead planes malfunctioned. By the time they had got a plane in the lead they had crossed over the target. The group did a 360 and picked up an arbitrary IP and proceeded to bomb the target. Results were unobserved due to the cloud cover. One plane, s/n 43-37828 encountered an undetermined difficulty and made a crash landing in France with no loss of life. Plane s/n 43-37828, named "Remember Me?/Georgia Peach," and piloted by Lt William R. McCall, encountered mechanical difficulty and was forced to leave the formation after dropping his bombs. The plane belly landed in a farmers field in France. All the crew survived and returned to Glatton. The plane was repaired and eventually returned to the USA. |
......... Crew
| Pilot | Lt William R. McCall | ||
| Copilot | Lt Tommy L. Gregory | ||
| Navigator | Lt Arthur M. Livingston | ||
| Toggleer | Sgt George A. Cooke | ||
| Aircraft Engineer | Sgt George F. Perry | ||
| Radio Operator | sgt Rovert J. Haynes | ||
| Left Waist Gunner | Sgt Linville Wells | ||
| Ball Turret Gunner | Sgt Walter L. Slate | ||
| Tail Gunner | Sgt Larido A. Battisti |
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