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457th Bomb Group Honor Roll
Mission No. 93 |
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| 457th Bomb Group | 748th Bomb Squadron |
| (457th Home) (Back) Updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:24 |
Mission NarrativeMission No. 93Date - July 21, 1944 Target - Schweinfurt Repairs had been made to the ball bearing plants bombed earlier and now the 457th's target was again these same ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt. The group put up two 12 ship boxes. Schweinfurt was cloud free but each box had navigation difficulties and the bombs were dropped short of their target. The bomb run took them through very heavy flak (120 guns) and the group suffered heavy damage to planes and the loss of plane s/n 44-6103. Plane s/n 44-6103, flying in the high box and piloted by Lt Norris H. Gerber, was hit by flak and lost #3 engine. They salvoed their bombs and left the formation. The plane dived in flames, was lost in the clouds and no parachutes were seen. |
......... Crew
| Pilot | Lt Norris H. Gerber | POW | |
| Copilot |  | Lt Richard J. Cotter | KIA |
| Navigator | Lt George A. Sipp | POW | |
| Bombardier | Lt William A. O'Connor | POW | |
| Aircraft Engineer | Sgt Norman Hirsch | POW | |
| Radio Operator | Sgt Floyd T. Stitely | POW | |
| Left Waist Gunner | Sgt Harold R. Moore | POW | |
| Right Waist Gunner | | Sgt Herve J. Paquin | POW KIA |
| Tail Gunner | Sgt Charles Minter, Jr. | POW |
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