Mission No 103

MISSION NO. 103

NIENBURG, GERMANY

5 AUGUST, 1944

The heavy bomber effort was made by twenty-two combat wings against oil refineries, airfields, tank and aircraft production plants, and similar targets in north-central Germany. The 457th formed the 94th A Wing, flying ninth in the Division line and third on the target, which was a very large fuel dump about three miles south-southwest of Nienburg, Germany.

The Wing included three twelve-aircraft boxes. Major Hozier was Air Commander and Lt. Brannan was pilot. Crossing the North Sea and penetrating Germany on the coast, the Group flew southwest, passing between Hamburg and Bremen to Ulzen, then turned sharply southwest to an IP near Celle. The bomb run was made visually on the target, by all three boxes. In spite of clear weather, however, the three MPIs were hidden, for two wings of the 1st Combat Wing had struck first and smoke had arisen. The bombardiers used triangulation and dropped from 18,000 feet. There was no flak at the target.

Despite the fact that flak was encountered only once and then was meager, the group lost an aircraft. The aircraft piloted by Lt. Charles C. Canfield was hit after entenng the enemy coast. Two engines were completely shot out and Lt. Canfield turned back toward England. A fire broke out in the oxygen system just below the copilot's compartment, which the top turret gunner- engineer extinguished by using his bare hands and some of the damaged fire-fighting equipment. The ship was over the North Sea when a third engine failed. The crew prepared to ditch and took their positions in the radio room. Lt. Canfield and Lt. Clarence E. Ross, the copilot, set the ship down in the North Sea. Utilizing the knowledge gained from previous training, the entire crew made their way out of the Fort and into their rubber dinghies. The plane had broken in half and sank twenty-five seconds after hitting the water.

Two P-5 1 Mustangs hovered overhead until the crew was in the dinghies, and they then proceeded on their way after radioing the position of the bomber's crew. The crew was unable to use their radio in the dinghy, lest the enemy pick up their message, since they were only fifteen miles off the German coast. About three hours had elapsed when a British Air/Sea Rescue plane appeared and dropped a power boat to the crew. At the same time a fishing ship appeared and took the bomber's crew aboard. The ship was a Danish fishing craft and the skipper, in broken English, told the American airmen he would take them to England. They started out for the English coast with the navigator aiding in the navigation of the ship.

Realizing as they neared British waters that there wasa great danger of hitting mines, Lt. Ross and Sgt. William R. Cain, the flight engineer, left the fishing craft in the power boat. They hoped to reach the coast and arrange for the Danish craft to make harbor safely. As Ross and Cain neared the coast, they were observed by a plane of the British Air/Sea Rescue, which radioed for a launch to pick up the two airmen. Another aircraft sighted the fishing ship and arranged for her safe passage into an English port.

CREW LOADING LIST

5 August 1944
Mission No 103 Target: Nienburg, Germany

If you desire to see the original scanned loading lists, click on the respective blue squadron header below.
(If a very small image appears, click on the small image to enlarge.)

748th Squadron

749th Squadron

750th Squadron

751th Squadron

	A/C # 701		A/C # 574		A/C # 060		A/C # 026
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles D. Brannan George C. Hozier James H. Kincaid Patrick W. Henry Frederick W. Asbell John T. Matovina Joseph M. Colechia Edward M. Hardin Charles J. Schultz James E. Fast	Lt F/O Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harry J. Whitman Albert O. Gilbertson, Jr Harold W. Patrick Leonard G. Stoner Joseph P. Melly Howard B. Munger William A. Scharnhorst Charles E. Fosson Kenneth E. McGriff	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles C. Canfield Clarence E. Ross Warren G. Suddath Thomas H. Norton Fred E. Lawyer William R. Cain Julius Smith Alvie M. Kirkendall Herbert P. Barte	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Vincent L. Frost Robert C. Cook Robert W. Danaher Earl A. Peronto Chester F. Bartosewicz Solomon H. Bernstein Daniel D. Rice Daniel C. Taylor Robert D. Christofferson

	A/C # 591		A/C # 948		A/C # 018		A/C # 630
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William H. Flannery Jewell W. Lowery William J. Meng, Jr John G. Schloendon Lloyd K. Laggassa Duane K. Stowits George L. Petty Robert A. Storey Richard W. Swank	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William D. Hurdis Elmer Mittwoch Merton L. Pond Mark K. Miller William L. Finley Daniel W. Richmond Paul A. Stancil Lawrence C. Johnston Robert S. McEwan	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gordon E. Gallagher Donald W. Johnson Joseph C. Isaacson Delos N. Reigle William J. Moore Paul W. Johnson Melvin D. Thompson Harold E. Sturman James C. Baum	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John A. Fox John B. Folson Jack R. Muth Richard R. Hinman Alfred J. Rubino Calvin Campbell Richard J. Imhoff Guy P. Wharton Wilfred Finke

	A/C # 899		A/C # 079		A/C # 468		A/C # 131
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harris S. Mathis Walter F. Creigh Norman K. Nail Robert I. Braun Rex B. Crawford Nolan V. Claxton Norris R. Walker Herbert W. Shaurette Milton Lowenstein	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Raymond A. Fulton Robert W. Kelley John C. Fonda Charles W. Craig Richard H. Gardner Frank H. Cuetara John W. Mahinske Calvin R. Taylor Francis K. Larntz	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald K Goss William M. Hammersley Victor E. Dombrowski William H. Sokolowski Herbert Rosenzweig Peter G. Stern William F. Radford John A. Roe Ruben L. Hernandsz	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harold D. Gay Kenneth L. Yap Walter H. Sale Fabian F. Nordan Donald F. Anderson Arthur G. Beck Arthur G. Rounseville Harry C. Thortsen McDee Thomas

	A/C # 026		A/C # 164		A/C # 765		A/C # 505
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John H. Ingalls William D. Mock Howard V. Quinn William J. Miller Robert E. Crunk Willard W. Largent Leonard F. Johnson Lawrence J. Maher Michael Milbour	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Carl H. Gooch John P. Quillan Neil C. Schroeder Dominick J. Giannico Wilber H. Parker Clement W. Kelsey Leo J. Chermack Thomas V. Angott Donald J. Reilly	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert L. Kaufman Robert C. Burkholder D. J. Letizia H. J. Smuzynski Edwin M. Sinclair Warren G. Antoine Sanford G. Cadwell Rudolph S. Buczak Lauren C. Keene	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Arthur M. Ford John G. Hossack William A. Moore Maurice S. Wilks Gene F. Skidmore Melvin G. Shields Harry D. Sallis Robert C. Templin Paul Frank

	A/C # 118		A/C # 086		A/C # 606		A/C # 532
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Haven R. Burningham Lorentz C. Hanson George A. Voris Frank J. Bernd Karl H. Mannisto John S. Bozoudes Arthur E. Baker John W. Utter Nicolis Toscano	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Oliver G. Burgess, Jr Albert V. Teutschel, Jr Louis Pike John E. Elwood Aldo Molestatore Robert R. Strickler Robert J. Burke Herbert E. Dollar C. T. Snyder	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Norman N. Chapman Raymond K. Mills Kenneth N. Johnson Gerhardt Hoeizel Robert T. Brady Joseph T. Schembri James R. Dixon Carl M. Weibel Stephen Lupo	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Graeme L. Bow Norman S. Brandvold James F. McGee Richard I. Hibshman Chester N. Hall John C. Bruggeman Chester L. Spurrier Robert P. Robinson Donald E. Betthauser

	A/C # 954		A/C # 161		A/C # 167		A/C # 021
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt F/O Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Richard E. Fitzhugh Arthur Gennari Enoch T. Naversen John Schwall Hardy L. Bell Howard Larsen Howard A. Prather Ivory S. Phillips George L. Cole	Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert B. Hooper Milton E. Durham Theodore J. Mellow Jack W. Osecher Norbert A. Meeuwsen Thomas G. Scott Herbert L. Brownfield Mildredge C. Doan Virgil G. Maier	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Scott B. Ormsby Edward S. McNeal Theodore R. Bortel Roy E. Gleason Jay L. Saulsburry J. M. Sofranko Kenneth E. Davidson Ray F. Jones Karl E. Kramer	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ernest T. Salzer Paul F. Rochlitz Kenneth Post William A. Steffen Vincent A. Toth Raymond A. Adams Richard F. Metrenga Benjamin W. Hamrick Jack F. Scarborough

	A/C # 955		A/C # 633		A/C # 796		A/C # 451
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James E. Sherrod Gordon C. Esch Rolland L. Boyle James M. Perrin Wayne C. Rapp Leo J. Gawroniak Arthur J. Kimball Joe L. Steele Lyle D. Johnson	Lt F/O Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Stanley E. Kleiner Bernard J. Yavorosky Reed V. Bryant John B. Bomba Bernard L. Baker Leo J. Kwiatkowski James E. Haddock Rene V. Gabriel Lloyd C. Holdridge	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles Lower Kenneth W. Morrow Fred W. Roberts Andrew E. Jasso Albert M. Grisa Albert P. Boemer Thomas L. Jones Earl L. McAdams Lester L. Epps	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Hercules Phyllides Rex R. Monson Elman A. Salo James S Warn Frank N. Smith Lester T. Weaver William C. Adams Michael S. Rubacha Matthew S. Przybysz

	A/C # 470		A/C # 828		A/C # 098		A/C # 587
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John W. Norton Harry P. Polenski David C. Watts Woodrow W. Hammons Lloyd E. Larson John P. Medica Edwin C. VanTine William H. Barrett Robert W. Tunstall	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Alfred H. Thoman, Jr William E. Thompson, Jr William J. Morrow Vernon F. Hornig Charles A. Keller George A. Parsons, Jr Kenneth L Denune William W. Myers Bernard E. Arciero	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James W. Franklin Donald C. Lengman Charles C. Smith Joseph M. Budich Luther E. Holloman Leonard O. Beach Adolph Sroczyk John W. York Ernest L. Herndon	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack D. Marks Karl A. Johnson Harold L. Kaplan Richard K. Newman Junior P. Schaner George T. Stefani Roy L. Walker William H. Shaffer Jessie D. Dunn

	A/C # 785		A/C # 088		A/C # 535		A/C # 827
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George A. Beere Edward A. Taylor Clement H. Marsden Harold W. Walbright Edward J. Colleran Elie R. Carrier Herbert L. Webster Lewis H. Shane George S. Kamas Glen S. Thornton	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Joe D. Coleman Edward F. Slaman William G. Watts Thomas S. Crowley Francis E. Snow Robert L. Harrison William G. Wright George B. Crockett Robert G. Smith	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ralph I. Evans Raymond A. Carlsen Einar L. Nelson Leroy J. Peters John H. Cheatham Leslie R. Peterson Franklin H. Kark Maurice E. Patterson Elmer R. Sonday	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William L. Brackley Clarence E. Schuchman Joseph A. Sydejko Arthur N. Hoffman Bernard J. Geraghty Anthony Kulczucki Glen A. Jackson Miles L. McQueen Thomas E. Gougarty Daniel D. Elieff Leroy W. Heibert

	A/C # 934		A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 638
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert I. Ellsworth John V. Van Ingen Thomas O. Metcalfe Felix Merlone James D. Kreighbaum James A. Mellin Alex McCahon Joseph J. Smolinski Robert J. Stubbs	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Lt Sgt Sgt	Donald E. Zigler Donald Allen Walter H. Stortz John L. Kabelac Oliver P. Kolstoe Ernest C. George Edgardo Buletti Charles E. Newmeyer Robert S. Theiss Willis L. Storrer

	A/C # 662		A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 998
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Irwin G. Forry Harmon E. Robertson John C. Muir John J. Purvis James D. Toal Francis D. Crawford William F. Norton Winfield J. Scott Virgil W. Sterner	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James J. Parks Charles E. Berta Albert M. Durrett Thomas W. Battley James F. Lynch John H. Wiktorowic James H.l VanAckeren Robert E. Walters Charles L. Bickers

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lrwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt