Mission No 142

MISSION NO. 142
MUNSTER, GERMANY

30 OCTOBER, 1944

Although the assigned primary target was the synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen, solid undercast caused the Group to bomb Munster for the second time in three days. The 457th comprised the 94th B Combat Wing, with Lt. Col. Francis as Air Commander.

The Group assembled and flew the Division Assembly line as briefed and in proper position. Some difficulty was encountered in maintaining Division formation when the Group ran into very dense and persistent contrails west of the Dutch coast. However, the course to the IP was flown as briefed.

Since ten-tenths clouds covered the primary target, the Group attacked the PFF secondary target. The turn was made at the IP, as briefed for PFF bombing, with squadrons in trail. Visibility was poor because of contrails. Meager and inaccurate flak had no effect on the bomb run. The lead squadron performed its own sighting and released its bombs from 28,000 feet. The high squadron also performed its own sighting. The PFF equipment malfunctioned halfway down the bomb run, but the operator had given a sufficient number of dropping angles to permit the bombardier to release bombs. The low squadron dropped on the smoke markers of the lead.

The route from the target was flown as briefed. All planes returned safely to the base with two craft sustaining damage. Weather had limited the bombing operations and October ended with the Group having flown only 13 missions, the same as in September, and ranking with September as the smallest i number since February. However, in terms of effort, the Group matched September and every other month. It had also suffered a devastating blow on the Politz mission.

High pressure was still on the crews. As an example, Spleth's crew flew its first mission on September 12. Starting then, the Group flew 22 missions by the end of October; the crew had launched on 20 of them. More crews were badly needed.

30 October was Monday. Little did the Group realize that before week's end, another deadly air battle was to be fought over the skies of Germany.

CREW LOADING LIST

October 30th, 1944
Mission No 142 Target: Munster, 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 # 509		A/C # 064		A/C # 024		A/C # 219
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edgar H. Humble Edmund W. Hubard Richard J. Rementeria Fabio F. Sulpizzi Edward J. McGurren Jack J. Ham Charles A. Sneer Gilbert J. Fleming Junior D. Brooks	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Arnet L. Furr Sterling H. Book, Jr Joseph W. Andrews, Jr Leon. M. Plagianos Alfredo J. Raimo Richard C. Weaver Warren M. Rankin Leroy E. Wetzel Glenn M. Wisdom	Lt Col Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Lt Sgt	Charles Lower Rod L. Francis Edwin E. Mays Bernard M. Plaut Almis P. Umoff Ralph D. Stutzman Albert P. Boemer Thomas L. Jones Ralph I. Evans Lester L. Epps	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Raymond R. Lyons William R. Fantleroy Richard L Hamel Valeran J. Leksan Joe T. Clary Joseph A. Macke Allen F. Schiebel Adrian W. Pennington Jerome P. Rakel

	A/C # 583		A/C # 113		A/C # 301		A/C # 028
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward J. Schorr George M. Bobletts Donald L. Neff Robert R. Wheeler William J. Dallas Robert J. Engle Hubert H. Akins Anthony N. Kovac, Jr Willard O. Arndt	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Lloyd B. Gray Charles G. Keiler Peter H. Katz Charles L. T. Carroll James W. Brown Hector L. Soder John R. Boudreau Clifton G. Bragden Paul T. Harlan	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Carl P. Sundbaum Galileo F. Bossio Theodore F. Scanlon Warren W. Nixon John V. Brennan Julian S. Smith Edward J. Zeitz Brooks H. Estes Donald R. Peacock	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles C. Schobert William C. Girard Jame E. Tolbert Fayette Dennison, Jr William B. Wilson James F. Casey Walter l. Smith Raymond J. Helble F. F. Jasinsky

	A/C # 954		A/C # 164		A/C # 819		A/C # 630
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Lauren M. Spleth John F. Welch Theodore M. Braffman Robert L. Haynes Edward J. Grybos Norman T. Ozenberger Thomas C. Elliott John J. Briol Owen S. O'Rourke	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert B. Hooper William E. Thompson, Jr Dominic J. Giannico Roland Vivier David C. Foltz Raymond Conway Robert V. Moore Joseph P. Brock Charles H. Borland	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James W. Franklin Donald C. Lengman Charles C. Smith Robert S. Todd Luther E. Holloman Leonard O. Beach Adolph Sroczyk John W. York Ernest L. Herndon	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ambrose W. Reese James F. Stoner Donald E. Scheuch Joel Lester Edward F. Peters Charles E. Kenney James E. McCloskey Percy C. Mack Alfred C. Hetrick

	A/C # 954		A/C # 205		A/C # 535		A/C # 123
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Sanford Fonnesbeck Kenneth E. Rohde Robert L. Scott Charles L. Wingfield George M. Kuykendall Edwin A. Reynolds William Moore John L. Morton Paul F. Amann	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William D. Hurdis Elmer Mittwoch Merton L. Pond John W. Martin Daniel W. Richmond Eldin Mayo Paul A. Stancil Lawrence C. Johnson Robertt E. Southern	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William Clarkson Harold F. Bacon Victor E. Dombrowski Valentine W. Stype Neal Spencer Albert A. Spierling Edmond L. Niec Roman N.l Becker John J. Walicki i	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Graeme L. Bow Donald Allen James F. McGee Richard I. Hibshman Chester N. Hall John C. Bruggeman Chester L. Spurrier Robert P. Robinson Joseph Navarro

	A/C #		A/C # 828		A/C # 782		A/C # 998
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald L. Zeiler Sidney A. Bacon Hiram M. Drache William C. Oliver Samuel J. Gelvin Dominic F. Muscato Donald A. Swisher Stanley R. Patterson James J. Rodel Carl Lewis	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Oliver G. Burgess, Jr Albert V. Teutschel, Jr Louis Pike John W. Marinoke Aldo Molestatore George A. Parsons Robert J. Burke Herbert E. Dollar Homer D. Reich	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William J. Murdock Alvert F. Porta Robert J. Huels Paul D. Richardson Ray L. Zirbel William F. Hunter Charles C. Martiny Edmund G. Caruso Ben W. Berg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John W. White Rudolph Prokop Jacob Landsman Leon J. Zimmerman Albert C. Williams Howard Wilcox Gerald E. Whitman Joseph M. Geller Richard E Seely

	A/C # 394		A/C # 516		A/C # 551		A/C # 155
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald L. Zeiler James Wilson John A. Franck Eldon E. Smith Robert L. Crunk william H. Carroll James A. Kolofa G. S. Byoff Howard A. Prather	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William R. McCall, Jr Thomas L. Gregory Arthur M. Livingstone George A. Cook George W. Perry Robert J. Hayes Linville Wills Larido A. Battisti Walter S. Slate	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James C. Evans Herbert A. Lawyer Olin G. Wellborn Sanford W. Lewin Jerome Grossman Peter Credidio Edwin B. Hartley Ferdinand G. Rupanian Grant A. Hanson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Frank S. Foster Robert H. Wood Jack Gassman Max Anderson Ralph W. Libby John L. Prendergast Roy L. Walker Richard J. Cambria David M. Fleming

	A/C # 785		A/C # 061		A/C # 528		A/C # 505
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Lon A. McCauley, Jr. Robert C. Quincy Harry J. Campbell Henry L. Bartnowski Bernard J. Carroll Wilmer G. Boykin Frederick F. Parlin Elmer J. Markle G. B. Gaster	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William T. Robertson Clifford Hendrickson Charles W. Carbery Julius Kornblatt Louis A. Dahle Bernard Stutman Clifford B. Digre Stanley Szydlowski Philip H. Snyder	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ero E. Salo Milton W. Casey Adam E. Santora Clifford C. Koneman John P. Fulgham Nicholas T. Benos Sal Bachos Casper J. Casciano Doyle H. Brown	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ernest T. Salzer Rex E. Monson Jack R. Muth William A. Steffen Jack F. Scarborough Vincent A. Toth Richard F. Metrenga Benjamin W. Hamrick Elbert C. Conger

	A/C # 606		A/C # 161		A/C # 934		A/C # 587
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William B. Biracree William J. Couch James R. Ogletree George L. Branstetter Archie E. Bruce Robert F. Devaney Arthur J. Christensen Robert H. Young Laffetti Trace	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wallace F. Boyes Jr Elmer Felgenhauser Kenneth J. Furst Merritt D. Turner Francis J. Horan Abraham Feldman Frank Trapasi Roy S. Duitman Robert A. Dilley	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth E. Guptill George H. Keller Edmond C. McMamara Thomas A. Dunn Virgil H. Smallen Frank A. Kravetz William E. Rhodes John Simmon Herbert E. Brayman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Samuel L. Schimel Edward Grudzien Harold L. Kaplan Dick E. Coffman Herny W. Short Bob B. McFarlane Albert P. Schmitz Anthony J. Demaro Robert J. Kaer

	A/C # 537		A/C # 703		A/C # 694		A/C # 028
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John P. Weber Douglas J. Sharkey Carl G. Swanberg Charles K. Rawls Louis L. R. Gomes Edgar W. Monell Lloyd G. Hesseltine Godfrey C. Edgerton John Mezra	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Loren G. Hampton Orville K. Hocker Neil C. Schroeder Andrew R. Friesen Maurice A. Diehl Russell G. Karl Thomas V. Farrell Irving Feitel Harvey Ray	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Alvin I. Caplovitz Harold J. Franklin Peter Mihalik Douglas S. Rains Raymond G. Field Horace H. Huey John E. Burch Robert E. Springer Alvin C. Farrar	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Earl M. Morrow William M. Stemach George E. Shaffer Samuel J. Lisica Clifford J. Upton Charles E. Lindquist Robert K. Koerner Harry W. Pannell Delbert L. Bellinger

	A/C #		A/C # 574		A/C #		A/C # 923
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Paul F. Gillman Don E. Jensen Thomas M. Karr Robert W. Crowe Samuel H. Schafstall William S. Stanton Wilbert M. Saylor J. C. Arnold John E. Walters	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Joe D. Coleman Edward F. Salman Thomas S. Crowley William C. Wright Francis E. Snow Robert L. Harrison George Martin, Jr Allen A. Sharpe Robert G. Smith	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James B. Corriher Jeremiah J. Healy Earl L. Hill Harold A. Doerr Joseph H. Gubino Harry F. Gormley Bail E. Schatz Robert J. Gunther George P Levaseur

	A/C #		A/C # 534		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert W. Kelly James V. Elduff Leonard G. Stoner Albert P. Banks Joseph W. Kelly Howard B. Monger Bernard F. Sitek John D. McGillian Kenneth E. McGriff	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 lwg 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