Mission No 171

MISSION NO. 171
BITBURG, GERMANY

7 JANUARY, 1945

The highway intersection at Bitburg, where eight highways converge, was the tactical target for the 457th Bomb Group. The 457th comprised the 94th B Combat Wing with Captain Dozier as Air Commander. Assembly was without incident, other than difficulty in getting into Wing formation. Division assembly line was flown approximately as briefed, with the Group in proper position.

The route to the IP was flown on time, on course and approximately at briefed altitude. The IP was reached a little right of course because the G-H navigator brought the formation south of course in order to start the bomb run.

The route from the IP to the target was flown by means of (i-H navigation, and course varied from the briefed route. The Group bombed the primary target by means of G-H equipment because of ten tenths cloud coverage. Bombs were dropped from 24,900 feet. Bomb results were unobserved due to clouds.

Flak was light and none of the craft sustained damage.

CREW LOADING LIST

January 7th, 1945
Mission No 171 Target: Bitburg, 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 # 024		A/C # 255		A/C # 855		A/C # 028
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Capt Capt Capt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald L. Seesenguth Edward B. Dozier Roland O. Byers John A. Frank Hurbert A. Dolph Kenneth B. Taylor Raymond B. Brodin Jack J. Ham William W. Thacker Robert Schaaf	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jonathan M. Herbold? Edward G. Maffy? Jr. John W. Martin Lawrence D. Roger Patrick A. Walls? Paul A. Stancil Gerald E. Cook Allen A. Sharpe Robert P. Ingraham	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ero E. Salo Milton W. Casey Adam E. Santora Doyle H. Brown John P. Fulgham Clifford C. Koneman Nicholas T. Benos Sal Bachos Casper J. Casciano	Capt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Arthur M. Ford Jack Gumm Walter H. Sale William A. Moore Maurice S. Wilks Gene F. Skidmore Melvin G. Shields Robert B. Templin Dancil J. Adams Herbert J. Stempler

	A/C # 785		A/C # 733		A/C # 765		A/C # 301
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James Wilson William C. Manspeaker Eldon E. Smith Joseph H. Gubino William Moore Arthur E. Baker Charles A. Wilt George A. Cole Richard W. Swank	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Russel A. Nowling Edward M. Monesterio Elmer L. Mankin Dale F. Baldwin Stephen Skulee John M. Handler Theodore F. Steele, Jr William M. Stell Donald F. Rhone	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George L. Mathews Albert A. Bean Thomas S.Sajatovich Thomas A. Dunn William A. Allerdice Fernando Urzanqui James R. Boyle Duan E, Reich Hubert H. Duckett	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ambrose W. Reese James F. Stoner Paul A. Brook Joel Lester Edward F. Peters Charles E. Kenney James E. McCloskey Percy C. Mack Alfred C. Hetrick

	A/C # 749		A/C # 828		A/C # 857		A/C # 885
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald L. Zeiler Sidney A. Bacon William C. Oliver Samuel J. Gelvin Dominic F. Muscato Carl Lewis Donald A. Swisher Stanley R. Patterson James J. Rodel	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert H. Reed Frederick C. Ernest William B. Bird Charles K. Rawls Robert J. Viles Robert J. Viles Kenneth J. Kuchler Joseph M. Hamilton Kenneth J. Kuchler Peter P. Angott	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald C. Meyers Frank R. Guca Maurice R. Keesling William R. Veenker William R. Watson Robert D. Malloy Joseph A. Jakacki James D. Ransdell Kenneth R. Vann	Lt F/O Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Irwin C. Popham Robert H. Dickenson Gus S. Skalsky Howard W. Demotts Donald D. Shumate Keith W. Hill Robert W. Hamer William A. Marion Frederick J. Weytland

	A/C # 909		A/C # 540		A/C # 694		A/C # 021
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Paul F. Gillman Don E. Jensen Robert W. Crowe Samuel H. Schafstall William S. Stanton Donald F. Boyd Wilbert M. Saylor J. C. Arnold John E. Walters	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William R. McCall, Jr. Thomas L. Gregory Arthur Livingstone George A. Cooke George W. Perry Robert J. Hayes Linville Wills Walter L. Slate Larido A. Battisti	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Alvin I. Caplovitz Harold J. Franklin Peter Mihalik Alvin C. Farrar Raymond G. Field Horace H. Huey Robert E. Springer John E. Burch James D. McCorkindle	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Frank S. Foster Robert H. Wood Jack Gassman Max Anderson Ralph W. Libby John L. Prendergast Jessie T. Gill Richard J. Cambria David M. Fleming

Scanned copies of the original loading lists, sorted by mission number and date, can be viewed Here

	A/C # 751		A/C # 8?1		A/C # 537		A/C # 749
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt 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 James A. Carey	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Everett Park Edward G. Palm Bernard Lieb Donald G. Ward Kenneth M. Garrison Raymond J. Madgett Joy. J. Gafelle Clifton J. Rabideaux Steve Bohieski	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harlan Buettner George J. Grau Erwin Salnick Philip A. DuPont Theo R. Cowsert Anthony S. Giacobbi James R. Westbrook Leo Rendina Ray F. Hawkins	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Eugene C. Ricker Donald E. Miller Anthony D. Parutz Pete A. Antonella Murray L. Cooper William C, Lundy Abe Venick John K. McKinney Howard H. Jacobson

	A/C # 591		A/C # 104		A/C # 606		A/C # 854
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wayne B. Tweten Ben W. McChesney Theodore M. Braffman Norman M. Allegan William H. Carroll G. S. Byoff James A. Kolofa James G. Grantham John L. Morton	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Basil R. Dundas Jr. Robert E. Southern Dominick J. Giannico Antonio Papainni Calvin R. Taylor Clarence D. Barnes Thomas J. Ambrose Robert G. Smith Ernest Pappalardo	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Clyde R. Weid George D. McCurry Wayne W. Hanley Elroy J. Peters Charles H. Rogers Lauren C. Keene Thaddeus F. Dubaj John Simmen Hilliard B. Maples	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George W. Bobbitt Howard T. Hampton Eugene L. Walker Charles W. Carrier John Sing Leland M. Ford Daniel R. Roth Young W. Rainer Frank M. Prado

	A/C # 190		A/C # 706		A/C # 796		A/C # 827
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Arthur G. Jellinik James I. Christy Jack A. Dressler Frank J. Conti Harry H. Jolly James V. Cochran Jimmy Herron Harly Ernst Kenneth M. Beattie	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack E. Wescott Fred L. Steadman Merrill H. Ross Louis P. Decinzo Howard L. Maki Abel J. DeCoux Billy K. Berry James G. Glancopolos Harold A. Adams	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wllmore Flumen James M. Graves Harry M. Kennedy Edward F. Ambrose Lawrence J. Gallaher Willard F. Beason Billy E. DeBerry Robert J. Gantz John M. Gayden	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ronald P. Straus Everett R. Renfro Richard E. Anderson John B. Rogers Robert L. Olsen John P. Lapicca J. W. Bridges John F. Dunn Alfred J. Rubino

	A/C # 101		A/C # ??4		A/C # 934		A/C # 796
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Albert B Gross William P. O Connor Robert J. Jacobson Tommy M. Pruitt James L. Gray Frank E. Humphries Harold P. Hubert Hubert O. Newell William D. Oden	Lt Lt F/O F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell C. Tagus Quentin P. Thompson Francis G. Spillane G. Ward George A. Taylor Frank J. Pekar Ivan L. Matthews, Jr. George T. Zeillinski Simon A. Pomerantz	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Henry S. Blach Harold R. Hall Leslie J. Tesdall Otis N. Bennett Edward V. Maculaitis Samuel J. Williams Charles E. Sizemore Wendell H. Perry William E. Wilson	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward F. Clark Harry D. Horn Lionel W. O'Shea Charles E. Gavin Glenn S. Gruver George E. Dainty Gene R. Ross Frederick C. Rex George N. Pollock

	A/C # 826		A/C # 874		A/C # 881		A/C # 582
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kelly P. Jacobs Josey H. Nelson James P. Guyot Albert F. Czarnowski Robert E. Gee Jacob L. Finnerty .James T. Means Charles F. Brown George H. Haby, Jr	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Delmar A. Stanley Parks E. Rea Carl W. Schieffer Leonard Y. Jendrow Leroy R. Ford Roger J. Howell Norman C. Kistler Dale W. Mason John A. Schuck	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John R. Godwin Edward C. Foulke Melvin K. Stoner Robert F. Kellow Andrew J. McCormick George Kakeh Vincent C. Liguori Paul J. Bernstel Frank J. Clark	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert W. Gronberg Paul C. Mason Hermon D. Walmer Robert M. McMakin Albert K. Richards Claude W. Crisler Ashmun J. Ripley James L. McGill William N. Shafer

	A/C #		A/C # 068		A/C #		A/C # 630
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	Craig P. Greason Jack S. Ashe Ruddles Hamilton Thomas E. Madigan Blair Arsenau William R. Wagner Ralph S. Ingraham Garland L. Frost Kenneth L. Hastings	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Worth G. Kirkman Arnold E. Broughton George N. Blair John M. Nally John P. Cervero Roy F. Christensen Herbert N. Hook Jack N. Gregory Gordon L. Witt

	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