Mission No 182

MISSION NO. 182
BERLIN, GERMANY

3 FEBRUARY, 1945

The Eighth Air Force dispatched 2000 Heavies to the heart of the Third Reich, to attack communications, transportation, military and governmental targets. Now that the Andennes Offensive was crushed, it was the High Command's intent to carry the war directly into the heart of the Nazi war machine.

Col. Lewis E. Lyle, Commanding Officer of the 379th Bomb Group was the Air Commander of the mission. The 457th comprised the 94th A Combat Wing with Col. Rogner as Air Commander. The marshalling yards at Berlin was its assigned target. Aiming point was a bridge over the River Spree, near the Friedrichstrasse Railway Station.

Wing assembly was accomplished without difficulty. Division assembly line was flown as briefed, with the Group in seventh position in Division formation. The route to the IP was flown north of course in order to stay in Division formation. Prior to the last turn before the IP, the groups in Division formation were bunched up, and it was necessary for the 94th A Group to deviate to the left of course in order to gain more interval and avoid bunching at the IP. The Group was nine minutes late at the IP, because winds were not as briefed.

The turn was made at the approximate IP, and the Group headed down a long bomb run. The target area was clear, CAVU conditions existing, and bombing was done visually with squadrons in trail. The MPI was identified about twenty miles from the target. Bombs were dropped from 25,000 feet. Bomb results were observed to be very good, with some direct hits. Flak was moderate but accurate, with nine aircraft sustaining damage.

The aircraft piloted by Lt. Craig P. Greason crash landed near Ypres, Belgium, with no injury to the crew. Col. Lyle stated:

"There was a bomber stream three to five hundred miles long. Turning off the target and heading back to England, there were bombers heading for Berlin, practically all the way back to England. It was a very successful mission."

(Compiler Note: The Aiming Point was Peter the Great Statue.)

(Editor's comment: We were briefed to aim at a bridge over the River Spree, near the Friedrichsirasse railway station. Not far away, on Unter den Linden, is a statue of Frederick the Great, on horseback. The only Peter the Great I know about was Russian.) (Ed Note: For an account of the mission by Spleth's/ Welch's crew, see DEAD EWGINE KIDS.)

CREW LOADING LIST

February 3rd, 1945
Mission No 182 Target: Berlin, 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 # 028		A/C # 255		A/C # 157		A/C # 424
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Capt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Lon A. McCauley, Jr. Kenneth R. Johnson Harry J. Campbell Henry L. Bartnowski Bernard J. Carroll Wilmer G. Boykin Ray M. Bechtel G. B. Caster Gerald Zelikofsky	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Melvin M. Fox Robert C. Quincy Beverly C. Robertson Louis A. Williams Charles W. Carbery Adrian A. Belanger Lloyd J. Blood Alvin Prukop Harold A. Arndt	Capt Col Lt Capt Capt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edmund G. Coomes Harris E. Rogner Delmar C. Spatz Alexis P. Umoff Ralph D. Stutzman Joseph E. Ellis Lawrnece D. Wilde Virgil Hill Charles W. Smith Harry W. Kroll	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt 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 # 203		A/C # 831		A/C # 881		A/C # 444
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Victor F. Pfendler Alvin G. Hazlett Paul F. Lumbya Vaughn D. Heidenreich Normand R. Menard Robert W. Edwards Cleotis N. Helm Sam E. Dike Ralph D. Ice	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert C. Southern Edward C. Maxey, jr Ashton B. Geren, Jr Aleck R. Capsalis George R. Schuller Frank C. Stein William G. Craig Johnnie Sarter, Jr Buford B. Lawson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Carl P. Sundbaum Galileo F. Bossio Warren W. Nixon John S. King John V. Brennan Julian S. Smith Edward J. Zeitz Cleon R. Roy Harold H. Reynolds R. P. Kimmel	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Eugene C. Ricker Donald E. Miller Anthony D. Paruta Frank F. Miles Murray L. Cooper William C, Lundy Abe Venick John K. McKinney Howard H. Jacobson Raymond C. Trapp

	A/C # 506		A/C # 738		A/C #		A/C # 453
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 J. C. Arnold John E. Walters Wilbert M. Saylor	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack E. Wescott Mason W. Cummings Merrill H. Ross Louis P. DeCinzo Bernard L. Maki Aber J. DeCoux Billy K. Berry James C. Gianacopolis Harold A. Adams	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Henry S. Blach Harold R. Hall Leslie J. Tesdall William E. Wilson Edward V. Maculaitis Samuel J. Williams Donald S. Moore Charles E. Sizemore Douglas S. Rains	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Calvin K. Schneller James D. Blackmore Francis E. Hronek Richard M. Beck Donald R. Lallky John P. Austin William S. Garrett William H. Hedge Alexander W. Bennett John J. O'Tool

	A/C # 537		A/C # 554		A/C # 857		A/C # 445
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Frederick G. Smithson Nathaniel J. Beam, Jr Arnold L. Rosenblatt Jay W. Grider Albert P. Cristofaro Walter H. Kleinfelter Stanley R. Patterson John V. Lawton Harry A. Olson	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell C. Tague Jack S. Eshe Francis G. Spillane Ronald A. Weber George A. Taylor Frank J. Pekar Ivan L. Mathews, Jr. George T. Zielinski Simon Pomerantz Jacobs Branch	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald C. Meyers Wilbur S. Pursell Hollis D. Hudleston Elroy J. Peter William R. Watson Robert D. Malloy Joseph A. Jakacki James D. Ransdell Stephen F. Esterholdt	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ronald P. Straus Everett R. Renfro Floyd A. Crispin Richard E. Anderson Robert L. Olsen John P. Lapicca J. W. Bridges John F. Dunn John B. Rogers

	A/C # 101		A/C # 828		A/C # 694		A/C # 452
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John F. Welch David S. Kahne Theodore M. Braffman Robert L. Haynes Edward J. Grybos Norman T. Ozenberger James J. Rodel John J. Briol Harry J. Cornell	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Basil R. Dundas Jr. William G. Litogot Jack Lorber Stanley P. Gillespie James E. Brown Clarence D. Barnes John H. Boudreau Herbert E. Dollar Ernest D. Pappalardo	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Alvin I. Caplovitz Harold J. Franklin Peter Mihalik Thomas A. Dunn Raymond G. Field Horace H. Huey James D. McCorkindale Robert E. Springer Alvin C. Farrar	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Noel K. Robinson Donald D. Nielsen George N. Blair Harley E. Barrett Preston C. Grimm James Q. Woodard Bernard P. Wrobleski Louis H. Rickert Warren F. Swain

	A/C # 909		A/C # 574		A/C # 855		A/C # 454
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kelly P. Jacobs Thomas P. Thompson James P. Guyot Albert F. Czarnowsky Robert E. Gee Jacob L. Finnerty George H. Haby, Jr. James T. Means Charles F. Brown Robert R. Tangney	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Delmar A. Stanley Parks E. Rea Carl E. Schieffer Leonard Y. Wendrow Leroy R. Ford Roger J. Howell Norman C. Kistler Dale W. Mason John A. Schuck	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John P. Starnes George D. McCurry Erwin Salnick Robert F. Altmaier Victor C. Johanson Frank D. Russo Louis A. Qualls John Simmen James Valenti	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gerald M. Russell Carrol R. Wissmiller Julius G. Uhrlaub John F. Kelsey Bernard B. Matz Robert W. Pinkney Joseph C. Kutas Elton C. Conerly C. A. Rogers

	A/C # 479		A/C # 518		A/C # 414		A/C # 401
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Josey H. Nelson Ben W. McChesney William W. Siler Norman M. Allegan Chester C. Madsen George S. Byoff James G. Grantham Robert H. Young Willard O. Arndt	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jesse J. Costanias Quentin P. Thompson James H. Rusk Stephen T. Cowell Martin Norsic, Jr Stanley F. Bendzynski William F. Waters Cietus B. Newman Michael Denitti	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ralph L. Hay Thomas W. Prior Joseph V. Johns Ralph B. Julian Carroll W. Gustafson Clyde C. Patterson Thomas F. McGonical Donald M. Olson Jay S. Harrison	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles E. Birdseye Patrick H. Wallace Howard W. Demotts Wilfred G. Finke Henry Freidrich Wallace T. Powell Harmon A. Smith Carl A. Johnson David Barclay

	A/C # 190		A/C # 594		A/C # 765		A/C # 455
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Duane F. Southwood Lyle E. Keran Wallace Reed Warren H. Parmeter Raymond D. VanWagner Orville D. Clark George N. Radakovich R. B. Kelly Santos V. Maira	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Craig P. Greason Myrton P. Barry Rudolpy Haumann Thomas E. Madigan Ralph S. Ingraham Garland L. Frost William R. Wagner Blair Arsenault, Jr Kenneth L. Haseltine	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harlan Buettner George J. Grau Philip A. DuPont Ray F. Hawkins, Jr Theodore R. Cowsert Anthony S. Giacobbi James R. Westbrook Kenneth R. Vann Leo Rendina	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert W. Gronberg Paul C. Mason Hermon D. Welmer Robert M. McMakin Albert K. Richards Milo G. Hasting Ashmun J. Ripley James L. McGill Guy P. Wharton

	A/C # 751		A/C # 540		A/C # 528		A/C # 428
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 James A. Carey Laffatti Trace Harold D. Rothbard	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Everett Park Edward G. Palm Bernard Liss Donald C. Ward Kenneth M. Garrison Raymond L. Madgett Joy J. Cappelle Clifton J. Rabideaux Steve Sobiaski	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James R. Holden Vaden P. Pitts John S. LeVar Leo J. Kleinpeter Leo I. McCombs Paul A. Esvanko Lile D. Bradley Bertram G. Johnson Jackson R. Campbell	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Worth G. Kirkman Lorenz M. Koch George N. Blair Charles L. Carroll John P. Cervero Roy F. Christensen Herbert N. Hook Walter F. Willig Jack N. Gregory

	A/C # 785		A/C #		A/C # 591		A/C # 422
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Elmer E. Witten John K. Wales George R. Nichols Donald A. Swisher John D. Williams Francis G. Maure Carl Lewis William A. Gearhart Floyd A. Monroe	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Willmore Fluman James M. Graves Harry M. Kennedy Edward T. Ambrose Lawrence J. Gallagher Willard F. Beason Billy E. DeBerry Robert J. Gantz John M. Gayden	Lt Capt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Medford E. Hollis Donald E. Lady John F. Kelly Charles E. Bowers Ralph E. Bell Charles Calcaterra Leonard O. Vittitow Louis H. Pena Chester L. Mohler Mario D. Terenzio Lawrence E. Rogers

	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