Mission No 223

CHAPTER 16
1 APRIL 1945 TO 30 APRIL 1945

The huge briefing map that hungfrom ceiling to floor on the wall of the briefing room told the story. The ground troops had crossed the Rhine River and were marching eastward. Daily the progress of the ground troops could be seen as the front line was marked closer and closer to the advancing Russian troops on the east marching westword.

The Allies had demanded the unconditional surrender of the enemyforces prior to any truce. There had been no surrender The war continued The 457th would continue in action.

NO MISSION
ODENSE, DENMARK
2 APRIL 1945

The target was ajet airfield at Odense, located just north of the Kiel Bay. Denmark was an ally, and strict orders were to bomb only if conditions were CAVU. The target was overcast and the operation was abandoned. No flak, no fighters, no bombs dropped, no mission. It turned into a long practice mission.

MISSION NO. 223
ROTENBURG, GERMANY
4 APRIL 1945

The target was an airfield at Rotenburg. The Group comprised the 94th C Combat Wing with Captain Rollins as Air Commander

The Group assembled in Wing formation without incident and followed in formation to Assembly line. Division assembly line was flown approximately as briefed.

The course to the IP was uneventful and was flown approximately as briefed. The Scouting Force recommended that a run be attempted on Fassburg at 15,000 feet instead of 12,000 feet, because the primary target was covered by ten tenths clouds.

The Wing Leader recommended that the Group go halfway down the bomb run toward the primary target and then turn to Fassburg, as a target of opportunity. Shortly thereafter, the 457th turned right and made a 360 degree turn, intending to use Ulzen as an IP. The formation passed south of Ulzen and made a run on Fassburg, but could not pick up the target visually. A 360 degree turn was then made to the left, in order to make a second run. The target was seen for a short interval, but was covered before a sighting could be made. No bombs were dropped.

Flak was light and no plane sustained damage.

CREW LOADING LIST

April 4th, 1945
Mission No 223 Target: Rotenburg, 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 # 368		A/C # 157		A/C # 087		A/C # 123
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Victor F. Pfendler Frederick G. Smithson John T. Freese Vaughn D. Heidenreich Robert W. Marriett Normand R. Menard Robert W. Edwards Cleotis N. Helm Sam E. Dike	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Russel A. Nowling Edwin C. Braun Elmer L. Mankin Arthur M. Livingstone Victor A. Smith Dale F. Baldwin Stephen Skulec John M. Handler Theodore F. Steele Donald F. Rhone	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Fred M. Stevenson Jack E. Sanders Harry M. Kennedy Harry M. Hughes Stanley E. Smith Jerome C. Dressler Larry B. McMahan Clyde Tiedemann Alfred F. Hoots H. A. Dempey	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Calvin K. Schneller James D. Blackmore Francis E. Hronek Richard M. Beck John P. Austin William S. Garrett Willard R. Hedge Alexander W. Bennett Donald R. Lallky

	A/C # 509		A/C # 826		A/C # 694		A/C # 827
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Capt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ernest H. Huffington George Ash Anthony A. O'Brien Ralph S. Kenyon Wright K. Evatt Ernest F. Petrilli Emile G. Buyak Francis E. McKee John R. Murphy	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Orviole L. Smiley Delbert D. Swartz Thomas L. McGovern Jr. George W. Thompson Edgar L. Seal William M. Whigham Norman R. Shoemaker John K. Bryan James E. Kilgore	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William B. Stansbury David E. Parker Vincent J. Lococo Morris Rosen John B. Costello Lawrence M. Gast Warren L. Heimke Lester H. Malon Lowell Newton	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Fred M. Rohrig Charles B. Whiddon Gene B. Brown Oral I. Conyers Herman J. Gabryel Loring Lynes John F. Fox Walter L. Reddy, Jr Frederick J. Moynihan

	A/C # 961		A/C # 540		A/C # 934		A/C # 440
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Duane F. Southwood Emile E. Racine Wallace Reed Warren H. Parmeter Raymond D. VanWagner Orville D. Clark George N. Radakovich R. B. Kelly Santos V. Maira	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jesse E. Castanias Myrton F. Barry Myrton P. Barry Stephen T. Cowell Cletus R. Newman William F. Waters Stanley F. Bendzynski Michael Denitti Martin Norsic, Jr	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert H. Hey William S. Owens Christopher Zissler Edward A. Bruder Robert T. Payne George C. Gately Robert W. Packingham Andrew V. Clark Edward A. Smith	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George H. Bane James F. Stoner Girvan Peck Warren L. Holbrook John G. Mackie William H. Stern Walter H. Westels Frederick C. Rex Chester C. Urbanik

	A/C # 785		A/C # 534		A/C # 855		A/C # 947
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George H. Greer Thomas J. Cronin Edward J. Strzyzewski Archie F. Cole Byrne J. Ranney Walter H. Carter John W. Rockefeller Gerald T. Uzdavinis Edward W. Blucker	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Raymond H. Wolf William S. Winter Robert W. Hentges Jacob Cohen Bernard L. Kane Milton E. Drissler Robert J. Townley Donald E. Polen Dennis G. Schaffner Ralph Frackman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John P. Starnes George J. Grau Leslie J. Teasdall Robert F. Altmaier Victor C. Johanson Frank D. Russo Louis A. Qualls Robert F. Seastrand 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 Maurice L. D'Agotino Elmar A. Campbell C. A. Rogers Vernon M. Whatley

	A/C # 897		A/C #		A/C # 535		A/C # 587
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Glenn P. Harris Stephen Polivchak Warren J. Whitman Robert G. Anderson George L. Hart Abel M. Chacon Wilbert M. Saylor John V. Papaj Donald W. Young	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Kenneth D. Woods Joseph B. Watkins Arthur K. Fitch Rex A. Stevens Harry E. Graham Horace Seyster? Robert Bonazza Benjamin F. Parris Wilbur A. Kurtz Ralph V. Mitchell Arthur G. Hanson	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Hugh E. Arnold Pierre P. Arpin Hubert M. Ange Freeman C. Clouse John W. Anderson Robert C. Rustin L. A. Badger Andy Kuzemchak Joseph W. Brooks	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ejner N. Gunderson August F. Spies John F. Owin Thomas O. Lowry Lenoir A. Greer Ruben L. Larson Walter A. Divan Albert L. Mikels Theodroe C. Yates

	A/C # 190		A/C # 733		A/C # 152		A/C # 154
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Marion K. Burk Cecil C. Harris James D. Tauscher Cliff N. Cunningham Frederick A. McDuffie Earl R. Kenyon Herbert K. Clark Harold E. Buhrow Joe E. Floerke	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gyon A. Smith, Jr William J. Wright David R. Rodrigue Raoul L. Phaneuf, Jr Robert H. Headman Bill Copley Oberlin Pena Conrad F. Reiman Willard E. Saltink	Lt Capt Capt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt Lt	Harold A. Schuler Franklin D. Rollins Alexis P. Umoff Robin W. Forbes William T. Wilborn G. Langowski Anthony S. Giacobbi Harold N. Saxby John Medwin Louis A. williams	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles E. Birdseye Patrick H. Wallace Howard W. Demotts Robert F. Nicholson Henry Freidrich Wallace T. Powell Harmon A. Smith Carl A. Johnson David Barclay Julius Kornblatt

	A/C # 072		A/C # 606		A/C # 024		A/C # 301
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald G. Sellon Nathaniel J. Beam William D. Hogsett Frederick F. Parlin Bernard J. Carrol Albert P. Cristofaro Robert L. Schaaf Harry A. Olson Roy F. Goldman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Eugene Q. Key Donald F. Muller Grover D. Malone Earl D. Sherman Charles M. Johnston William S. Steward Henry Schloss Vern L. Larsen Douglas D. Hodge	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James R. Howell Eugene F. Howard Robert D. Beltz Frank F. Miles Gerald Zelikofsky Thomas D. McCormick Lee R. Groman Frank C. Tucker Hiram E. Morrow	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Vernon L. Terrill Lawrende L. Jackson Anthony D. Paruta Charles R. Ward Edward J. Celani Charles L. Rockwell Frank Alderete III John W. Pick, Jr Kenneth Bostick Nubar A. Astor

	A/C # 092		A/C # 785		A/C # 167		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Alvin A. Kollaya Gordon K. Beard John D. Alexander Herbert L. Thiede Charles H. Norton Max L. Rice Robert Orlanski Marvin Overfelt James J. Pedine	Lt F/o F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William G. Litogot Jack S. Eshe Thomas R. Reed Norman J. Thorman George R. Taylor Frank J. Pekar Ivan L. Mathews, Jr George T. Zilewski Simon Pomerantz	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Joseph B. Maguire George D. McCurry Jackson Taylor Glyn E. Aleshire Houston H. LaCombe Oliver J. Swischer Rudolph W. Schroer Horace K. Richardson Richard J. Kaminski	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C # 844		A/C # 394		A/C # 479		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Thomas P. Thompson Max F. Felder Earles J. Laur William A. Peltome Alfred F. Waichunes Keith R. Shinault Thomas R. Smith Walter J. Basera John W. Lewis	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Albert Martin Norman F. Zoltowski William D. Bowles John F. Brown Richard P. Barnes Martin Jacobs Walter J. McGuire Alec A. Capsalis Edward B. Tooker	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kent H. Brittle Jacob Kosman George Crofford, Jr Richard A. Dodds Joseph J. Gurtis Julius O. Beltzer Charles E. Gallagher Gerald W. Hungate Robert T. Kincaid	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C #		A/C # 828		A/C # 195		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		F/O Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles Scarpaci Francis J. Patry Paul R. Kelly Homer D. Reich Everett R. Watson Alrfed R. Jones. Floyd R. Lashmit Francis X. Demarzio Jerome Shapiro	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ralph W. Coons Kenneth Blakebrough Jennings B. Beran Stephen Cokoroginis George F. Peschen Joseph D. Crescio Conrad E. Craig Robert D. Whiteaker Woodrow W. Tatman James R. Day	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 863		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 F/O F/O Sgt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James M. Graves Clarance E. Leath Wayne W. Hanley Joseph A. Skiera William R. Biggie Edward A. Bleck Leonard Lewandowski Elon A. Clodfelter Charles T. Root	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

	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