Mission No 29

MISSION NO. 29
GORENFLOS, FRANCE

20 APRIL, 1944

The target was a No Ball installation situated south of the village, located ten miles southeast ofAbbeville. It was a ski shaped launching ramp for V-i bombs. Other units of the Eighth attacked other installations in the Calais and Cherbourg areas. The Group used a new twelve plane formation, and dispatched two boxes on its target. The A box was led by Captain William F. Smith as Air Commander and Lt. J. L. Smith was the pilot. The B box was led by Major George C. Hozier as Air Commander and Captain Jerry Godfrey was pilot.

Takeoff was late in the afternoon, at 1615. Bombing results were good, with the bomb pattern centering within two hundred feet of the MPI. Flak was moderate but accurate. One anti aircraft shell hit the Deputy Lead plane of the B box, piloted by Lt. Walter S. Milne, at the radio compartment, and exploded inside. The remnants of the craft plummeted nose down. Only two of the crew survived the crash. Eleven aircraft from the A box and eight craft of the B box sustained damage.

The aircraft broke apart between the tail wheel and the waist door. The craft hit the ground with a terrific explosion. Four of the crew parachuted to safety.

(Compiler's note: For Lt. Carl E. Gamblin's account of the mission, see Chapter 19.)

CREW LOADING LIST

April 20th, 1944
Mission No 29 Target: Gorenflos, France

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 # 101		A/C # 985		A/C # 063		A/C # 456
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Cornelius R. Woolf Kinney Hellums Charles.W. Mitchell Kenneth B. Taylor Gerard J. Hyink John L. Batts Alden B. Orr Roman a. Zelazo Samuel J. Craft Ernest R. Campen	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jesse L. Smith William F. Smith Donald E. Muston Alel P. Umoff William G. Patry Randall N. White Clarence R. Ray Ethan A. Schaeffer Steve Vargo J. F. Norman Raymond L. Osborn	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William F. Rogers Stanley J. Wolczanski Donald H. Snyder Dino H. Tonelli Joshua D. Lane Orion H. Shumway John Chumas Sol Pollack David H. Quick Ray Jones	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John W. Fay James E. Carels Lionel J. Cusson Joe C. Wilmeth Edward T. Sawyer William A. Spoener George H. Staudt Richard M. Bassett Frederick G. Wagner Hugh C. Arant

	A/C # 055		A/C # 633		A/C # 075		A/C # 137 Click anywhere in the box below to bring up details of this mission.
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth W. Burkhart Noble L. Webster William B. Wescott Julius Venerofsky John G. Sirosky T. J. Shields Samuel B. Goff Sidney N. Erickson Howard W. Barrier Carl Tulowitzki	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Richard J. Dudek Russell M. Dobyns John F. Moore James H. Coonrod John J. Connell John Kessock Alfred A. Sabory Henri A. Boulay Harold D. McFarland Robert E. Bergeron	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Joseph O. Paschal Donald S. Hain Robert J. Burright Vincent L. Vaccarro Arthur J. Russell, Jr Charles R. Miller Edward F. Rugg Harry C. Minor Sidney W. Brunick Clifford R. Wilson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Walter S. Milne Robert E. Ensminger John D. English Edward C. Cannon Jerome A. Golegman Lyle W. Johnson Ralph L. Haldiman Alton A. Schaffner Helner Beck Carl E. Gamblin

	A/C # 662		A/C # 079		A/C # 015		A/C # 520
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harris S. Mathis Norris H. Gerber Frederick W. Asbell John A. Richardson Rex B. Crawford Donald E. Cook Mark A. Osborne Robert C. Makin Nicholas Pesko Ralph H. Carrison	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Rudolph M. Stohl David W. Schellenger John O. Millham James E. Thomas Robert C. Kreite William F. Bemus Walter F. Waganer Sheldon J. Moore Erwin A. Welling Charles L. Stewart	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles R. Blackwell Theodore R. Baskette Irving R. Meyers Verne M. Boon Thomas W. Howard Morgan J. Newman Alvin E. Merriam Billy L. Dalton Francis W. McCall Sylvester C. Kruaszkiewic	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Richard T. Bennett Milton M. Jaraslow Charles R. Hunicutt Charles S. Gelbers Deward D. Dunn Eugene M. Beamer George Ribiero Donald J. Lighthizer Charles L. Campbell Glenn C. Finke

	A/C # 236		A/C # 545		A/C # 084		A/C # 594
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward J. Reppa Aaron J. Ayres Curtis J. Overdahl George H. Stateman Ivan W. Browning Stephen F. Billisits Charles W. Mehring Kenneth L. Holder Irving Feldman John Harmke	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald G. Karr Joseph F. Reilly Richard M. Condon Joel H. Apel Kenneth M. Krise Philip Finkelstein Morris J. Woodell Eugene H. Paprota Paul M. Rogers Charles L. Edwards	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert D. Lane Howard E. James Robert C. Dvorak William L. Smith Winfred C. Kincaid Gervin R. McBride John E. Misener Edward A. Bleck Joe B. McCall James J. Vaughn	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Louis G. Auld Jack Gumm Jerome Silverman Alden N. Rittman Carl D. Seibrands Nicholas F. Bendin James V. Ambrose William L. Stringer Nicholas Weber Richard Mellott

	A/C # 618		A/C # 086		A/C # 923		A/C # 123
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Clyde R. Weid Edward L. Cavanaugh Solon J. Boydston Geroge A. Sipp James R. Powell Earl N. Pledger Lloyd E. Larson Norman C. Bonney Edwyn Dempsey Michael Stasko	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Malcolm Johnson Theodore C. Hoffman Robert Newcomb George Cahelo Joseph Garbett Thomas G. Scott Glenn W. Barnes Wallace C. Nicholson Morris H. Shuff Leonard A. Smith Wallace D. Cagle	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward R. Stevens Charles W. Johns Claude H. Sullivan Charles J. Canty Stewart C. Moody Patsy Varrassi Crad W. McCollum James H. Neelan James H. Bryant James C. Baum	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Emanuel Hauf Donald V. Swain William R. Hawley Richard E. Jaqua Willis H. Johnson James J. Kilroy Joseph S. Reid Louis F. Beske Paul R. Moore Oscar A. Gascon

	A/C # 162		A/C # 064		A/C # 070		A/C # ?
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Roger W. Birkman Robert L. Cole William J. McKelvey Zaven R. Astor Rammond Koch Andrew Kafka James C. Jones John L. Toney John Buchel Leo L. Lange	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Marsden W. Mattatall John L. Fowler Marsh Hovey Ralph C. Jordan Joseph Waszierscz Axel R. Olson Milton P. Rudd Ben H. Collinsworth John R. Billington Gordon D. Hobson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Alfred W. Fischer Harry Huskey John N. McDonnell Ralph D. Stutzman Robert M. Jensen Andrew E. Jasso James E. Pickle Leo McHatton James H. Long Ernest W. Kerr, Jr	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John W. Fay James E. Carels Lionel J. Cusson Joe C. Wilmeth Edward T. Sawyer William A. Spoener George H. Staudt Richard M. Bassett Frederick G. Wagner Hugh C. Arant

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 001
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 Maj Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Jerome E. Godfrey George C. Hozier Charles R. Graf Clifton J. Chandler David S. Wright Albert L. Rothbauer Jack F. Berry Cedil D. Burroughs Stanley H. Krohn Jack D. Bush John E. Grimes

	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

	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

	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