Mission No 44

MISSION NO. 44
LUTZKENDORF, GERMANY

12 MAY, 1944

The long awaited blitz on the German synthetic oil refineries occasioned the largest air raid the Eighth Air Force had yet undertaken. The 45 7th furnished the lead and low boxes for the 94th B Combat Wing for the assault on Lutzkendorf, producer of 30,000 tons of petrol and diesel oil annually. The target was six miles west of Merseburg. Major Fred A. Spencer flew as Air Commander of the B lead box with Lt. Jerry Godfrey flying as pilot. Captain Jacob M. Dickinson led the B low box, with Lt. Clarence E. Schuchmann as pilot.

The weather was CAVU, but ground haze and smoke Obscured visibility. Bombing results were fair. No enemy fighter opposition was encountered, and flak was moderate but accurate. Eleven craft sustained damage.

On the return trip to the base, a German operated B-17 joined the formation near Coblenz and continued with the formation to Brussels. Also, the craft piloted by Lt. John Akers encountered engine trouble. His plane began to lag behind the formation and was last seen near Eisenach on the trip back to England. With only one engine providing power and flying at 1,500 feet altitude, the crew bailed out over Belgium and all were taken as POWs. Because of the seriousness of his injuries, Lt. Akers was later involved in a prisoner of war exchange through the International Red Cross and returned to the States. He was hospitalized until May 1946, when he was discharged.

Although the 457th's crews saw no enemy fighters, wings of the 3rd Division met severe attacks, causing the loss of thirty- two bombers. It was reported the Luftwaffe pilots resorted to ramming the B.-17s. Total losses for the Eighth amounted to forty-two craft.

The mission was the first of many to be directed against the synthetic oil refineries.

Meanwhile, on the Base, a lack of military courtesy by members of the command was noted. As a consequence, classes were conducted for all personnel reported for having failed to salute. The course consisted of two one-hour lectures on military customs and courtesies.

The crew of Lt John Akers was lost on this date

CREW LOADING LIST

May 12th, 1944
Mission No 44 Target: Lutzkendorf, 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 # 101		A/C # 706		A/C # 098		A/C # 062
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Cornelius R. Woolf Louis G. Mueller Kenneth B. Taylor Gerard J. Hyink John L. Batts Samuel I. Craft, Jr. Alden B. Orr Roman A. Zelazo Ernest R. Campe	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James V. Elduff Ennis E. Brown Robert Newcomb Ras M. Clausen Norbert A Meeuwsen Andrew G. Voytko Patrick J. Fusci Mildredge C. Doan Charles R. Carlisle Charles L. Stewart	Lt Maj Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Clarence E. Schuchmann Jacob M. Dickinson Alexis P. Umoff Warren H. Suddath Joseph l. Hibbs Robert Bridges Harold A. Dusseau J. H. Lambert Edgar D. Lanzoni Donald K. Goss	Lt Maj Lt Lt Capt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jerome E. Godfrey Fred A. Spencer Charles E. Graf George Cahelo Edwin Roberts Alfred E. Calhoon Donald W. Blackwell James E. Doerr Carl A. Robbie John E. Grimes

	A/C # 088		A/C # 001		A/C # 579		A/C # 026
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Paul V. Chapman James M. Oschier William J. McKelvey George R. Walker Kenneth E. Myers Anthony Marrone Robert S. Wood Richard E. Trundy Tom G. Overn Meldron E. McGibbon	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harry R. Stafford Bernard J. Yavorosky Arthur A. Flach Anthony G. Wodek Virgil D. Naylor Francis M. Craven Virgil R. Hook Jean P. Dubois Walter H. Osika John R. Graham	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward B. Dozier Richard E. Hoelzer Roland O. Byers John B. Blachley Dwight H. Anderson William C. Young Frank L. Ridenhour Fredrick L. Exley Charles O. Webber Gerald E. Poston	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John W. Fay George N. Shaffer Lionel J. Cusson Paul V. Owens Edward T. Sawyer George H. Staudt William A. Spoerner Richard M. Bassett Hugh C. Arant Frederick G. Wagner

	A/C # 055		A/C # 060		A/C # 618		A/C # 131
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 R. Stateman Stephen F. Billisits James B. Toney, Jr. John Harmke Ivan W. Browning Kenneth L. Holder Charles W. Mehring	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert L. Wetherald Francis G. Bogle Thomas W. Burns Alex W. Fisher Cleo F. Corder John J. Orazem George Stiller Secondo P. Pentacolone Onnie B. Baskette, Jr Frank R. Machak	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward R. Stevens Charles W. Johns Claude H. Sullivan Charles J. Canty Stewart C. Moody James C. Baum Joseph W. LaBonte James H. Neelan James H. Bryant	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Stuart B. James Jack B. Owens Robert A. Carson Robert J. Larson Angelo J. Ruscito Patrick C. Toomey Eugene G. Goslee Dale L. Vance Carl N. Davis

	A/C # 470		A/C # 087		A/C # 558		A/C # 505
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harris E. Mathis Norris H. Gerber Charles S. Tripp John A. Richardson Rex B. Crawford Irvin V.Gerlich Donald E. Cook Mark A. Osborne Rex W. Burke Francis E. Cornue	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Benny M. Flowers Harry E. Cameron Roy A. Hoegh, Jr Ralph C. Jordan Andrew H. Bouchard William L. Finley William Zamecnik Mildredge Buxton Virgil G. Maier Victor U. Meador	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Norman W. Breit Harry J. Huskey Frank E. Vanderelde Bert H. Lindstrom Terence T. Camp Rubin L. Hernandez Melvin R. Smalley William F. Radford John A. Roe, Jr William H. Sokolowski	F/O Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell A. Price James F. Oldenhage Eldon J. Foster Harry H. Whitaker George K. Raymond Lester L. Tyndall Carroll O. Johnson Donald E. Betthauser Edward J. McHale James V. Ambrose

	A/C # 607 Click anywhere in the box below to bring up details of this mission.		A/C # 460		A/C # 073		A/C # 587
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John Akers Charles T. Scott Lloyd C. Dell Leo L. Kruszynski Edward White Harold T. Peterman Christopher W. Milgo Robert J. Marstellar Austin F. Moore Wallace V. Taft	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald G. Karr Wade E. Knudson Richard M. Condon Joel H. Apel Kenneth M. Krise Walter F. Palmer Morris J. Woodell Eugene H. Paprota Paul M. Rogers Charles L. Edwards	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles C. Canfield Clarence E. Ross Donald H. Snyder Charles W. Hilton Charles J. Coffman Alvin E. Merriam Hilton E. Bunch Herbert P. Barte John H. Graves Alvie M. Kirkendall	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Richard H. Luebke Robert A. Patty Sidney H Johnson Jack B. Eldridge John L. Zoutte Norman Musiel Melvin O. Richeson Earl W. Johnston William F. White Max E. Johnston

	A/C # 591		A/C # 079		A/C # 568		A/C # 415
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward A. Taylor Walter F. Creigh Glen S. Thornton Harold W. Walbright Edward J. Colleran Frank W. Winchester Herbert L. Webster Elie R. Carrier Lewis H. Shane George S. Kamas	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Rudolph M. Stohl David W. Schellenger John O. Millham James E. Thomas Robert C. Kreite William F. Bemus John R. Billington Walter W. Wagoner Sheldon J. Moore Erwin A. Welling Charles L. Stewart	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Americo Procopio Robert Driscoll Bernard B. Weinberg Edward P. Palika John T. Clements E. L. Angell Russell H. Babel Thaddeus F. Dubaj James R. Norman Walter W. Megin	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Norman A. Erbe James E. Carels Harry E. Wills Armen Topakian Richard H. Cocharan James M. Kirkland Paul Frank Wayne A. Taylor William L. Egri

	A/C # 190		A/C # 656		A/C # 620		A/C # 021
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth W. Burkhart Noble L. Webster William A. Wescott Julius Venerofsky John G. Siroskey Sidney N. Erickson T. J. Shields Samuel B. Goff Carl Tulowitzki Howard W. Barrier	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jerome A. Sobjek Edward W. Lynch William R. Kabine George A. Knapp Daniel J. Howard, Jr. Kenneth E. Hixson Jerome Petrizzi Ray V. Rose David J. Scharff Joseph Matkowsky	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William F. Rogers Stanley J. Wolczanski Wilbert J. Collard Henry P. Loades 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	Emanuel Hauf Bailey J. Gaudinier William R. Hawley Richard E. Jaqua Willis H. Johnson James J. Kilroy Paul R. Moore Joseph S. Reid Louis F. Beske Oscar A. Gascon

	A/C # 615		A/C # 633		A/C # 123		A/C # 481
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Leonard P. Soenke Howard B. Collins Herbert N. Webb William G. Smith Joesph H. Lukasik Owen L. McDonough Walter A. Ginter Arthur J. Kimball Prentis A. Cooper Earle R. Veeder	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jonathan M. Herbold Payson E. Tucker Theodore J. Mellow Jack W. Oescher Elihue R. Mayo Philip H. Shebell Richard R. Hazelhurst Phillip H. Shebell Johnny Miller William C. Cain	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 Thomas G. Leahy Edward Nabozny James O. Vaughn Francis W. McCall Sylvester C. Kuraszkiewicz	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William L. Brackley John G. Hossack Winfred E. Stortz Anthony Kulczcyki Harry Bernstein Glen A. Jackson Miles L. McQueen Bernard J. Geraghty Thomas E. Gougarty Daniel D. Elieff

	A/C #		A/C # 998		A/C # 571		A/C # 520
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	Roy W. Allen Verne H. Lewis Joseph C. Brusse Lawrence Anderson Roy E. Plum Joseph W. Duvall, Jr Earnest L. Smith Robert L. Grime William C. Goldsborough Leonard S. Henson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert M. Krumm Leo R. Green Con F. Poynor Anthony Tozzi Lawrence J. Walsh Billy E. Hightower S. Marx Raymond J. Kristoff Marion H. Belt John D. Barrett	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Clyde N. Knipfer Richard A. Bruha Geroge R. Derdzinski Stanley V. Gray Stephen T. Voit Nicholas F. Bendino Harvey C. Cottrell Cecil D. Burroughs Pasquale N. Sacco Joshua Goldstein

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 084		A/C # J-601
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	Edwin S. Jones Clyde S. Jolley Fred W. Roberts Howard A. Handran Harry C. Lake James A. Martin Patsy Varrassi Alfred Beacom Ernest W. Kerr, Jr Kenneth E. Davidson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	L. T. Maginn W. L. Brooks N. L. Gootee Pierman John N. McDonnell D. R. Shrom W. T. Palmer John T. Fowler C. W. Amos E. A. Maffey

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 452		A/C # C-651
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	Franklin H. Morrell Howard E. James Marsh M. Calloway Lawrence C. Ghiorse Robert C. Kogler Charles L. Bradford Harold V. Barris Lloyd L. Fortna Donald R. McCurdy Dwight W. Parken	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Henry B. Wilson Charles D. Brannan Harry P. Polenski James H. Kincaid John L. Kabelac Clifton J. Chandler Jones E. Mabovina Joseph M. Colechia Charles R. Vandeventer

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 468		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	Scott B. Ormsby Fred D. Stallings Vincent A. Lemon Arthur R. Mendenhall Jay L. Saulsburry Joseph M. Sofranko Ray R. Jones Alvin J. Hendryx Gordon J. Neely Fred F. Canstle	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