Mission No 54

MISSION NO. 54
SORAU, GERMANY

29 MAY, 1944

This mission was a repeat of Mission No. 25. The previous mission had not accomplished the destruction of the FW-190 assembly plant, the largest and most important FW-190 assembly plant in Germany. Though badly battered from the two previous days, the Group put eighteen aircraft aloft to fly the low box of the 94th Combat Wing, flying fourth in the Division formation. Major Theodore C. Hoffman served as Air Commander and Captain Jeriy Godfrey as pilot. Bombing results were excellent with direct hits on two hangars, two machine shops, the office building and the canteen.

On the way back to England, the wing was overtaken but not attacked by Me-109s and FW-190s. (The Luftwaffe earlier had attacked a bomber force going to Leipzig.)

A short while later, four Ju-88s passed along the formation. Members of the Group then witnessed a classic air battle between fighters. AP-5 1 suddenly appeared on the scene, destroyed two of the Ju-88s instantly, turned on the third and shot it down. The P-51 then caught up with the fleeing fourth Ju-88, a few thousand feet below, and downed it with a quick burst of fire. Four Ju-88s had been destroyed in a matter of seconds. One viewer described it as "the most thrilling episode since coming over here".

The Group came back near Stettin, location of the synthetic oil refineries. The refineries were burning furiously, having been bombed by three combat wings earlier in the day. Crews could see the burning for one hundred fifty miles. Flak was meager, but accurate. Eleven aircraft suffered damage.

One out of control B-I 7 from another wing came through the formation with chutes coming out as it passed through. The attention of all personnel was directed to the fact that many directives and regulations had been issued by the command, but had apparently not been taken seriously. These regulations aiid directives would henceforth be strictly enforced and "woe unto him who is caught breaking the law".

CREW LOADING LIST

May 29th, 1944
Mission No 54 Target: Sorau, 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 # 579		A/C # 620		A/C # 001
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Leonard P. Soenke Howard B Collins Herbert N. Webb Zaven R. Astor Joseph J. Lukasik Walter A. Ginter Arthur J. Kimball Owen L. McDonough Prentis A. Cooper Earle E. Veeder	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William K. Byle Edwin K. Williams Paul L. Morris Ralph J. Smithling Vincent W. Krysiak William T. Alford Robert H. Prisk James C. Williams Herbert L. Brownfield John P. Jordan	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William K. Doherty Donald K. Goss Claude H. Sullivan Russell L. Scott Ancil U. Shepherd William H. Trusselle John H. Derling Franklin Don Melvin R. Bernhardt	Lt Maj Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Jerome E. Godfrey Theodore C. Hoffman Lionel J. Cusson Charles E. Graf George Cahelo Alfred E. Calhoon Leroy E. Heibert Donald W. Blackwell George T. Gulywasz Carl A. Robbie Bailey G. Gaudinier

	A/C # 706		A/C # 051		A/C # 084		A/C # 998
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 Charles S. Tripp John A. Richardson Rex B. Crawford Mark A. Osborne Morris R. Walker ---------- Kenneth L. Holder Arthur M. Lustig	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Noel A. Cunefare Jerome E. Godfrey Wesley C. Akins Donald W. Barton Howard S. Drake Ralph T. Hodson Frank L. Nunn Richard P. Forney Walden M. Hearn Gordon B. Long	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 R. Babel James R. Norman Walter W. Megin Thaddeus F. Dubaj	Capt Maj Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt Sgt	Vinton H. Mays Beere Jerome Silverman Fred H. Pearman Albert A. Rothbauer Stanley H. Krohm Jack F. Berry Jack D. Bush Cecil D. Burroughs Joseph S. Norman

	A/C # 088		A/C # 062		A/C # 923		A/C # 060
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Paul V. Chapman James E. Oschier William J. McKelvey George H. Stateman Kenneth E. Myers Richard T. Trundy Anthony Marrone ------------- Gilbert Slocum Waldron E. McGibbon	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James V. Elduff Morris H. Shuff Ras M. Clausen Norbert A Meeuwsen Andrew G. Voytko Patrick J. Fusci Mildredge C. Doan John W. Whiteside Charles R. Carlisle	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles C. Canfield Clarence E. Ross Donald H. Snyder Hilton E. Bunch William R. Cain Julius Smith Alvin E. Merriam Alvie M. Kirkendall Herbert P. Barte	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Norman A. Erbe Robert J. Shaffer Robert A. Carson Russell H. Auten Richard H. Cochran James M. Kirkland Paul Frank Wayne A. Taylor William L. Egri

	A/C # 568		A/C #		A/C # 073		A/C # 021
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 Kenneth B. Taylor James R. Powell Ivan W. Browning Norman C. Bonney -------------- Edwin Dempsey Michael Stasko	Lt Lt Lt F/O 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 F. Jones Fred F. Castle Gordon J. Neely	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Stuart B. James Martin W. Biehn Charles C. Canon David S. Wright Angelo J. Ruscito Theodore C. Roland Eugene G. Goslee Carl N. Davis Dale L. Vance

	A/C # 545		A/C #		A/C # 571		A/C # 451
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Cornelius R. Woolf Kenney Hellums George A. Sipp Gerard J. Hyink John L. Batts Alden B. Orr Roman A. Zelazo Samuel I. Craft, Jr Ernest R. Campen	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James P. LaPaze Louis N. McGranahan Keith W. Morgan James M. Cole Charles H. Rogers, Jr Elmer E. Valicer Chester V. Hudec Delbert A. Brokhart Henry L. Baker	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell A. Price Richard E. Long Eldon J. Foster Carroll C. Johnson Lester L. Tyndall Edward J. McHale George H. Davis George K. Raymond Armen Kulyczcki

	A/C # 905		A/C #		A/C # 468		A/C # 164
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Adrian W. Seabock Lloyd. E. Icenogle William G. Smith, Jr Louis M. Castelucci Lloyd E. Larson Herbert W. Shaurette Earl W. Holton Francis E. Cornue Leonard C. Comstock	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Joseph O. Paschal Donald S. Hain Vincent L. Vaccarro Harry C. Minor Arthur J. Russell, Jr Charles R. Miller Edward F. Rugg Clifford R. Wilson Lorne G. Smith	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Albert Gumulauskas John E. Grimes Bert Graham Thomas M. Lyles Paul E. Beatty Wilifred G. Baumgartner Constantine Nicholas Joy F. Stacy Joseph F. Sprich

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg 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 rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt F/O F/O Sgt 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 rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt T/O Sgt 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 rwg 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 rwg 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 rwg 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 rwg 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