Mission No 84

MISSION NO. 84
HAUT-MAISNIT BLANGERMONT, FRANCE

8 JULY, 1944

A return was made by the Eighth Air Force to tactical targets in northern France. Bridges, railroads and pilotless aircraft launching sites were objects of attack. The 457th was required to attack two of these V-i launching sites with two 12-plane boxes. One was located in the orchards of the small rural village of Haut-Maisnil, six miles distant from Hesdin. The other, similarly hidden in orchards, was five miles to the east. Both were the Belhamin type sites and had been spotted as being active in launching V-I's on London.

The twenty-four plane formation required no wing assembly and each proceeded south to depart from the English Coast. Captain Dozier led the A box and Captain J. L. Smith the B box. The Channel was clear, but clouds were encountered as the French Coast was approached. These increased to ten-tenths over the two targets and no bombing could be accomplished. The Abox then proceeded on the return route home. The B box flew around in the Abbeville area on various courses, looking for a target of opportunity. A break in the clouds was found over the Poix airdrome and bombs were released on this target. All the bombs fell on the field and across a runway in a concentrated pattern. The targets remained untouched.

Sgt. Paul A. Birchen, whose action on the 14 June mission, earned him the award of the Silver Star, was flying as top turret gunner, flight engineer for Lt. George J. Bennett. Paul said,
"They briefed us for three guns in the target area and the third one got me".

The top turret was shattered and combat was over for Paul. He spent two months in hospitals in England and an additional twelve months in the States, before being discharged. Paul's Silver Star award caught up with him in the hospital in the States and was presented to him in a hospital ceremony.

CREW LOADING LIST

July 8th, 1944
Mission No 84 Target: Haut-Maisnit Blangermont, 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 # 118		A/C # 948		A/C # 889		A/C # 556
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 Herbert N. Webb Albert L. Thompson Ernest R. Campen Joseph M. Colechia John L. Batts Samuel I. Craft Byron E. smull Milton Lowenstein	Lt Lt Lt F/o Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George J. Bennett Richard Palmer Theodore J. Mellow Jack W. Osecher Paul A. Birchen Paul O'Neal John R. Billington Paul Holder John R. Graham	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Franklin H. Morrell Franklin J. Marra John B. Blachley Donald R. McCurdy Harold V. Barris Robert C. Kogler Lloyd L. Fortna Charles L. Bradford Hilliard B. Maples	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Norman A. Erbe Walter J. McGregor Joseph F. Sydejko Russell H. Auten Richard H. Cochrane James M. Kirkland Wayne A. Taylor William L. Egri Noma R. Norman Robert A. Carson

	A/C # 955		A/C # 086		A/C # 606		A/C # 827
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Adrian W. Seabock Lloyd. E. Icenogle Nicholas B. Seidita Stewart M. Jakker Francis E. Cornue William C. Bolger Herbert W. Shaurette Rex W. Burke Barnett Feldman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Stanley E. Kleiner Milton E. Durham Reed V. Bryant John Bomba Andrew G. Voytko Leo J. Kwiatkowski James E. Haddock Lloyd C. Holdredge Joseph Konyak	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Scott L. Williams Phil B. Adrean Delos E. Bown Glenn M. Rogers Joseph Deluccia Anthony Collura Kenneth L. Gordier Marshall E. Young Paul H. Beisswanger	Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James J. Parks Joseph S. Norman Albert M. Durrett Thomas E. Battley James F. Lynch John H. Wiktorowic James H.l VanAckeren Robert E. Walters Charles L. Bickers

	A/C # 591		A/C # 164		A/C # 073		A/C # 155
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert H. MaGill Richard J. Cotter David C. Watts William A. O'Connor Norman Hirsch Floyd T. Stitely Harold R. Moore Charles Minter Herve J. Paquin Walter F. Pittman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Max D. Peterson John L. Fowler Myron L. Kruse Champe V. Dobler Martin Muehsam Joseph J. Darden James G. Lisy Mack W. Fuqua William M. Fuqua	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William Clarkson Harold F. Bacon Victor E. Dombrowski John J. Walicki Neal Spencer Albert A. Spierling Edmond L. Niec Cleon R. Roy Roman N. Becker	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald E. Zigler Norman S. Brandvold Walter H. Stortz Oliver P. Kolstoe Edgardo Buletti Ernest C. George Raymond L. Rule Willis L. Storrer Robert S. Theiss

	A/C #		A/C # 574		A/C # 934		A/C # 998
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward A. Taylor Walter F. Creigh Solon J. Boydston Edward J. Colleran Elie R. Carrier Elie R. Flagg Herbert L. Webster Lewis H. Shane George S. Kamas	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 Joseph Matkowsky David J. Scharff	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Lt Sgt Sgt	Edward B. Dozier Scott B. Ormsby Marsh M. Callaway Robert J. Burright Henry P. Loades Dwight M. Anderson Frederick L. Exley Tracy E. Geiger Frand Ridenhour Gerald E. Poston	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Benjamin J. Deloach Gerald W. Esser Frederick J. Stokinger Emil F. Galliessch Vernon H. Hawbaker Harry B. Bartholomew Raymond C. Batliner Luster B. Mills James C. Parrish

	A/C # 785		A/C # 034		A/C # 535		A/C # 630
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William H. Crawford Benjamin Gryncewicz Morris Arnovitz Michael E. Baron Roy C. Schild Harold D. Harris Lowell E. Jones Walter K. Marsh Stephen Kokayko Milton C. Tieman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles W. Barrier Hugh B. Sloan, Jr George S. Inman Clinton E. Wells Kenneth L. Christenson Donald J. Fehrman Thomas J. Ambrose Martin Darling Wilbur A. Kurtz	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Joseph O. Paschal Donald S. Hain Vincent L. Vaccarro Arthur J. Russell, Jr Edward F. Rugg Harry C. Minor Charles R. Miller Sidney W. Brunick Clifford R. Wilson	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Hercules Phyllides Robert C. Cook Elman A. Salo Robert L. Jackson Lester T. Weaver James L. Warn Russell J. Robitaille Frank N. Smith Michael S. Rubacha

	A/C # 088		A/C # 161		A/C # 075		A/C # 383
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth W. Brucker Clarence R. Jennings George A. Sipp James R. Powell Abraham Feller James B. Toney John P. Medica Waldron S. McGibbon Earl S. West	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Raymond A. Fulton Robert W. Kelly John C. Fonda Charles W. Craig Richard H. Gardner Frank H. Cuetara Francis Larntz Robert E. Wills Calvin H. Taylor	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James W. Franklin Donald C. Lengman Charles C. Smith Robert S. Todd Luther E. Holloman Leonard O. Beach Adolph Sroczyk Ernest L. Herndon John W. York	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Albert L. Sikkenga John B. Folson Bert Graham David S. Wright John G. Mackie Joseph S. Mast William L. Stringer James H. Lee Joseph A. Toth

	A/C #		A/C # 060		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward Kozel Alvie J. Phares Selig Ratchick Carl F. Atlimus Robert E. Nichols Jacob L. Alpert James T. Pratt Dwight F. Swanson Thomas D. Dalrymple	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 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 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 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 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 lrwg 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 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