Mission No 92

MISSION NO. 92
LEIPZIG, GERMANY

20 JULY, 1944

The prospect of generally good visual bombing weather caused the dispatching of almost 1300 heavies on widespread policing raids of synthetic oil plants, aircraft and other factories in central Germany. The target assigned to the 457th Group was a small but relatively important ball bearing factory situated in the western part of Leipzig. It specialized in bearings for aircraft.

The twelve-plane box inaugurated on the Augsburg mission for deep penetration was used. The Group furnished the lead and low boxes for the 94th B Combat Wing, flying seventh in the Division formation. Lt. Col. Hoffman led, with Lt. Stafford as pilot. Captain J. L. Smith led the low box.

The initial half of the route over enemy territory was the same as on the flight to Augsburg. The departure from it was made just before passing Frankfurt. This deception, coupled with the fact that a large force of heavy bombers from Italy was en route to the Munich area, confused the enemy's fighter controllers. The Group encountered no fighter opposition and only small attacks were made on the entire force. As the course was flown the clouds decreased from ten-tenths over England to three to five-tenths in the target area. However, ground haze was dense.

Visual bombing conditions, which had existed for the first wings into the vicinity of the target, were suddenly changed by a large cloud bank which moved into the area during the bombing. This was the situation as the 457th approached Leipzig on the bomb run. The center of the industrial area was the assigned target under such conditions. Bombing was by PFF from 25,000 feet.

A small break in the clouds at the time of impact permitted location of the bursts on the strike photos. They hit four miles southeast of the center of Leipzig with the main weight in open fields. Moderate antiaircraft fire was experienced by the Group, from more than a hundred guns in the area. Thirteen planes suffered minor damage. For the day, the Eighth Air Force lost nineteen bombers.

CREW LOADING LIST

July 20th, 1944
Mission No 92 Target: Leipzig, 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 # 834		A/C # 600		A/C # 694		A/C # 532
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert L. Cole John H. Ingalls William J. Miller Robert E. Crunk William W. Largent Leo F. Johnson Leo J. maher Michael Milbour Robert C. Dutcher	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Harry R. Stafford Theodore C. Hoffman Arthur A. Flach William H. Dupont Gabriel D. Ofiesh Jean Dubois Virgil R. Hook Walter Osike Anthony G. Wodek William E. Thompson	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles C. Canfield Clarence E. Ross Donald H. Snyder Thomas H. Norton Alvin E. Merriam William R. Cain Herbert P. Barte Alvie M. Kirkendall Julius Smith	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Benjamin J. Deloach Gerald W. Esser Frederick J. Stokinger Emil F. Gallesich Vernon H. Hawbaker Harry B. Bartholomew James C. Parrish Raymond C. Batliner Luster B. Mills

	A/C # 103		A/C # 051		A/C # 073		A/C # 826
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Douglas L. Grantham Clarence N. Jennings Robert O. Douglas Willie N. Suggs Buford R. Milner August E. Kujala Arthur T. Aston Sephus C. Tucker John D. Wood	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Douglas L. Deal Richard E. Heolcer Roy I. Vaughn John M. Traylor Paul E. Miller Edward F. Morgan Cedric N. Priest George W. Emerson Lentz M. Lackey	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James W. Franklin Donald C. Lengman Charles C. Smith Joseph M. Budich Luther E. Holloman Leonard O. Beach Adolph Sroczyk John W. York Ernest L. Herndon	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack D. Marks Richard E. Long Harold L. Kaplan Richard K. Newman Junior P. Schaner George T. Stefani William H. Shaffer Willian L. Kennedy Cleveland M. Adair

	A/C # 706		A/C # 828		A/C # 018		A/C # 123
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James E. Sherrod Gordon C. Esch Rolland L. Boyle Stewart W. Jakku James M. Perrin Wayne C. Rapp Leo J. Gawroniak Joe L. Steele Lyle D. Johnson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles E. Barrier Hugh B. Sloan George S. Inman Clinton E. Wells Kenneth L. Christensen Donald J. Fehrman Thomas J. Ambrose Wilbur A. Kurtz Robert P. Ingraham	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gordon E. Gallagher Clyde S. Jolley Theodore R. Bortel Roy E. Gleason William J. Moore Paul W. Johnson Harold E. Sturman Melvin D. Thompson Delos N. Riegle	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack B. Owens Charles L. Berta Armen Topakian William A. Steffen Alfred E. Calhoon Chester C. Madsen George T. Gulywasz Richard M. Bassett Eugene M. Beamer

	A/C # 113		A/C # 079		A/C # 796		A/C # 587
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Haven R. Burningham Lorentz C. Hanson George A. Voris Frank J. Bernd Karl H. Mannisto John S. Bozoudes Albert L. Paulson Arthur E. Baker John W. Utter Nicola Toscano	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Marsden W. Mattatall Bernard J. Yavorosky Victor E. Dombrowski Alexander P. McDermott Ben H. Collinsworth John R. Billington Francis R. Redington George H. Manos Walter F. Palmer	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Clayton E. Bejot Augustus J. Harris Andrew V. Solari Fernando P. Biancalana Paul G. Parker Norman A. Depelteau Lloyd L. Fortna Vinell L. Bush Albert M. Grisa	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John E. Grimes Donald S. Brandvold Angelo A. Archiopoli Oreste Procopio Willis S. Moore Joseph L. Mast Daniel L. Elieff Julian J. Rodakowski John W. Moulton

	A/C # 064		A/C # 161		A/C # 551		A/C # 451
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Morris H. Gerber Richard J. Cotter Howard D. Quinn William A. O'Connor Norman Hirsch Floyd T. Stitely Harold R. Moore Herve J. Paquin Charles Minter	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William D. Hurdis Elmer Mittwoch Merton L. Pond Mark K. Miller William L. Finley Daniel W. Richmond Paul A. Stancil Lawrence C. Johnston Robert S. McEwan	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. Biesswanger	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Hercules Phyllides Milton M. Jaraslow Elman A. Salo Robert L. Jackson Lester T. Weaver James A. Walton Frank N. Smith Michael S. Rubacha James L. Warn

	A/C # 190		A/C # 934		A/C # 606		A/C # 383
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 Glen S. Thornton Harold W. Walbright Edward J. Colleran Elie R. Carrier Herbert L. Webster Lewis H. Shane George S. Kamas	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Stanley E. Kleiner Robert B. Hooper Reed V. Bryant Vernon F. Hornig Bernard L. Baker Leo J. Kwiatkowski James E. Haddock Joseph Konyak Rene V. Gabriel	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Winfred L. Pugh Arthur H. Richards Julius H. Drummond Clifford M. Page Edward M. Szumierz James E. Woodgate Joseph R. Wheatley John T. Poshefko Howard W. Martin	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell A. Price Robert C. Cook Eldon J. Foster Harry H. Whitaker Carroll C. Johnson Lester L. Tyndall Donald E. Betthauser Edward J. McHale George K. Raymond

	A/C # 905		A/C # 164		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harris S. Mathis Jesse L. Smith Charles S. Tripp John A. Richardson Rex B. Crawford Donald E. Cook Mark A. Osborne Morris R. Walker Nicholas Pesko	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Dale S. Jeffers Allen D. Sheakley Leo B. Bunker Marshall H. Hoyt Edward L. Nolan Morell N. Tobian Richard L. Gibbs Antonio Papaianni Homer D. Reich	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

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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