Mission No 30

MISSION NO. 30
HAMM, GERMANY

22 APRIL, 1944

The entire Eighth Air Force, consisting of eight hundred bombers, was sent aloft to bomb the Hamm marshalling yards, the largest in Germany, which had the capacity of handling 10,000 freight cars per day. It was one of the key centers for German rail traffic, handling everything between the Ruhr in the north and central Germany.

The Group supplied twenty-four planes and led the 94th Combat Wing, with Col. Luper leading as Air Commander and with Lt. J. L. Smith as pilot.

By the time the 45 7th reached the target, it was so blasted and smoke covered by the preceding units that the Group went to other yards in the city and bombed. Enemy fighters were in the area, but did not attack. Takeoff had been in late afternoon, and darkness was approaching as the aircraft returned to England. Landings were make in the dark. The lead ship (Luper) could not lower one of its landing wheels. After dropping its ball turret over the Wash and making several approaches, the craft finally came in for a successful belly landing in the darkness.

The Germans attached about twenty Ju-88s and Me-410s to B-24 groups, which flew at the end of the bomber stream. They attacked while the B-24s were attempting to land in the darkness, and at least ten aircraft were shot down or crash landed, in addition to many planes being damaged.

The 457th did not experience any intruder attacks.

CREW LOADING LIST

April 22nd, 1944
Mission No 30 Target: Hamm, 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 # 552 A/C # 985 A/C # 055 A/C # 056

p
cp
n
b
tt
ro
bt
lwg
rwg
tg
Lt
Lt
Lt
Lt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt Thomas E. Lee
John M. Bristow
John C. Sherwin
Regis J. Creehan
Clayton L. Betterton
Jasper Stewart
John R, Barber
John A. Robinson
Irvin V.Gerlich
Ralph H.Zagorski
Lt
Lt
Lt
Lt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Lt
Lt
Jesse L. Smith
James R. Luper
Donald E. Muston
William G. Patry
Randall N. White
Milton B. Davison
Clarence R. Ray
Steve Vargo
Raymond L. Osborn
Noel A. Cunefare
Norman A. Kriehn
Lt
Lt
F/O
Lt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt Garland M. Hutson
Tracy E. Geiger
Carl F. Hansen
Clifford D. Hughes
Charles K. Coffman
Howard C. Layton
Harold C. Reader
Herman R. Goossens
Jachin M. Forbes
George A. Pfeifer
Lt
Lt
Lt
Lt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt
Sgt John W. Fay
James E. Carels
Lionel J. Cussons
Joe E. Wilmeth
Edward T. Sawyer
George H. Staudt
William A. Spoerner
Richard M. Bassett
Frederick G. Wagner
Hugh C. Arant

	A/C # 591		A/C # 079		A/C # 551		A/C # 451
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth R. Johnston Kenneth W. Brucker Herbert N. Webb Harry B. Vaal Daniel A. Malcolm Francis E. Friedel Ivan W. Browning Paul O. Conner Edwin D. Waggoner Gilbert Slocum	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	William L. Gibbons Raymond A. Spytak William J. Brandt Patrick A. Walls Paul A. Birchen Jasper L. Smith Milton P. Rudd Paul Holder John R. Graham George J. Bennett	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert M. Krumm Leo R. Green Roland O. Byers Fred W. Roberts Lawrence J. Walsh Raymond J. Kristoff Billy E. Hightower S. Marx John D. Barrett Anthony Tozzi	Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Green B. Poore James F. Oldenhage George L. Brice Frank J. Rowe Frederick A. Smith John F. Nechak Oren E. Hobbs Llyn W. Rice George T. Murphy Ralph E. Stowe

	A/C # 470		A/C # 051		A/C # 073		A/C # 594
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 R. Walker Kenneth E. Myers Robert s. Wood Richard T. Trundy Anthony Marrone Tom G. Overn Howard W. Berrier	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt	Donald E. Lady Theodore C. Hoffman Judson E. Krueger Lloyd T. Bellanger Robert D. Newcomb Bernard L. Baker William G. Arterburn Marvin H. Sloan Carl W. Ostlind Rose D. Pogue Wade E. Knudson	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward B. Dozier Charles E. Newmeyer Alexis P. Umoff Charles W. Hilton Dwight M. Anderson Alvin E. Merriam Gerald E. Poston Frank L. Ridenhour Fredrick L. Exley Alvie M. Kirkendall	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Louis G. Auld Jack Gumm Jerome Silverman Alden N. Rittman Carl D. Seibrands Loyd G. Vanzant Nicholas P. Weber John B. Healy William L. Stringer Richard Mellott

	A/C # 615		A/C # 086		A/C # 468		A/C # 630
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harris S. Mathis Morris E. Gerber Frederick W. Asbell John A. Richardson Rex B. Crawford Donald E. Cook Mark A. Osborne, Jr. Robert C. Makin Nicholas Pesko Ralph H. Garrison	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	Robert D. Lane Howard E. James Robert C. Dvorak William L. Smith Winfred C. Kincaid John E. Misener Edward A. Bleck Gervin R. McBride James J. Vaughn Joe B. McCall	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 Nicholas F. Bendino Robert L. Jackson Earl W. Johnston William F. White Joseph A. Toth

	A/C # 607		A/C # 190		A/C # 923		A/C # 448
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 Solen J. Boydston George A. Sipp James R. Powell Earl N. Pledger Andrew Kafka Norman C. Bonney Edwin Dempsey Leo L. Lange	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	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	Sgt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth L. Andersen Kaspar O. Lamvik Thomas F. Monaghan Russel H. Auten Laurel W. Phillips Raymond J. Daly Eugene F. Beamer C. F. Graves Dean K. Adams Donald J. Doughwright

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 545		A/C #
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 Bernard B. Weinberg Howard A. Handran Harry C. Lake James A. Martin Patsy Varsassi Alfred Beacom Ernest W. Kerr, Jr. Kenneth E. Davidson	Lt Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt

	A/C # 552		A/C # 985		A/C # 055		A/C # 056
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg rwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Thomas E. Lee John M. Bristow John C. Sherwin Regis J. Creehan Clayton L. Betterton Jasper Stewart John R, Barber John A. Robinson Irvin V.Gerlich Ralph H.Zagorski	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt Lt	Jesse L. Smith James R. Luper Donald E. Muston William G. Patry Randall N. White Milton B. Davison Clarence R. Ray Steve Vargo Raymond L. Osborn Noel A. Cunefare Norman A. Kriehn	Lt Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Garland M. Hutson Tracy E. Geiger Carl F. Hansen Clifford D. Hughes Charles K. Coffman Howard C. Layton Harold C. Reader Herman R. Goossens Jachin M. Forbes George A. Pfeifer	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John W. Fay James E. Carels Lionel J. Cussons Joe E. Wilmeth Edward T. Sawyer George H. Staudt William A. Spoerner Richard M. Bassett Frederick G. Wagner Hugh C. Arant