532nd Bomb Sq.
381st Bomb Group (H)
WAR DIARY
Submitted by Lt. G.T. Kelley
JANUARY 1945
1. Today we were to attack the synthetic oil plant five miles NE of Magdeburg. The group got separated and the 532nd which flew in the low squadron attacked Kassel with a visual bomb run, results were unobserved. AA fire at Kassel was intense, tracking and barrage and very accurate. Leading the attack were Lts Seeley and Gehret, along with: Lts Adamson, Godwin, Worrell, Instone, Tauro, Schwartner, Smith and Taylor.
2. We were to attack a tactical target today, in aid of the ground forces, a railroad siding at Gerolstein, 50 miles south of Cologne. There was good weather over the target and strike photos show excellent results. There were no enemy aircraft while flak was meagre and fairly accurate in the target area, as it was in the western front line area. Those taking part were: Col Fitzgerald and Capt Klinkseik in the lead, with: Lts Smith, Worrell, Hughes, Tauro, Ausmus, Anderson and Smith.
3. Through 10/10th cloud, and by PFF methods were bombed Cologne today, no areial opposition and meagre flak, and inaccurate in the target area was all we faced. Taking part were: Lts Adamson, Tauro, Instone, Lazar, Smith, Taylor, Schwartner, Anderson, Godwin and Armstrong.
4. Non Operational.
5. Our target for today was a railhead at Heinback, Germany. This target was requested by the army, and is located 12 miles south of Duren. Bombing was accomplished using GH equipment and due to 10/10th cloud cover results were unobserved. No enemy aircraft were encountered, while the only flak was well away from our formation. Capt Bryce and Lt Marshall led the high squadron, supported by: Lts Smith, Godwin, Schwartner, Instone, Hughes, Adamson, Armstrong and Firlit.
6. Today GH methods were used to bomb the South Cologne railroad bridge across the Rhine, but results were unobserved. No fighter opposition was encountered while the AA fire was meagre to moderate but inaccurate in the target area. Pilots participating, Lts Miller and O'Connor in the lead ship of the low squadron along with: Lts Godwin, Smith, Schwartner, Hughes, Tauro, Lazar, Anderson and Smith.
7. Non Operational.
8. Our target today was again requested by the army, a bridge of the road and river at Alzey, Germany. There was 10/10th cloud over the target and bombing was by GH methods with resulrs unobserved. No aircraft were met, and flak was meagre over Kaiserlautern, Saarbrucken and the targer area. Major Sandman led the "A" Group in the 1st CBW, along with Capt Klinkseik. Other pilots were: Smith, Tauro, Armstrong, Anderson, Rusch, Lazar, Taylor and Hughes.
9. Non Operational.
10. The Ostheim airfield four miles east of Cologne was the tactical target today. Photo-prints showed bomb bursts on the river front but not on the target. No aircraft were met and flak was only meagre in the target area. Today's pilots were: Lts Lazar, Taylor, Tauro, Adamson, Firlit, Smith, Godwin, Hughes, Armstrong and Rusch.
11. Non Operational.
12. Non Operational.
13. Today we again went after a target requested by the army, a rail bridge over the River Rhine at Germersheim, 20 miles south of Ludwigshafen. Bombing was accomplished by GH methods and results were unobserved. No enemy aircraft were encountered but flak was accurate tracking fire in the target area, and about the same at Landau and Neustadt. In the lead of the high squadron were Capt Bryce and Lt Seeley, supported by: Lts Hughes, Adamson, Armstrong, Rusch, Smith, Lazar, Armstrong and Fincher.
14. With excellent results were bombed Rodenkirchen autobahn bridge near Cologne, strike photos shoed a concentrated pattern of bombs thoroughly covering the bridge. No enemy aircraft were met, although flak was meagre but continuous over the battle lines, and intense in the target area. Those taking part were: Lts Miller and O'Connor leading the low squadron along with: Lts Instone, Anderson, Armstrong, Rusch, Smith, Lazar, Armstrong and Fincher.
15. Today we were to attack the aircraft assembly plant near Regensburg, but the mission was cancelled.
16. Target for today was a synthetic oil plant at Lutzkendorf, but it was scrubbed.
17. Our target today was the railway workshops at Paderborn, Germany. Bombing was accomplished by PFF, but results unobserved. The only flak encountered was about 20 bursts near Osnabruck. No enemy aircraft were encountered. Taking part were Capt Bryce in the lead ship with Col Hall, along with: Lts Instone, Anderson, Armstrong, Tauro, Hughes, Smith, Rusch and Fincher.
18. Our target for today was to attack Mannheim, but again scrubbed.
19. Non Operational.
20. The ships of our squadron took off today to attack the road and rail bridge over the Rhine and Mannheim. Bombing was done by PFF because of 8/10th cloud in the target area, leaving results unobserved. Taking part were: Lts Adamson, Smith, Anderson, Firlit, Godwin, Instone, Rusch, Smith, Tauro and Taylor.
21. The target for today was the tank assembly plant at Aschaffenburg, 25 miles south east of Frankfurt. There was 9/10th cloud in the target area and bombing was by GH instruments, thus results were unobserved. There were no enemy fighters and flak was nil. Participating were: Capt Klinseik with Lt Seeley, leading the high squadron along with: Lts Anderson, Baden, Armstrong, Firlit, Godwin, Taylor, Tauro and Smith, the latter two colliding on peeling off to land, and all crewmen were killed.
Those who died were, in 535th and 534th aircraft respectively were: 2nd Lt James E. Smith, F/O Wiliam A. Dernberger, 2nd Lt Charles F. Soper, S/Sgt Bernard L. McCrudden (toggler), S/Sgt Virgil I. Gray, S/Sgt Peter J. Durban, Sgt Donald T. Wilson, Sgt Ralph E. Campbell, Sgt Walter A. Streich.
F/O Nicholas F. Tauro, F/O Val J. Crofts, F/O Seymour L. Sobole, S/Sgt Edward L. Jones (toggler), S/Sgt Gildo Pannacione, S/Sgt Morris A. Shapiro, Sgt Allen Taylor, Sgt John P. York, Sgt Milton S. Swarts.
22. Non Operational.
23. Non Operational.
24. Non Operational.
25. Non Operational.
26. Non Operational.
27. Today we should have attacked the submarine yard at Bremen, but it was scrubbed. No other operations.
28. The target for today was the Hobernzollern raod and railway bridge over the Rhine at Cologne. In our Group the GH and H2S were out over the target, the high squadron took the lead and we bombed a target of opportunity, the marshalling yards at Gutersloh and hits were seen to strike this area. Flak was moderate and accurate from the IP to Cologne. There was no fighter opposition. The pilots for this mission were: Lts Miller and O'Connor leading the low squadron, with: Lts Firlit, Schwartner, Rusch, Armstrong, Godwin, Fincher, Hughes, Armstrong and Baden.
29. The locomotive depot at the south end of the Neiderlahnstein marshallinbg yards was today's objective, some three miles south of Koblenz, Bombing was by GH instruments and results were unobserved. AA fire was meagre, inaccurate and a barrage type in the target area, but none on the way in or out. No aircraft were encountered. Taking part were: Major Sandman and Capt Bryce, leading the "A" Group of the 1st CBW, with: Lts J.E. Armstrong, Firlit, R. Armstrong, Rusch, Taylor, Godwin, Hughes and Gehret.
30. Non Operational.
31. Non Operational.
The following officers were promoted this month: 1st Lts Dewhurst, Hadley and Miller, to captain; 2nd Lts Schwartner, Dunham, Gehret, Sipila, Wolfe and Perry to 1st Lt.
Awards during the month were: 37 Air Medals and 73 Oak Leaf Clusters, one to a Distinguished Fly Cross, to Lt Col John E. Fitzgerald.
> February 1945