532nd Bomb Sq.
381st Bomb Group (H)
WAR DIARY
Submitted Lt. G.T. Kelley
NOVEMBER 1944
1. Non Operational. Captain Earl M. Crawford appointed Station Signal Supply Officer to his other duties.
2. Non Operational.
3. The target for today was to be the oil refinery south of Hamburg, but was scrubbed.
4. Today's mission was to attack Harburg, near Hamburg, the site of a large refinery. Bombing was by PFF, while enemy aircraft opposition was nil and flak was moderate, inaccurate, barrage type in the target area. Our ten pilots were: Lts Schomburg, Schwartner, Bendall, Quinn, Devenish, Lazar, Bailey, Smith, Armstrong and Belskis.
5. Today we attacked the marshalling yards at Frankfurt, so while there was 8/10th could coverage, bombing was by PFF with results unobserved. Flak was meagre to moderate and four of our ships suffered battle damage. Leading the high squadron was Capt Herrington and Lt Miller, the others being: Lts Bendall, Lazar, Davis, Marshall, Rautio, Schomburg, Smith and Schwartner.
6. Target for today was again Hamburg, with bombing results good after a visual attack, despite moderate to intense accurate flak encountered in the target area. Those who participated were, leading: Capt Herrington and Lt Morgan, with: Lts Devenish, Belskis, Sunderland O'Connor, Marshall, Bailey, Schwartner and Smith.
7. Non operational.
8. Non operational.
9. Today the mission was in direct support of the ground troops in the Metz area, the target being gun emplacements. The "A" Group of the 1st CBW was led by Col Fitzgerald and Lt Klinkseik, while deputy lead was Capt Herrington and Lt Schomburg. Other pilots were: Lt Belskis, Sunderland, Rautio, Armstrong, Devenish, Smith and Schwartner.
1st Lt Gomez, T/Sgt Grisham, S/Sgt Burt and S/Sgt Gonzales are all reported as Prisoners of War.
10. Cologne was today's target which was bombed by instruments with results unobserved. AA fire was moderate and fairly accurate over the target but no enemy aircraft were encountered. Our pilots who took part were: Lts Schomburg, Nashold, Lazar, Devenish, Adamson, Bromander, Bailey, Armstrong, Schwartner and Rautio.
There was an accident on the perimeter track at 05.20 hrs today, when Cpls John J. Corley and Raymond Timm, were hit by a truck driven by Pfc Cawey (ordinance), unfortunately injuries to Corley proved fatal.
11. Non Operational. 2nd Lts Dvorak, Marshall, Seeley and Stampe promoted 1st Lt.
12. Non Operational. 2nd Lt Brady and M/Sgt Bryan were assigned to a tour of duty with the 15th Air Force.
13. Non Operational. 2nd Lts Ausmus, Boyd, Boyle, Dawson, Ginn, Hilton, Lazar, Sherman, Strohmayer, Van Leeuwen and Fabry promoted to 1st Lt.
14. Non Operational. Today is Gas Alert Day. All men to carry their gas masks from 08.00 hrs to 17.30 hrs.
15. Non Operational.
16. The target for today was in direct support of the ground troops at Eschweiler, Germany, eight miles east of Aachen. The target was bombed visually with excellent results. Meagre accurate AA fire was encountered just after bombs away. The pilots who took part were: Lts Bryce and Seeley in the lead ship of the high squadron, with: Lts Lazar, Nashold, Davis, Adamson, Bendall, Bailey, Ausmus and Boyle.
2nd Lt Machinis was promoted to 1st Lt.
Sgt Howard D. Allshouse was married to Miss Peggy Elizabeth Stannard of #1 Foundry Place, Haverhill, Suffolk, at East Ham Registry Office today.
Two more new crews were assigned: 2nd Lts George C. Instone Jr, Wayne R. Hause, William Taplin Jr; Sgt Danford D. Gallagher; Cpls Jeremiah W. Conlon, Carl P. Wieting, Angier P. Jayner, Pfc Wayne K. Kanes.
2nd Lts James E. Smith, Charles F. Soper, F/O William A. Dernberger; Cpls Peter A. Duncan Jr, Bernard L. McCrudden, Donald T. Wilson, Ralph E. Campbell, Virgil L. Gray, Walter A. Streich.
17. Non Operational. 1st Lts Bryce, Klinkseik and Sunderland promoted Captain.
18. Non Operational. The regular Saturday morning inspection took place. Lt Maloney inspected Site #1 with the 1st Sgt reported the barracks in excellent condition. An inspection of all mess equipment and found to be clean. Capt DeSantis and the 1st Sgt inspected Sites #2 and #6, the latter was in excellent condition but #2 was in bad shape.
19. Non Operational.
20. Non Operational.
21. The target for today was the synthetic oil plant at Merseburg. Bombing was done through 10/10th cloud by PFF and results were unobserved. The group also dropped incendiaries at Friedburg, Germany, on the built up area near the marshalling yards. No enemy aircraft were encountered, but flak was intense and accurate around Merseburg. Our pilots were: Lts Morgan and Mousseau in the lead ship of the low squadron, others: Lts Adamson, Rautio, Davis, Schwartner, Nashold, Hill, Tauro and Godwin.
22. Non Operational. A list of proposed changes in the organization was submitted to Group HQ. Each department must note up its own list of changes in the T/O which they thought they would need if the squadron was to operate in another theatre.
23. Non Operational.
24. Non Operational.
25. Today's mission was to attack Lutzkendorf's oil plant, close to Merseburg. Bombing was by PFF with results unobserved. Intense flak was encountered in the target area. Taking part were: Capts McNeill and Klinseik leading the 1st "B" group of the 1st CBW, along with: Lts Bendall, Hill, Davis, Armstrong, Smith, Nashold, Godwin and Adamson.
To ordnance and armament officers from all squadrons on the base gave a party for all enlisted men in their sections. It was held in the station theatre and was a big success. The squadron commanders and executive officers and group staff officers were invited. The men had a very good time, but had to work loading the planes for a mission scheduled for tomorrow.
26. Today the squadron attacked the railway viaduct at Altenbeken, Germany, bombing accomplished by GH equipment with results unobserved. About 40 to 60 FW 190s and Me 109s passed under our formation and attacked the group behind us but not our formation. The only flak encountered was meagre and inaccurate at Zwolle, Holland. Those who took part were: Lts Worrell, Bendall, Copeland, Adamson, Schwartner, Nashold, Godwin, Tauro, Hill and Smith, the latter missing in action.
MIA crew: Lts Kyle Smith, Donald McGurk, F/O Melvin LaLuzerne; S/Sgt Byron Wear, Sgts Leslie Colson, Robert Porter, Gustavo Contreras, Thomas Arnold andFrancis Lange.
27. Non Operational.
28. Non Operational.
29. Today we bombed the oil refinery at Misburg, near Hanover. Bombing was by instruments through 10/10th cloud and results unobserved. No enemy aircraft were seen and flak was meagre an inaccurate. Leading the high squadron were: Lts Morgan and Mousseau, with: Lts Bendall, Boyle, Sunderland, Adamson, Schwartner, Copeland, Tauro and Godwin.
Pay received for enlisted men. Combat men are paid at 19.00 hrs as they may go on a mission tomorrow, thus not delay turning back of the payrolls.
Three new crews were assigned: 2nd Lts Mack F. Hughes, Herbert Dodson Jr, Franklin H. Kreamer, Eugene L. Pauley; S/Sgt Davis A. Evans; Cpls Forrest H. Cobb Jr, Joseph A. McNeilly, Earl V. Black, George A. Lippi.
2nd Lts William H. Taylor, Merwin B. Vining, Rowley F. Blakeney; 1st Lt Robert Hosmer; Sgt Daniel H. Isaac; Cpls Joseph E. Brochiero III, Charles E. Curtin, Joseph P. Isca, Henry S. Moody Jr.
2nd Lts Roger A. Rusch, Bruce A. Demers, Edward L. Sobel, 1st Lt Robert G. Sullivan; Cpls Francis T. Chambers, Charles P. Dias, Theodore N. Jones, Edward J. Denue, Leon A. Farrar.
30. Nine of this squadron took off this morning to attack Zeitz, Germany, where crews reported hits in the population areas, also fires burning there. No enemy aircraft were met but flak was intense and accurate in the target area. Taking part were Capt Bryce and Lt Marshall in the lead of the low squadron, and: Lts Bendall, Armstrong, Worrell, Adamson, Schwartner, Nashold. Godwin and Tauro.
The strength of the squadron is 123 officers and 432 enlisted men.
The following is a list of awards to combat personnel this month: four Distinguished Flying Crosses to: Sgt Max A. Bair, S/Sgt Thomas Comish Jr, S/Sgt Devereux P. Thomas, S/Sgt Leonard Kaplan. There were no Purple Hearts, but five Air Medals and 64 Oak Leaf Clusters.
> December 1944