533rd Bomb Sq.
381st Bomb Group (H)
WAR DIARY
Submitted by Pvt John Haggerty
AUGUST 1944
1. Though our crews were briefed this morning at 06.00 hrs, chill mist and drizzling rain prevented take off untill 11.00 hrs. During the late morning the mist cleared and the rain stopped.
Including ten of the 533rd, 37 ships of the 381st took off for an attack on the airfields at Muelan/Villaroche and Etampes/Mondesare, France. Flak was negligible and bombing results went unobserved. No enemy fighters were encountered and all the formation returned safely.
Today's 533rd pilots were: Lts Nelson, Huber, Masterson, Fenton, Berkley, O'Dell, Cochran, Lang, Usher and Carroll.
T/Sgt Walner was transferred to the 532nd; Pvts Bliss and Westendorf, both aerial gunners, were promoted to Sgts; S/Sgt Francis Miller left on a seven-day furlough; Sgt DuBois and Cpl DePriest returned from detached service; S/Sgt Holloway and Cpl Russell Miller were re-classifield from 813 to 041; Pfc Marshall Miller from 521 to 590.
Two new crews were assigned: 2nd Lts Burton Kinney, Robert Beckman, Robert Holmes, Samuel Reisman; Sgts Allen Ulrich, Kamesuka Itokara, Sylvan Sciumbato, John Bormida, John Garden and Walter Godbey.
2nd Lt Ernest Germano, F/O Charles Carpenter, 2nd Lts Richard Tierney, Edward Spaniol; Sgts John King, William Shelley, Cloyde Goodey, Joseph Rapp, Alexander Donaldson and Cpl Harold Siders.
2. If the God of Mainz decided to make today the gloomiest in the ETO for the 381st, he succeeded. Low-hanging misty clouds and ran which alternately drizzled and poured prevent aerial activity today. Even the sparrows were grounded, sitting disconsolately in the shelter of haystacks.
As ever, work on the line continued!
3. Led by Lt Col Conway S. Hall, 37 aircraft of the 381st attacked the vast marshalling yards at Mulhouse, France, today. Nine ships from the 533rd took part.
A 30-second bomb run was carried out over 8/10th clouds by visual sighting. Affects of the bombing could not be discerned because of cloud conditions. The bombers encountered no flak or enemy fighters during the trip, except near Antwerp, Belgium, on the way back. The Luftwaffe were completely absent, although one 535th ship was lost through unexpected flak.
533rd pilots were: Lts Renick, Melomo, Huber, Masterson, Orcutt, Weaver, LaCouture, Cochran and Berkley.
The following 2nd Lts, were notofied today of their promotion to 1st Lts: Huber, Fenton, Masterson, Pearce, Rolin and Weaver.
T/Sgt Phillips and S/Sgt Kircher left on 7-day furloughs.
4. Peenemunde, the German experimental station on the Baltic coast, where the robot bomb was developed and where it is believed research on the threatened V-2 weapon is being carried out, was rocked today by bombs from 37 aircraft of the 381st, nine 533rd taking part.
Station commander, Col Harry P. Leber, Jr., led the group flying in the PFF ship "Sunkist Special", with Capt Douglas L. Winter as his pilot. Major William G. Fullick, group bombardier, paced the formation through a 90-second bomb run, and bombing results are believed to be good. The formation met moderate but accurate flak, but all returned safely with no casualties.
Shortly after take-off this morning, a 532nd ship assigned to the deputy lead position, caught fire and crashed near Wethersfield, Essex Co., a few miles from the base. Most of the delayed action bomb load exploded, but there was only one casualty, the tail gunner, S/Sgt Harold F. Norris, whose body was found in the wreckage. All the others, including Capt Francis Hawkins, group photographic officer, parachuted to safety.
Today's pilots were: Renick, O'Dell, Cochran, LaPierre, Rolin, LaCouture, Fenton, Pearce and Orcutt.
S/Sgts Lewis Perrone and Smiley returned to duty from detached service.
5. With Capt George K. Sandman, 533rd commander, leading, nine ship from this squadron made up part of the 37-strong force of the 381st bombers which struck at underground oil stores at Nienburg, Germany. Bombing was good and crewmen at the rear of the formation reported seeing large clouds of black smoke arising from the target. No enemy fighters were seen and no flak encountered in the target area. Light flak was directed at the formation when it was coming in over the German coast, but all the ships returned safely.
Today's other pilots were: Lts Masterson, LaPierre, Huber, Rolin, Berkley, Weavers, Stevens and Melomo.
Two more crews joined the squadron today: 2nd Lts Edward Carr, Ellis Richard, Eugene Nelson, Hugh Treadwell; Sgts Albert Hines, Rudy Staszko, Cpls William Collins, Glen Lamp, Davis Phillips and Robert Whittaker.
2nd Lts Robert Gotthardt, Rodney Layton, Edgar Scoones, Robert Stephens; Cpl Donald Ellingham, Sgt Howard Norman, Cpls Edward Bailey, David Baird, Richard Bishop and Pfc Leonard Fahnestock.
The following officers and enlisted men left for detached service at the school at RAF Kirkham, Lancs., Lts Melomo, Lane, Palmer, Freeman; T/Sgt Gilbertson, S/Sgts Hill, Moorehead and Beneko.
The following combat men who have completed their tours of duty are released from the squadron and attached to the 1142nd M.P. Co. alert unit: T/Sgts Schwartz, Lawson, S/Sgts Arndt, Hepfinger, Kircher and Parker.
Other personnel movements include: 2nd Lt Richard, Cpls Bishop and Baird were assigned to the squadron; 1st Lt Botzong promoted to captain; seven officers and 16 EM left for a rest home today; T/Sgts Smith and Szabo, who have been on temporary duty at the 12th RCD returned to duty; S/Sgts Chin and Wilcox promoted to T/Sgt; Sgts Diedrich, Capshaw, Caglione and Dyer promoted to S/Sgt; Cpls Cook, Krainz, Mourning and Sharp promoted to Sgt; S/Sgts Dillon and Miller left for a 7-day furloughs; Sgt Day was placed on temporary duty with the 15th Air Force for 30 days training.
6. Ten B-17s of the 533rd were part of a force of 37 aircraft of the 381st which hit an aircraft plant at Brandenburg today. The group formation was led by Major Arthur F. Briggs, 534th commander.
The aircraft circled Berlin on the way to the target but no enemy ships were encountered throughout the trip. Some crewmen told of seeing dogfights between Allied and German fighters far away from the path of the bombers. Bombing, carried out by visual sighting, it is believed to be excellent. No ships from this squadron were lost.
7. Some 51 bombers of the 381st attacked two targets in France, today, oil storage dumps at St Florentine, under the command of 1st Lt George W. Reese, who acted a leader for the formation dispatched to St Florentin, where bombing was reported to be good. However that was surpassed by the bombing at Bourron-Malott, where hits were reported directly on the MPI.
Though directed at separate targets, the operation counted as one mission as both formations took off together and flew most of the way as one force, neither of whom saw any Luftwaffe.
The pilots were: Lts LaPierre, Bigham, Tolchinsky, Masterson, Schein, LaCouture, Weaver, Bonar and Fenton.
8. Giving direct approach support to British and Canadian troops deadlocked with the Germans at Caen, 37 bombers of the 381st plastered the enemy lines from an altitude of only 14,000 ft. Heavy, tracking flak rocked the formation for more than 20 minutes and caused a 535th ship to make a forced landing in France behind the Allied lines.
Nine bombers of the 533rd participated, flown by: Lts LaPierre, Schein, Stevens, Carroll, Bigham, McMullen, Pearce, Jones and Tolchinsky.
2nd Lts LaPierre, Bonar, Goodman, Greene, Kennedy, Schirmeyer and LaCouture were promoted to 1st Lt today; 1st Lt Calhoun was transferred to the 532nd; S/Sgts Miller and Emmons rejoined the squadron after release from the 1142nd M.P. Co. alert detachment.
9. The center of Saarbrucken, Germany, was bombed today by 27 ships of the 381st, as a target of opportunity after thickening weather prevented the formation from reaching its original target. They were led by Lt Col David E. Kunkel, group operations officer. Flak was heavy over the target and although all ship returned safely, battle damage was the worst in several weeks.
533rd pilots included: Lts Carroll, Rolin, Weaver, Bonar, LaCouture and Gardner.
Captain Ralston, squadron medical officer, left for the rest home; 2nd Lt Weeks was transferred to the 534th and Pfc Herman A. Brown transferred to the 858th BS, 492nd BG at Harrington.
Promotions: 2nd Lts Pane and Singer to 1st Lts; T/Sgt Stapp to M/Sgt; S/Sgt Larson to T/Sgt and Cpl Siders to Sgt.
10. Today was a stand down. Many of our ships are non-operational due to heavy flak damage, and this will give the sheet metal men chance to catch up.
T/Sgt James M. Phillips and S/Sgt Kircher left on a 7-day furlough; Cpls Gardner, Griffith and Greco were re-classified from 749 to 747; Capt Franek was transferred to the 12th RCD casual pool and Sgt Beradi was reduced to Pvt by Court Martial Order #18.
11. August began to resemble a summer month today. Clear, cloudless skies and hot sunshine made even the most reluctant skeptics admit that England is not always cold, damp and gloomy.
At 13.30 hrs 36 bombers of the 381st took off to blast German installations and fortifications at Brest, where the entrapped enemy garrison has been fiercely resisting American attempts to take the city. With perfect visibility bombardiers were able to sight their way accurately to the target and dropped a heavy concentration of bombs across the MPI. Flak was light at the target and no enemy fighters were encountered.
Nine 533rd ships took part, flown by: Lts LaPierre, Fenton, Pearce, Orcutt, Schein, Bigham, Stevens, Ogle and Steinwinter.
12. Despite continuation of yesterday's excellent weather no mission was planned.
Returning from rest homes to duty were: 1st Lt Pane and 2nd Lt Farley; T/Sgts Gordon, Shields and Nepper; S/Sgts Weir, Brady and Sgts Keaveney and Stein.
The following were promoted to Sgt today: Cpls Collins, Lamp, Phillips, Whittaker, Ellingham, Bailey, Bishop, Baird and Pfc Fahnestock; 1st Lt Kennedy and S/Sgt Leazenby were transferred to the 12th RCD casual pool.
These men returned from detached service with the 1142nd M.P. Co, alert detachment: T/Sgt Kane and S/Sgts Kircher, Heaton, O'Donnell and Keesling.
13. Trapped Germans in the Falaise Gap were being pounded incessantly today by Allied aircraft of all types. The 381st provided 36 ships, eight from the 533rd, took part in the action by blasting a major road junction near Rouen, France, with Capt George K. Sandman, 533rd commander, leading.
Flak at the target was rough today, but no enemy aircraft were seen. However an unlucky burst of flak killed 2nd Lt W.B. Haines, 535th navigator and wounded the same ship's engineer. This squadron suffered no casualties.
Capt Sandman reported good bombing results. He flew in the ship piloted by 1st Lt Nelson; other pilots were: Lts Pearce, Gardner, Tolchinsky, Bigham, Huber, Berkley and Windsor.
The following men, who have finished their tours of duty, were transferred to the 12th RCD casual pool: 1st Lt Weaver; T/Sgt Kane, S/Sgts Keesling, Miller, O'Donnell, Heaton and Kircher.
S/Sgt Lester D. Stone, Sgt Harry Orser, Cpl Albert S. Enger and Pfc Gerald Punches joined the squadron today.
Two new crews were assigned today, both minus navigator and bombardier: 2nd Lts Benjamin H. Long, Howard J. Anderson; S/Sgts Clifford T. Owens, Oscar G. Knowles, Sgts Charles P. Engle, Joseph R. Logalbo, Cpls Ward A. Freeman and Frank N. Williams.
2nd Lts Robert J. Roush, Frederick L. Crouse; T/Sgts Irving Schlom, Philip H. Brown, Sgts Arthur P. Hafner, Joseph W. Demski, Richard E. Davis and Charles J. Banta.
14. The 381st put up 37 Fortresses today to bomb the Metz/Frescaty airfield in France. The formation was led by Lt Col Charles L. Halsey 535th commander. Visibility at the target was perfect, bombardiers being able to discern the target from 20 miles away, and they dropped their explosives in a tightly concentrated pattern across landing strips and hangars.
There was no flak at the target and no enemy aircraft around. Nine bombers from the 533rd took part, flown by: Lts Carroll, Steinwinter, Orcutt, LaCouture, Schein, Windsor, Huber, Rolin and Ogle.
Captain John J. Tutsock, adjutant of the 533rd since Pyote training days, was transferred today to Group HQ, where he will serve as assistant S-4 officer. 1st Lt Martin Healey, Jr., was appointed to succeed him as 553rd adjutant. Lt Healey has been serving as an intelligent officer at Group HQ.
2nd Lt Stoltz was sent to the radio navigation Gee school at Station #112 Bovingdon.
S/Sgt Bennett and Sgt Alexander returned to duty from training at RAF Kirkham; six EM and four officers left for rest home.
15. Thirty-seven bombers of the 381st continued their hot pace for the month today by pasting the Ostheim airdrome just south of Cologne in the Ruhr Valley. Heavy flak pounded the formation throughout the bombing run and battle damage was severe. The group was led by Lt Col Conway S. Hall, Group Air Executive.
Visibility was good and Col Hall reported "excellent" bombing. The target had been hit by two wings before our ships arrived. No enemy fighters were seen throughout the operation and our fighter escort was on an area basis.
Nine 533rd ships took part, flown by: Lts Fenton, O'Dell, Tolchinsky, Carroll, Bonar, Gardner, LaCouture, Bigham and Huber.
Promotions: 2nd Lts Cochran, Rekos and Berkley to 1st Lt; S/Sgts Bentley, Bowman, Rump and Nicholas to T/Sgt; Sgts Harper, Weems, Esquada, Keaveney and Zajac to S/Sgt.
S/Sgt Dillon was transferred the 12th RCD casual pool.
16. Eight bombers from the 533rd were part of the force of 36 of the 381st which struck an assembly plant at Halle, Germany, today. The weather was exceptionally clear at the target and the bombers carried out an "Excellent" bombing run, reported by Lt Col John E. Fitzgerald, Jr., 532nd commander, who led the group.
Our formation suffered no enemy fighter attacks and flak at the target was moderate. However, about 20 FW190's swept down on the combar wing behind our's as we approached the target, knocking down four or five ships before our own fighters drove them off. Col Fitzgerald reported seeing eight targets in Germany hard hit and smoking from separate attacks carried out by the Eighth Air Force today. All our bombers returned safely.
533rd pilots were: McMullen, Orcutt, Steinwinter, Schein, Ogle, Rolin, Masterson and Fenton.
1st Lt W.E. Usher was transferred today to the 482nd BG Bassingbourn; and 1st Lt Lee A. Nelson to the 12th RCD casual pool.
The following combat men, their tours completed were temporarily assigned to the 1142nd MP Co. alert detachment: T/Sgt Moore, S/Sgts Lueck, McGuffin and Valente; S/Sgt Hepfinger and Arndt returned from detachment at the same unit.
17. Foul weather settled over Ridgewell again today, forcing a stand down. Cpl Albert S. Enger was transferred to 1st Bomb Division HQ; 2nd Lt Gardner left for rest home.
18. Weather continued to prevent operations. The sky is grey and overcast, with high winds and intermittent rain. Capt Ralston, squadron medical officer returned to duty today from the rest home; Pvt McMullen entered the klink again today at 08.00 hrs.
19. Stand down again today as the weather refuses to co-operate. It is getting to be a habit! Four officers and six combat EM left for rest home.
20. Instead of smiling skies we continue to have dripping clouds. If we consider the English lovers of the fireside, here's the reason why! Our planes are again landlocked. Pfc James Wentworth was promoted Cpl.
21. Brother, we've had it! The fins on our planes out on the line are really beginning to resemble fish now, with this continual rain. No end of it is in sight yet and no operations.
Capt George K. Sandman promoted to Major; 2nd Lt McMullen to 1st Lt; S/Sgt Maupi and Cpl Fraze re-classified from 862 to 754; T/Sgt Moon transferred to 12th RCD casual pool; Cpl Wentworth to 8th Composite Command HQ, at Station #113 Cheddington; Sgts King and Saporito transferred to 86th BS.
S/Sgt Julius Stern left on detached service for London today to participate in a French language broadcast. He lived in France for many years; Pfc Maxwell returned to duty from detached service at Station #572, Melchbourne Park, Beds., five officers and eight EM left for the rest home.
22. Weather continues to prevent operations. Today, however, the clouds broke open several times and we saw a little sunshine. Maybe tomorrow we'll be ready for ops again.
The following men were released from 1142nd MP Co. alert detachment to duty: T/Sgts Moore, Lawson and Schwartz; S/Sgts Lueck, McGuffin, Valente, Parker, Trotti and Sgt Barnes; T/Sgt McMullen and S/Sgt McGuffin left on 7-day furloughs.
24. Breaking the long occupational lull, Major George K. Sandman, 533rd commander, led 37 ships of the 381st to attack and armaments factory near Weimar, Germany. The factory designated as the target is believed to be producing components of the Nazi V-2 rocket bomb. Weather was poor over England but clear most of the way in over the continent, Major Sandman reported.
In spite of this, bombardiers were able to sight visually and dropped a tight pattern of bombs on the objective. Flak was meagre, but one gunner was slightly wounded.
Pilots for the nine 533rd ships were: Lts Nelson, with Capt Sandman, LaCouture, Bonar, Berkley, Cochran, O'Dell, Gotthardt, Orcutt and Masterson.
S/Sgt Joseph J. White was reduced to Pvt.
25. A Focke-Wulf assembly plant at Neubrandenberg, Germany, was the target of a formation consisting of 37 aircraft of the 381st dispatched today, taking off at 13.30 hrs. Neubrandenberg is north of Berlin near Anklam, and the target itself is situated at the edge of a wood, giving it effective concealment from aerial observation.
The group was led by Capt Douglas L. Winters, who reported flak was meagre and no enemy aircraft were encountered. Bombardiers believed our pattern was not concentrated on the MPI, and results termed as "Fair".
This squadron put up ten aircraft, the pilots being: Lts Masterson, Gotthardt, Pearce, Rolin, Kinney, Tolchinsky, Gills, Cochran, Berkley and Ogle.
S/Sgt Stern returned to duty from detached service in London; Pvt Cox is listed as AWOL.
26. Heavy ground mist delayed take off today until 09.00 hrs, when the 37 aircraft of the 381st took part in a strong Eighth Air Force attack on Gelsenkirchen, in the Ruhr Valley. Flak, as usual in this section, was heavy, but the group came through without losses. Despite broken clouds, visual bombing was accomplished. The lead bombardier dropped his explosives on the smoke rising from the bombing done by wings ahead. No enemy fighters were seen.
Nine aircraft from the 533rd participated, the pilots being: Lts Berkley, Gardner, Windsor, Germano, Orcutt, Bonar, O'Dell, LaCouture and Fenton.
A new combat crew was assigned today: 2nd Lts Henry B. Riza, Albert D. Miller, Harvey G. McLoughlin, James F. Barrett; Sgts Paul H. Williams, Chester J. Wolski, Cpls Joseph J. Charkowski, William C. Sprouse, Myers J. Barker and Pvt Lydell A. Hayes.
Re-classifications include: Pvt Harris from 611 to 590; Pvts Garrity and Huber from 748 to 747; Pvt White from 612 to 911; Pvt Laveen from 612 to 070.
Pvt Cox returned to duty from AWOL.
27. This morning 37 ships of the 381st took off to bomb factory targets in Berlin, with Lt Col John E. Fitzgerald, Jr., 532nd commander, leading the formation. Bad weather forced the formation to turn back short of Berlin and seek a target of opportunity. Emden was chosen as the target and bombs were dropped by instruments. Flak at the target was unusually heavy and caused major battle damage to some of the group's ships. One ship returned to base with one man killed and four wounded. No enemy fighters were encountered.
Pilots for the nine 533rd ships that took part were: Lts Masterson, Jones, Pearce, Gills, Cochran, Tolchinsky, O'Dell, Gotthardt and Gardner.
Today 2nd Lts Asay, Gittleman, Gardner, Jones, Orcutt and Steinwinter were promoted to 1st Lt; Sgt Joseph McCullough joined the squadron today; Sgt Deaton was re-classified from 612 to 938.
28. Sluggish grey clouds and steady rain prevented any operation today. T/Sgt Szabo and S/Sgt Jones were transferred to the 12th RCD casual pool; 2nd Lt Tolchinsky was promoted to 1st Lt.
29. It is raining again today and the sky filled with low-hanging clouds. An operational mission had been expected today because of playing Taps last night over the tannoy, almost a sure sign that something is being planned for morning. (No mission planned however!)
W/O Joseph Nutt reported to duty today from detached service at RAF Kirkham; 1st Lt Sims and Sgt Day returned to duty today after 30 days training with the 15th Air Force; Capt William I. Carpenter, 2nd Lt John E. Marks and Pfc Manuel G. Loya were assigned this date.
Four officers and six EM left for rest home, from which 1st Lt Gardner has returned.
30. Early today, it appeared that the weather would prevent a mission again, in spite of the playing of Taps last night. No operational alert was called until 09.00 hrs. There were heavy grey clouds in the sky and drizzled intermittently until almost noon.
Briefing was held at 11.00 hrs and at 12.30 hrs a force of 37 bombers of the 381st took off under the leadership of Lt Col Conway S. Hall to bomb Kiel, Germany. The formation bombed through 10/10th undercast by means of instruments and results were unobserved. Flak at the target was moderate. One airman was slightly wounded in the forehead by a shell fragment. Main targets for the attack were along the harbor front - docks, warehouses, and U-boat assembly plants.
Among the reports: Working severed propeller and throttle control cables with his hands in the cramped nose compartment of "Fort Worth Gal", a 533rd ship, top turret gunner S/Sgt Nile E. Greathouse, became an unofficial "third pilot" on today's mission to Kiel.
During the bombing run over the German port city, "Forth Worth Gal" was struck by a vicious burst of flak which severed the throttle and prop control cables, frayed the aileron cables, and knocked out the oxygen system used by the pilot, navigator and engineer. The bomber fell out of formation and dropped 6,000 ft before the pilot, 1st Lt Mitchell A. Rolin, could pull it back to level flight.
Throttles gone, the pilot had no means of regulating speed until S/Sgt Greathouse left his turret and crawled into the nose beneath the co-pilot's seat to work the snapped cables with his hands. Coached by the pilot over the interphone, the top turret gunner handled the throttle controls perfectly and the bomber crawled back to England at 130 mph.
"To show you the job Greathouse did, though," Lt Rolin said later, "We still beat the rest of the formation home."
The following men were re-classified: T/Sgt Cathcart from 685 to 750; Sgt Martin from 958 to 685; Pvt Whittington from 870 to 901; Pfcs Dean and Smith from 590 to 901 and Pvt Bilderbeck from 590 to 835.
31. Weather was fair today, with broken cumulus cloud, but no mission was carried out; Capt Botzong was transeferred to 381st HQ; Four officers and six EM returned to duty from rest home.
> September 1944