533rd Bomb Sq.
381st Bomb Group (H)
WAR DIARY
Submitted by Pvt John Haggerty
JANUARY 1945
1. New Year's Day dawned clear and cold, and a mission was scheduled, the briefef visual target being the aircraft plant at Magdeburg. The secondary PFF target was Kassel.
Nine ships of the 533rd took off in brilliant moonlight at 07.30 hrs for the operation, with Major Ike Taylor, 535th CO and formation leader of the 37 bombers. When the Forts reached Magdeburg, they found the city covered with 10/10th clouds. The High and Low squadrons became separated from the lead over Magdeburg, and Capt Ned Renick, 533rd operations officer, assumed command for a PFF bombing attack on Kassel.
Major Taylor's squadron went on to Koblenz, where a visual bomb run was carried out. At Kassel the 533rd met intense, accurate flak and 1st Lt Peter Kowalski, bombardier, received a penetrating wound of the right leg.
All 553rd ships returned safely, although two ships from other squadrons were shot down. Battle damage to our aircraft was heavy.
The beginning of the New Year was observed quietly on the base. Turkey was served in the mess hall at noon.
2. Ten aircraft of the 533rd took part in a visual bombing of a railway junction at Gerolstein, Germany. The 532nd commander, Lt Col John E. Fitzgerald, Jr., was group leader for the mission with 37 aircraft participating. The weather was good for flying, and it was CAVU at the objective. No enemy planes were seen and flak was very meagre.
1st Lts Morton Yolofsky and Joseph J. Pearce left today for the 70th RD casual pool. Both had completed their tours of duty.
3. For the group's 232nd mission, a PFF attack on Cologne today, the squadron furnished seven out of the group's 37 aircraft. Capt Ewing S. Watson was to have been the leader, but he had to abort soon after take-off, and Capt Abraham of the 534th took over. All the ships returned home safely, landing in the rain.
Promotions were announced: 1st Lts Lundgren and Stone to captain; 2nd Lts Nelson and Treadwell to 1st Lt; F/O Carpenter to 2nd Lt. 1st Lt Robert D. Lane transferred to 70th RD casual pool, his tour over; S/Sgt Hecher left on 7-day furlough.
4. The weather was clear and cold today, but no mission scheduled.
The following promotions for enlisted men were: S/Sgts Bressie, Gatzemeier, Pospisill, Bruner, Halstead and Eble to T/Sgt; Sgts Andrews, Garcia, Francis, Orrall and Reash to S/Sgt.
S/Sgts George Wiggins and Richard L. Schneider left for 70th RD casual pool, both completed their tours; they were joined by T/Sgt James E. McKeene.
5. Heimbach, Germany, was the target for today, and ten bombers of the 533rd made up part of the 37-strong formation, led by Capt William E. Cronin, assistant group operations officer. One 533rd ship, piloted by Lt Smith, aborted.
The weather was clear over the continent to withing four miles of the M.P.I. There was 10/10th cloud and bombing was done by instruments. There were no enemy fighters or flak.
Five officers and five EM men returned from a rest home; T/Sgt Bruce O. Bentley, who has completed his tour, left for 70th RD casual pool; F/O Corder returned to duty from DS at Station #102 Alconbury.
6. The 533rd furnished ten ships and crews for another attack on Cologne today. Col Leber led the 37 group aircraft on this mission. Weather at the target was bad, and the bomb run was carried out by instruments. The bombers met no opposition and flak was moderate, and all returned safely.
A V-2 rocket bomb explosion rocked the station at about 23.00 hrs. It was reported to have landed near Halstead (Looking up from my keyboard I can easily see where it came down in the field opposite, about 200 yards away - Dave Osborne, group historian/microfilm transcriber!). Shortly after the explosion, "Taps" was played over the Tannoy, indicating a stand-down for tomorrow.
The following officers and EM, their tours completed, were transferred to the 70th RD casual pool: 1st Lts Ray Wieleszynski, Otto W. Daye and S/Sgt Walter S. Miller. Sgts Kessler and Salomon left for DS at Station #113 Cheddington.
The following EM were promoted from Pvt to Pfc: Bell, Carter, Garrity, Glowacki, Goral, Hins, Jones, Ketterhagen, Kosier, Ladner, Mayeux, Perrielle, Postana, Plumlee, Silvious, Whittington and Zakal.
7. The sky was alternately clear and overcast today. At 15.00 hrs snow began falling. No mission was scheduled.
Major Joseph Krieger was appointed squadron operations officer today; Capt Dona J. LaCouture, 1st Lt Anthony Stancampiano and S/Sgt Richard Sullivan left today for the 70th RD casual pool, all having completed their tours of duty.
8. Major George K. Sandman was group leader today for a force of 37 bombers on an attack on a bridge at Alzey, Germany. Eight ships of the 533rd took part in the mission. The formation found a high 10/10th undercast all the way, and bombing was carried out by instruments. Results were unobserved. There was no flak or enemy fighters around. All our bombers came back safely, although two landed away from base.
The following combat EM, tours completed, left today for the 70th RD casual pool: T/Sgts Edward H. Eble, Robert E. Meek, S/Sgts Anthony Ferrara, Wilmer T. Myers and Charles H. Brown.
Three new crews were assigned today: 2nd Lts Philip Saccomano, Robert Prestcott, Ricard Moreau; Sgt Harold Homburg, George Lingor, Marion Pancake, Thomas Porter, John Shelby and Thomas Tucker.
2nd Lt Frederick Hacker, Carl Wheeler, John McKenna; Sgt Harvey Abbott, Dennis Baker, Frederick Benson, Francis Ellers, Joseph Mancuso and Floyd Miller.
2nd Lt John Oldsman, Burton Lee, Abraham Sultan; Sgt Rollan Cobb, John Fulton, Edward Genet, John Jacobs, Harold Snyder and Edward Toth.
9. Light snowfall last night and this morning covered the icy roads, making travel on the base hazardous. There is a stand down today.
10. Taking off in a snowstorm, 37 bombers of the 381st, including 10 from the 533rd, headed for Ostheim, Germany, this morning to bomb the airfield there. The formation was under the command of Lt Col George G. Shackley, squadron CO, but he was forced to leave to formation and make an emergency landing at Ghent, in Belgium.
The high squadron took over the lead, and the 533rd ships - originally the lead - became the high squadron. At the target, a visual bomb run was attempted, but clouds interfered and instrument technique was used. After the run, the 533rd ships separated from the rest of the formation and bombed using their own Gee-H ship, piloted by Lt Roush.
Moderate, accurate flak was encountered at the target, and Lt Roush was forced to make a landing on the continent. He came down at Ghent, the same field as Col Shackley, on the way in. S/Sgt Arthur P. Hafner, Roush's tail gunner, was hit by flak in the right leg just below the knee and suffered a traumatic amputation of the leg. He was rushed to the 77th British General Hospital, near Ghent, for treatment. The 533rd had another casualty, S/Sgt Jack Nichols received a moderate perforating wound of the right leg.
11. The day dawned clear and cold, with more than an inch of drifted snow blanketing the base. Roads were hard packed with snow and ice, and extremely slippery. A Tannoy announcement warned vehicle drivers to drive with extreme caution. No mission was scheduled.
1st Lt August F. Kampfer and T/Sgt Charles T. Bowman were transferred to the 70th RD casual pool; four officers and six EM left for rest home; two combat EM returned from rest home.
12. Rain early this morning turned the snow into slush and made the hard-packed ice on the roads even more slippery than yesterday. No mission was scheduled.
The following promotions were notified: 1st Lt Berkley to captain; 2nd Lts Crouse, Conklin and Hale to 1st Lt. Having completed his tour, 1st Lt George F. Graebner left today for the 70th RD casual pool.
13. Weather this morning was cold and damp, with a heavy overcast. The ground was still partially frozen. Snow has all disappeared, but ice still covers the edges of the runways. A heavy explosion was heard here at 07.15 hrs, the cause of which has not been explained.
The group put up 37 aircraft, 11 from the 533rd, for a mission to attack a bridge at Germersheim, Germany, under the leadership of Major Douglas Winter. Weather was bad at take off, cleared to 4/10th over the continent, but there was a 10/10th patch at our objective. The 381st bombed using Gee-H equipment, and rear element gunners said they saw some of our explosives get the bridge.
Flak was meagre, but accurate, and there were no enemy aircraft, while one of our ships, flown by Lt Fawcett, landed away from base.
T/Sgt Waterhouse and S/Sgt Dunn left today for TD with the 91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn.
14. Ten bombers of the 533rd were part of the 381st formation which took off to bomb a bridge at Cologne, led by Major Ike Taylor, 535th CO. Weather at the target was VACU, and an excellent bombing job was carried out. Strike photos show a smoke pattern covering the centre of the bridge. Flak was moderate and accurate at the target, and one 535th ship was shot down. All our ships returned safely with no casualties.
1st Lt Wilbur H. Stoltz was transferred to 70th RD casual pool today.
15. A mission to Regensburg, Germany, was scrubbed.
A new 533rd Fortress was christened "Fort Lansing Emancipator" by screen star Mary Brian at a ceremony this afternoon on the base. Jack Parker, radio commentator for the Lansing, Mich., radio station, appeared on the base with a BBC sound truck to make a recording of the ceremony. An all-Lansing crew, with Capt Ned Renick, 533rd operations officer, as pilot, participated in making recordings for broadcast at Lansing.
The following new crew was assigned today: 2nd Lts Henry M. Cline, Stanton Hoefler, Charles E. Mann, F/O Raymond M. Oxley; Cpls Joseph H. Biglin, John H. Bunker, Raymond E. Wilbur, Charles Boatright and Bernard J. King, Jr.
16. A mission intended for Lutzkendorf (primary) and Berlin (secondary) was scrubbed at the station this morning. Weather was poor today and the liberty runs cancelled when heavy fog rolled over the base in mid-afternoon.
S/Sgt Nicholas left today for 30 days DS with the 91st BG at Bassingbourn.
17. The 381st put 37 bombers in the air for a PFF attack on marshalling yards at Paderborn, near Kassel, today. Nine of them assigned from the 533rd. There were no aborts, losses, fighters or flak - making the mission strictly routine.
Sgt Adamczyk left for TD with the 91st BG at Bassingbourn; S/Sgt Stone left for DS at Station #102 Alconbury, to study the Gee-H equipment; Capt Ned Renick left for London to participate in a radio broadcast.
The following combat Cps are promoted to Sgts: Abbott, Baker, Benson, Cobb, Ellers, Fulton, Gonet, Hamburg, Jacobs, Lingor, Mancuse, Miller, Pancake, Porter, Shelby, Snyder, Toth and Tucker.
18. The mission intended for Mannheim today was scrubbed. The sky is cloudy, wind strong and warm this morning.
S/Sgt Schmidt returned from rest home while four combat officers and five EM made the opposite journey; Capt Renick returned from TD in London and Sgt Adamczyk from TD at Alconbury.
19. It was a bitter cold morning, with a 50 mph gale whistling around buildings on the base, the sky completely overcast and a stand-down was received,
A Tannoy announcement says that electricity will be off in most of the living sites throughout the morning. The gale had wrecked high tension lines off base.
Lt Fred Hollendorfer was transferred to the 70th RD casual pool; four officers and five EM left for rest home; S/Sgt Robert H. Harper left on a 7-day furlough.
20. Captain Ewing S. Watson, led the group's contingent of 37 bombers, 10 from the 533rd - in today's attack on Ludwigshafen. Weather was so bad that no one who flew the mission saw the ground while over the continent. Bombing was done by PFF and GH equipment. No enemy fighters were seen and there was little flak. All ships returned home safely.
S/Sgt William Goudeket, tour completed, left fot the 70th RD casual pool; S/Sgt John Korka left on 7-day furlough and Pfc Manuel Loya was reduced to pvt for inefficiency.
21. Col Harry P. Leber, Jr., 381st commander, finished his tour with today's mission to Aschaffenburg, Germany, and was presented with the Silver Star by Brig Gen William M. Gross, combat wing commander, at a ceremony at interrogation. The target was attacked by instruments today, with 11 ships of the 533rd making up part of the striking force.
A 533rd ship flown by 2nd Lt Coates was reported MIA, but fortunately all the crew returned a few days later.
Promotions were announced today for 2nd Lts John E. Crowley, Samuel Goldin and William K. Privett to 1st Lts; 2nd Lt Jackovec left for TD with the 91st BG at Bassingbourn.
22. A stand down order was received last night. There was light snow this morning and all is quiet on the base.
23. A second stand down order in a row was receieved today. Snow fell again this morning and once more the base is blanketed in white.
Tours completed, the following are transferred to the 70th RD casual pool; 1st Lt Kenneth J. Orcutt, T/Sgt Alvin Berkowitz, S/Sgts Charles F. Engle, Joseph Logalbo and Walter B. Godbey.
The following were re-classified: Pfc Punches from 862 to 852; Pfc Ice from 590 to 901 and Pfc Mayeux from 055 to 901.
24. For the third successive day the group has a stand down. Bad weather has again forced cancellation of liberty runs tonight.
1st Lt Corydon W. Coombs, tour completed, left for 70th RD casual pool; Pvt Russell C. Snow was assigned today; S/Sgt Charles H. Nicholas returned from DS with the 91st BG at Bassingbourn; S/Sgt Robert H. Harper returned from furlough and F/O Charles F. Carpenter was commisioned a 2nd Lt.
25. A heavy frost, similar to that at Christmas, covers the entire base. The group is sweating out its fourth successive stand down order today, and the field is still hemmed in by fog. Again there will be no liberty runs tonight.
1st Lt John D. Evans, T/Sgt Hester G. Tencich and S/Sgt Robert S. Whitaker, all combat tour veterans, left for 70th RD casual pool.
26. A fifth stand down for today. The heavy fog refuses to lift, light snow fell this morning and it is very cold.
Capt Henry W. Bonneau, squadron S-2 officer, left for London on TD to attend a POW meeting; the following tour completed men, 1st Lts Leon Wagner and Douglas Greaves, left for the 70th RD casual pool.
Promotions included: S/Sgt George F. Comery to T/Sgt; Cpls Biglin, Boatright, Bunker, King, Punches and Wilbur to Sgt; Pvt Demski to Cpl.
27. A mission intended for Bremen was scrubbed this morning. The weather continues to be our worst enemy.
S/Sgt John J. Korka left of furlough; T/Sgts Charles T. Waterhouse and Russell M. Drum returned from TD with the 91st BG Bassingbourn; four combat officers returned to duty from the rest home; Capt Henry Bonneau returned to duty from DS in London;T/Sgt Oscar G. Knowles and 1st Lt Benjamin Long, tour veterans, left for 70th RD casual pool.
28. Some snow fell last night and weather continued cold this morning, but 38 bombers of the 381st, ten from the 533rd, took off at 08.45 hrs under the command of Major Ike Taylor, 535th CO, to attack Gutersloh, a last resort target.
Again the Major's PFF, GH and all radio equipment "went out" and he was forced to relinquish the lead to Capt Carpenter, 533rd pilot, who picked the target. Flak was moderate and accurate as the formation went over Cologne, but there was none at Gutersloh.
A visual bomb run was carried out and results are believed to be good. Two 535th ships aborted, but the remaining 36 bombed successfully and all returned safely with no casualties.
Robert Armstrong, Joseph J. DelMarmol, Gastano DeVito and Adrian G. Lemon were promoted from 2nd to 1st Lt; Capt Renick, 533rd operations officer, who has completed his second tour here, left today for the 70th RD casual pool; five combat EM left for the rest home.
29. Ten Fortresses of the 533rd took part in today's GH bombing attack on a marshalling yard at Niederlahnstein, Germany, under the command of Major George K. Sandman. Snow and freezing temperatures persisted as the ships took off this morning at 07.30 hrs. The formation met meagre, inaccurate flak at the target and no enemy aircraft were seen. Fighter support was excellent, and all our ships came home safely.
In response to a demand for infantry volunteers to replace heavy losses on the Western Front, the following men have been released from the squadron to report to the 12th Replacement Depot, Reinforcement Command: Sgt N. W. Alexander, Pvts Walter M. Balasa, Charles T. Cox, Manuel G. Loya, G. D. McMullen and Harry W. Rogers.
30. No mission was scheduled for today, following the heaviest snowfall of the winter last night. Approximately four inches of snow fell during the night leaving the base blanketed in deep drifts. A drizzling rain started at 04.30 hrs., which froze as it hit, making roads so treacherously icy that the use of bicycles has been forbidden by Tannoy announcement.
31. A mission for Berlin (primary) or Misburg (secondary) was scrubbed this morning. Weather turned warmer and there was intermittent rain until noon, turning yesterday's heavy snow into pools of slush.
Two new crews were assigned: Lts Richard Eagle, Nick Floramo, James Garrahan; Cpls Lester Chaney, Joseph Moriarty, James Powell, Carl Robinson and William Wideman.
Lts David Jones, Gilbert Shrank, F/O Albert Skrobles; Sgt Lewis Weaks, Cpls Bert Davis, Robert Moore, Raymond Pussler and Erwin Schwartzman.
1st Lt Joseph DelMarmol, who has finished up, left today for the 70th RD casual pool; F/O John McKenna left for DS at Station #102 Alconbury, to study radar navigation and bombardiering.
Primary duty of Capt Martin L. Healey, Jr., was changed from adjutant (2110) to administration officer (2120); Capt Charles R. McCarthy from adjutant (2110) to military personnel officer (2200); 1st Lt Gail S. Brewer from mess, supply and transportation officer (4113) to general supply officer (4000); 1st Lt Robert E. Bryson from communications officer (0200) to communications training officer (2520) and F/O Noel R. Corder from navigator (1034) to radar navigator-bombardier (1038).
> February 1945