Mission 2
TARGET: FW-190 ASSEMBLY PLANT
OSCHERLEBEN, GERMANY
22 FEBRUARY 1944
The assigned target was the FW-190 assembly plant at Oscherleben. It was a deep penetration into central Germany. Col. Luper led the eighteen bombers on the mission, flying the l000th B-I 7 produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California. (Homer Briggs had spent time at Douglas as part of his training.) Lt. Edward M. Bender was pilot.
Solid clouds rising as high as 24,000 feet over East Anglia, England, disrupted assembly and thirteen planes returned to the Base. Other groups and wings were similarly disrupted. Col. Luper, unable to find and assemble with the 94th Combat Wing, took the lead position in a mixed group of a two box wing and led it towards the Continent. Col. Luper remained on course with the composite group and bombed what was believed to be the primary target. The Group encountered heavy flak and fighter attacks. Captain Jack Hotaling, the GroupÂ’s Gunnery Officer, flying as tail gunner in Col. LuperÂ’s bomber, was credited with destroying an FW-190.
Major Theodore C. Hoffman, Deputy Leader, attached to another wing and went to Merseburg. Captain Leroy Watson joined a formation that bombed Bernberg.
(Compiler’s Note: In addition to the Boeing Aircraft Company, the Douglas Aircraft Company and the Lockheed Aircraft Company also manufactured B-17s during the war.)
748th Squadron |
749th Squadron |
750th Squadron |
751th Squadron |
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| a/c # 627 | a/c # 478 | a/c # Unknown | a/c # 481 | |||||
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P CP N B TT RO BT LWG RWG TG |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Leonard P.Soenke Leroy H.Watson Curtis J. Overdahl Albert L. Thompson Joseph J. Lukasik Arthur J. Kimball Walter A. Ginter James R. Cavett Harold M. Moberg Aaron L. Barris |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Malcolm Johnson Morris H. Shuff Gabriel D. Ofiesh Con F. Poynor Joseph Garbett Thomas G. Scott Glenn W. Barnes Wallace C. Nicholson Leonard A. Smith Wallace D. Cagle |
Lt Col Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Edward M. Bender James Luper Earl E. Woodard Edwin K. Fuller James L. Free Jack Hotalong Laymon M. Mahon William Hammersley Thomas Leahy Michael Woyurka |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Jerome E. Godfrey John E. Grimes Charles R. Graf Houston L. Lewers Alfred R. Calhoon Leroy E. Heibert D. W. Blackwell James E. Doerr Carl A. Robbie Geprge T. Gulywase |
| a/c # 552 | a/c # 531 | a/c # 306 | a/c # 592 | |||||
|
P CP N B TT RO BT LWG RWG TG |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Thomas Lee John Bristow John Sherwin Regis Creehan Clayton Betterton Jasper Stewart John Barber John Robinson Irvin Gerlich Ralph Zagorski |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Lewis Lenartson James V. Elduff Marsh Hovey Augustine Fernandez Thomas B. Haag Clyde E. Garnhart William T. Graham Andrew G. Voytko James W. Blackwell Omer Fontaine |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Russell M. Selwyn Theodore Hoffman William H. Bowman Warren H. Suddeth Arvele Mizell Harold B. Rhodes Oscar C. Hightower Wayland H. Keefover Clifton H. Harrel Truman H. Smiley |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Emanuel Hauf Donald V. Swain William R. Hawley Richard E. Jaqua Willis H. Johnson James J. Kilroy Joseph S. Reid Louis F. Beske Paul R. Moore Oscar A. Gascon |
| a/c # 103 | a/c # 613 | a/c # 301 | a/c # 615 | |||||
|
P CP N B TT RO BT LWG RWG TG |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
C R. Weld E. L. Cavanaugh S. J. Boydston J. I. Fast J. Rl Powell E. N. Pledger S. Rothfarb N. C. Bonney M. (Nmi) Stasko E. Dempsey |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
William L. Gibbons George J. Bennett William J. Brandt Patrick A. Walls Paul A. Birchen Jasper L. Smith Paul O'neal Raymond L. Osborn Reginald W. Buxton John R. Graham |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Americo Procopio Robert Driscoll Bernard B. Weinberg Edward P. Palika John T. Clements E. L. Angell Russell R. Babel Thaddeus R. Dubej James H. Norman Walter W. Megin |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Richard H. Luebke Robert A. Patty Sidney H Johnson Jack B. Eldridge Patrick C. Toomey John L. Zoutte Earl W. Hohnston William F. White Melvin O. Richarson Dale L. Vance |
| a/c # 467 | a/c # 548 | a/c # 551 | a/c # 456 | |||||
|
P CP N B TT RO BT LWG RWG TG |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
A. W. Seabock L. E. Icenogle W. B. Speidel W. G. Smith L. Castelucci F. T. Ingersoll E. J. Brazinski L. B. Reid, Jr P Jeffreys F. E. Cornue |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Benny M. Flowers Harry E. Cameron Frank H. Pearman Roy A. Hoegh, Jr Ross D. Pogue Andrew H. Bouchard William Zamecnik Charles O. Lay Virgil G. Maier Victor U. Meador |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Alfred W. Fischer Harry Huskey John W. Mcdonnell Ralph D. Stutzman Robert M. Jensen Andrew E. Jasso James E. Pickle Leo Mchatton Thomas N. Norton James H. Long |
lt lt lt lt sgt sgt sgt sgt sgt sgt |
Green B. Poore James F. Oldenhage George L. Brice Frank J. Rowe Frederick A. Smith Oren E. Hobbs John F. Nechak Llyn W. Rice George T. Murphy Ralph E. Stowe |
| a/c # | a/c # 587 | a/c # 073 | a/c # |
P CP N B TT RO BT LWG RWG TG |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
David P. Parks Floyd E. Grove William E. Ellerbusch Edward J. Quinn Don J. Kesselmayer Cosmo J. Fazzio Ruben H. Halverson Charles M. Kerr Anthony M. Pesce George H. Grebe |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Garland M. Hutson Edwin S. Jones Carl F. Hansen Clifford D. Hughes Charles K. Coffman Howard C. Layton Herman R. Goossens Jachin M. Forbes George A. Pfeifer |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
| a/c # | a/c # 457 | a/c # | a/c # | |||||
|
P CP N B TT RO BT LWG RWG TG |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
lt lt lt lt sgt sgt sgt sgt sgt sgt |
Archie F. Bower, Jr William R. Baxendale Lee E. Hoskins Richard W. Cooke Frank S. Giordano Joseph M. Snyder John W. Popowitz Jesse J. Hirschberg John J. Waskovich Wesley W. Schenider |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt |
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