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457th bomb group honor roll
mission no. 4 |
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| 457th bomb group | '749th bomb squadron |
| (457th home) (back) updated 12/03/2000, 19:17:13 |
mission narrativemission no. 4date - february 25, 1944 target - augsburg on this mission the 457th put up 27 aircraft and were led by col luper to a target at augsburg. the target was an aircraft manufacturing plant making the me 210 jet planes. the opposition was heavy and the group was under fighter attack most of the way. the group had two planes shot down by enemy fighters and one that crash landed back in england (s/n 42-97458). twenty three of the twenty four planes completing the mission had battle damage. plane s/n 42-97457, piloted by lt archie bower, was hit by flack over the target and dropped out of formation. the plane was then attacked by fighters and crashed near birkweiler, germany. six members of the crew were killed and four became pow's |
......... crew
| pilot | lt archie f. bowers, jr | pow | |
| copilot |  | lt william r. baxendale | kia |
| navigator | | lt lee e. hoskins | kia |
| bombardier | lt richard w. cooke | pow | |
| aircraft engineer | sgt frank s. giodano | pow | |
| radio operator | | sgt joseph m. snyder | kia |
| left waist gunner | | sgt jesse j. hirschberg | kia |
| right waist gunner | sgt john j. waskovich | pow | |
| ball turret gunner | | sgt john w. popowitz | kia |
| tail gunner | | sgt wesley w. schneider, jr | kia |
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