Svat:
This is from the 461st web site,
www.461st.org: Crew No: 36, 765th Bomb Squadron, 461st BG Childrey, Jackson F., S/N: 0798349, MOS: 1092 Pilot, B-24
Dennis, Jack D., S/N: 0669218, MOS: 1035 Bombardier
Festa, Frank J., S/N: 31028760, MOS: 612 Airplane Armorer–Gunner
Geurtz, James E., S/N: 0695648, MOS: 1034 Navigator
Hodges, Carney V., S/N: -6964847, MOS: 612 Airplane Armorer–Gunner
Martin, Troy S., S/N: 18216655, MOS: 748 Airplane Mechanic–Gunner, Flight Engineer
Mayfield, Gerald J., S/N: 15322028, MOS: 748 Airplane Mechanic–Gunner, Flight Engineer
McCree. Vivian A., S/N: 12145894, MOS: 757 Radio Operator– Mechanic–Gunner
Rader, Orville L., S/N: 18162490, MOS: 748 748 Airplane Mechanic–Gunner, Flight Engineer
Shipley, James L. S/N: 0812782 MOS: 1092 Pilot, B-24
However, NONE of the aircraft listed as lost on July 25, 1944 are shown to have been flown by either Childrey or Shipley. (I don't know which was the pilot and which was the copilot.) So I can't confirm that this crew was lost on that mission. <<<Mission #69
25 July 1944
Target: Herman Goering Tank Works, Linz, Austria
And then it happened. Major Burke's long string of highly successful missions was broken by disaster. Now the Commanding Officer of the 766th Squadron as a replacement for Major Dooley, who had returned to the United States, he led a four flight formation of twenty-one airplanes in an attack on the heavily defended Herman Goering Tank Works at Linz, Austria. Just after the bomb bay doors had been opened and the formation had begun its bomb run, it was attacked by twenty-five twin engine and 125 single engine enemy planes.
Taking advantage of the fact that most of the planes flown by new crews did not have their ball turret down on the bomb run, the twin engine planes came up under the lead flight of the formation and began throwing rockets through the bomb bay doors. The first plane to go down was Major Burke's lead plane. Instead of packing the formation in close, the inexperienced bomber pilots spread the formation. Captain Franklin, 1st Lt. Henry, Lt. King, Lt. Sullivan, and Lt. Gizelba, flying the Deputy Lead plane, salvoed their bombs and attempted to rally the formation. By this time, however, the single engine fighters, still attacking low but now from the rear, picked off planes in the struggling formation. Eleven bombers were knocked down as parachutes, tracers, rockets, enemy fighters, and exploding bombers filled the air with confusion. The nose gunner on one of the crews which returned from the mission counted thirty-two parachutes in the air at one time.
The pilot in the lead plane with Major Burke was 1st Lt. Joseph B. Hesser. Pilots of other planes lost were 1st Lt. Edwin W. Boyer, 2nd Lt. Robert W. Fisher, 2nd Lt. Richard E. Freeman, 2nd Lt. Glenial Fulks, 2nd Lt. Kenneth O. Githens, 2nd Lt. John J. Kane, 2nd Lt. Grover F. Mitchell, 2nd Lt. Rolland T. Olson, 2nd Lt. Wray M. Stitch, and 2nd Lt. Robert A. Warren, Jr. In addition to the eleven bombers shot down over the target, four more were lost on this mission. The plane piloted by 2nd Lt. Douglas A. Herrin, one of the eight that returned to the Base, was so badly shot up that it was salvaged. 2nd Lt. Casper T. Jenkins, with three wounded men aboard, washed out his plane when he attempted to land it at Foggia. 1st Lt. Edgar M. Trenner, using parachutes as a substitute for flaps and landing with a punctured tire, washed out his plane at the Base. 2nd Lt. Robert G. Wester bailed his crew out over the friendly Isle of Vis.
The last flight in the formation was led by 1st Lt. Robert E. Arbuthnot. As the enemy planes flew past his plane in attacking the bombers in the front of the formation his gunners had a field day. They claimed 14 enemy aircraft destroyed, 6 probably destroyed, and 3 damaged. The claim of the twelve crews which finally returned to the base were 31 destroyed, 19 probably destroyed, and 9 damaged. Of the 19 planes claimed as probable it is likely that many of them were actually destroyed, but the gunners were too busy to follow the downward flight of crippled planes to the ground.
Of the 113 officers and men who went down on this mission, seven officers and nine enlisted men were flying their fiftieth sortie. 1st Lt. Ernest R. Henry was the only individual flying his fiftieth sortie on the mission to return to the base.
For the first time in its history, enemy fighters successfully turned back the 461st Group short of its target. >>>
From 765th History on the same site: <<<The most costly day for the Squadron was the 25th. The men were briefed to hit the German Goering Tank Works at Linz, Austria, and also that this would be a rough mission, with lots of flak and fighters. Without a doubt this was the blackest day for the Squadron. Of the six ships that made it to the target area, only one was able to make it back to our field, and one was able to land at Foggia. Lt. Foster was able to make Vis Island and bail out. The story that two returning crews told was that approximately 150 to 170 fighters jumped them just before they started over the target. Things happened so fast, and there was so many ships failing that the men had no time to watch other ships or much of anything else. They were too busy shooting at ME’s and FW’s. A list of the crews that failed to return today is as follows: 1st Lt. Fulks, Glenial, 2nd Lt. Ludium, Marion C., 1st Lt. First, Harry M., F/O Stewart, N. B., S/Sgt. Krivitsky, Morris, S/Sgt. Diamond, Geo., S/Sgt. Binartino, Louis, S/Sgt. Jaske, Walter E., S/Sgt. Duran, Fred C. Jr., S/Sgt. Godino, Peter S., 2nd Lt. Githens, Kenneth C., 2nd Lt. Gidez, Calvin D., 2nd Lt. Tarp, Roland F., 1st Lt. Patterson, ?????, S/Sgt. Peterson, Geo. C., S/Sgt. Esser, Geo., S/Sgt. Farr, H. J., S/Sgt. Morrison, Hermit C., S/Sgt. Wendte, D. S., S/Sgt. Sipple, C. B., 2nd Lt. Warren, Rbt. A., 2nd Lt. Schwinow, W. M., 2nd Lt. Enghroch, C. N., F/O Griton, D. N., S/Sgt. Wiseman, W. N., S/Sgt. Flaker, M. R., Cpl. Connan, R. M., Cpl. Myers, S. R., Cpl. Wilson, N. S., Sgt. Roznicek, R. T. The gunners on Lt. Arbuthnot’s crew accounted for 10 destroyed, Lt. Cockrins gunners accounted for 7, and Lt. Fosters crew accounted for 4 destroyed. Quite a few men on these crews were hurt due to the bail out, flak, and fighter fire. The men who will receive Purple Hearts are as follows: Lt’s Foster, Racek, Dennis, and Carter, Rodecker, Buffalo, Antcsar, Walsh, Navio, Smith, Gore, J. D. Lt. Jenkins made a nice landing at Foggia. His nose wheel was inoperative, and he was able to keep the nose off the ground until the ship had slowed down to about 20 MPH.>>>
Hope this helps,
Ken
<message edited by Ken a B24 Fan on 01/06/2007 10:38:58 AM >