| 2ND LT FERDINAND J.
HERRES |
P |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| 2ND LT DONALD J. ROTH |
CP |
KIA |
05
JUNE 44 |
BOULOGNE, FR (MARK WILSON CREW) |
| 2ND LT ALVIN F.
RINGHOFER |
NAV |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| 2ND LT BURROUGHS E.
CONOVER |
BOM |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| S/SGT ROBERT M. MULGREW |
TTE |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| S/SGT JAMES A. MORROW |
ROG |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| SGT DUELL B. BARNES |
BTG |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| SGT NESTER J. NESSER |
WG |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
| SGT WILBUR F. WILLIAMS |
WG |
CPT |
09 SEPT 44 |
DUSSELDORF (GEORGE ALLEN CREW) |
| SGT ANDREW R. MAIN |
TG |
CPT |
11 SEPT 44 |
RUHLAND
OIL REFINERY |
349TH SQDN. CREW, AS ABOVE JOINED THE 100TH ON 18 APR 1944. AIRCRAFT
#43-37823 "NOW AND THEN"
SGT WILLIAMS WAS TAKEN OF THE CREW WHEN IT WAS REDUCED FROM 10 TO 9
MEN. DATE UNKNOWN.
ON THE 11 SEP 44 MISSION TO RUHLAND THIS CREW HAD A ENGINE FIRE ENROUTE
TO THE TARGET AND WERE FORCED TO ABORT THE MISSION. UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH
THE FIRE, THE CREW BAILED OUT OVER SOUTHERN ENGLAND. ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE
SAFE AND THE A/C CRASHED ON THE ISLE OF SHEPPY.... jb
Overseas trip (B-17): Kearny, Nebraska to Bangor Maine to Goose Bay,
Labrador to Meeks Field, Iceland to Prestwick, Scotland. Train from
Prestwick, Scotland to Stone England to Diss, England. Truck from Diss to
Thorpe Abbotts, England April 18, 1944. Note: Meeks Field, Iceland. Built
during WWII as U.S. Air Base at to town of Keflavik, SW Iceland (22 miles
SW of Reykjavik, Iceland). Turned over to Iceland October 1946 and renamed
Keflavik Field now an international airport.
Operational Missions of 2nd Lt Alvin Ringhofer (provided by Margaret A.
Ringhofer, mpf 2002):
| NBR |
DATE |
TARGET |
| 01 |
25/04/44 |
DIJON, FR. |
| 02 |
26/04/44 |
BRUNSWICK, GER. |
| 03 |
29/04/44 |
BERLIN, GER. |
| 04 |
07/05/44 |
BERLIN, GER. |
| 05 |
08/05/44 |
BERLIN, GER. |
| 06 |
09/05/44 |
COUVRON, FR. |
| 07 |
11/05/44 |
LIEGE, BELG. |
| 08 |
13/05/44 |
OSNABRUCK, GER |
| 09 |
28/05/44 |
MEGDEBURG, GER, GERA, ST |
| 10 |
31/05/44 |
OSNABRUCK, GER |
| 11 |
06/06/44 |
FALAISE, FR (D-DAY) |
| 12 |
12/06/44 |
ROSIERES, FR. |
| 13 |
14/06/44 |
LeCULOT, BELG. |
| 14 |
18/06/44 |
BRUNSBUTTELKOG, GER. |
| 15 |
19/06/44 |
ECLUSE, FR. |
| 16 |
20/06/44 |
FALLERSLEBEN, GER. |
| 17 |
21/06/44 |
RUHLAND, GER (START OF 1st RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION) |
| 18 |
26/06/44 |
DROHOBYZ, POLAND |
| 19 |
03/07/44 |
ARAD, ROMANIA |
| 20 |
05/07/44 |
BEZIERS, FR (RETURN FROM RUSSIAN SHUTTLE MISSION) |
| 21 |
07/07/44 |
MERSEBURG, GOTTINGEN, ST. GER. |
| 22 |
18/07/44 |
KIEL, GER. |
| 23 |
19/07/44 |
SCHWEINFURT, GER. |
| 24 |
20/07/44 |
MERSEBURG, GER. |
| 25 |
21/07/44 |
LUDWIGSHAVEN, GER. |
| 26 |
24/07/44 |
ST LO, FR. |
| 27 |
25/07/44 |
ST LO, FR. |
| 28 |
31/07/44 |
MUNICH, GER. |
| 29 |
04/08/44 |
HAMBURG, GER. |
| 30 |
11/08/44 |
VILLACOUBLAY, FR. |
| 31 |
14/08/44 |
LUDWIGSHAVEN, GER. |
| 32 |
27/08/44 |
BERLIN, GER. |
| 33 |
11/09/44 |
RUHLAND |
SHUTTLE (OPERATION FRANTIC) BOMBING MISSIONS JUNE 21, 1944 THRU JULY 5,
1944 (LANDINGS):
| MIRGOROD, RUSSIA |
| KHARKOV, RUSSIA |
| KIROVOGRAD, RUSSIA |
| FOGGIA, ITALY |
Operation narrative from Lt Ringhofer Sept 11, 1944,
Ruhland:
On Sept. 11, 1944 we departed on our last required
mission (#33) at 0754 for Ruhland, Germany leading the high squadron. When
we reached the other side of the Rhine River about 10 miles south of
Koblenz, Germany our #3 engine ran away. The pilot, Ferd Herres couldn't
feather the propeller and as a result, it began to windmill. We lost
altitude to 18,000 feet therefore lost the formations we let down over the
North Sea. The remaining B-17's continued on towards the target. My
compass would not work so we used the pilots mag compass for a heading
home. We dropped our bombs at 1106 to lighten the load. We could not
maintain an airspeed of 125 miles per hour for fear of overheating the
engine and catching it on fire. My altimeter and air speed meter were not
operating. We did well getting back to England, little flak and no enemy
fighters. We approached England above Dover at 1302. Within a half a
minute after turning to heading to Thorpe Abbotts (our home base) the
engine caught fire. The pilot gave orders to bail out at 1305 (16,000
feet) in the vicinity of Ramsgate Canterbury and Margate. I followed the
Bombardier out and hit my chest on the open bomb bay doors before I pulled
my rip cord. The pilot, co-pilot and engineer stayed with the plane and
tried to put out the fire but to no avail so they jumped too. There were
few clouds but I did float downward through a cloud and couldn't see a
thing, wondering if I might end up in the North Sea. As I came near the
ground, I just missed some high tension wires. Three Sergeants saw me
floating down and came in their jeep to see if I was ok. They took me to
our their base (Mansdan airfield) where all the members of our crew
finally met. We called the 100th Bomb Group for a plane and more
parachutes take us back to Thorpe Abbotts. I learned then that the pilot
had set up the auto pilot and headed the aircraft out to the North Sea.The injuries suffered by the crew were cartilage tears from the ribs
(navigator), bruised groin (bombardier, who also hit the open bomb bay
doors upon bailing out), foot bruises (tail gunner, radio operator),
broken bone in foot upon hitting the ground (waist gunner). All were
x-rayed the next day). When we talked to Intelligence at Thorpe Abbotts we
were informed that all 11 of the formation who continued on toward the
target were shot down. Weren't we the lucky crew!! These eleven plus the
loss of our plane is the sum of 12 lost.
Operational Missions of Lt Ferd Herres, 100th Bomb
Group, 349th Squadron (mpf 2003)
|
NBR |
DATE |
TARGET |
COMMENTS |
|
01 |
25/04/44 |
DIJON |
AIRFIELD, FR. |
|
02 |
26/04/44 |
BRUNSWICK |
GER. |
|
03 |
28/04/44 |
CHERBOURG |
FR (SOTTEVAST IN OUR RECORDS) |
|
04 |
29/04/44 |
BERLIN |
GER. |
|
05 |
07/05/44 |
BERLIN |
GER |
|
06 |
08/05/44 |
BERLIN |
GER. |
|
07 |
09/05/44 |
LAON/COUVRON |
FR. |
|
08 |
11/05/44 |
LIEGE |
BELG. |
|
09 |
13/05/44 |
OSNABRUCK |
GER. (FIRST GROUP LEAD) |
|
10 |
28/05/44 |
MEGDEBURG |
GER, |
|
11 |
31/05/44 |
OSNABRUCK |
GER. |
|
12 |
06/06/44 |
FALAISE |
FR (D-DAY) |
|
13 |
12/06/44 |
LE ARLOT |
BELGIUM |
|
14 |
18/06/44 |
BRUNSBUTTELKOG |
GER |
|
15 |
20/06/44 |
BERLIN/FALLERSLEBEN |
GER. |
|
16 |
21/06/44 |
BERLIN-BASDORF |
GER. |
|
17 |
22/06/44 |
PARIS, |
FR. |
|
18 |
24/06/44 |
ROUEN |
FR. |
|
19 |
25/06/44 |
NO-BALL |
FR., (MAQUIS SUPPLY DROP) |
|
20 |
06/07/44 |
PAS DE CALAIS |
FR. |
|
21 |
07/07/44 |
LEIPZIG-GOTTINGEN |
GER. |
|
22 |
13/07/44 |
MUNICH |
GER. |
|
23 |
18/07/44 |
KIEL |
GER. |
|
24 |
20/07/44 |
MERSEBURG |
GER. |
|
25 |
21/07/44 |
REGENSBURG |
GER. |
|
26 |
24/07/44 |
NORMANDY-ST LO |
FR. |
|
27 |
25/07/44 |
NORMANDY-ST LO |
FR. |
|
28 |
31/07/44 |
MUNICH |
GER. |
|
29 |
04/08/44 |
HAMBURG |
GER. |
|
30 |
11/08/44 |
PARIS-VILLACOUBLAY |
FR. |
|
31 |
14/08/44 |
LUDWIGSHAVEN |
GER. |
|
32 |
27/08/44 |
BERLIN |
GER. |
|
33 |
11/09/44 |
RUHLAND |
CZECH REPUBLIC; ON FIRE-BAIL OUT OVER THE STRAITS
OF DOVER, LANDED AT MANSTON BASE IN ENGLAND. |
CREW -- A/C # 42-31987 "SHILAYEE":
| 2ND LT MARK V. WILSON |
P |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| 2ND LT CHARLES E. ADAMS |
CP |
CPT |
WITH STANLEY CLARK CREW |
| 2ND LT JOHN T.
JOHNSON |
NAV |
KIA |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| 2ND LT RALPH A.
KROENKE |
BOM |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| S/SGT EUGENE V. SWEENEY |
ROG |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| S/SGT JOHN W. McAULIFFE |
TTE |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| SGT DONALD M. ROHASEK |
BTG |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| SGT WILLIAM E. MORELAND |
RWG |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
| SGT GEORGE B. DONAHUE |
LWG |
NOC |
-- |
| SGT CECIL G. DAVIS |
TG |
POW |
5 JUN 44 BOULOGNE |
349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 21 Feb 1944. On 5 Jun 1944, Lt. Donald Roth, CP on
the F. J. Herres crew, was flying in place of C. E. Adams and was KIA.
S/Sgt Glover Nall, from the J. A. Harrison crew, was flying in place of G.
B. Donahue and became a POW.
See MACR #5384; Microfiche # 1957
|
