COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
Knapp with James W..McGuire crew when it joined the 100th.
CREW
2nd Lt James W. McGuire P KlA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
2nd Lt Randell L. Bradley CP POW 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
2nd Lt John M. Jones BOM POW 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL) (flew as Navigator on this mission)
2nd Lt Eluid J. Knapp NAV CPT 24 AUG 44 RUHLAND S-2 AFTER COMPLETION OF TOUR
T/Sgt Frank V. DeGeorge TTE POW 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL) sn 12148386
T/Sgt Rodney McCaughin ROG KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
S/Sgt Joseph A. Eck TOG KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
S/Sgt John R. Ribuffo BTG KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
S/Sgt Alan R. Dill WG KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
S/Sgt Donald E. Kuntz WG KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
S/Sgt John . Sabotka TG KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)
349th Sqdn. Crew joined group in March 1944. See SPLASHER SI (p. 4 Spring 1975) Also see John Miller letter 17/3/81.
McGuire and Eck both buried at Omaha Beach. 12th mission for crew except Eck who was on his 2nd misslon with this crew. MACR #4238, Microfiche #1503, A/C #42-107056 "The Denver Doll".
MEMO: LT JAMES W. McGUIRE BURIED: AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY AT OMAHA BEACH GRAVE C-14-23
Jones was the bombardier of this crew but on 28/4/44 he Was flying as navigator. Navigator of this crew when it joined the 100th was Eluid J. Knapp who CPT in Aug. 1944. After completing his tour, Knapp was transferred to S2 (Intelligence). Phone call from Knapp OII 21/5/85...jb
Eyewitness: "A/C #056 recieved a direct flak hit on the # 1 engine. Knocked engine back on wing catching the wing on fire. A/c peeled off into the second element disrupting it and gliding down into the clouds. Two (2) chutes seen. A/C hit at 1020 hours / 4932N and 0130W.
Lt. C.H. Cowan
Lt. R.W. Wright
From statements by John M. Jones and Randell L. Bradley after release from POW camp, it is apparent the A/C exploded before all crew members had sufficient time to bail out. Jones, the Bombardier, flew this mission as the Navigator and broke a leg upon landing. On 02 May 1944, the seven KIAs in this aircraft were buried in the "English Cementary in Cherbourg." This aircraft and that of Col. Kelly and Capt William Lakin were shot down near Tamerville (three (3) miles north of Valognes)
List of Missions of T/Sgt Frank V. DeGeorge (mpf 2001)
1. 1/4/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN
2. 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCH
3. 10/4/44 MALDEGEM
4. 11/4/44 ROSTOCK
5. 12/4/44 SCHKEUDITZ
6. 13/4/44 AUGSBURG
7. 19/4/44 LIPPSTADT
8. 20/4/44 MARQUENVILLE
9. 25/4/44 DIJON
10. 27/4/44 FLATTENANVILLE
11. 27/4/44 LeCULOT
12. 28/4/44 SOTTEVAST
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CREW
Lt George S.Allen P CPT 9/9/44 DUSSELDORF sn# 0-753839
Lt Orton H.Symer,Jr. CP CPT 9/9/44 DUSSELDORF sn# 0-819210
Lt Thomas J. Tracy NAV KIA 24/5/44 BERLIN (with Lt Clarke T. Johnson Crew)
Lt William A.Stewart BOM CPT 9/9/44 DUSSELDORF sn# 0-759879
T/Sgt Robert A. Monroe ROG RFS 15/8/44 VENLO (after 30 missions) sn# 39313008
T/SgtWiilliam M..Oberman TTE CPT 9/9/44 DUSSELDORF sn# 36635419
S/Sgt Richmond L.Bessey BTG CPT 9/9/44 DUSSELDORF sn# 31200232
Sgt Stanley Gottlieb WG RFS Air Sickness (flew one mission)
Sgt David Jacques WG RFS Was left in Base Hospital in Bangor Maine
S/Sgt Ray A. Matz WG RFS Assigned to Crew upon arrival to replace Jacques sn# 33230747
S/Sgt Lester Jackson TG WIA 29/7/44 MERSEBURG
349th Sqdn. Assigned in April 1944. Appears as Crew #12 on Combat Crew Roster of 11/8/44.
Lt Eluid J.Knapp NAV (from the James W. McGuire Crew) was one of many Navigators to fly with Lt Allen's Crew. He CPT his
tour with the Allen Crew on 24/8/44-RUHLAND. S/Sgt Wilbur F.Williams, TG (from Lt Herres Crew) replaced Sgt Jackson after Jul 29, 1944. He CPT his tour on 9/9/44-DUSSELDORF with Allen Crew. After one mission, Sgt Gottlieb was removed from flying staus due to air sickness and replaced by S/Sgt John Wargo (from Lt Becktoft Crew) and completed his missions on Jun 18, 1944-BRUNSBUTTELKOOG.
Upon completion of his tour, S/Sgt Ray Matz was replaced on the crew by S/Sgt Joeseph Costanza (from Lt John Keys Crew). His first mission with the crew was Aug 15, 1944 to Venlo and his last was Sept 9, 1944 to Dusseldorf. Joe was from NYC and he fit in with the crew well. He almost cried when we finished our tour, as he had more missions to go and dreaded flying with a new Crew. He did complete his tour on Oc 4, 1944-NURNBURG, Crew unknow. We had several different Navigators (Tracy, Knapp, Holmes), we never did get to know them well. Ray Matz was grounded around the end of July due to combat fatigue. Bob Monroe was grounded after 30 missions for the same reason. They both went home. The replacements were not billeted in our hut so I didn't get to know them very well. We only spoke to one another before we went on a mission, and then we were all busy cleaning our guns, checking ammo and such. These chores were done in darkness… courtesy of S/Sgt William Oberman and son Mark (mpf 2002)
CREW (Pick up Crew)
LT G. S. ALLEN PILOT
LT O. H. SYMER CO-PILOT
LT A. I. HOLMES NAVIGATOR (from Lt Lawrence Townsend Crew)
LT W.A. STEWART BOMBARDIER
T/SGT R.A. MONORE RADIO OPERATOR
T/SGT W. M. OBERMAN FLIGHT ENGINEER
S/SGT R. L. BESSEY BALL TURRET GUNNER
S/SGT R. PATRICK WAIST GUNNER (flying spare gunner, from Lt Cowan Crew)
S/SGT J. P. WARGO WAIST GUNNER (Replacement for Sgt Gottlieb)
S/SGT L. E. JACKSON TAIL GUNNER (original Crew member)
Missions Flown by S/Sgt William Oberman (mpf 2002)
DATE TARGET BOMB LOAD
1. 25/05/44 BRUSSELS 38-100 LBS
2. 27/05/44 STRASSBOURG 38-100 LBS
3. 28/05/44 MAGDEBURG 12-500 LBS
4. 29/05/44 LEIPZIG 12-500 LBS
5. 31/05/44 OSNABRUCK 6-1000 LBS
6. 02/06/44 PARIS 12-500 LBS
7. 04/06/44 BOLOUGNE 12-500 LBS
8. 05/06/44 BOLOUGNE 12-500 LBS
9. 06/06/44 D-DAY 12-500 LBS
10. 07/06/44 NANTES 2-2000 LBS
11. 18/06/44 BRUNSBUTTELKOOG 10-500 LBS
12. 19/06/44 CORME ECLUSE 10-500 LBS
13. 20/06/44 FALLERSLEBEN 2-2000 LBS
14. 21/06/44 RUHLAND 10-500 LBS
15. 26/06/44 DROHOBYCZ 10-500 LBS
16. 03/07/44 ARAD 10-500 LBS
17. 05/07/44 BEZIERS 5-1000 LBS
18. 07/07/44 BOHLEN 10-500 LBS
19. 18/07/44 KIEL 10-500 LBS
20. 19/07/44 SCHWEINFURT 10-500 LBS
21. 21/07/44 LUDWIGSBURG 10-500 LBS
22. 24/07/44 ST LO 38-100 LBS
23. 25/07/44 ST LO 38-100 LBS
24. 28/07/44 MERSEBURG 10-500 LBS
25. 29/07/44 MERSEBURG 20-250 LBS
26. 03/08/44 TROYES 6-1000 LBS
27. 06/08/44 BERLIN 10-500 LBS
28. 11/08/44 VILLACOUBLAY 38-100 LBS
29. 13/08/44 NANTES 36-100 LBS
30. 15/08/44 VENLO 36-100 LBS
31. 24/08/44 RUHLAND
32. 27/08/44 BERLIN (RECALL)
33. 30/08/44 BREMEN
34. 08/09/44 MAINZ
35. 09/09/44 DUSSELDORF
"On June 7 1944 mission to Nantes, two engines and Tail Gunners oxygen were knocked out over target. We landed at a RAF glider base, about 40 miles south of London. We threw ammo and guts of machine guns and radio receivers our as radio man did not need to contact to contact base. This was done to maintain altitude...
On July 29, 1944 Merseburg mission, we led the low squadron that day and had an engine knocked out on the bombing run. The Group did not drop bombs on target area as pathfinder ship could not locate target. Our pilot radioed planes in our squadron t catch up with the main group, since we only had 3 engines and could not keep up. Shortly after, the planes pulled away from us, we were hit by German Jets (ME262). You will read jets did not come up until Aug 44. The came in directly behind our tail and a little high. Our tail gunner (Jackson) had crawled into the waist with a walk around bottle. His oxygen was knocked our and he was wounded in the ankle...
The leader of the jets came in first and my guns would not fire as long as they were aiming at any part of our own ship (fire cut-off cam in gun sight). I held trigger down and as soon as the guns cleared our plane. They began to fire, I gave him a few short bursts and he was gone. He flew out of range to our left and a little high. He must of radioed his buddies and told them our tail guns were not operating. Then they came at us one at a time, directly behind the tail. I gave each one a short burst, then I'd have to pick up the next attacker. By the time Matz (WG) got back into the tail (filling in for injured TG), they were gone. I always wondered why they never pressed the attack further. Our pilot probably saved us by putting the plane in a shallow dive and using evasive maneuvers. The Jets formed up again and attacked the five planes that were flying with us. They knocked every one of the five planes out of the sky and left. Because the pilot put the plane in a dive, we picked up speed and caught up with another group flying at a lower altitude…
We didn't stay with them as we could not keep up after he leveled off. Flying by ourselves was very lonely. Pilot then asked me to fire the vari pistol for fighter protection. I don't remember the color of the day as colors were changed every mission. After firing a few shots at a few minute intervals, 2 P-47's (our little friends as we called them) pulled up along side and they circled around us until their gas supply ran low and they had to leave. What a beautiful sight that was having the 47's with us…
Since no bombs were dropped on the target area our bombardier dropped his bombs on a target of opportunity on our way home. At the time of the attack, our bombardier was in the waist giving first aid to tail gunner Jackson… "
courtesy of S/Sgt William Oberman (mpf 2002)
LT E.J. KNAPP MISSONS WITH LT GEORGE ALLEN CREW
7/21/1944
A/C: 107211
TARGET: REGENSBURG
7/24/1944
A/C: 97393
TARGET: ST LO (GND SUPPORT)
7/25/1944
A/C: 97393
TARGET: ST LO (GND SUPPORT)
7/28/1944
A/C: 97834
TARGET: MERSEBURG
7/29/1944
A/:; 97834
TARGET: MERSEBURG
8/2/1944
A/C: 97834
TARGET: TERGNIER/LAFERE
8/6/1944
A/C: 97834
TARGET: BERLIN
8/11/1944
A/C: 6306
TARGET: VILLACOUBLAY
8/13/1944
A/C: 37823
TARGET: NANTES - GASSICOURT
8/15/1944
A/C: 37823
TARGET: VENLO
8/24/1944
A/C: 37823
TARGET: RUHLAND (OIL)
LT J.H. PERTERS FLEW AS NAVIGATOR ON MISSIONS 8/30, 9/8, 9/9/1944
Lt B.L. KING FLEW AS NAVIGATOR ON MISSIONS 5/29, 31,/1944
LT A.F. RINGHOFFER FLEW AS NAVIGATOR ON MISSIONS FROM 6/21-7/19/ 1944
MEMO 2:
