S/SGT David N. ACKERMAN |
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UNIT: 351st BOMB Sqdn | POSITION: WG | |
SERIAL #: 39340239 | STATUS: POW | |
MACR: 13144 | CR: 13144 | |
Comments1: 18 MAR 45 BERLIN (EAC) |
COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:CREW TARGET WAS BERLIN.. 2nd Lt Edward P.Gwin P KIA 18/3/45 2nd Lt Donald H.Reichel CP POW 18/3/45 2nd Lt Robert B.Landino NAV POW 18/3/45 2nd Lt Stewart P.Laidlaw BOM Cpl William C.Danielson,Jr. ROG KIA 18/3/45 Cpl Herbert Hamann TTE POW 18/3/45 Cpl Joseph M.Griego TG POW 18/3/45 Cpl Earl S.Hamilton BTG Grounded Cpl Charles T.Maedel WG NOC Cpl Norman D. Heilbuth WG POW 18/3/45 351st Sqdn. Crew,as above,Joined 100th Group on 5/10/44. Letter from Joe Griego in 1983 states that Lt.Laidlaw was made Group Bombardier after about 10 missions with crew. ". On 18/3/45 Sgt Raymond Y.Uhler and Sgt John W. Disher were flying in place of Hamilton & Maedel and both were KIA. Sgt.David Ackerman was aboard as NG and became a POW. R.K.Uhler was from the crew of J.L.Wofford. John Disher was from the crew of H.S.Bucklew. S/Sgt N.D. Heilburth was aboard as a waist gunner and became a POW. MACR #13144 A//C#43 38861 was attacked by an ME 262 at 1114 hours, 5247;N & 1145E. Our A/C had two engines on fire and dived away from the formation.. A/C then nosed up with tail falling off and fell down spinling. One chute was seen." Joe Griego was in the severed section of the tail and had a difficult tlme getting out so that he could open his chute. See S.O.C. p.86/87 &103/105 The following are excerpts from statements of Lt. Robert B. Landino taken from MACR No# 13144 As to Lt. Gwin, ". . . from enlisted men who were working near where we were shot down; they claim one man bailed out below the clouds, then they heard shooting, his chute collasped and he fell to the ground presumably dead." As to Sgt Disher, " . . . S/Sgt Heilbuth saw him just before he bailed out. He was crawling out of the radio room with blood all over himself, but he (Heilbuth) did not have time to help him as the aircraft was below the clouds which were not more than 500 feet, so he had to jump. Disher probably never go to the door to jump as the plane must have hit only a few seconds later." As to Sgt. Uhler, ". . . I believe he was trapped in the ball turret by emeny shell fire. His body was seen on the ground along ide of the plane. As to T/Sgt Danielson, ". . .He must have been killed by the fire from the two ME - 262s that shot us down. They sprayed the back part of our plane as it was shot in half just in front of the tail wheel. Missions Sgt Ackerman flew with Lt Gwin Crew: 12/28/44 11 Coblenz Sgt David Ackerman becomes NG/Toggolier 12/30/44 12 Kassel 12/31/44 13 Hamburg Reichel wounded, Gp lost 12 01/07/45 14 Cologne 01/21/45 15 Mannheim 02/03/45 16 Berlin 02/06/45 17 Chemnitz 02/22/45 18 Dresden 02/23/45 19 Treuchtlingen 02/25/45 20 Munich 02/26/45 21 Berlin Heavy flak as usual 02/28/45 22 Kassel 03/02/45 23 Ruhland 03/07/45 24 Siegen 03/08/45 25 Frankfurt 03/10/45 26 Dortmund 03/11/45 27 Hamburg Nothing like the last time.. 03/12/45 28 Swinemunde 03/15/45 29 Oranienburg 03/17/45 30 Ulm 03/18/45 31 Berlin Final Mission - they shot our tail off!!!MEMO 2:
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:
TARGET: Berlin | DATE: 1945-03-18 | |
AIRCRAFT: "Sweet Nancy II" (43 38861) | CAUSE: ME262 |
BURIAL INFORMATION
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