Crew Comments -
Major Smith as Command Pilot, Major Holmes as Nose Gunner/Navigator, Lt Mulheran replaced Bisbing as Left Waist Gunner, Bisbing flew with another crew (#007-R0, Kenneth L Driscoll)
Comments -
Flak fairly heavy and accurate at times. Flak did not penetrate inside our plane. On way back from target tail gunner Love's oxygen mask froze up and he asked pilot to let down to a lower altitude, but it wasn't necessary as we were at 18,000 feet. Missed the briefed target by 1500 to 2000 feet. The Group ahead of us missed by a long ways but another Group dropped their bombs right on target. Very few enemy fighters seen by whole Group. Not a shot fired by our crew. Oxygen in flight-deck line ran out way before time but it didn't matter as we came back at 18,000 feet and didn't overexert ourselves. All planes in our group got back safely, 2 planes landing at other airfields. Lt Schott's plane* had more than 50 flak holes. One plane dropped out of formation 1/2 hour after bomb run while another plane dropped out of formation 1 hour after bomb run**. Both made England okay. Captain Neitzel's plane*** was hit by flak and had a hole 1 foot each way in 1 wing.
* 42-52561 'Squitch/Ruptured Duck', piloted by Schott, landed at 'Old Buckenham' (453rd BG). It was his plane that dropped out of formation last.
**Smolar wasn't aware of the loss of 42-52535 'Katy' (flown by Caluori and crew #031-R0). That is the plane that left formation first.
***41-28730 was the plane flown by Captain Neitzel and crew #070-R0. She didn't fly again until 26 Apr 44.
Crew on ‘Katy’ was -
Ernest Caluori - Pilot (KIA)
Charles Avery Fischer - Co Pilot (POW)
Norbert Raymond Evans - Navigator (POW)
William Stallings Bush - Bombardier (POW)
Glendon Charles Strout - Engineer (POW)
Emmet Lee Bigelow - (POW)
Luke Morris Haines - Ball Turret Gunner (KIA)
Stewart Alvin Robb - Right Waist Gunner (POW)
Able Johnson Williams - Left Waist Gunner (KIA)
Berwyn Alynne Ellison - Tail Turret Gunner (POW)
Smolar was flying on 41-29270 ‘My Wild Irish Rose’ and was Lead ship for the 467th this day. His crew was -
Walter Ray Smith - Command Pilot
Robert David Sheehan - Pilot
Anthony Robert Smolar - Navigator
Joseph Gleason Mulheran - Pilotage Navigator
Jesse Eugene Brooks - Bombardier
Martin Leo Altenburg - Engineer
John Jim Fornois - Radio Operator
Robert Edmond Baker - Ball Turret Gunner
Capers Andrew Holmes - Right Waist Gunner (Navigator)
Clarence Edwin Love - Left Waist Gunner (according to Interrogation Report)
John Raymond Healy - Tail Turret Gunner
Crew on 'Squitch/Ruptured Duck’ was -
Griffin Rhyne Beatty - Command Pilot
Carl Victor Schott - Pilot
Thomas Valentine Shaughnessy - Co Pilot
Louis Jacob Schiavo - Navigator
John Repola - Bombardier
Wilbur Claude Eby - Engineer
Lewis Lawson Bowling - Radio Operator
Robert Edward Dolan - Nose Turret Gunner
Frank Porcher Ponder - Ball Turret Gunner
Alfred Herman Greiving - Right Waist Gunner
Carlton Kenneth Wilham - Tail Turret Gunner
Crew On ‘730’ was -
Stanley John Neitzel - Pilot
Robert Thomas Sander - Co Pilot
Robert Charles Sprague - Navigator
William E Davis - Bombardier
Roy Leon Rainwater - Engineer
Joseph Victor Perreault - Radio Operator
Robert Brooks Finch - Ball Turret Gunner
George William Leeper - Right Waist Gunner
Carl Walter Kleinhert - Left Waist Gunner
Benjamin Franklin Meredith - Tail Turret Gunner