No_Report

Summary

Aircraft Serial Number (Type): 43-9680 (Douglas A-20G-30-DO Havoc)

9th AF; 416th Bomb Gp; 670th Bomb Sq

Mission # 101; Box: I; Flight: 3; Position: 4; A/C Fuselage Code: F6-R

Reason: Enemy anti-aircraft

Damage: Crash Landing, Battle damage

Point Of Departure: AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England

Location: Ford, Sussex Landing Field, England

*Personnel*
Duty	Name	Rank	S/N	Status
Pilot	Rooney, Robert John	1Lt	O-026102	WIA, RTD
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	McCleary, Herbert Melvin	S/Sgt	37437141	WIA, EUS
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	DiNapoli, Sebastian Francis	S/Sgt	32202754	Not Injured

Description:
The other plane, piloted by Lt. Robert J. Rooney, was also hit by flak but it managed to make it back to England where Lt. Rooney crash landed it. Lt. Rooney was badly injured by flak which came up through the seat in the cockpit. One gunner, Staff Sergeant Herbert M. McCleary, suffered a fractured [right arm, the other] gunner, Staff Sergeant Sebastian F. DiNaplei, suffered minor [injuries].
(416th BG History 1944)

Lt Rooney was piloting his plane on a "window mission" on this attack, and was about ten minutes over France when a burst of flak made the right engine useless. A second burst damaged the interphone and the hydraulic lines. A third burst riddled the aircraft and with the interphone out of commission, lip reading was resorted to by the two gunners, S/Sgts McCleary and DiNapoli, which led to the knowledge that Sgt McCleary was badly injured. Sgt DiNapoli ripped McCleary's suit with a knife and applied a tourniquet and gave the injured gunner a needle of morphine to ease the pain. Lt Rooney was wounded in the back, and had severe pains in the abdomen, and fearing his gunners would not be able to get out due to possible wounds since the ship was so riddled, he turned his plane back, salvoed his bombs over a wooded area in France, and made for an emergency landing field in England. Coming into Ford, Sussex, landing field, a taking off Spitfire was heading right for them, and, raising his wheels just in time, the Polish pilot of the fighter just cleared the incoming ship of Lt Rooney. There was no hydraulic pressure left, and only one wheel dangled, but with no support, so Lt Rooney made a belly landing. The ship was a total wreck. Due to the severity of his wounds Lt Rooney was unable to get out of the plane and had to be extracted by the ground crews of the field. Both he and Sgt McCleary were rushed to the hospital there. A very bad compound fracture of the arm resulted in the transfer of Sgt McCleary to a hospital unit for removal back to the United States for recuperation.
("670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History")

General Orders No. 134, 25 July 1944, Purple Heart is awarded to: 670th Bombardment Squadron (L), Robert J. Rooney, O-26102, First Lieutenant, Air Corps, United States Army. For wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States on 18 July 1944, while serving as Pilot of an A-20 airplane on a combat operational mission over enemy occupied territory. Entered military service from Louisiana.

General Orders No. 143, 2 August 1944, The award of the Purple Heart is revoked for: 670th Bombardment Squadron (L), Robert J. Rooney, O-26102, First Lieutenant.

General Orders No. 134, 25 July 1944, Purple Heart is awarded to: 670th Bombardment Squadron (L), Herbert M. McCleary, 37437141, Staff Sergeant, Air Corps, United States Army. For wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States on 18 July 1944, while serving as Gunner on an A-20 airplane on a combat operational mission over enemy occupied territory. Entered military service from Iowa.

General Orders No. 143, 2 August 1944, The award of the Purple Heart is revoked for: 670th Bombardment Squadron (L), Herbert M. McCleary, 37437141, Staff Sergeant.

General Orders No. 134, 25 July 1944, Purple Heart is awarded to: 670th Bombardment Squadron (L), Sebastian F. Dinapoli, 32202754, Staff Sergeant, Air Corps, United States Army. For wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States on 18 July 1944, while serving as Gunner on an A-20 airplane on a combat operational mission over enemy occupied territory. Entered military service from New Jersey.
(416th BG Purple Heart Awards (PDF))

See Mission # 101 for additional details