416th BG Mission 101

Missing Air Crew Reports, Aircraft Accident Reports, and other incidents
Date	Report	A/C Serial # Type	Mis- sion #	Bomb Sq	Location	Personnel (Status when available)
Jul 18, 1944 Tuesday	MACR 12210	43-9975 A-20G	101	668	Eng. Channel off Little-Hampton, Essex, Eng.	Cruze, Raymond Kyle (MIA, KIA) Cherry, Frank Edward (KIA) Giesy, Samuel H. Jr. (WIA, RTD)
Jul 18, 1944 Tuesday	No_Report	43-9452 A-20J	101	670		Hulse, David Archibald Jr. (Not Injured) Conte, Ralph Francis Sr. (WIA) Allred, Fred D. (Not Injured) Stephens, Donald W. (WIA)
Jul 18, 1944 Tuesday	No_Report	43-9680 A-20G	101	670	Ford, Sussex Landing Field, England	Rooney, Robert John (WIA, RTD) McCleary, Herbert Melvin (WIA, EUS) DiNapoli, Sebastian Francis (Not Injured)

Mission # 101 -- July 18, 1944, Tuesday PM
Mantes Gassicourt, France -- Railroad Bridge

Box I -- Flight I
1 668th 43-9444 5H-J A-20J Maj Price, R.F. Lt Hand, A.R. S/Sgt Fejes, J.A., Jr. S/Sgt Judd, E.R., Jr.	2 668th 43-21819 5H-K A-20G Lt Kreh, E.B. Sgt Wright, R.E. Sgt Novak, S.G.	3 668th 43-10176 5H-T A-20G Lt Hill, L.E. S/Sgt Burch, R.W. S/Sgt Yost, C.H., Jr.
4 668th 43-9975 5H-W A-20G Lt Cruze, R.K. Sgt Giesy, S.H., Jr. Sgt Cherry, F.E.	5 668th 43-9894 5H-R A-20G Lt Andersen, C.J., Jr. Sgt Euga, P.G. Sgt Schafer, E.L.	6 668th 43-9935 5H-F A-20G Lt Kenny, J.P. Sgt Spadoni, J.K. Sgt Noteriani, F.

Box I -- Flight II
1 671st 43-21711 5C-S A-20J Lt Meagher, J.F. Lt Burg, J.J. T/Sgt Robbins, L.G. S/Sgt Simpson, D.H.	2 668th 43-9362 5H-L A-20G Lt Peede, L.G. S/Sgt Kelly, E.E. S/Sgt Hibbs, C.L.	3 668th 43-9195 5H-D A-20G Lt Svenson, R.R. S/Sgt Fild, P.G. S/Sgt Pfenning, G.H.
4 668th 43-9379 5H-G A-20G Lt Downing, W.E. S/Sgt Shelton, E.L. S/Sgt Sylva, H.J.	5 668th 43-9745 5H-I A-20G Lt Clausen, T. Sgt Fetko, C., Jr. Sgt Brown, D.M.	6 668th 43-9907 5H-O A-20G Lt Cannon, L.E. Sgt Robinson, J.W. Sgt Brzezinski, E.P.

Box I -- Flight III
1 670th 43-9452 F6-Q A-20J Capt Hulse, D.A., Jr. Lt Conte, R.F., Sr. S/Sgt Allred, F.D. S/Sgt Stephens, D.W.	2 670th 43-9209 F6-K A-20G Lt Hall, R.B. Sgt Blackford, D.S. Sgt Burger, L.C.	3 670th 43-9892 F6-L A-20G Lt Gruetzemacher, R.O. Sgt Wilson, B.R. Sgt Hall, M.
4 670th 43-9680 F6-R A-20G Lt Rooney, R.J. S/Sgt McCleary, H.M. S/Sgt DiNapoli, S.F.	5 670th 43-9200 F6-A A-20G Lt Sparling, J.R., Jr. Sgt Shaw, C.L. Sgt Leahigh, L.L.	6 670th 43-10211 F6-O A-20G Lt Sewell, J.C. S/Sgt McKee, J.C. S/Sgt Eutsler, R.J.

Box I
SPARE 670th 43-21759 F6-G A-20G Lt Brown, N.G. S/Sgt White, H.E. S/Sgt Addleman, R.F. [Returned Early as Briefed No Sortie]

Box II -- Flight I
1 671st 43-9645 5C-R A-20J Lt Marzolf, L.A. Lt Beck, J.T. S/Sgt Wellin, H.E. S/Sgt Kutzer, L.G.	2 671st 43-9937 5C-B A-20G Lt Platter, E.T. S/Sgt Johnson, K.L. S/Sgt Czech, J.L.	3 671st 43-9714 5C-N A-20G Lt Henderson, F.W. S/Sgt Griswold, R.M. S/Sgt Coulombe, P.E.
4 671st 43-9220 5C-E A-20G Lt Perkins, R.D. S/Sgt Sherry, V.N. S/Sgt Linneman, R.H.	5 671st 43-9363 5C-L A-20G Lt York, R.W. S/Sgt Ashton, L.A. S/Sgt Wilds, H.J.	6 671st 43-10165 5C-H A-20G Lt Zubon, M. S/Sgt Russell, W.C. T/Sgt Tanner, J.R.L.

Box II -- Flight II
1 669th 43-10135 2A-T A-20J Lt Morton, R.J. Lt Moore, D.L. S/Sgt Webb, C.L. S/Sgt Citty, F.M.	2 669th 43-9900 2A-Q A-20G Lt Land, W.H. S/Sgt Alden, S.F. S/Sgt Ballinger, R.L.	3 669th 43-9840 2A-V A-20G Lt Renth, E.J., Jr. S/Sgt Scott, J.O. Pvt Moskowitz, L.
4 669th 43-9202 2A-B A-20G Lt MacManus, P.F.E., Jr. S/Sgt Rogers, J.L., Jr. S/Sgt Fleischman, G.I.	5 669th 43-9743 2A-W A-20G Lt Robertson, R.B. Sgt Hay, J.E. Sgt Buskirk, J.A.	6 669th 43-9943 2A-F A-20G Lt Blomgren, J.E. Sgt Fleming, L.R. Sgt Bookach, M.

Box II -- Flight III
1 671st 43-21724 5C-A A-20J Lt Cole, H.P. Lt Basnett, R.J. S/Sgt Fandre, B.G. S/Sgt Chvatal, F.R.	2 671st 43-9951 5C-P A-20G Lt Miller, J.H. S/Sgt Schrom, R.G. S/Sgt Galender, J.W.	3 671st 43-9711 5C-M A-20G Lt Morehouse, R.C. S/Sgt Zygiel, L.A. S/Sgt Burgess, A.J.
4 671st 43-9956 5C-Z A-20G Lt Durante, A.R. S/Sgt Best, H.T. S/Sgt DeGiusti, I.R.	5 671st 43-9221 5C-F A-20G Lt Withington, D.L., III Sgt Huss, C.F. Sgt McElhattan, L.D.	6 671st 43-10214 5C-C A-20G Lt Andrews, H.D., Jr. S/Sgt Werley, E.R. S/Sgt DeBower, D.H.

Box II
SPARE 669th 43-9717 2A-N A-20G Lt Vleghels, A.J. S/Sgt Rice, R.W. S/Sgt Young, C.E. [Returned Early as Briefed No Sortie]

Box II -- Flight WINDOW
1 670th 43-22058 F6-C A-20J Lt Shaefer, R.F. Lt Lytle, W.M. S/Sgt Donahue, W.J. S/Sgt Brayn, M.R.	2 670th 43-9689 F6-I A-20G Lt Bartmus, G.F. S/Sgt Orr, J.R. S/Sgt Flacks, F.L.	3 670th 43-9750 F6-M A-20G Lt Connor, J.S. S/Sgt VanDuyne, J.E. S/Sgt Rodgers, H.C.

Group and Unit Histories

Mission # 101 -- July 18, 1944, Tuesday PM
Mantes Gassicourt, France -- Railroad Bridge

"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives

That afternoon, Major Price, with Lt Hand, B-N, and Lt Marzolf, Lt Beck, B-N, led two boxes in an attack on the Mantes Gassicourt inland railroad bridge. As they approached the target, they met a solid wall of clouds that forced them to turn back. They chose the Glos-Sur-Risle railroad junction as a secondary target. The bombs fell in a beautiful pattern squarely on the junction. A letter of congratulations was received from General Brereton on the job done.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 110 - 112

Mission #101 - 18 July - PM - Gles-Sur-Risle Railroad Junction - Pontautou. This target was again heavily defended resulting in a number of injuries to personnel and planes. Six members of the 670th were wounded on this trip, including Lts. Rooney, Sommers, and Conte. S/Sgts. McCleary, DiNapoli, and Stephens were also hit. Lt. Pat Rooney was leading a window mission when his right engine was hit, rendering it useless. A second burst hit his interphone and hydraulic lines. A third burst also hit the plane, and the two gunners could not communicate except through lip reading and pointing. McCleary motioned to his fellow gunner, DiNapoli that he was badly wounded. DiNapoli came down from his turret position, tore away part of McCleary's flying gear, applied a tournaquet and administered a shot of morphine to ease the pain. Lt Rooney, being hit badly, and realizing his plane was pretty well shot up and no way to talk to his gunners, thought he had better try to land for assistance to everybody on board. He left the formation and headed back to base - salvoed his bombs in a field, and reached an airfield in Ford, England for an emergency landing. As he touched down, a Spitfire was taking off on the same runway, headed right for Rooney. The Spitfire got off the ground and raised his wheels, just missing Rooney. With no hydraulics, and only one wheel down, a belly landing was made. Rooney was so badly shot up he could not get out of his cockpit, and was extracted by ground personnel. He and McCleary were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. McCreary's arm bore a bad compound fracture, necessitating his recuperation back to the states. Rooney's plane was a total wreck. The scoring on the bombing was rated as excellent. Flights were led by Lts. Marzolf and Beck, BN Lts. Cole and Basnett BN, and Captain Hulse and Lt. Conte, BN.

On this same mission, Lt. Hall took a flak hit just as the formation crossed the French Coast toward the target. He stayed in formation and got to drop his bombs with the rest of the flight. His air speed indicator and altimeter were not registering. He called back to his gunners to check if they were wounded. He also asked them to check to see if any hydraulic lines were broken. They determined that hydraulic and other lines were ruptured. S/Sgt Burger cut off the jagged edges of damaged tubing, flared open the flattened parts, took rubber tubing from his Mae West and improvised a repair which got the instruments in the pilot's instrument panel to begin registering again. Lt. Hall headed back to base, where their Crew Chief T/Sgt Spillett said the repair was so professional that it could last a long time.

Another sad occurence on this mission, relates to Lt. R.K. Cruze of the 668th squadron.

His ship was so badly damaged that he had to ditch in the channel. His two gunners, Sgts. Geisy and Cherry were with Cruze. Air-Sea Rescue was ready to pick them up as Lt. Cruze was swimming toward them. His Mae West was either damaged or he did not have it on. Cruze went under before he got to the rescue boat and drowned. Sgt. Cherry was picked up but the rescue team worked on him for hours, but could not bring him around. He also passed away. Sgt. Giesy's wounds required him to be hospitalized.

All other ships landed, badly shot up.

Not all fatalities occur on bombing missions. A group of our boys were on their way to a railroad station, in a jeep. Their jeep cracked up and S/Sgt William H. Coe, a gunner with 47 missions, only 19 or 20 years old injured in the accident was hospitalized and passed away after many days of attention.

"668th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

The afternoon of the 18th, on the Group's 101st sortie, a mission against Gles sur Risle, we lost one of our original pilots. First Lieutenant Raymond Kyle Cruze, his aircraft severely flak-damaged, was forced on the return journey to ditch in the channel. Though he was seen to leave the sinking plane, Lt. Cruze's body was never found. He had been reported Missing in Action, and presumably drowned. The body of Sgt. Frank E. Cherry, armorer-gunner of the crew was recovered from the channel, but efforts to resuscitate him were in vain. He was officially reported Killed in Action. Sgt. Samuel H. Giesy Jr., the mechanic-gunner, was rescued from the channel, though seriously wounded and suffering from exposure. Lt. Cruze was a veteran of forty-three sorties over enemy territory.

"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

The July 18th mission proved to be another important one, in not only the history of this organization, but also in the history of the war. Missions of the group on this date preceded the attack by the British Second Army on their break-through from Caen. The missions were part of a massive air assault that dumped 8,000 tons of bombs on the enemy. We were a part of 2,000 allied warplanes that heaped tons of explosives on German bastions around Caen as a prelude to that memorable ground offensive. Eighteen of our crews participated in the two missions of that day. The Stars and Stripes of July 19th commented; "Spearheading the great onslaught on the continent, was a dawn attack by Havocs and Marauders against German armor massed ahead of the British east flank in Normandy." Of the later mission, another column carried the description "continuing the spectacular support of ground troops, Ninth Air Force Havocs bomber rail bridges at St Hilaire du Harcourt on a line leading to the Normandy battle area."

Evidence of the bitterness of this air attack was very prominent among our own combat crews. Of the six crews participating in the afternoon mission, six members returned with wounds. Lts Rooney, Sommers and Conte; and S/Sgts McCleary, DiNapoli and Stephens received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained on this mission.

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.

Another crew, part of this days missions, encountered difficulties as a result of the heavy flak met. As the plane of Lt Hall approached the coast of France it was met by heavy anti aircraft fire. Gunner S/Sgt Burger's parachute and boots were cut; the pilot line and static line of the plane were tore apart. When the bombing run on Glos Sur Risle, the secondary target, was completed, Lt Hall perceived that his air speed indicator and altimeter were useless and called to his gunner to see if anyone was wounded, and asked that they check the control lines. Discovering two tubes torn by flak, S/Sgt Blackford, other gunner of the crew, gave the scissors from his kit to S/Sgt Burger who cut off the jagged edges of the tubes and bored open their flattened parts. Sgt Burger replaced the broken parts of the metal lines with rubber tubing from his Mae West. The jagged metal tore the tubing, so, with tape from Sgt Blackford's earphones, he sealed the tubes, and the air speed indicator and altimeter were restored to normal use. In spite of poor visibility the plane made its way back. The task was performed in such a manner that T/Sgt Spillett, crew chief, remarked that the instruments were repaired sufficiently to have worked for a long time.

"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns

July 18th � July 25th, 1944

The weather (enough said) curtailed the 416th Bomb Group's activity again during this period, but seven missions were chalked up. Mission No. 100 came off on the morning of July 18th , and in the afternoon the Group passed the century mark. Single missions were run off on the 19th, 22nd, 23rd, 25th and 26th of July. Bombs were dropped on all these flights except the latter on in which a cloud covering over the target interfered. All of these missions were in direct support of allied ground forces in Normandy.

No ships were lost, but flak was met in many instances. A gunner from one on the other Squadrons was killed by a direct flak burst in the turret. This was the first time a member of a crew was brought back to base dead. Lt. Murray had the honor of being the first member of the Squadron to land on the Normandy beachhead when his plane ran short of gas on a late mission on July 19th. Lt. Murray and his gunners, S/Sgt. Jones and DeBower, landed on a P-47 field on the Peninsula and were treated in good fashion. They returned the next day with a few souvenirs... helmets, rifles, etc. They all related to quite and experience.

This Squadron fell behind the others this month in individual sorties mainly because when the 671st had a large number on the loading list, path�finders were used and a number of the crews would be scrubbed.

Lt. Lackovich got his first mission in on July 18th and is rapidly joining the ranks of the other crews. The first mission in the rough one. After that the rest come a little more easily. Each pilot will tell you that the sack felt wonder�ful after their first mission. (And you won't find one that tells you it still doesn't feel mighty good.)

Highlight of the above missions was the afternoon encounter on July 18th when the Group received an excellent rating on bombing a Railroad Junction at Gles-Sur-Risle. The strike photo showed a remarkable pattern right in the target area.