416th BG Mission 33

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)
Apr 30, 1944 Sunday	No_Report		43-9226 A-20G	33	669	auxillary field along the coast	Renth, Edward Julius Jr. (Not Injured) LaNave, Orlando D. (Not Injured) Epps, Evertt T. (Not Injured)

Mission # 33 -- April 30, 1944, Sunday PM
Busigny, France -- Marshalling Yards (S.5774)

Box I -- Flight I
1 670th 43-9439 F6-J A-20J Maj Meng, W.J. Lt Powell, V.H. S/Sgt Stobert, R.F. S/Sgt Glynn, F.P.	2 670th 43-9455 F6-T A-20J Capt Hulse, D.A., Jr. Lt Conte, R.F., Sr. S/Sgt White, H.E. S/Sgt Addleman, R.F.	3 670th 43-9380 F6-N A-20G Lt Johnson, E.L. S/Sgt Donahue, W.J. S/Sgt Brayn, M.R.
4 670th 43-9209 F6-K A-20G Lt Ostrander, W.B. S/Sgt Wilson, J.E. S/Sgt Binney, I.	5 670th 43-9224 F6-E A-20G Lt Monroe, H.A. S/Sgt Risko, S. S/Sgt Kidd, W.L.	6 670th 43-9689 F6-I A-20G Lt McGlohn, C.L. S/Sgt Moran, J.W. S/Sgt Driskill, P.B.

Box I -- Flight II
1 670th 43-9978 F6-S A-20G Capt Jackson, C.R. Lt Forma, W. Pvt McKee, J.C. S/Sgt Eutsler, R.J.	2 670th 43-9217 F6-D A-20G Lt Leonard, T.J. S/Sgt Evans, O.D. Sgt Palmer, T.A.	3 670th 43-9207 F6-B A-20G Lt McBride, L.R. S/Sgt Griffin, E.L. Sgt Maziasz, C.W.
4 670th 43-9386 F6-W A-20G Lt Greene, W.J. Sgt Swafford, J.O., Jr. S/Sgt Glynn, P.F.	5 670th 43-9696 F6-G A-20G Lt Shea, D.F. S/Sgt Lee, R.E., Jr. Sgt Falk, F.G.	6 670th 43-9227 F6-F A-20G Lt Nordstrom, A.W. S/Sgt Gossett, J.D. S/Sgt Miller, R.L.

Box I -- Flight III
1 669th 43-10135 2A-T A-20J Capt Huff, M.J. Lt McQuade, R.J. S/Sgt Thompson, J.B. S/Sgt Hatch, H.F.	2 669th 43-9679 2A-R A-20G Lt Boukamp, T. S/Sgt Colosimo, R.J. S/Sgt Wing, J.S.	3 669th 43-9376 2A-O A-20G Lt Behlmer, R.L. T/Sgt Kelly, W.J. S/Sgt Ferguson, W.G.
4 669th 43-9900 2A-Q A-20G Lt Morton, R.J. S/Sgt Rogers, J.L., Jr. S/Sgt Citty, F.M.	5 669th 43-9226 2A-E A-20G Lt Renth, E.J., Jr. S/Sgt LaNave, O.D. S/Sgt Epps, E.T.	6 669th 43-9673 2A-I A-20G Lt Connor, J.S. S/Sgt Alden, S.F. S/Sgt Ballinger, R.L.

Box I
SPARE 669th 43-9189 2A-P A-20G Lt Sommers, H.L. S/Sgt Kasper, J.F. S/Sgt Boyer, H.E.

Box II -- Flight I
1 671st 43-10129 5C-I A-20J Capt Dunn, L.F. Lt Arrington, H.T. S/Sgt Foster, H.A. S/Sgt Rust, E.W.	2 669th 43-9450 2A-S A-20J Lt Marzolf, L.A. Lt Basnett, R.J. S/Sgt Wellin, H.E. S/Sgt Kutzer, L.G.	3 669th 43-9717 2A-N A-20G Lt Perkins, R.D. S/Sgt Sherry, V.N. S/Sgt Linneman, R.H.
4 669th 43-9214 2A-C A-20G Lt Wheeler, R.V. S/Sgt Brower, J.S. S/Sgt Corrin, E.W.	5 671st 43-9393 5C-K A-20G Lt Greenley, R.E. S/Sgt Worden, H.C. S/Sgt Rzepka, J.J.	6 671st 43-9711 5C-M A-20G Lt Adams, J.D. S/Sgt Clearman, P.L., Jr. Sgt Zeikus, A.J.

Box II -- Flight II
1 671st 43-9914 5C-X A-20J Lt Stockwell, R.E. Lt Jedinak, A. S/Sgt Johnson, K.L. S/Sgt Czech, J.L.	2 671st 43-9951 5C-P A-20G Lt DeMand, F.W. S/Sgt Middleton, C.W. Sgt Troyer, R.J.	3 671st 43-10165 5C-H A-20G Lt Zubon, M. T/Sgt Tanner, J.R.L. S/Sgt Russell, W.C.
4 671st 43-9724 5C-W A-20G Lt Cole, H.P. S/Sgt Chvatal, F.R. S/Sgt Fandre, B.G.	5 671st 43-9221 5C-F A-20G Lt Merchant, W.A. S/Sgt Harp, C.J. S/Sgt Brown, K.P.	6 671st 43-9937 5C-B A-20G Lt Durante, A.R. S/Sgt Best, H.T. S/Sgt DeGiusti, I.R.

Box II -- Flight III
1 668th 43-9640 5H-Z A-20J Lt Ebenstein, G.N. Lt McBrien, R.T. S/Sgt Perkins, H., Jr. S/Sgt Hume, J.N.	2 668th 43-9893 5H-P A-20G Lt Poindexter, R.D. T/Sgt Robbins, L.G. S/Sgt Simpson, D.H.	3 668th 43-9745 5H-I A-20G Lt Lesher, R.D. S/Sgt Antanaitis, A.J. S/Sgt Hedrick, H.R.
4 668th 43-9182 5H-B A-20G Lt Miracle, R.V. S/Sgt Sieg, B.C. S/Sgt Burkhalter, J.C.	5 668th 43-9379 5H-G A-20G Lt Cruze, R.K. S/Sgt Love, C.F. S/Sgt Adair, F.L.	6 668th 43-9216 5H-E A-20G Lt Meredith, R.G., Jr. S/Sgt Molver, V.E. S/Sgt Gray, C.M.

Box II
SPARE 668th 43-9684 5H-K A-20G Lt Kreh, E.B. S/Sgt Yost, C.H., Jr. S/Sgt Burch, R.W.

Group and Unit Histories

Mission # 33 -- April 30, 1944, Sunday PM
Busigny, France -- Marshalling Yards (S.5774)

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

Missions no. 32 and 33 were flown on the last day of the month. In the morning three boxes led by Major Campbell, Captain Battersby, and Major Price scored good results against NOBALL Target at Bonnieres. The 39 aircraft dispatched dropped 1515 x 500 G.P. bombs. Finishing the month in a blaze of glory, excellent results were achieved in the late afternoon attack on the Busigny Marshalling Yards. Major Meng with Lt. Powell, B/N, and Captain Dunn with Lt. Arrington, B/N, led the two boxes which dropped 38 tons of bombs along 400 yards of the main target area. Lt. Renth was forced to land on an auxillary field along the coast after a hair-raising trip across France at low-level on one engine. Hitting an obstruction on the landing strip the Plane was damaged beyond repair. Lt. Renth and his gunners, S/Sgt. LaNave and S/Sgt. Epps escaped any personal injury. A congratulatory telegram was received from General Anderson on the Busigny mission.

Checking back on our operations during the month of April, the Group participated in 24 missions. Seven hundred and seventy-four sorties were flown in which 534 1/2 tons of bombs were dropped.

"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 57 - 61

Mission #33 - 30 April - PM - Busigny Marshalling Yard, North of St. Quentin, France. This was another unusual trip in that our group was to follow the 409th Bomb Group in, providing 72 aircraft in total to eliminate this target. Major Meng with Lt. Powell, BN led Box I and Captain Dunn and Lt. Arrington BN, leading Box II. Approaching the French coast, the 409th entered over a heavily defended area, which was not the assigned entry point on the coast. Major Meng turned his box toward the assigned entry point, and proceeded toward the target. Lt. Powell and Lt. Arrington strung their bombs on a 400 yard stretch, practically destroying everything in the marshalling yard. Lt. Marzolf and Lt. Basnett, BN, and Captain Hulse with Lt. Conte, BN, Lt. Stockwell and Lt. Jedinak, BN led flights. Excellent results were recorded by all flights.

A congratulatory telegram from General Anderson of the IX Bomber Command was sent to the group for their success.

One plane, piloted by West Point Graduate Lt. Ed Renth relates this story experienced on the Busigny mission:

We dropped our bomb load after the lead bombardier released his, while flak was popping all around us. Suddenly, as though Thor's hammer struck the bottom of my plane, it jumped about two feet. The shock was indescribable. I experienced every bit of emotion, including fear, shear horror, terror, panic, and an icy fist squeezing my heart. I saw fluid oozing down and back on the inside of the left engine nacelle. I feathered the prop and cut off the full flow to the engine. It was absolutely dead.

The formation kept on their path, and when Renth looked up, he was truly alone, the formation disappeared in the murk. His right engine started to sputter. The Spitfire escorts left the formation.

While we were attending to our problems, the formation kept going on their way, and suddenly we were alone. Our Spitfire escorts had left and all I thought about was that the ground forces would be radioing their fighters to come after us. A B-26 Maurauder group was about 1000 feet above us with their bomb bay doors open. In a few minutes they loosed 288 bombs which passed within a hairbreadth from us. At the same time, five fighters were approaching us at 4 o'clock high, we couldn't tell whose they were, until the unmistakable outline of the P-38s came into view and chased the intruders away. I instructed my gunners to watch for the yellow nosed ME-109s, and if they saw them, the boys were to bail out. I had to concentrate on navigating back toward base.

We were losing altitude fast, and were down to about 1500 feet with 20mm, 40mm, and 88mm shells popping all around us. We needed more speed so I instructed the gunners to throw everything out that was loose while we were over the channel. I even fired my 50 caliber nose guns to lighten the load.

We were down to about 100 feet and the English Channel was in sight, and I saw an airfield runway right ahead of me. Just before touch down I saw a group of poles and fences at the end of the runway. The left wing struck a pole, the left landing gear collapsed and we went screeching down on our belly. When we stopped, we scrambled out and sat away from the plane, and lit a cigarette. A tweedy looking Englishman came toward them and said, "Bloody good show, chaps."

During April, the group participated in 24 missions with 774 sorties, dropping 534-l/2 tons of bombs. Group strength for April was:

668th BS 39 Officers 264 Enlisted Men
669th BS 37 Officers 262 Enlisted Men
670th BS 41 Officers 268 Enlisted Men
671st BS 35 Officers 261 Enlisted Men
Grp Hqs 35 Officers 59 Enlisted Men
Totals 187 Officers 1114 Enlisted Men

On the l5th of April, the American Flag was raised for the first time at the Headquarters Building, in Wethersfield, replacing the R.A.F. Flag. The base was officially turned over to the USAAF by the RAF Commander, Squadron Leader Newman.

"669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

In the afternoon of the 30th, the Busigny marshalling yards were attacked with excellent results. The plane piloted by Lt Edward J. Renth,Jr., was damaged by flak and one engine was knocked out. He lost altitude and made a hair-raising trip across France at low-level on one engine. Hitting an obstruction on the landing strip of an auxiliary field on the south England coast, the plane was damaged beyond repair. Lt Renth and his gunners, S/Sgt Orlando O. LaNave and S/Sgt Everett T. Epps escaped without any personal injury. The bombing was the best that we had done. A congratulatory telegram was received from General Anderson, commanding officer of the IX Bomber Command on the mission.

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

Two missions were flown again on the 30th of April to conclude the squadron's combat month. The first of these missions, which was an attack on the Bonnieres noball site, had seven of our crews taking part. The second, an attack on the Busigny marshalling yards, brought excellent results and was perhaps the best bombing mission the group had to date. This mission was led by Major Meng, with Lt Powell as Bombardier. Twelve of our crews took part in the attack.

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

Number two for the day was a marshalling yard north of St. Quentin in France. A 72-ship formation was dispatched, led by the 409th Bomb Group. It was a rather uneventful trip � the 409th was off the target; both of the 416ths were on. The only break in an otherwise dull trip was when the 409th started to lead this outfit out of the Continent over Ostend, Belgium, a hot-spot. Major Meng and Captain Dunn left the 409th at this point, taking their two boxes southward, and exiting at the proper place. Some flak came up from Ostend, but it was out of range. Lt. Powell in the first box of this Group did bombing described as very good to excellent, while Lt. Arrington in box two got an excellent rating.