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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 21 -- April 20, 1944, Thursday PM Gorenflos, France NOBALL (XI/A/37B)
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 21 -- April 20, 1944, Thursday PM Gorenflos, France NOBALL (XI/A/37B)
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Place of Take-Off : AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England A/C Dispatched : 38 Total -- 33 A-20G's, 5 A-20J's Target Operational Number: Z 3004B Illustration : XI/A/37/4 Illustration Ref : 009014 Summary of Results : Unable to attack due to cloud cover. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.09167,2.01250 (50° 5' 30" N, 2° 0' 45" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on V1 Sites, GORENFLOS 2) (See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ) |
Mission Loading Lists Transcription
Mission # 21 -- April 20, 1944, Thursday PM
Gorenflos, France -- NOBALL (XI/A/37B)
| 1 670th 43-9439 F6-J A-20J Maj Meng, W.J. Lt Powell, V.H. S/Sgt Stobert, R.F. S/Sgt Glynn, P.F. |
2 670th 43-9978 F6-S A-20G Lt Rooney, R.J. S/Sgt McCleary, H.M. S/Sgt DiNapoli, S.F. |
3 670th 43-9689 F6-I A-20G Lt Crispino, J.C. S/Sgt Walsh, T.I., Jr. S/Sgt Conopask, R.E. |
| 4 670th 43-9455 F6-T A-20J Capt Jackson, C.R. Lt Conte, R.F., Sr. Pvt McKee, J.C. S/Sgt Bonamo, A.J. |
5 670th 43-9227 F6-F A-20G Lt Nordstrom, A.W. S/Sgt Gossett, J.D. S/Sgt Miller, R.L. |
6 670th 43-9696 F6-G A-20G Lt Brown, N.G. S/Sgt Donahue, W.J. Sgt Brayn, M.R. |
| 1 668th 43-9444 5H-J A-20J Lt Osborne, A.E., Jr. Lt Maltby, A.H. S/Sgt Kelly, E.E. S/Sgt Coe, W.H. |
2 668th 43-9684 5H-K A-20G Lt Meagher, J.F. S/Sgt Damico, E.A. S/Sgt Dickenson, E.S. |
3 668th 43-9379 5H-G A-20G Lt Lesher, R.D. S/Sgt Antanaitis, A.J. S/Sgt Hedrick, H.R. |
| 4 668th 43-9223 5H-F A-20G Lt Shaefer, R.F. S/Sgt Judd, E.R., Jr. S/Sgt Fejes, J.A., Jr. |
5 668th 43-9963 5H-N A-20G Lt Hill, L.E. S/Sgt Yost, C.H., Jr. S/Sgt Burch, R.W. |
6 668th 43-9195 5H-D A-20G Lt Kreh, E.B. S/Sgt Newkirk, A.W., Jr. S/Sgt Anderson, E.A. |
| 1 670th 43-9200 F6-A A-20G Lt Rudisill, R.S. S/Sgt Allred, F.D. Sgt Stephens, D.W. |
2 670th 43-9217 F6-D A-20G Lt Greene, W.J. S/Sgt Ochaba, J.A. S/Sgt Colbert, W.F. |
3 670th 43-9224 F6-E A-20G Lt Monroe, H.A. S/Sgt Kidd, W.L. S/Sgt Eutsler, R.J. |
| 4 668th 43-9194 5H-C A-20G Lt Siracusa, L.J. S/Sgt Brown, F.E. S/Sgt Burkhalter, J.C. |
5 668th 43-9893 5H-P A-20G Lt Poindexter, R.D. T/Sgt Robbins, L.G. S/Sgt Simpson, D.H. |
6 668th 43-9216 5H-E A-20G Lt Meredith, R.G., Jr. S/Sgt Gray, C.M. S/Sgt Molver, V.E. |
| SPARE 670th 43-9750 F6-M A-20G Lt Hillerman, J.P. S/Sgt Wilson, J.E. S/Sgt Binney, I. |
| 1 671st 43-9914 5C-X A-20J Capt Dunn, L.F. Lt Arrington, H.T. T/Sgt Larronde, F.H. S/Sgt Lempka, H.A. |
2 671st 43-9711 5C-M A-20G Lt Wheeler, R.V. S/Sgt Brower, J.S. S/Sgt Corrin, E.W. |
3 671st 43-9225 5C-G A-20G Lt Platter, E.T. S/Sgt Johnson, K.L. S/Sgt Czech, J.L. |
| 4 668th 43-9640 5H-Z A-20J Capt Clark, R.A. Lt Jones, C.W. S/Sgt Norton, C.Q. S/Sgt Citty, F.M. |
5 669th 43-9390 2A-G A-20G Lt DeMun, E.E. S/Sgt Rosenstein, M. S/Sgt Carney, H.O. |
6 669th 43-9673 2A-I A-20G Lt Dontas, P. S/Sgt Nielsen, A.L. S/Sgt Fields, W.E. |
| 1 671st 43-9393 5C-K A-20G Lt Stockwell, R.E. S/Sgt Worden, H.C. S/Sgt Rzepka, J.J. [B/N Jedinak scratched] |
2 671st 43-9203 5C-A A-20G Lt Adams, J.D. Sgt Clearman, P.L., Jr. Cpl Zeikus, A.J. |
3 671st 43-9707 5C-H A-20G Lt Perkins, R.D. S/Sgt Tanner, J.R.L. S/Sgt Russell, W.C. |
| 4 671st 43-9951 5C-P A-20G Lt DeMand, F.W. Cpl Troyer, R.J. S/Sgt Middleton, C.W. |
5 671st 43-9221 5C-F A-20G Lt Andrews, H.D., Jr. S/Sgt Cook, G.M. S/Sgt Werley, E.R. |
6 671st 43-9714 5C-N A-20G Lt Cowgill, G.W. S/Sgt Foster, H.A. S/Sgt Rust, E.W. |
| 1 669th 43-9376 2A-O A-20G Lt Peck, W.A. S/Sgt Bergeron, A.E. S/Sgt Kelton, H.E. |
2 669th 43-9743 2A-R A-20G Lt Siggs, W.C. S/Sgt Radlich, N. S/Sgt Nicks, R.W. |
3 669th 43-9189 2A-P A-20G Lt Gullion, A.W., Jr. S/Sgt Webb, C.L. S/Sgt Coffey, G.L. |
| 4 669th 43-9202 2A-B A-20G Lt Sommers, H.L. S/Sgt LaNave, O.D. S/Sgt Rogers, J.L., Jr. |
5 669th 43-9717 2A-N A-20G Lt Hewes, H.E., Jr. S/Sgt Boyer, H.E. S/Sgt Kasper, J.F. |
6 669th 43-9900 2A-Q A-20G Lt Renth, E.J., Jr. S/Sgt Colosimo, R.J. S/Sgt Wing, J.S. |
| SPARE 671st 43-9493 5C-V A-20G Lt Schouten, J.T. S/Sgt Feistl, J.E. S/Sgt Williamson, R.R. [No credit] |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 21 -- April 20, 1944, Thursday PM
Gorenflos, France -- NOBALL (XI/A/37B)
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
The 20th was the first day that we ran two full-strength missions in one day. In the morning 38 planes took off to bomb a NOBALL target at Gorenfloe [Gorenflos]. A cloud cover of .8 to .9 hid the target so that no attack was made. Haze again obscured the target at Yvrench/Bois Carre from view from the 38 planes that took off in the afternoon. No attack was made.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 52 - 53
Mission #21- 20 April - AM - Gorenflos NoBall. Major Meng with Lt. Powell, BN led Box I with Captain Jackson and Lt. Conte, BN leading Box II. Lt. Osborne and Lt. Maltby, BN plus Captain Dunn and Lt. Arrington, BN led flights. Take off was at 1300. On reaching the French Coast, a heavy cloud cover obscured the ground, making the target invisible. Hence, no bombs were dropped. Light inaccurate flak caused no damage to planes.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
Major Meng led a mission on the 20th to the Gorenflos noball
target with nine of our crews taking part. However, because of poor
weather and cloud cover over the target no bombs were dropped. Eight
670th crews took part in the second mission of the 20th of April which
was an attack on the Yvrench Bois Carre noball target.
The Stars and Stripes, the armed forces newspaper in the European
Theatre of Operations, revealed the presence of our type of unit in
this theatre on April 20th (See exhibit # 15 attached. ) In a
description of the work of this group, space was given to the bailing
out episode of Lt Ostrander, S/Sgt Binney and S/Sgt Wilson of this
squadron. This was our first bit of publicity and it resulted in a
rush for the limited copies of the paper.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
The same No-Ball was the 416th's objective again, and it appeared that the raid on April 19th had not completely knocked the emplacements at Gorenflos out. Take off was at 1300, but land fall at the enemy coast was not as it should have been and the formation went in south of Dieppe. However, 9/10 of thin clouds along with considerable haze greeted the ships in what was believed to have been the target area, and the formation was forced to bring its bomb load back to base. Flak was inaccurate and failed to cause any damage.