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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 35 -- May 1, 1944, Monday PM Blanc Misseron, France Marshalling Yards (S.5560)
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Mission # 35 -- May 1, 1944, Monday PM Blanc Misseron, France Marshalling Yards (S.5560)
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Place of Take-Off : AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England A/C Dispatched : 38 Total -- 32 A-20G's, 6 A-20J's Target Operational Number: Z 610 Illustration : S 5560/3 Illustration Ref : 041054, 059077 - 1 Box Each Secondary Target : Tourcoing Marshalling Yards (S5785) (Z835) Summary of Results : Three bomb runs had to be made due to poor visibility over target. Box 1 - Good Box 2 - Fair, bombs falling approximately 600 feet south of the south-west corner of target area. Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 50.40718,3.65904 (50° 24' 26" N, 3° 39' 33" E) (Latitude/Longitude based on Google Maps, Visual match to Target Illustration) (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 # 35 -- May 1, 1944, Monday PM
Blanc Misseron, France -- Marshalling Yards (S.5560)
| 1 669th 43-10135 2A-T A-20J Maj Campbell, M.W. Lt Palin, W.H. S/Sgt Colosimo, R.J. S/Sgt Wing, J.S. |
2 669th 43-9450 2A-S A-20J Capt Huff, M.J. Lt McQuade, R.J. S/Sgt Thompson, J.B. S/Sgt Hatch, H.F. |
3 668th 43-9701 5H-H A-20G Col Mace, H.L. S/Sgt Kasper, J.F. S/Sgt Boyer, H.E. |
| 4 669th 43-9717 2A-N A-20G Lt MacManus, P.F.E., Jr. S/Sgt Rogers, J.L., Jr. S/Sgt Carney, H.O. |
5 669th 43-9679 2A-R A-20G Lt Street, M.S. S/Sgt Prindle, C.A. S/Sgt Citty, F.M. |
6 669th 43-9900 2A-Q A-20G Lt Dontas, P. S/Sgt Fields, W.E. S/Sgt Nielsen, A.L. |
| 1 671st 43-10129 5C-I A-20J Lt Stockwell, R.E. Lt Jedinak, A. S/Sgt Foster, H.A. S/Sgt Rust, E.W. |
2 671st 43-9493 5C-V A-20G Lt Greenley, R.E. S/Sgt Worden, H.C. S/Sgt Rzepka, J.J. |
3 671st 43-9937 5C-B A-20G Lt Adams, J.D. S/Sgt Clearman, P.L., Jr. Sgt Zeikus, A.J. |
| 4 669th 43-9376 2A-O A-20G Lt DeMand, F.W. S/Sgt Middleton, C.W. Sgt Troyer, R.J. |
5 668th 43-9223 5H-F A-20G Lt Merchant, W.A. S/Sgt Harp, C.J. S/Sgt Brown, K.P. |
6 669th 43-9743 2A-W A-20G Lt Durante, A.R. S/Sgt Best, H.T. S/Sgt DeGiusti, I.R. |
| 1 671st 43-9711 5C-M A-20G Lt Marzolf, L.A. S/Sgt Wellin, H.E. S/Sgt Kutzer, L.G. |
2 671st 43-10214 5C-C A-20G Lt Wheeler, R.V. S/Sgt Brower, J.S. S/Sgt Corrin, E.W. |
3 671st 43-10165 5C-H A-20G Lt Zubon, M. T/Sgt Tanner, J.R.L. S/Sgt Russell, W.C. |
| 4 671st 43-9225 5C-G A-20G Lt Platter, E.T. S/Sgt Johnson, K.L. S/Sgt Czech, J.L. |
5 671st 43-9724 5C-W A-20G Lt Cole, H.P. S/Sgt Chvatal, F.R. S/Sgt Fandre, B.G. |
6 671st 43-9220 5C-E A-20G Lt Perkins, R.D. S/Sgt Sherry, V.N. S/Sgt Linneman, R.H. |
| SPARE 669th 43-9189 2A-P A-20G Lt Land, W.H. S/Sgt Alden, S.F. S/Sgt Ballinger, R.L. |
| 1 668th 43-9640 5H-Z A-20J Capt Battersby, W. Lt Lytle, W.M. S/Sgt Orr, J.R. S/Sgt McCreery, J.E. |
2 671st 43-9914 5C-X A-20J Lt Col Farmer, W.W. Lt Smith, W.L. S/Sgt Hume, J.N. S/Sgt Brown, F.E. |
3 668th 43-9893 5H-P A-20G Lt Poindexter, R.D. S/Sgt Simpson, D.H. T/Sgt Robbins, L.G. |
| 4 668th 43-9684 5H-K A-20G Lt Ebenstein, G.N. S/Sgt Burch, R.W. S/Sgt Perkins, H., Jr. [No Sortie] |
5 668th 43-9182 5H-B A-20G Lt Miracle, R.V. S/Sgt Sieg, B.C. S/Sgt Burkhalter, J.C. |
6 668th 43-9360 5H-S A-20G Lt Cruze, R.K. S/Sgt Love, C.F. S/Sgt Adair, F.L. |
| 1 670th 43-9439 F6-J A-20J Capt Hulse, D.A., Jr. Lt Conte, R.F., Sr. S/Sgt Allred, F.D. Sgt Stephens, D.W. |
2 670th 43-9387 F6-H A-20G Lt McGlohn, C.L. S/Sgt Moran, J.W. S/Sgt Driskill, P.B. |
3 670th 43-9380 F6-N A-20G Lt Johnson, E.L. S/Sgt Donahue, W.J. S/Sgt Brayn, M.R. |
| 4 670th 43-9386 F6-W A-20G Lt Greene, W.J. S/Sgt Griffin, E.L. Sgt Maziasz, C.W. |
5 670th 43-9227 F6-F A-20G Lt Nordstrom, A.W. S/Sgt Gossett, J.D. S/Sgt Miller, R.L. |
6 670th 43-9217 F6-D A-20G Lt Leonard, T.J. S/Sgt Stobert, R.F. Sgt Palmer, T.A. |
| 1 670th 43-9455 F6-T A-20J Capt Jackson, C.R. Lt Forma, W. S/Sgt Riley, R.K. S/Sgt Bonamo, A.J. |
2 670th 43-9689 F6-I A-20G Lt Atkinson, P.G., Jr. Sgt Swafford, J.O., Jr. S/Sgt Glynn, P.F. |
3 670th 43-9696 F6-G A-20G Lt Shea, D.F. S/Sgt Lee, R.E., Jr. S/Sgt Falk, F.G. |
| 4 670th 43-9209 F6-K A-20G Lt Ostrander, W.B. S/Sgt Wilson, J.E. S/Sgt Binney, I. |
5 670th 43-9200 F6-A A-20G Lt Monroe, H.A. S/Sgt Kidd, W.L. S/Sgt Risko, S. |
6 670th 43-9207 F6-B A-20G Lt McBride, L.R. Pvt McKee, J.C. S/Sgt Eutsler, R.J. |
| SPARE 668th 43-9745 5H-I A-20G Lt Lesher, R.D. S/Sgt Antanaitis, A.J. S/Sgt Hedrick, H.R. |
Group and Unit Histories
Mission # 35 -- May 1, 1944, Monday PM
Blanc Misseron, France -- Marshalling Yards (S.5560)
"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives
On the first day of the month, Major Willetts, with Lt Royalty, his Bombardier-Navigator, and Captain Clark, with Lt Jones his Bombardier-Navigator, led 37 aircraft against the Charleroi/Montignies Marshalling Yards in Belgium. No flak was encountered and the bombing results were good.
That same afternoon, Major Campbell, with Lt Palin, B-N, and Captain Battersby, with Lt Lytle, B-N, led 37 planes across Belgium again. This time they attacked, with good results, the Marshalling Yards at Blanc Misseron. Four planes suffered battle damage.
"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Pages 68 - 69
Mission #35 - 1 May PM - Blanc Misseron Marshalling Yard. The second group of 37 planes took off about 1700 to undo another marshalling yard to prevent movement of troops and equipment designed to hurt Americans. We were on double daylight savings time, so it remained light until about 2300 hours, making flying a little easier than doing so in darkness. Major Campbell and Lt. Palin, BN led the first box with Captain Battersby and Lt. Lytle, BN on the second box. Lt. Stockwell and Lt. Jedinak BN, and Captain Hulse with Lt. Conte, BN, led flights. Bombing was rated Good with plenty of damage. Flak was encountered over the Ostend area on the way to and from the target. Our escort service was provided by our little friends, so no enemy fighters came close. Captain Hulse did not realize his plane had been hit so badly until he tried to land. The nose wheel collapsed and the plane slid down the runway with Lt. Conte watching sparks fly high, under, and around him, with his bombardier cage scraping the runway, until the plane ran off the run- way. Conte made his way out the upper escape hatch. The pilot or gunners were not injured.
"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives
With two months of operational experience behind us, the squadron looked into the month of May feeling equal to whatever was asked of it. On May 1st and 2nd twenty six crews took part in two attacks on the Blanc Misseron marshalling yards. On the first of these attacks Sgt Maziasz was wounded by flak and received the Purple Heart award.
"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns
Target: Blanc Misseron Marshalling Yards.
The formation led by the 409th , who attempted to lead the 416th astray over the heavily defended Ostend area, hit at machine shops of a locomotive works in this area. Damage was not as great as was expected, although the 416th Bomb Group did hit a corner of the target area after making three bomb runs. Flak was only seen over the Ostend sector. The formation returned to discover they had to go out again on the next day on the same target.