The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourn: The 91st Bombardment Group in World War II

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The 91sT BomtiardmentGroup · in World War II Marion HI Havelaar W[TH William NHess I

Foreword by Roger A, Freeman Schiffer Military/Aviation History Atglen, PA

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS he Authors would like to express their sincere appreciation and gratitude to all of those who so generously assisted in this history. We would like to particularly recognize Hilary "Bud" Evers, 9Ist Bombardment Group Historian, for all his input and advice, to Joseph Harlick for his labor and cooperation in making so many wonderful photos available, and to Paul Andrews for his excellent listings of the 91st Group aircraft. Many thanks are also due our many contributors; Bill Adams, Roger W. Armstrong, Larry Baird, Thomas E. Bass, Boeing Historical Library-Audio Visual Archives, Wilfred Bouchard, John Bunch, Paul Burnett, Herbert Carpenter, Robert Casey, Bill Conlon, Leonard Cook, Dale Darling, John D. Davis, Hubert Donahue, Eighth Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation, Jeffrey Ethell, Paul Fishbourne, Vincent Fonke, Roger Freeman, "Tex" Frye, Jack Gaffney, Leonard

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Gamblin, Charles George, Charles R. Giauque, Richard Hamilton, O. Harper, w.w. Hill, Charles Hudson, Robert E. Kuhnert, Bob Lammers, Alfred J. Lanfear, Roger Layer, Bill Leisure, Paul Limm, Cecil G. McConnell, Gerald McDowell, Allen Morey, Marvin Nichols, Jack Padgett, Earl Pate Jr., G. William Potter, William Pulliam, Mike Rheam, Armando Sinibaldo, Jackie Starcer, Russell Strong, Robert Strane, Charles V. Welbes, and David W. Williams. If there are others that we have missed, please accept our gratitude. For all that gave so much encouragement to this project, our appreciation. Marion H. Havelaar William N. Hess

This book is dedicated to all the men of the 91st Bomb Group and especially to those who gave the supreme sacrifice so that the rest of the world might be free of tyranny.

Dust jacket artwork by Steve Ferguson, Colorado Springs, CO. SOME DON'T GO DOWN EASY On February 21, 1944, the second day of the "Big Week" raids on the Wehrmacht aviation industry, the Ragged Irregulars lost Miss Ouachita, and she didn't go down easily. Before reaching the target at Munster, she became separated from the 323rd Bomb Squadron elements high over Hanover where she was ravaged in at least four firing passes by enemy interceptors, possibly the Focke-Wulf 190s of JG 11. Gunners Morningstar and Klem were seriously wounded, and engineer Brostrom was killed. The enemy fighters having spent their 20mm ammo, drew alongside for one fateful moment, flew a curious escort to the shattered bomber before she

reached the relative safety of the clouds far below. Pilot 2Lt. Osterberg's only hope was a low level run for the Dutch coast. Ninety minutes later, touch Miss Ouachita would suffer a final encounter with the Fw 190s of JG 1, ten miles short of the Dutch border. In the head-on attack flown by ace Gruppenkommandeur Heinz Bar, co-pilot Beran was killed and Osterberg was wounded. She bellied in near Lingen, still onehundred miles from the English Channel. Two days later, Allied fighters strafed the B-1? and set her ablaze, but Luftwaffe personnel had long since stripped all the salvageable equipment from the hulk.

Book Design by Robert Biondi. Copyright © 1995 by Marion H. Havelaar. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 95-67618. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any forms or by any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems - without written permission from the copyright holder. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN: 0-88740-810-9 We are interested in hearing from authors with book ideas on related topics.

Published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 77 Lower Valley Road Atglen, PA 19310 Please write for a free catalog. This book may be purchased from the publisher. Please include $2.95 postage. Try your bookstore first.

Contents

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19

Dedication Acknowledgments Foreword

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In the Beginning The Fledglings Into Germany Battling the Odds Summer Doldrums Schweinfurt Recovery and the Battle of Anklam Dark October and Year's End A New Year Big Week Big "B" Spring 1944 D-Day and Beyond A Turbulent Summer A Cloudy Autumn Massacre at Merseburg To Year's End Winter of 1944-1945 The Final Chapter Epilogue

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107 117 127 135 153 161 171 177 183 190

Appendixes Appendix 1: Combat Missions Appendix 2: Aircraft Assigned Appendix 3: Aircraft Lost Appendix 4: Roll of Honor Appendix 5: The Rigid Digit

203 208 230 234 263

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13 21 33 41 55 63 77

91 99

FOREWORD

n the summer of 1969 I attended a ceremony at Royston, journalists and photographers. For the 91st never lacked pubEngland where veterans from the 91st Bomb Group pre- licity and its Triangle A symbol was so often seen in wartime sented a Rose Bowl to the town. The American party was publications or on cinema screens that this was the image led by Major General Stanley Wray (USAF Retired) who, taken up by movie makers in post-war years for Twelve when asked by a local newspaper reporter if there was some- O'Clock High, The War Lover, and other Hollywood epics. thing special about the 91st, replied with the authoritative But then the first group of the first wing of the first division confidence that was his hallmark: "Of course; we were the was bound to be considered the role model. best!" The men of every other Eighth Air Force bombardThe Group produced many distinguished fliers and it has ment group may rigorously contest this statement, for they been my honour to meet such men as Henry Terry, Manny have no doubts that their outfit was the best and will advance Klette, and many other legends of the daylight bombing camthe reasons why. Yet, none can deny the 91st stands promi- paign. With due respect to these and the rest of the Ragged nent and proud in Eighth Air Force history. One of the four Irregulars ofBassingbourn, I cherish most the memories of "pioneer" B-17 groups, its trials in battle were probably with- the colourful Stanley Wray, who for me has always personiout equal for, while having the highest total of bombers miss- fied those tough yet caring bomb group commanders of the ing in action for a single group, it also had - in my reckon- Eighth Air Force. I still have, and wear with pride, the miniaing - more Distinguished Service Crosses and Silver Stars, ture Rigid Digit he presented to me: the outrageous but proud symbol of a great band of aerial warriors. a measure of the high valour of its combat crews. Perhaps it was Bassingbourn's proximity to London or the comparative comfort of this regular RAP base compared Roger A. Freeman with all the other U.S. bomber bases in England that drew England

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Col. Stanley T. Wray, commander of the 91 st at Bassingbourn from November 1942 through May 1943. (Harlick)

Chapter 1

IN THE BEGINNING

he 91st Bombardment Group was born during a time of urgency in the United States. War had come suddenly and there were many more units being formed on paper than could be physically originated at the time. However, at military bases over the United States small cadres of men gathered to become the nucleus of what would become large military units. Such was the case of the 91st. On April 14,1942, the original cadre was put together at Harding Field, Baton Rouge, Louisiana with Lt. Edward R. Akert, Commanding. This small number of men set the paper work in progress and began making the requests for the myriad of men and equipment that it would take to make up a heavy bomb group. On May 13, 1942, the 91st became a real unit in being with the arrival of men at MacDill Field, Florida, to begin to make up the Headquarters, the 322nd, 323rd, 324th and 401st Bombardment Squadrons. The group was then under the command of Lt. Col. Stanley T. Wray who would lead the unit through its training and into combat. B-17 Flying Fortresses began to arrive on the base and the new combat crews were pressed into their initial training phases immediately. The men were rushed to practice on the bombing ranges, to get navigation practice and consolidate into what it would take to become a combat unit. The men of the 91st began to depart MacDill Field for the Army Air Field at Walla Walla, Washington, on June 22, 1942. By the Fourth of July all had reported in to get their next phase of combat training underway. During this period the combat crews were given only a minimum of time to get in so many flying hours and attempt to begin to operate as teams. Time passed all too swiftly and by August 24, 1942, the men of the 91st began to move out. The ground echelon departed for the east coast by train and the B-17s of the air echelon flew out of Walla Walla for Gowen Field, Idaho.

The ground echelon arrived at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on August 26th where they would remain until they loaded on board the S.S. Queen Mary in New York Harbor on the 1st day of September. They sailed the next day. After an uneventful passage the ground echelon arrived at Gouroch, Scotland, on September 11th. The air echelon's next stop enroute to the east coast was Selfridge Field, Michigan where they arrived on August 30th. The following day they flew out for their aerial port of embarkation, Dow Field, Maine. At Dow Field the 91st received brand new B-17s for the journey on to England. Meanwhile the ground echelon had been loaded on trains following their debarkation and dispatched to Kimbolton, which was a tiny village some miles from Bedford. The air echelon began departing Dow Field for Gander Lake, Newfoundland, on September 30th. From Gander their next leg was the long leap to Prestwick, Scotland. This leap was often plagued with bad weather and could be a real nightmare. A bit of the recollections of Col. George Birdsong spell this out:

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" ... By this time we were on solid instruments. That snowstorm, which had been there to take us on, had embraced us with typical north Atlantic fervor. All of the de-icing and anti-icing equipment had been activated and J.J. [co-pilot Lt. J.J. Sanders] read the procedures to me from the Dash One just to double check our steps. Gene Remmel, our flight engineer, found it difficult to give me information on the fuel status, because our passenger was physically blocking him out. By peering at me, under the staff officer's arms, which were riveted to the armor plate behind the pilot's seats, Gene was able to communicate. "The situation was approaching the zippy stage. The "Reb" [Delta Rebel II, his aircraft] was loading up with ice, 9

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN·

12539, a B-17E. The 91 st was initially equipped with B-17Fs, however the first missions of the 8th Air Force units were flown by B-17Es. (Havelaar)

rest were killed including a flight surgeon who was aboard as a passenger. By the first week of October all of the air echelon had arrived at Kimbolton. The base there was typical wartime construction consisting of widely scattered, unheated halfround Nissen huts which housed about a dozen men each. Knee-deep mud prevailed. The base had been constructed for light bombers and the weight of the B-17s played havoc with the runways. Operationally, it was so unsatisfactory that only three practice missions were flown from the base. On October 13th Brigadier General Longfellow told Colonel Wray that they were considering moving the 91st to Bassingbourn, but wanted him to go down and take a look at it. Col. Wray took one look at the permanent structure and was overwhelmed. He contacted his squadron commanders and called for an immediate meeting. At this meeting Colonel Wray told his leaders to get everything packed immediately and that the first trucks would pull out in time to drive through the gates at Bassingbourn at sun-up. This was accomplished and it took the delighted men only a minimum of time to get moved in. Shortly thereafter, General Longfellow called Colonel Unfortunately, the 91st did lose one B-17 enroute to England. The aircraft flown by Capt. Dale Lasselle of the 401st Wray and asked him where he was. Wray told him that the Bomb Squadron crashed around noon on October 3, 1942, 91st was in its new residence at Bassingbourn. This did not while flying through fog near Cushendall, North Ireland. Two set well with the General and no doubt Col. Wray was raked crewmembers survived but Capt. Dale Lasselle and all the over the coals in more ways than one. But the good news was

and when I turned on the wing lights to check the de-icer boot operation, I was amazed at the way it was snowing. Like flying into a white wall. The chunks of ice peeling off the props and banging into the fuselage made real bumps in the night. Added to this, the eerie red glow of the cockpit lights, the turbulence and noise of the storm, and the cocoon-like effect of the iced-over windows, made one weird scene, and some positive action was in demand. "At 7,000 feet, our fight plan altitude, the outside temperature read minus 5 degrees Centigrade, just perfect for structural icing. We had proof. To get out of the temperature conducive for icing, you have to either go up or down. I elected to climb. At 10,000 feet we donned oxygen masks. "We leveled off now and then to check conditions, but finding little difference continued our labored climb. At around 20,000 feet we nudged through the overcast. Dawn was breaking, and the sun literally popped out of the eastern sky like a warm friend. Our plane had changed color from green to white, but the sun soon melted that uncomfortable coat of ice. We had it knocked!"

CHAPTER 1: IN THE BEGINNING

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Bassingbourn, August 2, 1940. Note runways painted as fields, and the lack ofaircraft revetments. (Harlick)

Aerial photo ofBassingbourn in the fall of 1943. Note the area between runways were sprayed to look like crops. Also note the new hardstands in the upper left: 401st BS lower center, 324th BS top center, 322nd BS top right. Steeple chase course was for the 323rd BS. The distance from the control tower to all parking areas was seven miles. (Harlick)

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

Col. Stanley Wray accepting Bassingbourn from RAF Squadron Leader Ellard. (Harlick)

"Yankee Doodle" being serviced after its second mission. This B-17E led the first mission of the 97th Bomb Group - General Ira Eaker flew right seat. This aircraft was first assigned to the 97th Bomb Group, then the 92nd, and finally the 91st on March 31,1943. (Harlick)

that in view of the fact that the 91st had already moved into the installation they were allowed to stay. From their new home at Bassingbourn the men of the 91st took on their new duties with enthusiasm. There was much to learn. Pilots had to learn formation flying, while navigators and radio operators had to learn British procedures.

Bombardiers poured over target photos, and gunners were versed in deflection shooting and aircraft recognition. The combat crews knew that the groups already in operation were having a rough time over the Continent and while they were eager to get started they faced the future with apprehension.

Chapter 2

THE FLEDGLINGS

he waiting and suspense ended on the morning of November 7, 1942. Combat crews boarded fourteen B17Fs and engines were started in preparation for the first combat mission of the 91st Bombardment Group. Although a light rain was falling the Fortresses began their trek down the taxiways toward the runway. The aircraft were laden with ten 500 pound bombs, each destined for the submarine installations at Brest, France.

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The seven aircraft of the 324th Bomb Squadron were leading the procession. First airborne was the Fortress piloted by Lt. Duane L. Jones with the Group Commander, Col. Stanley T. Wray, in the right seat. As the Wright engines roared and lifted the heavily loaded craft into the air at 1023 hours it was then followed by the other six Fortresses from the 324th Squadron. Taking off at two minute intervals were Lt. Robert K. Morgan in aircraft 41-24485 which would become known

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B-I7Fs climbing outbound to their target. Surviving early model B-17Fs were withdrawn from combat when deeper penetration of enemy territory became a reality. (Havelaar)

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as Memphis Belle, Lt. William C. Crumm in Jack the Ripper, Lt. Edward D.Gaitley, Jr. in The Sad Sack, Lt. Charies E. Cliburn in Quitchurbitchin, Lt. Phillip S. Fischer in 41-24515, and Lt. Frank W. Flanagan in 41-24503. As these seven B-17s began their climb to altitude they were followed by seven Fortresses from the 322nd Bomb Squadron. Major Victor Zienowicz led the way in Fury, followed by Lt. James Baird in Hells Angels, Lt. Don Bader in HeavyweightAnnihilators, Lt. Frank McCormick in Sad Sack, Lt. Bruce Barton in Spirit ofAlcohol, Lt. John T. Hardin in Mizpah, and Lt. Harold Beasley in Motsie. The 91st was part of a mission to be composed of fiftyfour B-17s made up of twenty-four Fortresses from the 306th Bomb Group which would lead, and sixteen B-17s from the 301st Bomb Group, which would follow the 91st to the target. The first leg of their course was to Falmouth during which time the bombers would climb to 18,000 feet. On reaching Falmouth the bombers turned and headed for the French coast. Shortly after noon the Fortress of the 91st began to have troubles. Lt. Hardin, who was flying Mizpah, had his crew report that their guns were frozen so without further adieu he had his bombardier drop their bombs and they headed for home. Immediately thereafter Lt. Barton's crew in Spirit of Alcohol reported the same problem so they, too, salvoed their bombs into the sea and turned back. A few minutes later Lt. Baird in Hells Angels became the third to abort with frozen guns. Another three Fortresses from the 91st would abort the mission for the same reason as they winged their way towards France. The other groups were having their troubles, too. The 306th Group had three B-17s abort due to mechanical troubles and six others did -not bomb when they found the target almost cloud covered. All of the aircraft in the 301st Group salvoed their bombs due to cloud coverage over the target. The 91st was reduced to two flights of four but these aircraft continued on course. The 324th Squadron dropped their bombs over the target in the midst of heavy flak. Lt. Morgan's

12440 DF-C, 324th BS "Jack the Ripper" undergoing field maintenance at Bassingbourn. (Gaffney)

tail gunner reported he fired on a Fw 190 but it was quite a distance away. Major Zienowicz led his four ship formation in over the right behind the 324th. They, too, dropped their bombs in the midst of heavy flak but were unable to see the results due to cloud cover. In the target area a Focke Wulf 190 attacked and it was fired at by the tail and ball gunners on Lt. Beasley's crew. As it passed through the formation it was fired on by gunners from several crews and the enemy aircraft was claimed as destroyed and was credited to gunners from Lt. Don Bader's crew. Two more Fw 190s dropped down out of the clouds but these were intercepted by Spitfires from the escort which finally made rendezvous with the B-17s. As the Fortresses crossed the French coast a Bf 109 attacked but no damage was done on either side. At 1437 hours the Fortresses that had completed the mission began to come in and land. There was much jubilation amongst the men of the 91st as their birds came home to roost from their first combat mission! They had dropped 40,000

A very early photo of 401st Bomb Squadron B-17Fs lining up for takeoff The lead aircraft is 12449, "Invasion II," the second is 25763, "Bomb Boogie," and the third is 124484, "Bad Egg." (Havelaar)

CHAPTER 2: THE FLEDGLINGS

B-17F climbing out. (Harlick)

B·17Es in formation. B-17Es were the type used by the 9lst in training, prior to getting F models ready for overseas. (Har/ick)

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25893 OR-M, a 323rd BS B -17F flying over the English countryside. This plane was transferred to the 95th BG on June 16, 1943. (Harlick)

Low over the channel, an unidentified B-17F heads home with one engine feathered, one smoking and obviously throwing oil. (Havelaar)

pounds of bombs on the enemy and while damage was probably minimal, they had met the enemy and returned. The following day the 91st was called upon to fly a diversionary mission to strike the airfield at Abbeville in France. The takeoff was accomplished in good order and the B-17s headed for their target laden with 1,000 pound bombs. Five aircraft aborted the mission but eleven Fortresses bombed the target in good weather. Results were much improved from those of the previous day. Enemy fighters were up in number and made several attacks on the units' bombers. Most of the Fortresses sustained damage from either flak over the target or from the fighter attacks. On return and interrogation it was emphasized that a tight formation must be flown to take advantage of collective fire from the gunners and that to straggle was fatal. At this time the Fortresses were still flying the early formations which did not provide a real protective shield for the bombers. Mission number three on November 9th was an experiment which worked in a way but in another way it did not. The target was the submarine pens at St. Nazaire. Five groups were to take part in the attack with the initial three going in

over the target at medium altitude of between 7,500 to 10,000 feet. These groups would be followed by two groups which would bomb from altitudes of 20,000 to 21,000 feet. It was hoped that enemy radar would only pick up the Fortresses coming in at high altitude and the groups coming in at medium altitude would come as a surprise and that the enemy defenses would not be ready for them. Fourteen B-17s from the 91st Group were off at 0945 in clear weather. They proceeded south at minimum altitude and when they set course for France they were still under 500 feet altitude. Only one aircraft was forced to abort the mission due to mechanical difficulties. At a given point on their course the first three groups which were flying low over the water began to gain bombing altitude. The tactic did, in fact, surprise the Germans. The Fortresses of the 91st did not encounter flak until they were right over the target at 9,000 feet. They dropped 65 1,000 pound bombs with excellent results. While the bombing tactics had worked to a degree the intense flak encountered by the B-17s over the target was severe. At such low altitude, practically all of the aircraft from

A common scene at Bassingbourn. a wounded crewman is placed into a waiting ambulance. (Havelaar)

One of the 91st's B-17Fs coming on final over the public highway and barbed wire. (Harlick)

CHAPTER 2: THE FLEDGLINGS

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229947 LG-U, a 322nd BS B-17, "Wabash Cannonball," shown here with tail wheel failure. Assigned July 1943 to July 1944 and having some sixty missions to her credit, LO-U was declared was weary and pulled from combat duty. (Harlick)

the 9lst suffered flak damage and a number of crewmen were hit. One man died of his wounds, two more were seriously wounded and seven were slightly wounded. Luckily, the enemy fighters were surprised and none were encountered by the 91st in the course of the mission. The 91st did not fly another mission until November 14th when they set out to attack submarine installations at La Pallice. On arrival at the target area it was found to be cloud covered so the Fortresses dropped 2,000 pound bombs on the submarine pens at St. Nazaire with good effect. Ten B-17s flew through moderate flak but only nine bombed, with one's bombs refusing to release, so they were brought home.

Twenty aircraft were airborne on November 17th for a trip back to St. Nazaire. Six bombers returned early with mechanical troubles so fourteen dropped 500 pound bombs on the target from 18,000 feet. Enemy aircraft put in an appearance but they did not attack the formation of the 91st. Six B-17s suffered damage over the target and two men were wounded. November 18th saw seventeen Fortresses take off in miserable weather enroute to La Pallice. What with the weather and mechanical troubles only nine aircraft made it to the target area. Of these, only six dropped their bombs through scattered clouds with unobserved results. Three aircraft jettisoned

124485 DF-A, 324th BS "Memphis Belle" - the most famous B-17 of them all- completed twenty-five combat missions on May 25,1943. The "Belle" returned to the U.S. for a bond drive tour across America. After many years of neglect, this grand B -17F is now on display, and partially restored at Mud Island near Memphis, Tennessee. (Havelaar)

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

their bombs in the English Channel on the way home. The weather was so bad on their return over England that six of them were forced to land in Exeter. The weather continued to be bad and the mission of November 22nd turned out to be a real fiasco. Eighteen B-17s were delayed a hour and a half in taking off and when they did arrive in the Lorient area it was completely covered in clouds. The bombs were brought back to England with them but even on their return few were able to get back to Bassingbourn. Most aircraft had to land at alternate bases. The following day the men of the 91st entered on a mission which would long be remembered as one of their worst days. The primary target was St. Nazaire with Lorient or Brest as alternates. Due to the fact that a number of Fortresses were still at other bases because of foul weather encountered the day before, the 91st was able to get only ten aircraft airborne. Even before the formation was headed out, half of their number aborted the mission. When the rendezvous point was reached where the B17s of the 91st were to have joined the bomber stream with other units, there were no other aircraft to be seen. Resolutely, the five aircraft turned on course for their target. Shortly after crossing the French coast Major Victor Zienowicz, Commanding Officer of the 323rd Squadron, was seen to feather the propeller on a failed engine. He then proceeded to turn back for England but neither he nor his crew were ever heard from again. The four surviving Fortresses journeyed onwards. When they arrived in the target area the entire Brest peninsula was covered in clouds. They searched for a time in an effort to locate a break in the clouds that would permit bombing but there was none there. At this time they were attacked by a formation of Focke Wulf 190s. Flying in Pandora s Box, which was piloted by Lt. Duane Jones, was Major Harold Smelser, Commanding Officer of the 324th Bomb Squadron. His aircraft was attacked repeatedly by fighters and lost two engines. As the little formation struck out for England, Smelser's aircraft began to lag and the Fortresses slowed to cover him. However, Smelser waved the other three B-17s on as his Fortress continued to lose altitude. Unfortunately, he was unable to make it to England and apparently none of the crew survived. Of the three Fortresses that had successfully fought off the attacks from the Fw 190s, only one returned to Bassingbourn. Lt. Charles E. Cliburn, although wounded, brought his badly damaged B-17s back to base for a dirt landing. His tail wheel wouldn't go down. Yet, he had returned his aircraft and three other wounded crewmen home. Capt. Kenneth Wallick managed to put his severely damaged Fortress down at an RAP airdrome at Chivenor but Lt. Nathan N. Corman, Jr. wasn't so lucky. He attempted a crash

124504 DF-D, 324th BS "The Sad Sack," was one of the original B-17s of the 91 st, and completed forty-two missions before being withdrawn from combat in mid-March 1944. It was later used on bond drive tours after returning to the U.S. (Havelaar)

landing outside the town of Watford. All was going well until he was about fifteen feet off the ground. Then he snagged a high-tension tower. Three men were killed instantly in the crash and two others died later of their injuries. One of the outstanding performing crewmembers of the day had been S/Sgt. John J. Hudjera. As the tail gunner of Capt. Wallick's crew he had downed a Focke Wulf 190 during the first attack on the little formation. Then on the second attack he took a 20mm hit in his compartment. When he was taken off his aircraft on its return it was found that he had twenty separate wounds plus a broken arm and a broken leg. The 91st had suffered heavily on a mission without results. Two squadron commanders had been lost, plus the group navigator and the group bombardier. It was a miracle that any of the B-17s returned in view of the fact that the five Fortresses from the 91st were the only aircraft to challenge the Luftwaffe that day. There was no further mission until December 6th when the target was the locomotive factory and steel works at Lille. Eighteen B-17s bombed the target in the midst of intense and accurate flak. Some enemy fighters put in an appearance and their were some claims made. However, bombing was poor. Most of the bombs dropped short of the target. Two crewmembers were seriously wounded by flak on the mission. Nineteen aircraft set out for the Romilly air park on December 12th. Four B-17s returned early and fifteen aircraft arrived in the target area only to find it covered with clouds. They did a 180 degree turn and headed back for the marshalling yards at Rouen. A short while after they had reversed the course, a formation of thirty enemy fighters appeared but they directed most of their attacks on other groups in the bomber

CHAPTER 2: THE FLEDGLINGS stream. Only six of the B-17s of the 91st dropped bombs in the Rouen area while the balance brought their bombs back to England. Several days elapsed before the 91st flew another mission. In the interim several practice missions were flown. This enabled the pilots to get more formation time in and served as a time to add more cohesive action between crews. On the evening of December 19th a field order came in and crews were alerted to fly the following day. The target was again the airdrome and aircraft park at Romilly-sur-Seine. Seventeen B-17s were airborne the next morning and encountered no trouble in joining the bomber stream with three other bomb groups. The weather was good and other than a few bursts of flak, no problems were present until the bombers were east of Paris. At that time they came under attack from enemy fighters. The target was bombed by thirteen Fortresses from the 91st with good results. As soon as the B-17s came off the target they were once more subjected to attack by the enemy fighters. In the running air battle, which proved to be the longest that the group had encountered to date, two Fortresses, those of Lts. Dan W. Carson and Robert S. English, were shot down. Carson's aircraft was last seen spinning down and apparently no one got out. The majority of English's crew bailed out to became prisoners of war. The lead bomber of the group flown by Capt. Ken Wallick had been hit hard and some of the resulting damage caused the landing gear to drop. Encountering the excessive amount of drag caused Wallich to have to drop out of formation. Lt. Bruce Barton saw his plight and dropped back to cover the stricken Fortress. This delighted the enemy fighters who proceeded to do their utmost to bring the two B-17s down. Lt. Barton's aircraft began to take the brunt of punishment. Two

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of the engines were shot out and one of the ailerons on "Chief Sly" was disabled and the navigator, Lt. Paul Burnett, was seriously wounded in the thigh. Fortunately, the enemy finally gave up and the two crippled Fortresses proceeded to England. Capt. Wallick managed to get his B-17 back to Bassingbourn but Lt. Barton had to put his down in a pasture. The weather over England was nasty with about a 500 foot ceiling. Barton broke out over farmland and made a belly landing in the middle of a plowed field. The only casualties were a rabbit and one sheep. There was another long delay before the 91st returned to action. On December 30th the group attacked the submarine base at Lorient. Once more, enemy fighters were up in force and pressed their attacks on the bomber formation up until they started on the bomb run and were present once more as soon as the B-17s rallied off the target. One 91st Group Fortress was downed; Short Snorter, piloted by Lt. William R. Bloodgood, crashed off the coast of France with the loss of the entire crew. Additionally the group lost one man mortally wounded and seven other slightly wounded on the mission. This attack not only brought 1942 to a close for the 91st Bomb Group, but it also marked the end of its first twelve missions. With the beginning of daylight bombing against German targets in August of 1942, the whole offensive had been an experiment by 8th Air Force to see if the plan would work. Many problems had arisen and many more remained to be worked out but the men of the B-17s had shown that they could fight their way to targets on the Continent in daylight, bomb them and fight their way out. These "guinea pigs" of the air had proven their ability, proficiency, and above all their "pure guts," to carry the war to the enemy.

Bombs away! (Havelaar)

Chapter 3

INTO GERMANY

he 91st did not fly a mission in the New Year until January 3rd. The target was torpedo storage buildings and the submarine pens at St. Nazaire. Sixteen B-17s were airborne and thirteen bombed the target. There wen; some clouds over St. Nazaire but the majority of the 1,000 pound bombs hit the target area. Flak was moderate but accurate. Some twenty-five to thirty enemy fighters put in an appearance, so casualties were high. Two gunners were killed and ten crewmembers wounded. Panhandle Dogey, which was being flown by Lt. William M. Anderson of the 323rd Squadron, took a direct hit from flak over the target and exploded. Lt. John R. Roten, the navigator, was the only survi-

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vor.

Winter weather continued to plague combat operations. If it was clear over England it was "socked in" over the Continent and vice versa. The tension on the combat crews was constant and caused for a number of morale problems. It was most difficult to rise at 0400 hours in the morning, go to briefing, go out to the aircraft and wait, or worse, begin to taxi out to the runway and then have the mission canceled. This routine would occur more times during the winter of 1943 than missions were flown. On January 13th the bombers headed for the locomotive works at Lille. This mission was a morale booster. The aircraft didn't get off until 1235 hours and the weather was good. Only ten B-17s from the 91st bombed but most fell in the target area. Flak was moderate but no damage was suffered. Some twenty-five or so enemy fighters appeared but they did not press any attacks on the 91st. Fighter escort arrived for the trip home and the coverage was very good. Another ten days passed before the 91st flew another mission. This time it was to Lorient to attack the submarine base. The weather was bad over England and three of the group's B-17s returned when they were unable to find the

group formation. Three more Fortresses aborted due to mechanical troubles, so only eight aircraft were left to bomb the target. Due to weather conditions in the target area, two of them became separated from the group formation and tacked onto another group to bomb. There were a number of enemy fighters in the area but none ofthem were encountered by the 91st. Lt. Philip Fischer was wounded, along with three other members of his crew and one of his gunners was killed. Fischer managed to limp back to England and make a crash landing at an RAP airdrome at Little Horwood. January 27th marked the first mission against Germany for the men of the 9lst Bomb Group. The briefed target was Bremen and nineteen B-17s rose to attack the Third Reich. Three were forced to abort the mission due to mechanical troubles. The weather over England was not too good but the bombers formed up and got on their way.

25379 LL-D, 401st BS, "Yankee Eagle, " flew many missions with the 91st prior to being transferred to the 379th BG. (Harlick)

21

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

124639 OR-W 323rdBS B-17F, "The Careful Virgin," is shown here in early camouflage and simple squadron markings. After completing its tour, "The Careful Virgin" was transferred toAF Service Command and converted into a flying bomb. On August 4, 1944, packed with 20,000 pounds of torpex explosive, she was dispatched on a V weapon target in France. (Harlick)

As they arrived in the target area the cloud cover beneath them was 5/10 to 7/10 coverage. All groups abandoned plans to bomb Bremen and directed their attacks against Wilhelmshaven. In addition to clouds, there was a smoke screen going in the target area when bombs were dropped. A fair amount of the bombs from the 91st fell in the dock area but many went into the water. The lead bombardier in the lead group did not drop his bombs on Wilhelmshaen so he led the entire bomber stream over Emden where he dropped his bombs. This carried the men of the 91st through an additional flak area much to their

chagrin and there was much vocal comment on this in debriefing. Fighter opposition in the area was apparent but there were few attacks on the 91st. These pilots did not seem to be as experienced as those that the group had encountered over the French targets. No aircraft were lost on the mission but two men were wounded. In December the combat crewmen had been introduced to the flak vest. This vest of quilted steel construction was designed to limit casualties which were being inflicted by shell fragments. The thirty pound weight of the vest discouraged many of the men from wanting to wear it but when they

"The Careful Virgin" with forty missions to her credit, being towed from a hangar. (Harlick)

CHAPTER 3: INTO GERMANY

229921 DF-2 324th BS B-17, "Oklahoma Okie." This olive drab painted F model flew its first mission on May 29, 1943. Later its crew was to become a test crew for new flak jackets. "Oklahoma Okie" was lost on December 31, 1943 with 2nd Lt. Baynard Dudley as pilot. (Havelaar)

23

began to see men return from missions on which their lives had been saved by the vest or serious wounds prevented, the men began to utilize the protection. By the middle of January 1943 most of the men were demanding flak vests for mission wear. On February 2nd the men of the 91st were airborne for Hamm, Germany, but were quickly involved in terrible weather which forced all aircraft to return to base. Two days later they were aloft once more, briefed for Hamm as a primary or Osnabruck as an alternate. As they approached the Dutch coast three layers of clouds were observed with the top layer extending up to 25,000 to 30,000 feet. When the target ar~a was reached it became obvious that they could attack neither Hamm nor Osnabruck. After circling for over an hour and a half the formation finally attempted to bomb Emden. The bombs were largely dropped through clouds and despite a smoke screen some hits were made in the target area. Before Emden was targeted by the bomber formations the Luftwaffe had put in its appearance. These fighters were very persistent and some pressed their attacks through their own heavy flak. Two 323rd Squadron Fortresses were lost to the German fighters. Lt. Alan L. Bobrow in Pennsylvania Polka was shot out of formation before the target. As his B17 lagged behind the formation with the No.2 engine smoking, it was hit by two Focke Wulf 190s which succeeded in knocking out the No.3 and No.4 engines. At that time the tail section began to tear away from the rest of the aircraft. None of the crew survived. Lt. Eugene B. Ellis in Texas Bronco was shot out of formation shortly after arriving over the target area. Damage was such that his landing gear dropped down and he was lagging behind the formation. A Messerschmitt Bf 110 continued its attack on the B-17 but in its efforts to finish it off, the German aircraft also went down. Lt. Ellis and seven of his crewmembers managed to bailout and became prisoners of war. All total, over half of the Fortresses in the 91st received severe damage on the mission. Five crewmembers returning were wounded and numerous 0thers suffered from frostbite. This target-seeking trip would become known as the "Cook's tour" mission by 91st crewmembers. This mission marked the eleventh completion for Capt. W. J. Crumm's men who flew aboard Jack The Ripper. Following this mission they were selected to be returned to the United States where they would write the handbook for combat crews that would be going to the 8th Air Force. Up until that time, the replacement crews did not know what to expect or what would be expected of them on their arrival. The knowledge of these veterans became a real shot in the arm for those crewmen who were in training in the United States.

24

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN·

229916 OR-L a 323rd BS B-17, "Yankee Dandy," in flight over England. This B-17lasted only six weeks before going down in Holland during a mission to Kassel on July 30,1943. Pilot was Lt. Robert M. Miles. (Harlick)

124490 DF-C a 324th BS B-17F, "Jack the Ripper," running up ali four engines. This B-17 was one of the original aircraft to come over with the 91st, and was the last to be lost in combat on February 22, 1944 with Lt. James Consadine as pilot. (Harlick)

"Jack the Ripper" just taking offfor another mission. (Harlick)

CHAPTER 3: INTO GERMANY

22915 LG-P a 322nd BS B-17, "Miami Clipper," after a mission. A truck is waiting to take the crew in for debriefing. Lacking long range fuel tanks, this B-17 was retired from combat. (Harlick)

25

Paul Fishburne (left) and Paul Lindley on March 4, 1943. (Havelaar)

It was back to St. Nazaire on February 16th. This time, tern was shot out. The tail gunner and both waist gunners the weather was ideal and the 1,000 pound bombs dropped were rendered unconscious before Wallick could get the airby the men of the 91st hit the submarine installations with craft down to low altitude. good results. Flak was heavy and one 91st aircraft received Severe cold aloft that day also took its toll on the severe damage over the target. crewmembers. Nineteen men had to be treated for frostbite Lt. Brill and his crew were hard hit by fighters after they on their return to Bassingbourn. came off the target. One of the gunners was killed and two The submarine base at Brest was bombed by the 91st on others wounded. However, the 91st was fortunate to get out February 27th. In spite of clouds, the Fortresses maneuvered of the fight without more losses. The men attributed their lack around until they found a new route to the target, and dropped their bombs with doubtful results. Flak was intense and accuof more severe attacks to the group's close formation. Twenty B-17s from the 91st took off for the port of rate but no great damage was suffered. March 4, 1943, became a memorable date for the 91st Wilhelmshaen on the morning of February 26th. The mission got off to a bad start when the navigator in the lead group got Bomb Group. The target was the railroad station and maroff course and led the bomber stream in south of track and shalling yards at Hamm, Germany. The 91st was the lead group for the day and Major Paul L. Fishburne of the 322nd caused them to get into flak from the Frisian Islands. Bombing at Wilhelmshaven was not too good. The 91st Squadron was the 322nd Group Leader. Twenty B-17s from got more of its bombs on the target than the other groups in the 91st were airborne enroute to Hamm that morning. At about the middle of the North Sea three layers of clouds the wing but flak was intense and accurate, and a new innovation by the enemy began. Aerial bombing of the bombers appeared. One layer was from about 13,000 to 17,000 feet, was attempted by enemy fighters flying above the B-17 for- the second from 21,500 up to between 25,000 to 26,000 feet. The 91st threaded its way between the cloud layers and conmations. The 401st Squadron lost two aircraft. Capt. "Johnny" tinued on its way. Unknown to Major Fishburne, shortly afSwais flying Kickapoo was last seen with No.4 engine smok- ter crossing the Dutch coast the 303rd and 305th Bomb Groups ing. There was never any further word as to what happened turned south to bomb Rotterdam while the 306th Bomb Group returned to base without bombing. to him and his crew. Lt. Beman E. Smith and his aircraft were last seen when The 91st continued alone and as they proceeded, the they aborted the mission just west of the Frisian Islands. It clouds began to break up and they wound up in the clear gowas thought that they may have been shot down over the sea ing toward the target. Sixteen Fortresses were challenging by enemy fighters. The fate of the crew was never discov- the Luftwaffe as they roared over Germany. Lt. Charles Giauque was flying one of the B-17s as it approached the IP: ered. Capt. Kenneth Wallick's aircraft was hit by flak. It had a "As we approached the IP some fighters made a few atlarge hole in the plexiglass nose, several holes in the right wing, some control cables severed, and half the oxygen sys- tacks - then we were in moderate flak over the Ruhr Valley

26

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN·

and the bomb run. After heading for home we met no resistance at all, but that didn't last. Just before the Dutch border the fighters came and were estimated at 175 during the balance of the flight before reaching the Channel. They were mostly Fw 190s and a few Bf 110s. The latter had never given a problem before, but on this mission they were as aggressive as the 190s. The attacks were from all positions of the clock and from low to high. Our aircraft, Eagle s Wrath was briefed for and flew No.2 wing position on the lead element of "B" flight. With the beginning of fighter attacks, our flight leader's evasive action was too extreme and we could not maintain formation. The flight was dropping back and the German fighter pilots always zeroed in on stragglers. I broke formation, went full-power ahead and tacked onto the No.2 ship in the lead element. In the process, our vertical stabilizer was hit by a 20mm shell, but other than jolting my foot six inches off the rudder pedal, we were o.k. Sgt. Corl the radio operator took a very light wound. In the evasive action stuff was flying all around inside the plane and something broke the oxygen line to the ball turret. Corl and one of the waist gunners got him out and hooked him up to a walk around bottle when he didn't respond on the intercom. Our twin .50s mount in the nose went out and one of the tail guns went out. "Over the Zuyder Zee No.3 engine was hit and started throwing oil. We needed it and kept it going despite the drop in oil pressure. Shortly after, the No.4 turbosupercharger went out, leaving that engine with about 25 inches of manifold pressure. The attacks kept up with the same intensity until we got to the Dutch coast and the cloud layer that we had come in with. Happy day, that killed the fighter activity and we

The happy crew of "The Eagle's Wrath." (Hill)

started letting down. We feathered No.3 and went on in to Bassingbourn! " Lt. William D. Beasley reported," I had never seen so many enemy fighters. We suffered simultaneous attacks from four different types of German fighters." He pointed out that they flew through intense enemy attacks for an hour with only one engine functioning properly. One engine had been put out of commission by a bullet, another had a blown cylinder and was shooting oil and the power output of another was uncontrollable as a result of a damaged supercharger. The radio operator, T/Sgt. Robert S. Lammers described what happened when he poured rounds into a Focke Wulf 190, "The plane burst into flames and then exploded. The

124524 OR-O a 323rdBS B-17, "The Eagle's Wrath" was one of the original B-17s to beflown over by the 91st. It was lost on August 17,1943 on / the Schweinfurt mission with Lt. Anthony Arcaro as pilot. (Havelaar)

CHAPTER 3: INTO GERMANY

25077 OR-T a 323rd BS B-17, "Delta Rebel 32. " Captain George Birdsong awarding his airplane the DFC in honor of good service to his crew. Note the enlarged window and heavy frame required for the added .50 caliber machine gun. Field modifications were common in early B17Fs. (Harlick)

A visiting Lockheed P-38 gets much attention and was to be a welcome sight for bomber crews flying over enemy territory. (Havelaar)

nose went forward, the tail flew backwards and the wings seemed to fly off in opposite directions. What was left dropped like a block of fire." Lt. George Birdsong of the 401st Squadron had been so determined to get on the mission that when he experienced mechanical trouble with his aircraft Delta Rebel after takeoff he returned to Bassingbourn and took off in Stormy Weather, which certainly lived up to its name. Following the first pass by fighters a 20mm exploded in the nose of his aircraft and set fire to the oxygen system. Fortunately, his engineer, T/ Sgt. Eugene Remmell and the navigator, Lt. Ernest Miller, were able to smother the flames and get the fire out. No.3 engine had also taken a hit and was shut down but the propeller refused to feather. Fighter attacks continued as

the bombers went on the bomb run and Birdsong reported that their attacks never let up right through the heavy flak. Fighter attacks were really stepped up after the bomb run and on two occasions Birdsong had to take violent evasive action to keep from being rammed. Then Stormy Weather was hit again! A cannon shell from a Fw 190 came through the copilot's side of the cockpit and cut a huge gash in his head. Birdsong felt a sharp pain in his face and left eye which left him completely blind on that side. The intercom reported that the navigator also had a bad head wound. The co-pilot was now thrashing back and forth in pain and managed to slip down out of his seat jamming the control column and the rudder pedals. Birdsong immediately began using his trim tabs to keep the Fortress from going into a dive. As the plane lagged back from the formation, Sgt. Remmell came down once more and got the radio operator to assist him in removing the co-pilot from his seat and taking him back to the radio room. As the aircraft fell further behind the formation Birdsong sighted two more stragglers and they managed to get in a vee of three cripples. Birdsong then had Lt. Martin "Charlie" McCarthy on his right wing and Lt. Ralph Felton on the left wing. Hopes for a successful formation exit came to a close when a Fw 190 came boring in from three o'clock, opened fire, and exploded McCarthy's aircraft. Somehow the bombardier and the ball turret gunner survived. Then it was Lt. Felton's turn to take another attack. ABf 110 came in, put a lethal burst into the Fortress, and it slowly began to spin earthward. Only the co-pilot, the radio operator and one waist gunner survived. At this time Birdsong decided his only chance was to take the B-17 down on the deck. He alerted his crew and

124504 DF-D a 324th BS B-17F, "The Sad Sack, " flew on the first 91 st mission. She suffered severe damage on many missions, and carried dead and wounded back to Bassingbourn many times. Together with her sister ship, 124505, they were the longest survivors of the original B17Fs to arrive with the 91st. (Gaffney)

1

27

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

25225 OR-S a 323rd B-17, "Stormy Weather." Capt. Birdsong landed with an engine fire, no brakes, and a bomb load of sensitive RDX bombs! (Havelaar)

down they went in as steep a dive as the aircraft could take. Then they headed for home right on the deck. The German fighters were still present and the gunners did their utmost to keep them at bay. The Fortress continued to take hits but kept traveling. Birdsong was then elated to see his navigator appear with a big bandage around his head, but he was able to give him a course and help guide them out over the North Sea. The German fighters stayed with them right to the very last. One Bf 110 followed them out over the North Sea, looked them over, shook his head, gave them a salute and departed. Now when Birdsong thought he had it made the bombardier reported to him that the bombs were still aboard! The bombardier went back into the bomb bay and put the safety pins back in the bomb fuses and all hoped for the best. Upon their arrival over England, Birdsong gave his crew the option of bailing out due to the bombs being aboard, but all elected to stay with him. Birdsong managed to get the aircraft down even though he had to groundloop off the end

of the runway to get it stopped. It had been a real stormy day for Stormy Weather. A third aircraft was lost in the target area. A Fortress from the 324th Squadron flown by Lt. Harold H. Henderson was last seen on fire and in a spin ten miles northwest of Munster but nothing was ever heard from any members of the crew. Another Fortress pilot was doing his utmost to bring his damaged aircraft home. Lt. Allen Brill of the 324th Squadron and his crew had been under fighter attack since they got over Holland on the way home. The bombardier, Lt. Robert F. Brubaker, reported that he and the navigator expended all of the ammunition in the nose fighting the Bf 110s but still they came on. Brubaker related: "Another Bf 110 was coming in. Since I couldn't shoot, I put my tin helmet on and got behind the bombsight and watched him come. He was the one that really gave the engines and wings a good shower of cannon shells. His shells put holes in No.1 and No.3 engines. The oil and gas were

25379 LL-D a 401st BS B-17, "Yankee Eagle," taking off with a full bomb load. (Harlick)

CHAPTER 3: INTO GERMANY

124639 OR-W a 323rd BS B-17F, "The Careful Virgin." By the spring of 1944, "The Careful Virgin" was one of the few remaining B-17Fs at Bassingbourn. (Havelaar)

29

25070 LL-A a 401st BS B-17, "Invasion II." Major Meyers, 401st BS commander, was killed on this B-l7's second mission. (Havelaar)

pouring out of them. The pilot asked the engineer if he should crew. The only other loss was the ball turret gunner who had leave them run and the engineer said he had better use them been swept away shortly after ditching. Late in the afternoon the men were spotted by a RAP as long as he could because No.4 was running rough. "No.1 and No.3 engines stopped and No.4 ran away out aircraft that dropped them a large rescue type raft. They all of control. Our air speed fell down to 110 so we had to start managed to scramble into it and stayed there until they were down. The rest of the group soon disappeared in the distance. rescued that night. For their sacrifices both Us. Brill and Lowry were Five fighters followed us out of formation three Fw 190s and two Bf 110s. The five of them were making all head-on at- awarded posthumous Distinguished Service Crosses. The bombing of the target had been good and 8th Air tacks. Each time a fighter would come in the pilot would put the aircraft in a steep turning dive so that the enemy couldn't Force was well pleased with the accomplishment of the lone group success. For their achievement, which had been gained hold us in his sights. "We couldn't feather the two engines that had stopped. despite heavy losses and concentrated fighter attacks, the 91st Their propellers were windmilling and they set up awful vi- Bomb Group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. The head on attacks by the German Fighters called for bration about to shake the ship apart. "The three Fw 190s left us after about 20 minutes. We drastic measures. W.W. Hill relates one such measure: still were headed toward the English coast. The third engine The 323rd Bomb Squadron's B-1? Delta Rebel, piloted cut off and on and we were having trouble with the supercharger regulator. I just knew we were going to have to ditch, by Capt. George Birdsong and crew, participated in the air so I was getting out of my parachute when the engineer came war from the very beginning. Although flak was a problem the 323rd Sheetmetal Shop welders Eddie Boisert and Jimmy in the nose and told us to get ready for ditching." Hofmann had cut up armorplate to fit the seats and backs of Lt. Brill successfully ditched his aircraft in the frigid water the instrument panels and other places. But, it was hell when and as the men got in the water they experienced difficulty in German Fw 190s made straight in head on attacks, and the getting the dinghy inflated. As the men managed to get the only thing available were a couple of .30 calibre machine one dinghy inflated and pulled their wounded into it, Lt. Brill guns sticking out the front that had to be moved from one and the co-pilot, Lt. Allen Lowry, did their best to get the position to another depending on the attack. For protection men clear of the aircraft so they would not be sucked down against the head-on attacks, Capt. Birdsong demanded and when it submerged and to assist all of the crew getting in the succeeded in having a .50 calibre machine gun mounted in dinghy. The seas were running high and it was very difficult the nose of the Delta Rebel. The engineering officer was not to swim and maneuver in the area. Finally when the second too hot on the idea, but as he didn't fly missions, he quietly dinghy was inflated and the men had scrambled into it, the closed one eye. With the combined efforts of the sheetmetal pilot and co-pilot had been swept away and were beyond res- men, W.W. Hill, Bumps Elliot, Al Spieler, and Ed. cue. They had sacrificed themselves to save the rest of the Malachosky, the welders, and Joe Backsman of the 441st Plas-

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

r CHAPTER 3: INTO GERMANY

31

tic Repair Shop, a surplus .50 calibre waist gun mount was custom fitted to the Delta Rebel's nose. It was riveted to the main nose bulkheads, the plastic nose was cut out and reinforced, and a .50 calibre machine gun was installed with the barrel protruding straight out. Ammunition was supplied from ammunition containers similar to those used with the radio room's overhead .50 calibre gun. Although the movement was small and was operated by the Bombardier, it worked, and this was 1942, long before the B-17s with chin turrets came out, and Capt. Birdsong wanted a nose gun "right now." Some many days later Major Clark Gable visited Bassingbourn to give flight crews gunnery hints and tips on shooting down the enemy. He visited the Delta Rebel and crew and as he began his lecture, Capt. Birdsong interrupted and brought the Major around to the front of the aircraft where he showed Clark Gable a line of Swastika emblems that were painted on the nose over the Navigator's station. Each Swastika represented a destroyed (shot down) enemy aircraft. Major Gable looked at the record and replied "I guess I don't need to tell you guys anything more," and walked off.

Two 2,000 pound bombs await loading aboard DF-E "Quityourbitchen. " (Har/ick)

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297519 LL-A a 401st BS B-17, "Spirit of Billy Mitchell, " failed to return from an April 19, 1944 mission. Note smoke pots attempting to obscure potential targets. (Havelaar)

Chapter 4

BATTLING THE ODDS

A

s the men of the 91st continued to take the battle to the enemy, it became more and more obvious that they were facing very long odds. When they had begun their combat tours there was no limitation of missions set nor was their any goal set whereby they would be relieved from combat duty. Finally, 8th Bomber Command set a tour limitation at twenty-five missions. While this did not seen an inordinate number, what with the losses the original crews had suffered, it didn't take a mathematical genius to figure that the odds were very much against any of them completing a combat tour. This coupled with the idleness and cancellation of missions caused by the foul English weather did not make for high morale. Nevertheless, the men continued to rouse in the wee hours of the morning, attend briefings, and carry out their missions despite weather, flak, and the German Luftwaffe. On March 6th the 91st journeyed to Lorient once more utilizing the low altitude run over water before gaining altitude to attack the target. Only thirteen Fortresses bombed the target and ran the flak gauntlet which included a flak ship in the harbor. Few enemy fighters were seen and the group suffered no losses. Two days later it was back to France to attack the marshalling yards at Rennes. This time the group flew a direct route to the target and the bomber formations were escorted by twelve squadrons of RAP Spitfires. Bombing was good despite heavy and accurate flak and a number of large fires were started. Thirty to forty enemy fighters attacked the bomber formations and some of the attacks were quite determined. One enemy fighter flew through the 91st formation, did a 180 degree turn, and came back through the entire formation. On the route out from the target Lt. Genheimer's aircraft had one engine shot out and another smoking. He encountered an RAP Typhoon over the English Channel and ini-

tially Genheimer mistook it for an enemy fighter. As the fighter closed in on his wing Genheimer waved, the Typhoon rocked his wings in recognition and proceeded to guide him in to an English base. The 91st didn't go back to France until March 12th at which time a new tactic was devised. The bombers flew a triangular course over the English Channel which supposedly would confuse the enemy as to what course the formations would take. It seemingly worked, for there was not much flak over the target and the enemy seemed to have been taken by surprise. Good strikes were scored on the marshalling yards and the bombers enjoyed good escort from the RAP Spitfires on the entire mission. The following day things didn't go well. The target was the marshalling yards at Amiens, France. The initial trouble came during the rendezvous with the other groups over the Channel. For some reason the 306th Bomb Group leader seemed determined to take the 91st's slot in the bomber stream. When the 91st finally bullied their way into the bomber formation, it found that the lead group was off course and the Fortresses were in flak as soon as they arrived over the French coast. As the bombers neared the target and turned in on the Initial Point the 91st was forced out of the stream by the 306th Group which caused much disruption and some near air to air collisions. One squadron from the 91st managed to bomb the primary target before they were forced out. The balance of the 91st bombed the airfield at Abbeville. With all the confusion and bad weather, the bombing was poor and many of the bombs missed any target. However, the RAP Spitfire escort was excellent and no enemy fighters were encountered. The 91st went back to Germany on March 18th to attack the submarine building yards at Vegesack. Takeoff was delayed due to ground fog but the Fortresses were finally airborne around noon. The Luftwaffe attacked the bomber for33

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

25178 LG-L a 322ndBS B-17, "Old Standby," taking offwith two 1,000 pound bombs carried externally. The shackles could hold 2000 pound bombs in addition to internal loads on short missions only. (Harlick)

mation from the vicinity of Heligoland inbound and outbound to over the North Sea. Bombing was good despite constant attacks by enemy fighters and a smoke screen over the target. All types of enemy fighters were present in the attacks including Junkers Ju 88s and Bf 110 night fighters. There were numerous claims by the gunners of the 91st but no casualties were suffered due to combat. Two men received severe frostbite during the mission. Four days later the 91st went back to Germany to strike at the German pocket battleship "Admiral Scheer" and harbor installations at Wilhelmshaven. Twenty-one B-17s were airborne and only three aborted due to mechanical trouble. The Fortresses weathered very heavy and intense flak to bomb the targets. There was great damage to the harbor installations, and near misses on the battleship undoubtedly caused severe damage to the vessel. Anywhere from forty to fifty German fighters intercepted the mission and their attacks were very determined. Nine 91st B-17s suffered battle damage. Capt. Charles Cliburn had two engines shot out and Major Ken Wallick had one shot out which threw its propeller on the way home. Capt. Hascall C. McClellan of the 324th Bomb Squadron in Liberty Belle lost his No.3 engine and was last seen 115 miles off the English coast under attack from a Focke Wulf 190. No further word was ever heard of the crew. At least four Junkers Ju 88s attempted aerial bombardment of the Fortresses. Twenty-two B-17s were airborne on March 28th enroute to Rouen, France. While the bombers flew their triangulation diversionary course over the Channel, the enemy became fully alerted. Twenty enemy fighters attacked just as the bombers of the 91st turned toward the French coast. So soon were

these attacks that two Fortresses from the group had to abort the mission due to damage they received early on. Upon arrival over the target area, clouds presented a problem and only the sudden discovery of a hole in the clouds enabled the formation to drop its bombs. Flak was inaccurate but the Fortresses were unable to assess their damage to the target due to cloud cover. The RAF Spitfire escort missed the rendezvous and thirty to forty enemy fighters pressed their attacks on the bombers as they departed the target area. Lt. John A. Coen of the 324th Squadron had his B-17 downed by these fighters. Five parachutes were seen but most of the crew were killed. Three other 91st crew members were wounded during the fighter attacks. It was not known until the bombers returned that Major Paul Fishborne had chosen to lead the mission on to the target even though it had been recalled.

91stformation with captured Bf110 making a pass. B-17F, 22915 LG-p, "Miami Clipper, " is in the foreground. (Harlick)

CHAPTER 4: BATTLING THE ODDS

35

A familiar sight as ground crews worked all hours to ready their aircraft for the next mission. (Harlick)

On March 31st the 91st was briefed for Rotterdam, Holland. The bombers flew a double triangular diversionary course over the Channel on this mission. However, when the 91st arrived over the target, it was completely covered with clouds and none of the aircraft bombed. They did encounter inaccurate flak and a small number of enemy fighter attacks during the course of the mission. It was April in Paris, the fourth to be exact, when the 91st went to the outskirts of the city to bomb the Renault auto works. Although the group had to struggle through bad weather, by the time they reached the IP the skies were clear. The Fortresses flew through moderate, inaccurate flak to do a good bombing job on the target. Enemy fighters did not make their appearance until seventy-five or so of them showed up on the route out. Although they pressed their attacks, they

did not penetrate the 91st formation. Several B-17s were damaged but all made it home. The men of the 91st claimed fourteen of the enemy fighters destroyed in the running air battle. The following day twenty B-17s of the 91st bombed the aircraft engine and repair works at Antwerp, Belgium. The Fortresses flew in fairly good weather and encountered only light and inaccurate flak. Off the target some seventy-five enemy fighters attacked but they concentrated most of their efforts against the lead group of the wing. The 91st had one man wounded in the fight. Weather and cancellations spelled a long period of waiting and anxious nail-biting for the men of the 91st. Not until April 16th did they fly another mission. Twenty-one aircraft were airborne but eight of them were forced to abort due to overheating engines which was a result of an attempted rapid

Bassingbourn, Station 121 had ideal facilities compared to other 8th AF bases. Shown are four large hangars on the flight line. (Havelaar)

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• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN·

A large group gathers before "Yankee Eagle" after its return from a mission. (Gaffney)

Air bags were used to get this B-17 out of the mud. (Har/ick)

231515 DF-J a 324th BS B-17, "The Wild Hare, " suffered rudder damage on one of its missions to Germany. "The Wild Hare, "patched from previous damage, was lost on November 26, 1944 with Lt. Robert J. Flint as pilot. (Havelaar)

The limited fire power in the nose ofB-17Fs was remedied by the installation of twin fifties. (Havelaar)

229815 LG-P a 322nd BS B-1?, "Miami Clipper," was transferred to AFSC on April 7, 1944 because it lacked "Tokyo Tanks" and chin turret. (Havelaar)

L to R: Unk., Sgt. Doug Gibson, unk., S/Sgt. Fred Barington, S/Sgt. Charles Phillips, M/Sgt. Jerry Rothermac, unk, sweating out the return of their airplanes. (Gaffney)

CHAPTER 4: BATTLING THE ODDS climbout rate. The aircraft that did bomb flew through moderate and inaccurate flak. Twenty plus enemy fighters arrived on the scene and left one gunner from the 91st wounded. April 17th saw a major air battle over Germany. The First Bombardment Wing went after the Focke Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. Assaulting the nest of the Fw 190 "butcher birds" set well with the combat crews who hoped that their bombs would put a dent in the potent force of the fighters that were causing them so much grief. Thirty-two B-17s from the 91st Group were airborne and made the rendezvous as briefed. As the formation set out there were three layers of clouds, but as they proceeded the cover began to thin out. Three 91st Fortresses were forced to abort the mission but the rest traveled on. Enemy fighter attacks began at the Frisian Islands and continued in all the way to the Initial Point. 150-200 enemy

Crew of "Memphis Belle. " (Havelaar)

37

fighters were involved in the air battle which lasted some fifty-five minutes. Several Junkers Ju 88s attempted aerial bombing of the formation and it is believed that they may have hit one of the 91st Group B-17s. There was a very heavy flak barrage over the target and it was here that the 91st seemingly suffered most of its casualties. The intense and accurate antiaircraft fire, coupled with the hardest air battle that the group had experienced to date, cost the 91st heavily. Six aircraft were lost and practically all remaining aircraft were damaged. One crewmember was killed and three others wounded. The 401st Bomb Squadron was hit the hardest and lost all six of the B-17s. Lt. John W. Wilson in Hellsapoppin was hit by flak and crashed at Hassel. Five of the crew became prisoners of war but Wilson and four other crewmembers were killed.

38

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN·

Capt. Robert Morgan receives congratulations at Bovington on June 9, 1943 prior to "Memphis Belle's" departure to the U.S. for a bond drive tour. (Havelaar)

Lt. Nicholas P. Stoffel in Sky Wolf II was shot down by enemy fighters. Four men, including Stoffel, survived as prisoners of war. Lt. Oscar D. O'Neil's Invasion II fell to flak but all crewmembers survived as prisoners of war. Lt. Harold H. Beasley in Thunderbird also was felled by flak. Beasley and his copilot, Lt. Walter L. McCain, were killed in action but the rest of the crew became prisoners of war. Lt. Nathan F. Lindsey flying Short Snorter III was downed by flak and only two crewmen survived as prisoners of war. Lt. R. B. Walker in Rain of Terror was the sixth 401st Fortress to go down that day and it, too, was listed as falling to flak. Two crewmembers were killed in action but Walker and the rest of the crew survived. The month of May opened with a mission to the submarine base at St. Nazaire on the 1st. The weather was bad but the aircraft got off. On arrival at the rendezvous point there was a mixup in time and the lead group left for the target ten

minutes early. This caused the 91st to have to play catchup and five of its Fortresses aborted the mission due to overheated engines. Once over the target area, it was found that cloud cover ranged from 8/10 to 9/10 cover and most could not see to bomb. Only two aircraft from the 91st dropped their loads through inaccurate flak. Forty to fifty enemy fighters attacked the formation as it came off target and the combat was hot and heavy for a few minutes. Lt. Robert D. Rank of the 322nd Bomb Squadron flying "Vertigo" came under the guns of a bevy of fighters. His aircraft was last seen going down out oicontrol with No. 2 engine on fire. Five of the crew became prisoners of war. The combat crews enjoyed a breather on May 4th. The target was the Ford Motor Company plant in Antwerp. All twenty-five B-17s that were airborne bombed in excellent weather. Very good bombing results were gained against moderate flak. A few enemy fighters were seen but none of them chose to press their attack.

CHAPTER 4: BATTLING THE ODDS

39

The King and Queen ofEngland review the crew of "Memphis Belle. " (Havelaar)

Another long stand-down came as weather either over England or the Continent turned bad. The 91st didn't venture out until May 13th. The target was the aircraft repair depot at Meaulte which was located only a short distance in France. Nineteen Fortresses composed the 91st formation and another six 91st aircraft flew in a composite group. As the aircraft approached the target they were set upon by fighters, the yellow nosed aircraft from Jagdgeschwader

26. Contrary to popular belief, these pilots were not Goering's hand-picked aces or anything of that order, but an experienced, well organized, and very aggressive Luftwaffe fighter wing. On this day they brushed the RAF Spitfires aside and pressed their attacks on the Fortresses of the 91st Group with great determination and vigor. At times they pressed their attacks to within twenty-five yards of the bombers before they broke downwards.

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"Memphis Belle" in the United Sates. (Harlick)

40

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BAS51NGBOURN •

23060 LL-G a 4-1st BS B-17, ''Belles Belle," was transferred to the 91st on September 13, 1943 and flew three missions with the Group. On its second mission the ball turret gunner ejected from the turret when the hatch opened by accident. Bombardier Lt. Charles Hudson was able to rescue the dangling gunner. On December 1,1943, 21Lt. Charles Guinn made a forced landing on the continent after being badly shot up over Germany. All crew members became paws. (Havelaar)

19023 LG-XIDF-X "Yankee Doodle." This B-17E was one of the first to be stationed in England and was first assigned to the 97th BG. General Ira Eaker, CG. of 8th Bomber Command, flew as pilot in command and led the BthAir Force's first combat mission to Europe in this aircraft. It was later assigned to the 91 st where it flew a variety of missions, including tow-target and general airport hack duties. Pictured here its framed nose was replaced with a one-piece "F" style plexiglass nose. (Havelaar)

Lt. Lawrence J. Stark and his crew in Vulgar Virgin from the German naval base at Heligoland. The lead bombardier the 322nd Bomb Squadron were hit by the fighters just after had no aiming point but set the intervalometer to drop the they came off the target. Flames immediately streamed back bombs at every 100 feet and walked across the target area. from the cockpit and No.2 engine. Three of the aerial gun- There was slight to moderate flak so the bombing was not interfered with. ners from the crew survived the onslaught. Alarge array of German fighters numbering close to 100 Lt. Hamer C. Biggs, Jr., also from the 322nd Squadron, and his crew were shot down by the yellow nosed fighters. intercepted the bombers and there was a running fight that Biggs and most of the crew succumbed when the aircraft went lasted at least half an hour. There were Fw 190s attempting to drop bombs on the formation this time. The 91st was fortudown. All of 8th Bomber Command turned out on May 14th to nate in that most of the fighter assaults were directed at the hit shipbuilding installations at Kie!. The 91st put twenty- groups following them. On their return to Bassingbourn there was a great upseven B-17s in the air and all but one of them bombed the target. Flak was moderate but the fighters were waiting when heaval as to just what the target was that they had bombed. the bombers came off the target. Lt. William M. Broley of the Photos were processed as quickly as possible and rushed to 322nd Squadron in Hells Angels was last seen west ofAmrum 8th Bomber Command Headquarters. After interpretation it Island with an engine out and a large hole in the rudder as a was found that indeed, they had hit the naval base at result of their assault. Heligoland and done a pretty good job of it. The big news for the combat crews was that Capt. Robert May 15th was to become a monumental day for the 91st. The submarine building yards and docks at Wilhelmshaven K. Morgan and most of the crew of Memphis Belle completed were the target and nineteen B-17s made up the main forma- their twenty-fifth mission and became the first men in the tion of the group. Once again another six aircraft helped make 91st to complete a combat tour. Already the word was out up a composite group. A lot of cloud cover was encountered that Morgan and his crew were to return to the United States and when the 91st Group leading the procession got to the in Memphis Belle and go on a nationwide tour to training bases and cities telling the 8th Air Force story. Morale at target it was completely covered. The lead aircraft made a 360 degree circle looking for a Bassingbourn reached an all-time high. hole in the clouds but when none could be found it set off for

Chapter 5

SUMMER DOLDRUMS

he B-17s of the 91st journeyed to Lorient on May 17th to bomb the submarine pens. The weather was very good for a change and nineteen Fortresses dropped their bombs on the target with fairly good results. A scattering of enemy fighters appeared, but most of them pressed their attacks on other bomber formations. The men of the 91st returned to base unscathed. The mission attacking the shipbuilding installations on May 19th was not a good one for the 91st. Nineteen B-17s

T

were airborne but three returned early. As the group approached the target area, enemy twin-engine aircraft appeared and dropped bombs on the B-17s from above. Fortunately, none of them scored. As the Fortresses entered the bomb run, it was noted that the group in front of them was not as far ahead as they should have been, and they were dropping incendiary bombs. Once these packets hit the slipstream they burst and the individual small bombs dispersed and some of the incendiaries came

.

Early morning departure, 1943. (Harlick) 41

.(

42

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN·

Tire change for the "Careful Virgin." Note standard .30 caliber nose guns replaced by the more formidable .50 caliber. (Havelaar)

Touching up the record on "Nine-O-Nine" -128 missions without an abort - an 8th AF record. (Harlick)

streaming back toward the 9Ist formation. In order to evade them the 91st bombed early and rallied off the bomb run, so most of their bombs hit the city of Kiel rather than the target area. Flak over Kiel was moderate but quite accurate. One B17, Spirit ofAlcohol, being flown by Lt. Edwin L. Baxley of the 323th Bomb Squadron went down and crashed in Kiel harbor. Four of the crew were killed while Baxley and the others became prisoners of war. Immediately after coming off the target the bombers were set upon by single engine fighters. Their onslaughts were vicious and constant for over an hour. The 9Ist was lucky enough to get out of the fight with no further losses or casualties. May 21st saw a maximum effort by 8th Air Force to strike at the shipbuilding facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Twenty-one B-17s were airborne in weather that was not too good. The 91st led the Wing on toward the target area, but as they neared the Initial Point they found the Luftwaffe waiting. Some 100-150 enemy aircraft were logged as making appearances during the mission. Initial attacks came from the front with the fighters coming in with as many as ten to twelve aircraft abreast. Following these onslaughts the enemy came in from below and from the flanks in an attempt to break up the formation. As the B-17s entered the bomb run, enemy twin-engine fighters let go a shower of bombs from above.

Flak over the target was intense and accurate, but bombing was relatively good, considering cloud cover and a smoke screen which the enemy used in an attempt to cover the area. As the group rallied off the target it was engaged by enemy fighters once more. All together the Luftwaffe stayed after the formation for about an hour and twenty minutes. Four of the Fortresses from the 91st went down and six men aboard the surviving B-17s were wounded. Lt. Jack Fisher was the bombardier on Lt. Bill Clancy's crew in Careful Virgin that day and as he recalled: "We went in from fairly far north, presumably to allow all the following groups more time to turn and line up for the run. On our way to the I.P. we could see a number of German fighters at some distance away, with none of them making any attempt to close with us. However, after we negotiated the I.P. and started our run it became a different story and all hell broke loose. In fact, it took us very little time to realize we were the most popular aircraft in the sky, with seemingly everyone of the fighters vying for the honor of blasting us back to our maker. About halfway down the run the "Luftwaffe Brotherhood" gained the advantage, firing in force from numerous headings while Bill did his best to hold a steady P.D.1. until we could reach the bomb release point. Unfortunately, this all changed very quickly when we sustained a direct 20mm hit through the left side of the nose section which left a gap-

CHAPTER 5: SUMMER DOLDRUMS

43

124639 OR-W a 323rd BS B-17, "The Careful Virgin," flew its overseas life as a combat veteran. It left Bassingbourn on May 7, 1944 for AFSC.

ing hole in the fuselage, loss of oxygen, the immediate jettisoning of our bombs, turning the lead over to the alternate and making a hasty descent to low altitude. "The explosion made quite a shambles of the compartment with, as you might expect, some serious injuries. The group navigator, Charlie Maas, who was flying with us in view of the lead position, was bleeding profusely from one eye. At the time it looked like a bloody hole where the eye should be but fortunately it ultimately healed with, I believe, only limited impairment ... "... The concussion from the exploding shell no more than a couple of feet away left me with a semi-conscious

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Capt. Lay buzzing the field at Bassingbourn. (Harlick)

impression of having been flipped in a complete somersault and landing flat on the walkway. My first clear recollection was a feeling of numb pain in the head, and upon removing the steel helmet I found a hole through it about the size of my little finger. As for the flak suit, the concussion and fragments of the shell hit it with what felt to me like an enormous force from above and behind. The canvas-like cover of the back was ripped to shreds, and though the edges of one or two of the loosened manganese steel squares cut into my back, none of the fragments of the 20mm shell penetrated the suit, an immense blessing to me in view of the fact that the back injuries were in a direct line with my heart. The suit undoubtedly prevented a forceful penetration into the heart and my very possible demise." Fisher's aircraft made it back to Bassingbourn safely where he and Maas were rushed to the hospital for surgery. Other aircraft were not so lucky, Lt. Phillip S. Fischer of the 324th Squadron, flying Marie Jane, went down and the entire crew was killed. Lt. Norman Retchin's B-1? of the 322nd Squadron fell to the enemy fighters. His top turret gunner was killed but the rest of the crew got out to become paws. Desperate Journey flown by Lt. Norbert D. Koll of the 324th Squadron also was downed by the fighters and only two crewmembers survived. Fighters also accounted for the Fortress flown by Lt. John H. Miller. Three men managed to bailout and become prisoners, but Miller and the others didn't make it.

44

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

May 22nd marked the end of a historic era for the 91st Bomb Group. Colonel Stanley T. Wray was officially relieved as Commanding Officer and assigned to Headquarters of the 1st Bombardment Wing. Colonel Wray had trained and brought the Group to combat and had led many of the early missions. He was responsible for the 91st being based at Bassingboum through his determination to get the best for his men, and his efforts would never be forgotten. A memento for which Colonel Wray would never be forgotten was his famed "Order of the Rigid Digit." This award was thought up by Coionel Wray as a humorous award for assorted goofs, which were given amongst pomp and circumstance. The top of the silver medal was engraved "Wray's Ragged Irregulars" and beneath this was engraved, "My God, Am I Right?" Below the motto was engraved a clenched fist with the upraised middle finger and underneath was inscribed "Order of the Rigid Digit" (See also Appendix 5 "The Rigid Digit").

Col. Stanley Wray gives the "Rigid Digit" salute. Col. Wray devised an unofficial award to those members of the 91 st who were guilty ofsome mistake in judgement. Wray adopted this sign and motto, "My God am 1 Right." Dubbed the order of the "Rigid Digit, " it was awarded with a citation to the recipient in the officer's mess. This order became well known in the 8th Bomber Command and many high ranking officers became recipients. Today this award is given to life members of the 91 st Memorial Association. (see also appendix five.)

Upon the departure of Colonel Wray, Lt. Col. Baskin R. Lawrence was named Commander of the 9lst Bomb Group. It was back to old faithful St. Nazaire on May 29th. This time the weather was good and the bombing was good. Twenty-one aircraft from the 91st deposited 2,000 pounders on the submarine base amongst accurate flak. This mission marked the use of a new type of aircraft in the bomber formation. Boeing YB-40s flew their first mission. These modified B-17s were heavily armed in the hope that they would provide the bomber formation with added firepower against the concentrated attacks of the Luftwaffe. The aircraft possessed a twin .50 caliber gun chin turret in the nose. This turret was remotely operated by the bombardier. A twin .50 caliber gun turret had been installed in the radio room to increase firepower amidship and each waist gun installation was provided with twin .50 caliber guns rather than a single gun. Instead of bombs the aircraft carried a tremendous load of .50 caliber ammunition. For all its modifications, its drawback was discovered immediately. The aircraft was too heavy, and particularly following the bomb run when the B-17s had been lightened up weightwise, the YB40 was still lumbering along with its load of ammunition and couldn't keep up with the formation. June 1943 brought with it a siege of bad weather which prevented the bombers getting any missions in until the 11th of the month. Even then, weather played the big role in the mission. The bombers had been scheduled to attack Bremen but it was cloud covered. An attempt to divert to Wilhelmshaven was not very successful, either. A few B-17s from the 91st bombed Wilhelmshaven, but most dropped their bombs on two airfields and a country estate which had been taken over as a military installation. Anumber of enemy fighters were present but they concentrated their assaults on other groups in the bomber stream. The submarine building facilities at Bremen were the target once more on June 13th. Twenty-one B-17s were aloft for the trip but four returned early. The weather in the target area was not good and this, coupled with a smoke screen, caused switches which greatly affected the bombing which was not good. One of the crews experienced a real heart-stopping event on the mission. Capt. Dick Weitzenfeld of the 324th Bomb Squadron was flying Old Ironsides and during the confusion which began from the Initial Point on, T/Sgt. Harry Smith looked up from his position in the radio roam and saw a higher group overhead with their bomb bay doors open! Smith immediately reported this to Capt. Weitzenfeld on the intercom and was told to keep an eye on them. Just after the bombardier Lt. J. B. Vickory dropped his bombs and closed the bomb bay doors, two bombs were dropped from the aircraft overhead. The first hit the outer portion of the right

CHAPTER 5: SUMMER DOLDRUMS

45

A YB-40 sits on the grass at Bassingbourn. Boeing attempted to install additional fire power to the B-17s flying against the Luftwaffe. Twenty-three standard B-17Fs were modified with an extra power turret in place of the single.30 caliber in the radio compartment. A new chin turret and twin power assisted waist guns for a total of sixteen .50 caliber machine guns, and 11,275 rounds of ammo versus the 3,900 rounds of a standard B-17F, made for a heavy airplane. As they were unable to keep pace and protect the standard B-17s, they were soon withdrawn from combat. However; the chin turret, with its improved forward firing power; was retained for future modifications. (Havelaar)

25741 a YB-40 at Bassingbourn. Three were assigned to the 91st, and all were soon withdrawn due to failure. 25741 was assigned to the 91st July 22,1943 and was tranferred out October 7, 1943. (Harlick)

Three YB-40s parked on the grass at Bassingbourn. During August 1943,25736 was assigned to three different bomb groups.

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

46

229797 LL-Y, "Old Ironsides. " In the heat of battle it was not uncommon for planes to slip below one another with catastrophic results. Capt. Weitzenfeld returned to Bassingbourn minus the right hand stabilizer and elevator which were taken off by a 500 pound bomb over Bremen. Weitzenfeld received the DFC for his achievement. "Old Ironsides'" luck ran out on its second mission with Lt. Buster Peek at the controls. After ditching, the crew were rescued from their life rafts. (Havelaar)

horizontal stabilizer on Old Ironsides and the second chopped it completely off about two feet from the tail section. The ball turret gunner, S/Sgt. Frank Vidar, Jr., reported that the bomb exploded about 200 feet below the aircraft. The loss of the stabilizer threw the aircraft completely out of control, causing it to plunge down. Capt. Weitzenfeld stated, "we were gyrating like a jack rabbit, three or four hundred feet at a time. Miraculously we didn't hit anyone as we fell out of formation, but the Bf 109s were on us like a swarm of bees. I finally got the aircraft under some sort of control and cautiously slid over in the middle of a lower group for

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fighter protection. Clyde Gillespie brought the 91st down over us and the fighters left us alone then." Weitzenfeld and his co-pilot, Lt. M. A. Berg, did their utmost to keep the aircraft in formation but it was almost impossible. Both pilots' hands were a mass of blisters just trying to maintain control of the plane. Once out over the North Sea they went off on their own and headed for home. Weitzenfeld requested a straight in landing but the tower could not see his damage so he was forced to go around. The pilot made a second approach and then made a wheel landing and taxied to the hangar. According to the Boeing tech reps the aircraft could not fly in that condition, but it did and brought its crew home successfully. Capt. Dick Weitzenfeld was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for an outstanding performance in flying the aircraft under such trying conditions. The 91st didn't get another mission in until June 22nd and a very costly one it was. The target was the synthetic rubber plant at Huls, Germany, which was in the flak infested Ruhr Valley. There was heavy cloud cover and the 91st brought up the rear of the bomber formation so the flak barrage was going full blast when they turned in on the bomb run. One aircraft that was hard hit over the target was Royal Flush of the 401st Bomb Squadron which was being flown by Lt. Marcel Fountain. No.1 engine took a hit and it was successfully feathered before the aircraft went over the target and dropped its bombs. Then No.3 engine caught fire and was put out successfully, but the propeller would not feather. No.2 engine lost power and that was when Royal Flush was forced to fall out of formation. The Fortress was then at about 24,000 feet when it was hit by fighters. They flew their attacks from all around the clock while the crew of the Fortresses answered with their .50 calibers. For a time Fountain found refuge in some clouds

I

Capt. Gladstone buzzing the control tower after completing his 25th mission on January 21, 1944. Both Major Bishop and Gladstone were dunked in a trailer filled with water after they landed. (Harlick)

CHAPTER 5: SUMMER DOLDRUMS

On the bomb run with flak bursts too close for comfort! (Havelaar)

down about 7,000 feet. However, by this time, the tail gunner and the ball turret gunner had both been wounded and the plexiglass in the nose had been shot out. The hydraulic system was gone but the Fortress carried on. When Fountain broke out of the clouds the fighters were gone but the B-17 just couldn't maintain altitude even though the crew threw out everything including their machine guns. Finally, when they had dropped down to 2,500 feet, Fountain rang the bail out bell and the majority of the crew exited the aircraft. Fountain, along with the co-pilot and engineer stayed with the aircraft in an attempt to make the coast but another flak hit forced them to ditch. All three were picked up from their dinghy by German patrol boats. The entire crew became prisoners of war. Another crew that was struggling was that of Lt. Buster Peek of the 401st Bomb Squadron. Peek was flying Old \ Ironsides which had been repaired from its ordeal over Bremen, but this time it wouldn't be able to bring its crew all the way home. No.2 engine was shot out by enemy fighters

25714 OR-N a 323rdBS B-17 taking off at Bassingbourn. This early B17F crashed in France after being shot by German fighters on June 28, 1943 with 21Lt. Robert M. Shane as pilot. (Harlick)

47

"Bombs away" with flak near target. (Harlick)

before they reached the Initial Point but they continued on in formation and dropped their bombs on Huls. As Peek rallied off the target he was set upon by fighters again and this time they knocked out No.4 engine, most of the controls, and the hydraulic system, which caused the flaps to drop. At this time they fell behind the formation. A dozen or so enemy fighters swooped in for the kill but the crew fought back. Lt. Chauncey Hicks, the bombardier, was wounded by 20 mm. His ear drum had been pierced and his face was badly lacerated but he continued to man his guns and continue firing. Peek and his co-pilot, Lt. Francis A. Porada, managed to battle the controls and keep the plane aloft until they reached the English Channel. When it became obvious that they would not be able to make the English coast they ditched. Peek assisted most of the crew into the dinghies and although some were injured all but one man made it; the tail gunner somehow drifted away and was drowned. The balance of the crew were picked up by Air-Sea rescue in about half an hour.

Engine work on "Bomb Boogie. " (Harlick)

48

• THE RAGGED IRREGULARS OF BASSINGBOURN •

Others were not so lucky. Lt. K. L. Brown, flying Mary Ruth with the 401st Squadron, was shot down as he came off the target by a concentration of enemy fighters. Three of the gunners were killed in the fight but Brown and the rest bailed out to become prisoners of war. Lt. Joseph E. Slattery, Jr. of the 324th Squadron also went down from fighter attacks and while some of his crew survived, Slattery and three of his gunners did not. Lt. Paul D. Kahl from the 322nd Squadron went down flying Nightshade. They were last seen descending with No. 3 and No.4 engines out. All survived as prisoners of war. The 91st Bombardment Group received a new Commanding Officer on June 25, 1943. The newcomer was Lt. Col. Clemens L. Wurzbach. The Group was briefed for Hamburg on June 25th but it was found that the target area was completely cloud covered. On the way out fifteen of the Fortresses bombed Wangerooge Island as a target of opportunity. One returning pilot that found his own target of opportunity that day was Lt. Don Bader of the 322nd Bomb Squadron. Just as he departed the German coast his No.4 engine failed and the propeller had to be feathered. At that moment two enemy fighters appeared on the scene, but Bader was able to escape into a cloud bank. As he continued to let down Bader finally broke out of the overcast right over a German convoy. Despite the fact that they were on three engines, Bader and his bombardier lined up on the ships and made a successful bombing run. Fourteen Fortresses were airborne the following day enroute to bomb the airfield at Villa Coublay but cloud cover was such that the force returned to Bassingbourn without dropping their bombs. The locks at St. Nazaire were bombed on June 28th. The 2,000 pound bombs did some damage but the mission proved costly. Thunderbird Marnita, the Fortress flown by Lt. Edward T. Broadnax of the 323rd Squadron, went out of control and ditched in the sea. Some of the crew were saved and became prisoners of war. Aircraft of the 91st journeyed to France again on June 29th to attack the airfield at Villa Coublay. Once more the target was cloud covered and the planes returned with their bombs. The Gnome and Rhone Aero Engine Factory at LeMans, France, was the target on July 4th. Nineteen B-17s were airborne and sixteen of them bombed with 500 pounders. The cloud cover was not too bad but there was a lot of haze that stacked up all the way to 20,000 feet. Bombing was good; most all of the bombs fell in the target area. Some seventy-five to eighty enemy fighters came up to intercept. The majority of their attacks were either head-on or from the tail. The 91st lost no aircraft and had one man wounded.

Col. Clemens L. Wurzback commanded the 91st BG from June 1943 to December 1943. During his tenure as commander, the 91st suffered its most severe losses, including the Schweinfurt mission ofAugust 17, 1943 (53% losses), and the Anklam mission of October 9,1943 (42% losses). The lack of long-range fighter support on deeper penetrations had devastating results. Col. Wurzback is seen here with entertainer Bob Hope at the 92nd BG base in April 1943. (Mack)

On July 10th the 91st journeyed to Villa Coublay again and for the third time the weather was such that bombs were not dropped! Although flak was meager the Luftwaffe was ups in force. Sixty-five to seventy fighters attacked begin~ ning at Rauen and the fight lasted for a full forty minutes before the P-47 Thunderbolt escort arrived and drove them off.

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