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Twenty aircraft
were airborne and three aborted due to
engine failures:
#42-31314, Scorchy, 359BS-M (Goolsby)
#42-31483, Bonnie B, 359BS-P (Bech)
#42-31471, Doolittle's Destroyers, 360BS-E (DeWall)
Meager and
inaccurate flak was encountered. One
aircraft had minor flak damage. About five
enemy aircraft were seen, but were too far
away to be identified. Friendly fighter
support was good. Weather at the target was
not as described during briefing and was not
suitable for visual bombing. All bombs were
bright back to Molesworth. One German JU-88
blundered into the path of the bombers and
was last seen speeding away at treetop
height.
B-17G #42-31399
(No Name) 360BS-F, piloted by Lt. Underwood,
had one casualty. Co-pilot C.B. Doering was
killed by a 50-caliber bullet through the
back of his head. Three bullets, believed to
have been shot from a 379BG aircraft flying
nearby, hit the aircraft. One of the bullets
was recovered.
One 358BS
aircraft and crew was lost. The Padded Cell
II #42-97498, piloted by 1Lt. Julius E.
Bass, went down with a fire in the cockpit
and crashed near Bricy in the Paris, France,
area. Ten parachutes were seen. The cause of
the loss was unknown, but it was not
believed due to enemy action. Co-pilot Myron
M. Goldman was killed. Lt. Bass, 2Lt. Milton
B. Abernathy, 2Lt. Matthew S. Zientar,
S/Sgt. Alfonso Quevedo, Sgt. Harold J.
Brown, Sgt. Michael J. Canale, Sgt. John P.
Grsetic and Sgt. Cyril J. Dockendorf were
all captured and taken prison. S/Sgt. James
C. Hensley evaded the enemy, but was later
captured. Major Glynn F.
Shumake stated, "We couldn't find the target
because of 10/10 clouds. There isn't much to
say. We met little flak and no enemy
fighters. We had perfect fighter escort all
the way with P-38s and P-47s practically
flying formation with us." |
