MILITARY RECORDS
535th Bomb. Sq.,
381st Bomb Group (H) - WAR DIARY
Source: 381st Bomb Group (Heavy) Memorial Association
& Triangle-L Society
Commemorating the service of all USAAF units assigned
to Station 167 - Ridgewell, England, during World War II.
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To view the original records for July 1944:
http://www.381st.org/histories/535th_07-1944.html
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From humble beginnings at Pyote, Texas, the 381st
Bombardment Group (Heavy) mobilized to full combat
strength and deployed to Station 167, Ridgewell, England.
Over the next 22 months the citizens of East Anglia and
their friendly American invaders would establish binding
ties that exist to this day.
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JULY 1944
1 - 2. No missions. Usual garrison duties.
3. The pigeons are walking today. Weather was grey and
humid at 08.00 hrs, tried to break up about 09.00,
finally relapsed into solid overcast followed by rain. No
operations alerted.
We heard our second Pilotless-plane about 10.00hrs. The
Tannoy broadcast a red alert and at HQ we were able to
detect a distant explosion, but no sound of the engine
nor its cutting out.
Capt Milton F. Bland today left for the States, granted a
transfer and leave to visit his wife critically ill. He
has been with us since late January 1943, at Pyote,
Texas, and has achieved the position not only of capable
doctor but a good friend to every officer and man in the
squadron.
His keen medical eye and profound grasp of human
knowledge has restored confidence and balance to many a
combat man and his sense of humor and ease of manner with
all ranks have kept us going through the rough and
browned-off stretches. He leaves with the best wishes of
all off us. No fortune nor future assignment will be too
good for him.
4. We lost Lt Bobrof, a veteran, and his crew today on
the mission to La Riche airfield, near Tours. There was
neither flak nor enemy fighters, bombing was good and Lt
Bobrof was last seen in formation under control with all
four engines cooking well. No one can imagine what
happened to him.
Six squadron forts and seven crews participated: Lts
Metts, Schobert, Beackley, Lang, Hermann, Myerscough and
Bobrof.
MIA crew: 2nd Lts Bob R. Bobrof, George J. Devono,
Charles D. Cole, Bernard Goodman; T/Sgts George W. Dell,
Clinton S. Word, Sgt Edward F. Polski, S/Sgts Kenneth F.
Hitchcock and Thomas E. Snyder. (For full story about
this crew see a French publication: Epopee D'Aviateurs
Americans Dans Le Sud-Vienne Ete 1944 - "Les Oefs
Frais" by Christian Richard. ISBN 2-909165-39-6.
[DRO]).
5. Another sloppy day so far as operational possibilities
were concerned. The overcast broke through the afternoon
into a fairly acceptable evening.
6. Major Halsey,
with Lt Yates as his pilot, plus eight others from this
outfit, led the group, in combat wing strength, to a
bombing of robot plane installations at Rely, France,
this morning. There was no enemy opposition and the
mission was generally treated as routine and uneventful
by returning crewmen. Bombing was either dead on or a
very near miss. Grid pick-ups like today's job make
results difficult to ascertain except from a close study
of strike photos or of reconaisance pictures taken later
on.
Other pilots were: Lts Gnatzig, Flint, Campbell,
Beackley, Tuz, Myerscough, Metts and Hermann.
Another new crew was assigned today: 2nd Lts Fred
Davison, Ralph W. Spatz, LeRoy Drummond, Henry S. Tabor;
S/Sgts Calistro P. Munoz, Warren R. Wanner, Sgts Thomas
R. Jordan Jr., James P. Fitzgerald, W. B. Spurling and
Cpl Earl H. Pittman.
7. The squadron contributed ten ships to the group's
combat wing strength of 43 bombers which took off this
morning headed by Col Leber, Group Commander, for an
attack on the Eral Machinewerk, Leipzig.
Visibility was good and a PA1 bombing of the assigned
assembly shop target was recorded. Crewmen watched 20
enemy fighters commence a pass in the target area, but
got set for nothing when the Jerries changed their minds
and peeled off in the opposite direction. The ships took
off in the rain and returned to a beautiful sunny day.
Navigator 1st Lt Francis B. Broderick flew with Col Leber
in the lead PFF ship; in addition these pilots took part:
Lts Schobert, Nelson, Hainzer, Campbell, Beackley,
Gillette, Myerscough, Tuz, Lang and Marbury.
We learned today that MIA pilot Bob B. Bobrof has been
promoted to 1st Lt, while other promotions were: Theodore
Homdrom, squadron navigator to captain, and pilots
Forrest L. Campbell, John O. English and Joseph C.
Hainzer to 1st Lts.
8. Two separate formations went out this morning, briefed
to bomb P-Plane sites near Coubronne-Rely. This squadron
furnished the low group, 12 ships led by Lt Gnatzig,
assistant operations officer. With the primary completely
overcast, the boys picked a main road junction for their
attack. The other formation returned to base without
dropping their bombs.
Contrails were heavy, adding to the hazards and
difficulties both of formation flying and observation of
bombing results. There was meagre flak over the French
coast, but no enemy aircraft.
Behind Lt Gnatzig were: Lts Nelson, Metts, Hermann,
Hatherley and Gillette, and their crews.
9. The group was ordered to bomb St Omer airfield today,
but this squadron did not participate in the operation. A
12-ship effort took off through thick undercast, returned
to land in pouring rain.
2nd Lt Joseph A. Albers, promoted to 1st Lt.
10. A missions to Etaples, France, was scrubbed today due
to the weather. This morning offered continued cloudiness
with alternate sunshine, break-throughs, and rain
squalls. By mid-afternoon the sky was almost entirely
cleared off.
11. Switching from Pas de Calais areas to a blow at Das
Reich itself, the group today pulled a PFF attack on
Munich, hometown of the Hitler mob. Only 18 ships flew
and this squadron contributed seven of those, including
the PFF leader, loaned to the pacing squadron. Pilots for
today were: Lts Nelson, Beackley, Hermann, Gillette,
Hatherly and Demagalski.
Bombing was accomplished through a solid 10/10th
undercast in the face of heavy flak throughout the target
area.
There were no casualties, our P-47, P-38 and P-51 escort,
was thick and expert and the Luftwaffe stayed at home so
far as we were concerned.
The boys came home saying there were more Forts over
Munich today that they'd ever seen striking a single
target before. Every imaginable size and type of bomb,
they said was being dropped.
Squadron
commander, Major Charles L. Halsey is promoted to Lt Col,
as for 7 July. Others who move up from 2nd to 1st Lt are:
Elvin F. Anderson, Donald K. Stewart, Lester A. Gillette,
William W. Harris, Wayne E. Hermann, Chester E. Hudson,
James H. Long, Woodrow W. Lyles, Oscar E. Myerscough,
James E. Nadeau, Russell B. Rodrick, Marcus W. Todd, Jr.,
and Harold W. Walkup.
12. At 09.00 hrs today 36 group Forts, including nine
from this squadron, took off in grey, heavily overcast
weather. There are a large number of people in Munich
who, sometime early this afternoon, probably will not be
recognizable to their friends.
Yesterday we participated in the large scale PFF bombing
of Munich proper. Today we go back. If the cloudy weather
persists it will be some sime before an assessment of
bombing damage can be made. However until such time, we
shall go on, whenever necessary, with this indiscriminent
type of bombing originally practiced and taught so well
by the Germans.
Final mission story: cloud cover all the way in and out,
so bombing by PFF technique. Our escort was adequate and
no enemy aircraft showed up. Flak was moderate and fairly
accurate, but there were no casualties.
Pilots for today were: Lts Schobert, English, Myerscough,
Demagalski, Hatherley, and Hermann. 1st Lt Broderick
"mickey" navigator, flew in the lead PFF ship.
A second mission, planned to Fresnoy, France, was
scrubbed.
13. A Fort from the 534th, returning early from this
morning's mission, lost two engines in addition to the
one original faulty power plant and fell on to the LNER
railroad tracks about half a mile south of Gate #2, a few
minutes before 07.00 hrs.
Three 500 pound bombs went off killing all but the pilot
Lt John Houston and the co-pilot, Lt William Scruggs,
tearing up a few feet of track and demolishing the ship.
The two officers managed to crawl away from the burning
ship, which lay at the bottom of a 15 ft cut through a
hill, before it exploded. They will recover.
Today's mission, to Munich again, was much like to two
previous efforts. Clouds were solid under the bumbers all
the way over but broke to approximately 9/10th in the
target area. The lead bombardier picked out a large
warehouse somewhere in the north end of Munich and used
it as his MPI. This was not the briefed visual target,
however. Flak was heavy, but there were no casualties and
no enemy aircraft opposed the operation.
The following ten pilots participated: Lts Hainzer,
English, Flint, Hatherley, Gillette, Lang, Metts, Miller,
Hermann and Demagalski.
Pfc Alfred G. (Red) Hersey, Jr., long time squadron
ordnance man, left for aerial gunnery training at The
Wash, Station #172, Snettisham, Norfolk, this morning. He
volunteered.
14. A mission to Merseburg, was scrubbed today. Weather
was clear and fair at dawn, but greyed over gradually
from about 10.00 hrs and held solid throughout the rest
of the day.
The following officers, combat tours complete, left for
home: Capt Charles A. Enos, 1st Lts Edwin Ringgenberg,
Abraham A. Levine, Richard L. Snyder, Ralph G. Gillham
and John C. Bohan.
Three new crews were assigned today: 2nd Lts Edwin L.
Stuart, Norman M. Jones, Harry E. Richards, Burton N.
Newell, Jr.; S/Sgts Thomas H. Sprung, Peter A. Haramzian,
Sgts Alvis D. Kindall, Roy E. Long, Millard C. Neely and
Louis A. Perrilloux.
2nd Lts John J. O'Connor, Arthur E. Rehm, James Scott,
Stanley A. Milewski; S/Sgts Arthur J. DiMartile, John E.
Riley, Sgts Frank W. Brown, Marion O. Heilman, James C.
Smith and Ralph T. Stout.
2nd Lt Austin W. Simmons, F/O Arthuth E. Muth, Jr., 2nd
Lts John J. Motto, George F. Keller; S/Sgts Charles T.
Myers, Robert W. Gray, Sgt Victor H. Groll, S/Sgt Angus
N. Johnson, Sgts Richard E. Monohan and Michael A.
Sewell.
15. No mission today. T/Sgt Paul R. Vanderzee, top turret
gunner and toggeleer, left today for 30 days' rest and
recuperation at home and eventually return for a second
combat tour.
16. Back to Munich again today, and the same story of
heavy weather and hot flak. Oxygen is wearing the combat
men down faster than the enemy opposition these days.
Heavy contrails plus undercast made formation flying
particularly difficult on this one and bombardiers let
their stuff go off the PFF leader.
M/Sgt Charles P. Stormer, navigator assigned from the
RCAF last December, today was discharged and sworn in as
a 2nd Lt. This is none too soon.
17. Three gunners, all of whom have completed their
tours, have been attached to the 1142nd MP Co's alert
detachment, with which they'll do station night guard
duty full time until they can be shipped home, This is a
common way of handling the problem of large numbers of
finished-up enlisted crewmen who crowd the living sites
now. Most of them have been removed to Site #6.
Those involved in this move: T/Sgts Glen A. Hofert,
Joseph A. Bearer; S/Sgts Samuel G. Bird, Julius M. Micek,
Ralph E. Price, Kermit P. Sessons, Emery H. Naha, Earl
G.Metzner, Kenneth W. Schmitt and Bruce M. Tabor.
Lts Ernest L. Campbell, Lyles Nelson, Marcus W. Todd,
left today for the 12th RCD casual pool and eventually
home.
18. Peenemunde, the German Air Force's rocket and
buzz-bomb experimental station on the Baltic Sea, came
under attack from this group today, when 38 Forts pouring
their stuff into thick, heavy, black smoke of fires
started by a wing bombing ahead of us. They're calling
the results PA1.
There were no enemy fighters and flak was moderate and
inaccurate in the target area. Europe was completely
cloud-covered over our inward route, with the targets at
Peenemunde showing through the only holes sighted during
the whole trip. One crew from the 533rd landed in Sweden.
Participating for this squadron were: Lts English,
Beackley, Albers, Demagalski, Gillette, Marbury, Metts,
Miller and Rollins. Lt Broderick flew in the PFF lead
ship.
S/Sgt Thomas G. Lawrence, finished up, left for home
today.
19. Group Forts attacked the German depot-training base
at Lechfeld today in the face of negligible enemy
opposition. Bombing was good in clear weather; there were
no enemy fighters and flak was met in the target area
only, where only ships in the rear of the formation
caught a few holes.
Today's pilots were: Lts Schobert (in lead) with
Barnicle, English, Albers, Hermann, Gillette, Rollins,
Marbury, Miller and Metts.
20. In perfect weather but rocked by intense and accurate
flak, ten 535th pilots and crews ticipated in the group's
attack on an aircraft engine facory at Dessau. Bombing
results looked like PA1. Our fighter escort was perfect
and no enemy aircraft showed up. No claims, no
casualties.
Pilots for today were: Lts Beackley, Myerscough, Tuz,
Demagalski, Rollins, Dann, Marbury, Miller, Metts and
Davison.
Capt Saul B. Schwartz, squadron S-2 and Group and Station
Public Relations Officer and Historian, today received
the Bronze Star medal, most recently authorized military
decoration, for a year's "meritorious
achievement" as a PRO. So for 15 years' newspaper
experience - it tends to make good public relations men.
21. Col Leber led the mission to Schweinfurt today, the
group's fifth trip to what was once the toughest target
in Europe. Weather was good and it looks as though they
got their target at last - the small workshop, tucked
down between larger factory buildings, where are made the
precision instruments without which ball-bearings cannot
be manufactured. We had no losses. Heavy flak was
directly mainly at other wings; there were no enemy
aircraft and our escort was with us all the way.
The squadron sent ten pilots: Lts Yates (with Col Leber),
English, Myerscough, Demagalski, Dann, Parkman, Lang,
Marbury, Davison and Miller.
A stand down has been ordered for tomorrow. This day has
been chilly, the sky filled with thick, rolling, grey
clouds, pouring in continuously from the north west.
22. No combat operations for today. The weather holds
grey and chilly with intermittent spits of rain.
Capt Theodore Homdrom and 1st Lt Victor Mersinger have
left for home, and 1st Lt Joseph D. Keating, Asst. Exec.
Officer has been promoted to captain, while 2nd Lt Gayle
Messenger, Sq Supply Officer, goes up to 1st Lt.
A new crew arrived today: 2nd Lts Charles O. Todd, Jr.,
Kenneth McGriffin, Milton A. Hoffman, John E. Wertin; Cpl
Kenneth H. Boura, S/Sgt John E. Lowder, Cpls Milton E.
LaBarr, Joseph F. Krolocki, Willard G. Marshall and
Robert O. Carney.
F/O Joseph D. Grace, wounded and transferred out some
time ago has been re-assigned from 12th RCD, Chorley.
23. The stand is down again and the weather holds the
same. The following gunners have been transferred to
another bomb group: S/Sgt Delbert D. Rasey, Sgts William
G. Ezard, Charles E. Johnson, Carl A. Juda, John B. Payne
and Leland L. Yelvington. All are spares.
24. Today's mission, in support of American ground action
south of St Lo, France, brought forth what should be
called a maximum effort even in these days of growing
bomb groups. We put 54 ships up from the group, with the
535th providing 13 of them.
Lts Schobert and Gnatzig led one group to a tactical
target lightly defended by flak. Bombing results - with
the job done on a grid plan - remain in doubt. This is
fairly new stuff for us.
A year ago we had perhaps 30 ships flyable, or less if
losses over nearly two months' operations are considered.
Now we put up, without straining too much, the equivalent
of the old combat wing. Three battle groups fly from our
group almost every mission now. Participating today, in
addition to the leaders were: Lts Beackley, Tuz,
Myerscough, Rollins, Herman, Dann, Miller, Metts,
Demagalski, Davison, Marbury and Lang.
The latest promotions include: to T/Sgts, former S/Sgts
Clarence B. Bankston, Donald L. Coultrip, Meyer W.
Johnston, Charles W. Bertwell, Alfred I. Hausen and
Richard H. Meier. To S/Sgts, former Sgts Dann V. Clark,
Jr., Gerald M. Hickman, Charles W. Newcomb, Robert R.
Torbet, Edward H. Brostek, Marvin W. Ford, Henry Meier,
Felix Wojcik and George H. Robben. To Sgts, former Cpls
Vere D. Clair Jr., Paul E. Miller; and Pvts Edward Bond,
Elmer J. Lewis.
25. Today's mission was to St Lo again, and was similar
to yesterday's. Again it looked as though American
artillery support of our attack had come off as briefed
against enemy flak installations. This time 52 group
Forts, with 13 of ours, made the run. Bombing was time to
occur only minutes before the opening of an American push
to break out of the St Lo salient.
Leading one group were Lts Schobert and Barnicle, along
with: Lts Beackley, Dann, Demagalski, Tuz, Marbury,
Myerscough, Lang, Rollins, Hermann, Miller, Davison and
Metts.
M/Sgt Malcolm N. (Moe) Lemire, new line chief, now plays
regular sax with the station dance band, "The
Rockets". Nice little outfit. Moe is as able with
the clarinet as with the saxophone.
26. A mission to Berlin was scrubbed. Two new crews were
assigned: 2nd Lts McLendon M. Stallings, Joe B. Grobe,
Charles R. Cutter III, Robert H. Cotton; Sgts Erwin O.
Glaser, Frank D. Hermance, Orley N. Meritt, George W.
Olliges, Cpls William D. Sederwall and Jack E. Booth.
2nd Lts David Sweetland, William G. Haines, Robert M.
Francis, F/O Leland H. Doda; S/Sgt Thomas R. Ressler, Sgt
James R. Hamilton, Cpls Martin M. Hogan, Charles E. Lynn,
Earl E. Amell and Read Shoemaker.
1st Lt Joseph C. Hainzer has left for the States and Pfc
Alfred G. Hersey, Jr., sporting brand-new gunner's wings,
is back after successfully completing a training course
at The Wash, Snettisham, Norfolk. He's checked out as a
ball turret gunner, but will fly any gun in order to get
in missions.
27. A mission to Munich was scrubbed. No other
occurrences.
28. Col Halsey
with Lt Yates and eight squadron pilots led the group to
Merseburg today, to bomb a synthetic oil plant by PFF
with undetermined results. Flak was moderate, there were
no enemy fighters and weather, staring with a solid
undercast, was what the GI calls "pisspoor"!
Today's other participants were: Lts English, Flint,
Rollins, Demagalski, Parkman, Miller, Dann and Lang.
Promoted from 2nd to 1st Lts were: Eugene J. Roberts and
Prince A. Rollins. There's a big rash of
re-classifications evident in the morning report today,
with a total of 28 EM, including 1st Sgt Charlie Butts
(from 585 to 502), affected.
29. Back to the same target, at Merseburg, over the same
route today. The weather was worse, if possible, than
yesterday, but breaking clear over the target. However,
Jerry had the big, thick smoke pots out all over the
place, so the boys bombed PFF anyway. We experienced
little trouble, although flak was heavy to our left. A
wing ahead was jumped by 40-50 enemy fighters.
Participating squadron pilots were: Lts Schobert and
Barnicle; Tuz, Marbury, English, Hermann, Lang, Simmons,
Davison and Stuart, with Lt Broderick flying in the lead
PFF ship again.
The squadron came
through a successful stand-by barracks and personnel
inspection conducted by Col Halsey, 1st Sgt Butts and a
small group of officers.
With other groups in the First Division, we have received
a presidential citation for our part in the January 11
raid on Oschersleben. We may now - gravel scratchers as
well as combat men - wear the blue, laurel-bordered
citation emblem, which only about half the ETO seems to
be sporting these days. However, Oschersleben was rough,
but solid, and we may wear our blue with some pride.
30. The group got a stand down for today. Two promotions
sees 2nd Lts John B. Dann and James R. Lang move up to
1st Lts. Both are pilots.
31. The ships began taking off at 08.30 hrs this morning
to attack the BMW Aero Motor Works at Allach, seven miles
NW of Munich. They went all the way just skimming
anvil-topped cumulus clouds at 27,000 ft. The undercast
held solid all the way to Allach, where the lead
bombardier found what he called the only hole of the day.
Successfully negotiating a quck switch from PFF to visual
bombing procedure, he paced the wing to a good job. No
opposition from enemy fighters, but flak was moderate.
Leading today were Lts Parkman with Gnatzig; and Tuz,
Flint, Miller, Dann, Rollins, Hatherley, O'Connor and
Metts. Lt Angevine flew on our PFF ship, #42-97625,
"Sunkist Special", flown by Capt Sandman, 533rd
CO, who led the wing.
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This page was last updated May 6, 2004.