Certainly a nice change of pace from just looking up aircraft performances in any event, huh
We have the opportunity to possibly place specific people in specific planes in places in time.
And help complete a story for a lost servicemans sister in the proccess
thanks a ton for the help
From the 81st website
Feb 44
22. Today the group learned what the true meaning of tight formation, large numbers of bombers and a full fighter escort.
Thirty one Forts took off this morning but some of the filthiest weather conditions over not a high altitude prevented the majority of them from bombing. Nineteen of them aborted, three of them out of the six sent by this squadron.
Twelve, including Lts Smith, Hustedt and Downey followed Major John Fitzgerald of the 532nd, to a rendezvous with 15 Forts from the 91st BG. These 27 ships, late for their escort, proceeded over the German coast alone, headed for Oschersleben.
About an hour inside Germany they were hit by more than 200 German fighters of high calibre. Major Fitzgerald had two sets of wingmen shot down. The group lost six, three from the 535th . The target bombed was Bunde, after more that 40 minutes of constant attack from enemy fighters, mostly FW190's.
MIA crews: 1st Lt Lee W. Smith, 2nd Lts Rowland H. Evans, Leonard P. Meier, Harold Kaufman; T/Sgts Harold C. Kemper, John C. Zappala, S/Sgt Lester P. Larson, Sgt Reginald C. Solway, S/Sgts Andrew F. Manning and Lawrence V. Eden.
2nd Lts Henry Hustedt, Keith S. Mauzey, Oral H. Hert, Stanley B. Inglis; Sgt Arthur R. Tell, S/Sgt Abelardo Rodruiguez, Sgts Rocco F. Russo, Vito R. Kuracina, Leslie J. Hanna and Robert C. Pingel.
2nd Lts Charles H. Downey, Donald Herdlicka, John D. Hicks, James C. Evans; S/Sgts Miller P. Chauvin, Earl E. Matheson, Earl B. Scheik, Sgt Norman E. Phillips, S/sgts Adolph V. Carini and Joseph G. Sorbino.
Sgts R. W. Smith and R. J. Powell, flying with other squadrons were each credited with an e/a damaged.
