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HISTORICAL RECORD - May 1944




HEADQUARTERS, 722ND BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H)

APO  520  U. S. ARMY

 

10 June 1944

 

SUBJECT: Historical Records.

 

TO: Commanding General, Fifteenth Air Force, Attention: Historian (through channels)

 

            1. Unit history of the 722nd bombardment Squadron (H) for the period 1 May to 31 May 1944.

 

                        a. The present designation of the unit is 722nd Bombardment Squadron (H), 450th Bombardment Group (H), 47th Bombardment Wing (H), 15th Air Force, United States Army.

 

                        b. Changes in Organization

 

                                    (1) None

                                    (2) None

                                    (3) None

                                    (4) None

 

                        c. Strength, commissioned and enlisted.

 

                                    (1) Month of May 1944

 

                                                (a)  At beginning:            481

                                                (b) Increase:                      29

                                                (c) Decrease:         -

                                                (d) At end:                 510

 

                        d. Manduria, Italy #25, Army Air Base.

 

                        e. No movement of Organization in May

 

                        f. Campaigns

 

                                    (1) Italian

                                    (2) Duration: from 2 January 1944, still in progress

 

                        g. Operations

 

                                    (1) Fourteen Missions were flown for a total of 188 sorties.

 

                                    (2) We attacked marshalling yards at Brasov, Roumania; Piacenza, Vicenza and La Spezia, Italy and Nice and Marseille France. We twice attacked the oil refineries at Ploesti, Roumania. A mission was attempted against a railroad bridge near Latisana, Italy and since that target couldn't be reached the railroad bridge near Montesilvano, Italy was bombed. One mission was flown against enemy troop concentration near the Anzio Beachhead. Two against an airdrome near Wiener Neustadt, Austria; and one against the aircraft component factory in the same area. Two missions against Port Installations at Porto San Stefano, Italy.

 

                                    (3) On 29 May 1944 an important mission was flown, our objective was to destroy the airdrome installations and aircraft assembly plant and also to relieve the aerial pressure the Germans had against the Partisans, in Yugoslavia. The target was the Wollensdorf Airdrome, near Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The target was well hit and the pattern was good.

                                         On 30 May 1944, our formation was jumped by 15-20 Me 109's when they returned on this date to the Wiener Neustadt area. The attacks were from 6 o'clock level and high. All the attacks were aggressive and most of them single and closing into 50 yards. The target was well hit. Lt Bruner and crew went down to enemy fighters on this mission. The P 51's put in a belated appearance and ended the battle in short order.  

 

                        h. Losses in Action

 

                                    On 12 May 1944 on the raid against the harbor installations at San Stefano, Install, Italy, the following men were missing in action. Lts Smith, Carl L; Craven, Albert D; Cornelius, Willard M; Farrar, Edwin R.; S/Sgts Nally, John M,; Payne, Langeton; Janzen Herbert; Sgts DeBlois, Joseph N; Courlay, Bernard W.; Wells Jr. James E.; Lts Word, J.C.; Bertling, Norbert T; Garret, Edward F; Werner, John M; T/Sgts Spector, Morris; Beightol, Harry M; S/Sgts Shirley, James G.; Whitley, Loyd: Boaz, Paul D.

 

                                    On 24 May 1944 to bomb the Wollensdorf Airdrome at Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The following men were missing in action: Lts Chrestia, August A.; Hendricks, James W; Cook, Harold E Jr; Isaak Andrew; S/Sgts Ferguson, Wm C. Jr; Jones, Arthur W. Jr; Cpl Mikolajczk Albin S; Pfc Bilik, Paul F; S/Sgt Morris, Robert P; Cpl Galvao, Manuel J.

 

                                    On 29 May 1944, on mission to bomb the railroad installations at La Spezia, Italy, the following crew was missing in action. Lts Shain, Layman E; Hayward, Richard E; Lehrer, George; Cupo, Frank J; S/Sgts McMorrow, James R; Medinger, Robert L; Sgts Bell, Arthur A. Jr; Russo, Giovanni; Whipple, Earl F; Shaffer, John.

 

                                    On 30 May 1944 on a mission to bomb the Wollensdorf Aircraft Factory in Austria, the following crew was missing in action: Lts Brunner, Tommy F; Morrissey, Francis J; Parr, Harry E Jr. Gross Edwin; T/Sgt Jones, Dee R. Jr; S/Sgt Cain, Richard J; Engle, Chas. D; Pine, Arthur W; Sgts Josephson, Harland F; Mielke, Wallace J.

 

                                    On 31 May 1944 on a mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Roumania the following crews wer missing in action. Lts Schaeffer, Gerald L; Marker, Herbert J; Friedber, Alan; F/O Looney, Temple O; S/Sgts Vasquez, Martin; Larson, Orville H. Sgts LaCome, Alex F; Paul, Thomas F; Jarvis, Marvin W.; Werner, Norman C.; Lts Barrett, John F; Smith, Arthur L; Dunn, Jackson F; Scherer, John P.; S/Sgts Poffinberger, Ralph L.; Hankins, Irwin M; Madera, Aurelio; Major, Robert R; Smith, Clair C.

 

            2. Enclosed is the War Diary of this unit for the period 1 May 1944 to 1 June 1944.

 

                                    For the Commanding Officer:

                                                                                                                                    JULES J. L. HESSEN

                                                                                                                                    1st Lt., Air Corps

                                                                                                                                    Squadron Historian

 

1 Incl. War Diary 



DIARY of the 722nd BOMB Sq. (H)

MONTH of MAY

 

May 1

 

The weather was bright and cool but hter was no mission today. There were two practice missions flown to acquaint the new crews with the tactics employed here and to give them practice in formation flying. Today was "Defense Day" and all personnel were walking around as if they just returned from the front and were ready to leave I in a few hours. A target identification lecture was given by Lt. Chronister to the bombardiers. The movies today were "Battle for Britain" and "Swing Out the Blues". The Group celebrated its first anniversary today.

 

May 2

 

There was no combat mission flown today. The crews were briefed at 0700 for a practice mission. There were six boxing bouts on in the evening at the 450th ring.

 

May 3

 

Another practice mission was flown today. Col. Mills emphasized the fact that formation flying was of the utmost importance. There was a Group formation in front t of Group Headquarters. Coll. Mills was awarded the Silver Star, Col. Gideon and Lt. Courtwright were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Captain McQueen was awarded the Air Medal. Many of the crews received the Purple Heart award. The theatre in Oria featured "The Black Hills Express."

 

May 4

 

The mission planned for today was that "Old Favorite" Ploesti, Roumania but the mission was scrubbed shortly after takeoff and the planes returned to the base. The weather in this area is beautiful today, a good many of the boys can be seen wearing suntans already. In the afternoon all personnel exercised in a close order drill, What Fun!

 

May 5

 

Ten of our planes took off at 0800 to bomb the Oil Refinery at Ploesti, Roumania. The target was completely obscured by smoke making it difficult for the bombardiers to make their sightings. About thirty minutes past the target a huge smoke column rose to 12,000 feet indicating that an oil storage tank was hit. The formation encountered intense, accurate flak and also numerous fighters. There was a show in town "The Falcon Meets Danger". A few of the gunners completed 50 missions today and were put on rotation, without a doubt the morale of the crews was bolstered by that.

 

May 6

 

The crews met for briefing very early this morning and took off at 0800 to bomb the marshalling yards at Brasov, Roumania. The results were good and there was a large concentration of bombs in the target area. The flak today was medium, inaccurate and heavy and there were no encounters with enemy aircraft. All planes and crews returned safely to base at 1700. Informal bell games are a daily occurrence now that the weather is so befitting.

 

May 7

 

A mission was planned today and the planes took off but returned early due to bad weather. The Soldiers Medal was awarded to M/Sgt Merritt today for having saved a burning aircraft on the line at the risk of his own life. There were Church Services held this morning and the attendance was quite large. The boxing matches scheduled for this evening were cancelled until tomorrow due to adverse weather.

 

May 8

 

There was no briefing or mission today due to bad weather. Practice bombing and gunnery missions were flown by the new replacement crews. The Intelligence section gave lectures today to the entire group on Russian Aircraft and their capabilities. A lecture on Escape Proceedings was also given. The movie that was on today was "Reveille with Beverly" and was very good.

 

May 9

 

Briefing was scheduled for 1100 for Wiener Neustadt today but was cancelled due to weather. Beer was part of this weeks rations, one quart of Italian beer, even that taste good. There was a U.S.O. Show presented at the theatre in Oria. It was well attended and found to be very good. Helen Young, formerly with Johnny Long's band stole the show by far.

 

May 10

 

Eleven of our planes took off in what appeared like nice weather to bomb Wiener Neustadt but turned back after several hours due to bad weather. All the bombs were "fed to the fish". There was no movie tonight due to the Italians having a fiesta in Oria. 

 

May 11

 

There was no mission today. Maximum maintenance was ordered. Engineering was told that every available plane would fly tomorrow. Briefing was held at an unusual hour, 2000 for tomorrows mission. Wild speculations are going on throughout the Squadron. The PX rations are improving, there was a fine array of candy and an abundance of cigarettes for all.

 

May 12

 

The crews had their briefing last night for the mission today. The target being the harbor installations at San Stefano, Italy. The target was covered with an excellent concentration. This morning the formation was routed to fly up to and just behind the front lines to help bolster the morale of the front line soldiers. Today was our first "Double Header"! At 1200 the crews were briefed and the planes took off at 1300 but the mission was called off before the planes were entirely off the field. The movie in town today was "Beautiful but Broke". On arrival back to the base all looked like they took a flour bath due to the abundance of dust.

 

May 13

 

The "White Tails" were again airborne this morning to bomb the marshalling yards at Piacenza, Italy. A good concentration of hits were scored in the target area with many hits at the choke point and large fires were started. The boys sure were happy when they landed and little wonder – no flak, no enemy fighters and a perfect bomb pattern to go with it. The formations again flew over the front line to show the boys about there that the Air Force is feeding the "Jerries" plenty.

 

May 14

 

The target for today was the marshalling yards at Vicenza, Italy. The Mission wasn't too successful. Navigation was poor the mission was poorly run and it is doubtful if any of the bombs hit the target. There were church services held this morning and a large crowd was present to observe Mother's Day. Colonel Mills addressed a formation of the ground echelon and congratulated and thanked all for the excellent job they are doing. He also read messages of commendations that the Group received. The 47th Wing established a beach and the entire personnel are taking advantage of if and are might pleased with it.

 

May 15

 

There was no mission today. Practice formations were flown. The day was beautiful and a good deal of the personnel took advantage of it by going down to the beach for a swim. The movie today was "His Butlers Sister" starring Deanna Durbin. The men seemed to like Deanna Durbin.

 

May 16

 

No mission today. The weather was beautiful. The blue Italian skies sure provide an excellent ceiling for bathing. Lectures on Escape Procedure were given to the combat personnel by an Air Force Representative.

 

May 17

 

The target for today was the harbor installations at port San Stefano. Colonel Mills led a fine mission today. The pattern was good and the target was well hit. The flak was not effective and a good many attribute it to the fact that Col Mills did a good job of evading it. Another excellent mission for the White Tails. The movie today was "Action in the Arabia". The usual large crowd was present but all are awaiting anxiously the opening of he open air theater here on the base. A solution to eliminating the trip to Oria and being covered with dust.

 

May 18

 

The briefed target for today was the Oil Refineries at Ploesti, Roumania. Very bad weather was encountered about an hour before the target. During the afternoon most of the men could be found down at the 47th Wings' private beach, swimming, playing baseball or football or just taking things easy and getting a good suntan.

 

May 19

 

The weather today was not too ideal for flying but the group was ably led by Lt. Col. Gideon. The target was Spezia in Northern Italy and briefing was at 0430. It was another red letter day for the 450th. The bombing results were excellent with a large concentration on bombs on the marshalling yard and choke point with hits also on the gas works, oil storage area and building adjacent to the marshalling yard. Many fires were observed as the planes left the target. "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" was shown at the theatre in Oria.

 

May 20

 

Today was an off day all around. A standdown was scheduled and the weather was anything but nice. Intermittent rain showers during the entire morning and afternoon. Things ran along in the squadron in the same usual manner.

 

May 21

 

Another missionless day. Thee stand downs are permitting a good number of men to catch up on their sack time. There were five good bouts put on at the Manduria Arena and at least a thousand people attended. The colored boys from the M.P. detachment took an active part and each and every bout was a fine one.

 

May 22

 

The mission for today was an important railroad bridge at Latisana, Italy. The target was completely obscured by clouds and the planes circled the target may times hoping to find an opening but being unsuccessful they went on to bomb an alternate. All of our ships returned safely to base. At last the outdoor theatre was opened tonight. There was a large crowd present but there was still plenty of room. The picture was "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" starring Betty Grable. Special Services is to be commended on doing such a fine job on the theatre.

 

May 23

 

Our ships took off at 0730 to bomb troop concentrations in the Grattaferrara area. This was in support of the Anzio Beachhead. Due to cloud coverage the extent of damage could not be estimated. The "G.I. Movies" scheduled for tonight were called off due to rain. Special Service was sorry that they did not have rain checks.

 

May 24

 

The target for today was the Wollensdorf Airdrome at Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The results were not too successful, they did not meet up with any escort and they were jumped by enemy fighters before the target. The Group lost quite a few planes today. In the evening a thriller was held at our theatre entitled "The Uninvited". It was a mystery show and proved to be very entertaining. The evening was cool and damp. Everyone is in favor with the outdoor theater and the crowd attention is quite large.

 

May 25

 

Porto Marghera Oil Storage Installations in Northern Italy provided the target for today. There were two aiming points today and both were well hit. The "Cotton Tails" did it again. Everyone remarked that the barbecue was very well prepared. Take a bow Dave Hettleman of the Red Cross.

 

May 26

 

The crews were briefed this morning at 0400 and took off at 0630 to bomb the marshalling yards at Nice, France. The target was very well hit with an excellent pattern. Many of the boys went to the beach this afternoon. We wonder if the rumor that many were caught with their pants down when some nurses came on the beach is true. The movie tonight was "Mr Big". Due to the fact that the sound track wasn't very good the picture wasn't enjoyed very much.

 

May 27

 

The mission for today was the marshalling yards at Marseille, France. The target was obscured by smoke of other Groups bombs but we hit the aiming point anyway. Flak was encountered from the I.P. to the target and many a ship was holed. When the fact that there was going to be a standdown the following day was announced, it seemed like a mild holiday spirit got into the blood of all.

 

May 28

 

The program for today was maximum training and maintenance – no mission. It was a beautiful day and church was well attended. The beach was well attended also during the morning and afternoon as well as the evening.

The usual Sunday evening boxing bouts were held and the card and many a good bout on it. At 2300, the air raid siren sounded. Everyone immediately proceeded to their shelters. Flashes could be seen in the distance. It was later confirmed that it was only one German plane.

 

May 29

 

The ships took off at 0600 to bomb the Wollensdorf Airdrome at Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Due to the bombing of other groups the aiming point was obscured by smoke. The lead bombardier caught a glimpse of the hanger in the target area and as a result the bombs were dropped in the target area causing considerable damage. In the evening while the move going crowd was enjoying "Lost Angel" with Margaret O'Brien, the "krauts" put in an appearance again. The jerry was very obliging and came over during the change of reels. The audience sought shelter to sweat him out and after the all clear returned to the theater.

 

May 30

 

The Memorial Day Mission was to Ebreichzdorf, Austria to destroy the aircraft component factory. The formation was attacked by about 20 German fighters that were scared away when the P 51's put in an appearance. The target was not hit and all seemed a little disappointed. In the evening there were movie shorts shown that were interrupted by an air raid alert.

 

May 31

 

There was an early briefing this morning – 0430. The target was Ploesti, Roumania. Lt Col Gideon led the formation. The target was very effectively screened off by smoke, but huge fires were started and black smoke was observed making it evident that the target was hit. Interception was attempted but all returned safely to base except Lt Schaeffer and Lt Barretts crews. In the evening "Courageous Women" was shown. The picture was a little too false to make it good, at least in the eyes of an overseas Group. There were a lot of pretty women in it though so that helped to make up a bit for it.

 

                                                                                                                        JULES J. L. HESSEN

                                                                                                                        1st Lt., Air Corps,

                                                                                                                        Squadron Historian



 




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