Black Week - Munster

Black Week (October 8-14, 1943) Munster - 10 Oct 1943 Bremen  |  Marienburg  |  Munster  |  Schweinfurt

The Group put up 18 aircraft along with 2 from the 390th BG to make it an even 20. Six Aircraft aborted over the sea, one of which being a 390th a/c. That left 13 100th Bomb Group aircraft to carry on towards Munster. Here is the fate of those 13 Crews.

 

A/C 42-30830 B-17F -120-BO   "M’lle Zig Zig"  418TH    LD-U     1 KIA  10 POW

MAJOR JOHN C. EGAN,-418TH SQDN CO             COM P    POW      10 0CT 43         MUNSTER

1ST LT JOHN D. BRADY	P	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
2ND LT JOHN L. HOERR	CP	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
2ND LT DAVID SOLOMON	NAV	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
2ND LT HOWARD B. HAMILTON	BOM	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT ADOLPH BLUM	TTE	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT HAROLD E. CLANTON	WG	KIA	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER	ROG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
PVT ROLAND D. GANGWER	BTG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT JAMES A. McCUSKER	WG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT GEORGE J. PETROHELOS	TG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER

CREW FLEW MOST MISSIONS IN "PADDLEFOOT'S PROXY" 25863 LD-V

NOTES:

T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER REPLACED SAUL LEVITT AS ROG AFTER LEVITT WAS INJURED IN JEEP ACCIDENT. SAUL LEVITT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE STAFF OF "YANK" MAGAZINE UPON HIS RECOVERY. HAFER WAS TAKEN PRISONER. LT DAVID SOLOMON, THE REGULAR NAVIGATOR ON CREW #29 REPLACED HARRY CROSBY FOR THIS MISSION AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER AS WELL.

CREW #32 LED THE 10 OCT 43 MISSION AND MAJ JOHN C. EGAN, THE 418TH CO, FLEW IN THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT. NEAR THE I. P. "MLLE ZIG ZIG" (A/C #42-30830;  HIT BY FLAK KILLING SGT CLANTON AND BADLY WOUNDING HOWARD HAMILTON AND ROLAND GANGWER. THE SURVIVING CREW MEMBERS SUCCEEDED IN BAILING OUT AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER. HAMILTON AND GANGWER SPENT A LONG TIME IN THE HOSPITAL.

 

A/C 42-30090  B-17F - 85-BO  "EL P’sstofo"   349TH   XR-B      10 POW

On 10 Oct 1943 (Munster) Winton MacCarter had already taken over the crew and was flying as first pilot with Lt Dan Barna ( from Sammy Barr Crew) as CP. Was flying in 42-30090 XR-B "El P'sstofo" on October 10, 1943

 

A/C 42-30087  B-17F - 85-BO   "SHACK RAT"  351ST  EP-M   8 KIA,   2 POW

351st Sqdn. This crew joined 100th Group on 6/9/43 On 10/10/43, Sgt John Rupnick was replaced by Sgt. Smith J. Young who was KIA. Young was an original member of the crew of V. E. Fienup.

 

A/C 42-3433  B-17F - 60-DL "LEONA" 350TH    LN-W       3 KIA  7 POW
MACR #1024, Micro fiche 339

350th Sqdn. This the 3rd mission for this crew, having flown the first one 4 Oct 43. (Hanau)

SEE: "MUNSTER: The Way It Was" by Ian Hawkins p. 133, 134, 363, 352

Reply from Geiger Oct. 1990: Plane named "Leona" after wife of R. P. Kramer.

From statements in the MACR file it would appear three men were killed were unable to bail out prior to the ship entering a spin and finally exploding. Gieger (Lt Hugh E. Gieger, Jr. ) said he personally examined the dog tags and they had the appearance of being burned. Kramer (Lt Robert P. Kramer) was at the nose exit ready to jump, when he turned back for one last verification all crew members had bailed out. This gallant action cost the popular Bob Kramer his life.

German reports pinpoint the crash site and time as 1515 hours 10 Oct 1943 "at Lambeck near Wulfen, 100 meters north of Schloss Lembeck. " Interment was on 14 Oct 1943 at Catholic cemetery, Lambeck in Row #1 graves 10, 11 and 12.

 

A/C 42-30023  B-17F - 80-BO    "FOREVER YOURS"   349TH     XR-M    2 KIA   8 POW

349th Sqdn. Assigned to 100th Bomb Group on Sept. 26, 1943 from the 96th Bomb Group. Composition of this crew taken from MACR #1022, Microfiche #338.

Two days before their final mission, this crew had limped home from Germany on one engine in the a/c "Miss Carriage" (Bremen). The first crew in the 8th Air Force to accomplish this task, 400 miles back to England on one engine.

 

A/C 42-30823   B-17F - 120-B0    "INVADIN MAIDEN"    350TH   LN-Y       3 KIA  7 POW
MACR 1025, Microfiche #339

350th Sqdn. Assigned September 1943.

This was the fourth mission for the crew. Sgt. Walker may have died of wounds in hospital or POW camp. STATMENT (in MACR) BY Lt. Watts "Lt. Oss climbed out nose of plane (it had broken in half) after it had come out of spin over target at 1500 ft. Sgts. Higginbotham & Murphy bailed out before it went into the spin. Sgt. Brumbeau believes he was thrown from plane when it broke in two. Sgt. Murphy wounded by burst of 20mm just as he and Fetherstone were about to jump. Fetherstone probably killed by this burst. Oss recalled seeing Lt. Dodson lying in nose of plane and believed him dead or mortally wounded. "As Walts was crawling to the escape hatch he had to crawl over Lt Whallace and noticed that blood covered his face.

 

A/C 42-30734  B-17F-120-BO  "SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS"    351ST   EP-G    3 KIA   7 POW

351ST SQDN. . CREW JOINED THE 100TH IN AUGUST 1943, A VERY EARLY REPLACEMENT CREW. THEY WERE FLYING THEIR FIFTH MISSION ON 10 OCT 43.

see page 154/155 of "MUNSTER: THE WAY IT WAS" BY IAN HAWKINGS.

This crew was on its fifth mission. Apparently after reaching the I. P. this A/C received a head-on attack by enemy a/c and Edward Jones was severely wounded by a 20mm. Almost simultaneously there was a direct flak hid in the waist and both waist gunners killed or severely wounded. Bail out order given but evidently not all got our before ship exploded.

Lt. Sprow shoved Lt. Jones out of nose escape hatch after pulling his rip cord. Several men blown out when plane exploded and their chutes opened.

One crewman later reported as follows: "The Germans threw his body (Jones') into a truck transporting us to a jail. He was all shot up and he was white-I presume he had bled to death. "

 

A/C 42-30723  B-17F -115-BO    "SEXY SUZY, MOTHER OF TEN"       351ST    EP-D   4 POW  6 KIA

351st Sqdn. Sgt James says that the crew joined the 100th Bomb Group "first part of September 43". Tenth mission for crew. A/C#42 30723 "SEXY SUZY MOTHER OF TEN"

. Levine is not listed in S. O. C. as either KlA, MlA, or POW. The MACR notes that Levine and Zoldak were "Determined Dead" the others are noted as "Killed In Action".

Letter from Dan James (7/3/84) says that crew joined the 100th Group "first part of Sept. " Sgts Hicks & Lynch were replacements on crew. They replaced T/Sgt Jones P. Ingram and another man I do not remember. " James adds, "Our plane was downed by a German fighter. " jb

Statement by Milton E. Harness: "Co-pilot (Richard W. Brooks). West Roxbury, Mass. , said Pilot had chute on and did not appear to be injured, but we think it likely the plane exploded in mid-air, as the oxygen system was afire and there appeared to be a gasoline fire in the bomb bay. Bill (William M. Beddow) probably was killed in the plane. Plane was on bombing run and time about 1500 hours. "

 

A/C 42-30047  B-17F - 85-BO   "SWEATER GIRL"      350TH     LN-Q   6 POW  4 KIA 

350th Sqdn. Crew, as above , joined 100th Group on 25/8/43.

On 10/10/43 a S/Sgt CLARENCE C. COOMBS was BTG in place of Sgt Brassell and was KIA.

Note George Brassell was KIA on the 100th's second Munster mission with crew of T. F. Goupill when killed and is buried in Cambridge cemetery.

Statement by Kenneth Baron "I was wounded during an attack by an enemy a/c before I bailed out, sustaining a penetrating wound Of the right thigh which broke the femur. Due to possible shock I have no clear recollection Or the mission nor of most events until I was picked up on the ground by the Germans I do know we flew along the Rhine river some distance from its mouth and that we dropped our bombs I do not recall seeing the target, although we were in large formation when we were subjected to an intense and accurate flak attack and when we were attacked by large numbers Or enemy a/c/

When I bailed out, I was the first person to leave by the lower nose exit because I recall releasing the door by means Or the emergency release handle The bombardier was immediately behind me, preparing to bail out, but once I left the ship I did not see him again, nor did I see the ship after I left it It was flying straight and level at that time to the best Of my knowledge I executed a delayed jump in order to reach ground more quickly and I opened my chute at what I estimated to be 5000 ft During my descent I could recall seeing no aircraft of any sort "

Apparently for over a year there was much confusion as to the exact fate of this crew A German Major had taken the dog tags from several crew members when they were captured and later reports from German sources claimed that Atchison, Secor and Bennett were KIA and buried near Munster (dog tags had been switched in some manner).

The crew this day was flying B-17F 42-30047 "Sweater Girl" LN-Q instead of their regular B-17F "Terry n'Ten" 42-30062, LD-O which was named by Lt Atchison for his wife. The crew was assigned Terry n'Ten on September 16, 1943. On October 10, 1943 the target was MUNSTER, just after the bomb run, the 100th was hit by fighters, and intense flak with one ME 109 colliding with Lt William Beddow's aircraft "Sexy Susy, Mother of Ten" 42-30723 EP-D which had completed only 6 mission prior to October 10th. The collision occurred on Lt. Beddows left wing with flames erupting throughout the plane. The bailout order was given and 4 men got out, the plane exploded in mid air after going into a steep spiral killing Lt Beddow and 5 of his crew. It has been speculated that "Sweater Girl" also was damaged by this midair collision but surviving crew members report that the aircraft was under heavy flak followed by fighter attacks and was severly damaged before the crew was ordered to bail out. There is no mention from Crew reports that their plane sustained any damage from Lt Beddow's mid-air collision with the Me109. According to eye witness accounts, Lt Atchison was hit in No 2 Engine, it must have been an oil line because oil was pouring out in a stream. All the officers along with the TTG and TG were fortunate in escaping the severly damage B-17 but unfortunately, the rest of the crew perished when the plane crashed a few miles north of Munster at Ostberven near the Dormund-Ems canal. (mpf 6/2001)

 

A/C 42-30725  B-17F -115-BO   "AW-R-GO"      350TH     LN-Z     8 POW  2 KIA
Time: 1500/1530
A/C last seen: Munster
Cause:EAC

ORIGINAL 418TH Crew on 21st mission. Weeks said that Vincenti bailed out of bomb-bay with chute afire. Had been fighting fire in radio room.

Garrison saw both James Johnson & Robert Bixler wounded and in waist of plane. Plane blew up and Garrison blown out. Ship had dropped bombs on target.

Weeks said; "Germans said Vincenti's chute had burned in the descent and that he was dead before hitting the ground. Bixler said Germans had shown him Vincenti's dog tags and told him that he was dead. "

Johnson said he was blown out of ship and his chute opened at about 5, 000 ft. Clark couldn't seem to get his escape hatch open and was probably killed when plane blow up. Fighter attack caused fire in ship.

German Records show :Sgt. Charles A. Clark interred on 11 Oct 1943 at Lienen Cemetary/Wesph. Northwestern third of cemetery, southern grave. O. E. Vincenti northern grave (probably entirely burnt since Id tag was found burnt , too. )

Mrs. Agnes Clark 603 Laurel Ave. Highland Park, Ill.

 

A/C 42-3237 B-17F-40-DL    "STYMIE"       418TH L    LD-R     10 POW

AFTER SEVERE FLAK DAMAGE AND ATTACKS BY FIGHTERS THE PILOTS MADE A SUCCESSFUL BELLY LANDING. MAX DRUDGE WAS WOUNDED IN THE RIGHT WRIST AND HAND BY A 20-MM AND T/SGT BATTIN SUFFERED A BROKEN ARM, THE REMAINDER WERE NOT INJURED AND ALL BECAME POWS.

 

A/C 42-3229  B-17F-40-DL    "PASADENA NENA "     349TH      XR-A    7 POW  2 KIA

MACR #1021, Microfiche #338

349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group in early July 1943. It was one of the first four replacement crews of the Group. The other three were Lt Henry Henington, F/O Owen "Cowboy" Roane, and Lt Walter "Chief" Moreno. Medals Awarded Lt Justice: DFC, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

This mission to Munster on 10/13/43 was the 17th for this crew; its first was to Kiel on 25/7/43. Lt. Shields was wounded about the head by 20mm fire but did bail out. A notation on a German report in MACR says his body was found about 100 meters from the crash point on 10 November. Jack Justice is of the belief that, if the German report is factual, Shields was sheltered by friendly Dutch in the area immediately after he landed but that he finally died of his wounds and the Dutch, fearing the Germans would discover they had aided him placed his body near the crash site to be found by the Germans. Sportelli's remains were apparently found in the a/c debris he had not bailed out. It is probable that he was killed or very badly wounded by 20 mm fire. He and Shields were buried at Ede Cemetery in Row C, Graves #1 & 2. Justice was taken in by the Dutch Resistence forces and, after many months, returned to Thorpe Abbotts. He has written a very interesting account of his life as an evadee. See also Ian Hawkins book on Munster raid. . . pw

 

A/C 42-6087 B-17F-45-VE    "ROYAL FLUSH"     418TH    LD-Z    2 SWA

 The only crew to return from the mission with two engines shot out and two crew members seriously wounded.