Mission

ON THIS DAY...AUGUST 25,1944

The 3rd Division’s orders called for its B17s to attack targets in northern Germany with half of them to be sent to the synthetic oil plant at Pölitz and the other half to an airfield at Rechlin, one hundred miles west.

Flying to Pölitz, the 13CBW would fly two wing formations: the 95BG as the 13A and the 100BG as the 13B, flying sixth and seventh in the Division line. The 390BG would be split up, flying six of its B-17s with the 95BG, a group with the 4CBW targeting Rechlin and a group flying with the 45CBW, targeting Pölitz.

At Thorpe Abbotts, thirty-eight crews listened intently as they were briefed for the target of the IG Farben synthetic oil plant, responsible for producing 15% of the synthetic fuel so desperately needed by Germany. Located one hundred ten miles northeast of Berlin and inland from the Baltic Sea on the Oder River and Bay of Pomerania, the men were briefed on their northern route which would take them within twenty miles of Sweden, a ‘neutral’ country during the war. NAV Rowland Hetrick on Walter Radke’s crew recorded, “We were again in the general area of Berlin. They briefed us on how to get to Sweden if anything happened. Our route was mostly over water which I liked better than flying over Germany proper.”

Leading the 100BG would be Major Robert Rosenthal, flying Command Pilot with Austin Dunlap and his Pathfinder crew. The High formation would be led by Lt Colonel Frederick Price, flying as Deputy Lead in the 2nd Pathfinder with William Terminello while Captain Mark Cope would lead the Low group with John Giles.

At 0754 hours, loaded with ten 500# bombs, the High group’s thirteen B-17s took off first, continuing their climb to 4500 feet while the Lead group’s twelve B-17s took off next, followed by the last thirteen Fortresses. After forming up with 1000 feet separating each formation, the 100BG flew on to Ipswich where they joined the 13A, echeloned to its left as briefed.

Between Ipswich and Great Yarmouth the 13A and B wings descended in an attempt to fly under the briefed frontal system with the 100BG departing the English coast at 1500 feet. When the formations couldn’t get through the weather system at the lower altitude, an early climb was commenced to attempt to get above the clouds. As the formations climbed, the 100BG encountered another wing coming at it from the NW direction. Flying his #2 mission, Thomas Anderson’s ROG Glenn Smiley recorded, “Crossed North Sea at 2000 feet and met another formation as we were rising through overcast. They came in [on] our left, scattered formation…” Crossing the 100th’s path, the other formation turned north while the 100BG was forced to cut sharply east.

The thick clouds had forced the pilots on instruments and making visual contact between the B-17s was difficult. Losing its Low group during the climb, the 100BG finally broke out above the clouds, in visual contact with five other wings. Still echeloned off the 13A, six of the lost low group’s B-17s eventually rejoined the 100BG before it departed the Danish coast.

At the IP, the 100BG took its place behind the 95BG for the bomb run. With the target covered by a wide circle of smoke, flares shot from the lead ship had indicated a PFF bomb run. Opening their bomb bay doors, the formations made their turn onto the bomb run.

With the 95th over the target ahead of them, the 100th’s crews were unnerved as they observed the 95th's B-17s swallowed by the heavy flak ahead and watched as one of its Fortresses exploded from a direct flak hit while another had its right wing blown off.

However, Lady Luck was riding with the 100BG as its bombs were away at 1307 hours without the loss of a plane, although its B-17s had absorbed the accurate flak with some very close calls. Three shells had broken over Walter Radke’s Fortress, one burst hitting the upper turret in front of his TTE Robert Ault. Thomas Anderson’s aircraft received twelve holes, with one flak piece flying past his NAV Gerald Klecker’s neck while his flak armor saved him from another piece of flak hitting his chest. William Urban’s B-17 took thirteen flak hits. John Lundquist and Harvey Rowland’s B-17s received such serious flak damage, they would be sent to the sub-depot department for repair upon landing. And pilot Leonard Coleman, flying his last combat mission recorded, “Got a nice one for the last one…There was some real good flak and we got some pretty close hits. We got about 16 holes in our Plane.” The 100th would make it through with only one airman wounded. Paul Spurgeon’s WG, thirty-four year-old Thomas Dressel from Passaic, NJ was severely wounded when he was hit in his heel by a piece of flak.

Briefed to make a left turn off the target, the 100th’s Command pilots could see the 95BG still drawing heavy flak after it turned, so the decision was made to turn right instead, putting the 100BG immediately out of the flak range.

Making the Rally Point, Pathfinder lead pilot William Terminello added “Flak was bad but again our group got very little due to our spacing and evasive action after bombs away. Frank (Rubick) is doing swell and so is Stu (Gillison) Colonel Price rode with us and was fine as command pilot. It sure makes a man feel good to know this crew is a lead and can hit our targets." Joseph Ricker’s TG Raymond Mainka tells us, “The target was hit good. An oil smoke was coming out after I looked back after the rally point.”

Back in formation, the German coast was departed but the gunners below were not yet finished with the exiting 95BG. Two additional B17s took direct hits and after chutes were seen, exploded. Rowland Hetrick recorded, “On the way home we saw a couple of ships go down. One was headed for Sweden the other on a course of about 270 degrees. We thought we saw some enemy fighters but they didn't come in.”

With two B17s returning earlier, at 1629 hours, the remaining thirty-six Fortresses came into view in formation over the field at Thorpe Abotts, with Spurgeon’s ship given priority landing due to his wounded WG. After the rough nine hour mission, ships came in low on gas while some with battle damage struggled through their landing. At the field to watch the return of the crews, spare gunner Lewis Martin observed, "The first ship unloaded an injured crew member. Had gone thru heavy flak. One came in on the grass with the hydraulic system out and no brakes. Came for us on end of runway, ground looped then stopped over taxiway - plenty of holes, no one hurt. One ship (Gay 59) lost prop – plenty had feathered props. One had nose plexiglas shot out, navigator and bombardier picked glass out of eyes.” And Walter Bailey’s TTE, Calvin Dollar recorded, “We landed with 10 gal. of gas per engine remaining.”

When the alert light went on that evening, many of the same crews were on the Squadron boards to fly again the next day. Exhausted, sleep was desired by all but came slowly to some. Sergeant Thomas Dressel would be hospitalized for eight weeks but would once again fly with his crew after being released.

Crews flying that day:

J Williams, Chamberlain, Grigg, Raine, Frazier, Streed, Cope, Radke, Bailey, Heironimus, Shelly, D Thompson, Ricker, Dyatt, Kassebaum, Jenkins, Kemp, Spurgeon, Anderson, Urban, Cumming, Ernst, Rumley, Dobrogowski, Ellison, Stevenson, Coleman, Gay, Darby, Rowland, Hopkins, McLaughlin, Hempy, Kramp, Schaffhausen, Lundquist