Mission Date: March 3, 1945
BRUNSWICK, MT FACTORY
100th BG Mission #: 271
Mission Summary
ON THIS DAY... MARCH 3, 1945
Forty-four aircrews entered the briefing room, attendance checked by a man stationed at the door. The primary target for the day’s mission was revealed as Brunswick, specifically its Bussing-Nationale Automobil Geselischaft (N.A.G.), a large motor transport factory. The day’s secondary target was Hallendorf - the coke ovens in the Herman Goring Works.
The 100th BG would lead the 13th Combat Wing and the 3rd Air Division’s formation of B-17s with the 95th flying as the Wing’s ‘B’ group and the 390th as its ‘C.’ Putting up three squadrons of loaded bombers and six chaff B-17s, the 100th’s formation would be led by Command Pilot John Wallace, flying with Gerald Brown’s Lead Crew. The High squadron would be led by John Robinson and Charles B. Blanding while the Low by R. W. Hensey and David E. Hutchinson.
The chaff squadron would be led by the 349th’s Jack W. Thrasher, flying ahead of the 3rd Air Division and dropping aluminum chaff meant to confuse the Nazi flak batteries about the altitude of the planes following behind with the bomb load; the goal was more B-17s and their bombs over the target. On that day, the Edward W. Aubuchon Crew would be flying their first combat mission. Copilot Harold (Hal) W. Higgs, remembered, “…we found out at briefing that three of us were going to be hauling tin foil instead of bombs. I didn't know what the hell that was, but we were… “
Loaded down with seven 500 lb. and six incendiary bombs, the 100th’s planes had a normal take-off and assembly. Its formation crossed the continental coast at 25,000 feet and as they neared the target, Pilot Eugene Jensen, flying in the chaff squadron remembered, “It was a beautiful day! Clear, frigid and not a cloud in sight. There was only one P-51 in sight and it was far away, unusual for an escort aircraft. Behind us the 8th Air Force bomber stream stretched for miles…”
With tremendous flak bursting as the chaff squadron of six planes turned onto the bomb run, they forged ahead alone. Hal Higgs remembers Thrasher saying, “’Okay. Spread out a little more. Spread out… Pubah and X ray, move left a little bit,’ because he wanted us to spread out so we get a bigger path of the tin foil… And all of a sudden, I feel the airplane start to vibrate, and I think, oh, what the hell time to lose an engine. And so, I scanned the instrument panel. Hell, you know, hell, the RPMs are correct, the oil pressure is right. Everything is right. Then all of a sudden, I see this ME-262 go over the right wing, one goes under the right wing and one under the left wing, and our gunners had been firing at these jets, and this one went under the left wing, he pulled up, and he blew Jack Thrasher out of the sky. So that was my initiation into combat…”
It was at 1018 hours, when six German ME-262 jets began their attack on the 100th’s chaff ships. Thrasher’s engine had been hit and burst into flames. “The left wing crumpled and the aircraft flipped over on its back and exploded. The fuselage broke at the waist door and both wings fell away…” Reported to have rung the alarm bell, the brave twenty-two year-old Thrasher, stayed in the cockpit of his B-17, trying to maintain control and provide enough time for his crew to bail out. The explosion blew some of the men clear of the aircraft. Charles S. Bayha, flying as Thrasher’s copilot and substituting for Thrasher's regular copilot Ernest Coble who was sick, had been trapped and passed out. Eventually blown free by the plane’s explosion, Bayha’s chute had been pulled by training or, as Bayha said, “…God’s invisible hand entered into it. I believe it.”
The total destruction of Thrasher's ship, blown into oblivion, was numbing to watch for those flying in the Lead squadron behind the chaff ships. Witnessing the destruction of his hut mate, copilot Hank Cervantes with the 349th’s Joe Martin Crew, wrote in his book Pilato, “When a stricken B-17 plunged to earth, it usually dived or spiraled down with a certain elegance that glossed over the fact that inside, terrorized men were reeling around like dice in a tin cup. When one exploded, however, huge assemblies, parts and pieces, and flaming fuel and oil flew off in all directions and the crew was blasted into space like so many scarecrows…The horror of a fire at altitude never fades. The air is so clear up there that fire appears brighter and clearer than on the ground. It is the death fliers fear most…”
And yet, these young men of the 100th stayed the course, releasing their bombs on the target and completing the job that they were all measured against. Navigator Billy Bittle was quoted in his local newspaper back in the States as saying, “There was a thin film of clouds, but we could see our target in the middle of the factory and railroad yard areas. We could see fire and smoke almost instantly as our bombs hit, and then a reddish cloud rose up to about 4,000 feet. Apparently, we hit something very inflammable. By the time we left, black smoke had risen to 15,000 feet.” Dropping their bombs successfully, they hit the Rally Point and moving back into the squadron formations for protection, headed home.
After a seven-hour mission, the airmen landed back at Thorpe Abbotts by 1330 that afternoon with a multitude of ships shooting off flares, signaling injured on board.
Still in shock from what he had experienced during his chaff flight, Tail Gunner Donald Becker on Bernard Painter’s crew left us his haunting memory written into his journal that evening. “…The trip was uneventful to the I. P. when the terrific barrage of flak started boxing us in and the fighters disappeared from our cover — our lead ship called out to spread the formation into an echelon making us a dead duck for fighters - We started evasive action and were on the bomb run-doors open-things were popping & excitement & tenseness reigned - I glanced out to 5 o’clock & there were six fighters seemingly riding cover so I didn’t pay much attention — they passed as P-51’s with belly tanks which are our fighter support. Painter was yelling ‘call out the flak’ so he could go thru with evasive action - I looked to 9 o’clock & called some close bursts out & looked back to 5 and our P-51’s gave a burst of speed and exploded in all directions midst of the jet trails — they were Germany’s new jet fighters the ME 262 - before I could get my wits about me they were in on us & completely out of my line of fire and one was not more than 15 yards off my tail - I could see Jerry’s face & every detail of the secret ship - I was in a cold sweat paralyzed with shock but swung my guns as far as I could out of reflex action but it was too late — he kicked his rudder & was blazing away at our lead ship at point blank range of 20 yards with all cannons & guns…The attack came at the psychological moment before bombs away when everyone is busy & concentrating on the flak & hiding in flak suits — our formation was spread & protection from gunners was weak & almost nil — the fighters picked P. F. F. ships with no ball turret & came in on the tail gunner’s blind spot. That is the closest any airplane has ever been to me & I ever want to see one — especially a deadly jet with 30 mm cannons …Just a few seconds difference & I could have saved 10 men’s lives — it almost drives me crazy to think about it…I really needed my shot of whisky on landing — only I’m still shaking and I can’t erase the picture of that German fighter within arm’s reach & that plane blowing up right next to us…”
It was always hard on the men left in the hut, if any of their mates went down, left with their own last interactions with them. According to Pilot Eugene Jensen, “When we arrived at the barracks, they were moving Thrash, Rimmel, Bott and McGuires clothes out. They slept next to me. I was talking to Bott early in the morning and he remarked that he hated to kill all those people…” Also in the hut with Thrasher were the officers from the Martin crew. Hank Cervantes remembered, “Jack bunked across the aisle from me and only the night before I had watched as he reached over, picked up his large photo of a beautiful girl, kissed it and said, ‘Two more honey. Only two more and I’ll be home’.”
Killed In Action:
Jack White Thrasher - Pilot
Willis McGuire - Radar Navigator
Cecil A. Baker - Tail Gunner
POW:
Charles S. Bayha - Copilot
Gerald Rimmel - Navigator
Harry F. Bott - Bombardier
Thomas Browning - TTE
Albert Egseiker - Radio Operator
Ray Muffley - Waist Gunner
Bombing Results
Bombing Results: GOOD
Aircraft Lost: 1
Crew Lost: 9
Claims of Enemy Losses (CLS): 0
Aircraft Returned:
Photos
Billy Bittle
Story of Bombing mission to Brunswick as told by Billy Bittle.
