Personnel

CREW                 

        "SEAMANS DEMONS"

2nd Lt James S.Seamans           P   CPT  26/11/44 HAMM SN# 0-817761

2nd Lt Clyde W.Lollis             CP   CPT  26/11/44 HAMM                TARGET WAS HAMM  A/C # 44-8148 'SEAMANS DEMONS"

2nd Lt George L.Rhoades      NAV   CPT 26/11/44 HAMM                This is on of the 100th's better known crews and this was a 

2nd Lt William R.Brice          BOM  CPT 26/11/44 HAMM                very trying last mission for them. See Passen and Rhoades Memo Files..

 S/Sgt Herbert A.Grand       ROG  CPT 26/11/44 HAMM

 S/Sgt Paul A.Ross                   TTE  CPT 26/11/44 HAMM

   Sgt Homer Goodman          BTG  CPT 26/11/44 HAMM

   Sgt Anthony T.Schimmel      WG   RFS 06/08/44            When crew became PFF, Sgt Schimmel was transferred to Ground Crew. 

                                                                                     Became Crew Chief of "Seamans Demons"

   Sgt Edward J.Tatro               TG  CPT 26/11/44 HAMM

   Sgt John J.Sheehan             WG  WIA 19/07/44 SCHWEINFURT (by flak)    



418th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 4/7/44. It appears as Crew #85 on Roster 

of 3/8/44 and as a PFF crew on 13/9/44. On 26/11/44 this PFF crew was as follows on a mission 

to Hamm.  The crew was named "Seamans Demons", with artwork on the back of the jackets, never painted 

on the Aircraft. Lt Seamans flew 30 Missions, rest of Crew flew 29.



   Lt.Col Channing Emberson    Air Commander

   Capt James Seamans P

  1st Lt Clyde W.Lollis  CP/FORMATION OFFICER

   Capt George L.Rhoades Lead Navigator

   Capt William R.Brice  Lead Bombardier

 1st Lt Seymour Passen  Command Navigator

 1st Lt Earl Frye   Radar Navigator

 T/Sgt Paul A.Ross  TTE

 T/Sgt Herbert A.Grand  ROG

 S/Sgt Homer Goodman  RWG

 S/Sgt Edward J.Tatro  LWG



     COL S.R. PASSEN  (100TH COMMAND NAVIGATOR)



     Excerpts: Letter to pw 23 Feb 1993



… First of all  I'll explain what my duties were as Command Navigator..

It was the duty of the Com Nav to assemble the aircraft around the Buncher (Radio Beacon) for a starter.. He had the expertise to control the timing, radius of circling, etc. to get the various aircraft and squadrons together so as to complete the assembly of the group.. It involved circling, climb and zig zagging to lose or gain time, in order to get the group to the various bomber stream assembly  points  at  the  planned  times..  This  had  to  be  done precisely so that the proper time intervals firmed up between the various Groups of aircraft.



Once enroute, the Crew Navigator handled the duties of getting the airplane to the target zone.  The Command Navigator just followed along and tried to be helpful to the Crew Nav..



Addition to MEMO : (refers to extract from Sqd History…pw) 



When we experienced our second fire, we were given the word to Prepare to Bail Out.. By procedure, I was to be the first one out.. As such, I disconnected from the ship's intercom and crouched at the escape hatch waiting for someone to push me out.. After a wait of what seemed to be ten minutes, but wasn't,  I got pulled back from the hatch and was told we weren't going…



Correction to MEMO :  (refers to extract from Sqd History…pw) 



George Rhoades (the regular Crew Navigator) may not have had maps but I did… They included Sectional type charts and a long range chart.. I used the long range chart to give the pilot (James S. Seamans) the heading to the emergency field which I had previously marked on the chart during mission briefing.. As we were heading for the battle line  I observed the launch of a V 2 rocket from a clearing in a section of woods.. The sectional  charts were so detailed that I was able to pinpoint the exact launch site.. When they started to debrief us at the emergency field, the debriefing Officer left us in a rush when I gave him the info on the V 2 launch site.. I guessed he was getting the information to the P 47 boys !



I had the feeling that the crankshaft was broken on the #2.. At times it must have disconnected and the prop windmilled without 

vibration.. At other times it really shook up the aircraft.. I had moved to the main cabin and was sitting on the deck with my back 

against the bulkhead of the radio room and with my feet bracing against the ball turret mount,  when the prop flew off on final 

approach.  I went back into the plane when the dust had settled and saw that the prop had come through the nose over the nav table and crushed the "G" box.. I don't think it was salvageable…



All in all it was an experience one doesn't look forward to repeating.   I flew thousands of hours afterwards and had a few 

close calls but nothing quite as excitinq as that mission..



When we finished debriefing, Emberson (EMBERSON ,C.B. LT COL), Frye (FRYE, E.L. LT), and I decided to catch a ride to Brussels and see the sights…We managed to get back to the emergency field in time to get our ride back to the 100th..





"Pilot Capt. James Seaman flew 30 Missions (first one as observer) and rest of crew flew 29 Missions starting with Kiel on July 18, 1944.  Sgt. Tony Schimmel was replaced at waist position by Sgt Homer Goodman (BTG) when this became a lead crew in September 1944.  Sgt John Sheehan (WG) was wounded by flak on the second mission and replaced by "fill in" gunners until we became a lead crew.  Lt Earl Frye was added as a permanent member when we became a lead crew."………………………….(from Herb Grand mpf 2001)





OPERATIONAL SORTIES OF "SEAMANS DEMONS" (by Capt. James Seamans  mpf 2001)

 Capt Seamans completed 30 Missions, Rest of Crew flew 29 Missions



1. AUXERRE, FR   17 JUL 44  (Flew first mission as Co-Pilot Observer)

2. KIEL/HEMMINGSTADT,  GER 18 JUL 44 (First Mission with SEAMANS DEMONS)

3. SCHWEINFURT, GER  19 JUL 44 WG Sgt Sheehan wounded by flak

4. MERSEBURG, GER  20 JUL 44

5. LUDWIGSHAVEN, GER  21 JUL 44

6. NORTHERN FRANCE/ST LO 24 JUL 44

7. MERSEBURG, GER  29 JUL 44

8. TROYES, FR   03 AUG 44

9. HAMBURG, GER  04 AUG 44

10. MAGDEBURG, GER  05 AUG 44

11. BREST    03 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: LT. COL. PRICE

12. STUTTGART   05 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

13. MAINZ    08 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

14. SINDELFINGEN   13 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: CAPT. GORSKI

15. WARSAW   18 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. EMBERSON

16. SZOLNOK   19 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. EMBERSON

17. LUDWIGSHAVEN  25 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. WALLACE

18. BREMEN   26 SEP 44  LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR 

19. MAINZ    27 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. THOMPSON

20. BIELEFELD   30 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. ZELLER

21. KASSEL   02 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: LT. COL. PRICE

22. BERLIN    06 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. THOMPSON

23. BOHLEN   07 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. WALLACE

24. BREMEN   12 OCT 44 LEAD  COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

25. COLOGNE   17 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. THOMPSON 

26. KASSEL   18 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

27. NEUMUNSTER     6 NOV 44 LEAD

28. LANGERWEHE/AACHEN 16 NOV 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

29. OSNABRUCK   21 NOV 44 LEAD

30. HAMM    26 NOV 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. EMBERSON





1944 MISSION OF SGT ANTHONY T. SCHIMMEL (mpf 2002)



1. KIEL/HEMMINGSTADT  18 JUL 44 Light flak, 10 500 lb bombs, no fighters, oil refinery, B-24 exploded behind us.  No chutes, still over water

2. SCHWEINFURT   19 JUL 44 Rough, heavy flak, 31 holes, no enemy fighters, good escort, John Sheehan hit in left foot. " Our Babe"

       #154, No. 3 engine feathered, radio shot up. Flak thick enough to walk on, large piece of flak stuck in 

       windshield right in front of co-pilot. Flat tire on landing and did a big loop on the grass without

       touching a wing to the ground.

3. MERSEBURG   20 JUL 44 Heavy flak, 20 250 lb bombs, no enemy fighters, good escort.  "Super Rabbit" #598.  No 3 engine hit.

       Flak stuck in cowling and box cover.  Engine ok,  Oil plant.

4. LUDWIGSHAVEN  21 JUL 44 "ROYAL FLUSH"  B-17F on 71st mission, lost on 75th mission. Plane #0782. Rough, heavy overcast, went

       into two clouds.  10 300 lb bombs, incendiaries, No. 2 engine failed.  Good escort, light flak, no enemy 

       fighters.

5. ST LO    24 JUL 44 St Lo, B-17G "It Ain't Easy" 38 100 lb demolition bombs, one B-24 in flames, on chute ok, one chute

       burning, no other chutes.  No escort, Enemy troops 7 miles west of St Lo.  Brought bombs back.

6. MERSEBURG   29 JUL 44 Just got to Germany, No 4 engine freathered, oil leak, dropped 20 250 lb bombs safe in Channel.

       Heavy undercast.

7. TROYES   3  AUG 44 Railroad yards, 20 250 lb bombs. B-17G #071, call sign P, "Andy's Dandy's".  Good escort, good formation,

       2 runs on target, no enemy fighters, 8 flak burst at 9:00 o'clock.

8.  HAMBURG   4  AUG 44 B-17G "Lay or Bust" #230, call sign Q.  20 250 lb demolition bombs, 8 tenths clouds, Oil refinery, poor

       formation, good escort, one B-17 ditched, one burned and blew up, 5 chutes.  Saw flak at 3:00 o'clock

       and 9:00 o'clock.  One dogfight, P-51 took after a FW190.  No 1 engine smoked on plane behind us,

       one other prop feathered.

9. MAGDEBURG   5 AUG 44 B-17G "Lay or Bust" #230, call sign Q.  10 500 lb demolition bombs. 2 tenths clouds, P-38 and P-51 

       good escort.  One B-17 blew up, 5 chutes, flak at 9:00 o'clock.  Rough weather coming back,

       Good formation.



Comments from Sgt Schimmel (in Pine Bluff News July 1, 1993)



"The pilot went to PFF and I was put to the ground crew.  After a few weeks of learning the ropes , I became crew chief of the same crew I had flown on.  Capt. Seamans  said he was sure his plane would be in A-Onew shape with me checking it.  Two more crews went through my hard stand. First plane went down in Holland amid the tulips.  No injuries, all men home (Seamans Crew). Second Crew made 35 trips over Germany and all went home.  Third Crew made a few combat trips, then at wars end I helped shuttle men to Casablanca, pick up some oil at Oran, then back to England (went as engineer on these trips).  Participated in one food drop to Holland in May 1945 then was flight chief for six B-17G's to keep them ready with daily start-ups and check-ups." One moring all six were gone, ATC flew them off, turned in my tool kit and waited for the USS Enterprise to take me west. CV-6 was full of brass bands as we boarded the most decorated carrier in the US fleet.  The Galloping Ghost newspaper I helped mimeograph, earned me an associate membership.  So I was Army Air Corps, AND Navy at the same time.  Also, I was air crew man, ground crew chief."  



'One morning on take off as we left the runway, we felt a shudder.  We checked and the tail wheel lock pin was sheared off.  Before landing, I crammed a plier handle into the lock pin hole.  On removing it, found the handle was almost sheared in two.  On runway running up engines for a mission, I noticed a white stream behind number 1.  Pilot slowed 1 and 2 engines and with my stubby screwdriver, I opened the gas hatch and saw the cap hanging off the tank.  Turned it on tight, relocked the flap, turned loose and slid off the wing and away we went."