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Mission 10 April 1945

Target – Burg Airfield, Germany.

Squadron Mission #336.  (Penetration, Target and Withdrawal Support of 3rd Division B-17’s).

Eighth Air Force Field Order #1936A.

Date - 10 April 1945.

Take Off Time - 1223.                                     Landing Time – 1737.

Squadron Leader – Captain John W. Kavanaugh.

Flight Leaders:

Captain Oliver W. Griswold

1st Lt. Clifford C. Gould

1st Lt. Millard O. Anderson

1st Lt. Keith R. McGinnis

 

Other Pilots making flight:

1st Lt. William B. Staggs

1st Lt. Joseph W. Mirando

1st Lt. Ralph E. Morrow

1st Lt. Donald T. Menegay

1st Lt. Harold B. Mooers

1st Lt. John W. Cunnick

2nd Lt. Roger B. Mooers

2nd Lt. John T. Maloney

2nd Lt. Robert M. Conners

2nd Lt. Donald J. Best

2nd Lt. Robert V. Bender

2nd Lt. Laurence E. Bectett

2nd Lt. Darrel B. Bachman

2nd Lt. John E. Anderson

2nd Lt. Richard F. Quinn

 

The following flew as spare:

1st Lt. Walter T. Achramowicz

 

Two Early Returns as follows:

Lt. Staggs at 1310, Oil Leak.

Lt. Quinn at 1310, Escort.

 

Course Flown:

Landfall Middleburg, 1315 at 18,000 feet [unreadable] R/V’ed at 5210-0800, 1400 at 20,000 feet – Target, 1452 at 20,000 feet – Broke Escort at 5210-0730, 1620 at 18,000 feet.  (Flight Plan Attached).

 

Enemy Aircraft Encountered:

(Air) – While Program White Flight was escorting on port side of Vinegrove 2-9, same level (21,000 feet), after making turn at I.P. and headed on a course of 144 degrees at 1450, White Leader spotted two smoke contrails approaching from 3 o’clock (southeast southwest) very high in a dive.  By the time we identified them as Me 262’s and dropped our tanks, the jets were under bombers.  Lt. McGinnis gave chase and after momentarily losing them, spotted one 1500 yards directly in front of him at 14,000 feet in a tight turn.  Just as he was about to fire, the enemy pilot bailed out and the jet rolled over and in, crashing at about 3212-1144.  At the same time, Lt. Bachman called in two more and chased them almost to Dessen getting in a few hits on one, but they put on the juice and pulled away.  (Encounter Report Attached).

(Ground) – At 1545 Yellow Section spotted about 10 E/A on Wessendorf Airdrome, 4 parked at northwest end of field and 6 in southwest dispersal area.  On one pass from southwest to southeast Lt. Gould destroyed 1 T/E U/I A/C in northwest corner and Lt. Maloney destroyed 1 Me 109 at same place.  Lt. Anderson’s flight attacked southwest dispersal area on a south to north pass and he accounted for 1 T/E U/I A/C destroyed.  Flak became intense at this end of the field so we ceased further attacks.

Meantime Lt. Cunnick and Lt. Best had spotted about 10 to 15 E/A on a woods bordered field about a mile northwest of Wessendorf Airdrome.  Setting up a gunnery pattern, making all passes from north to south, Lt. Cunnick destroyed 1 He 111 and 1 Me 109 and damaged 3 He 111’s.  Lt. Best destroyed 2 He 111’s.

Going northwest from the Airdrome for 7 miles Lt. Gould and Lt. Maloney spotted a grass field with about 10 E/A mostly dispersed under trees and covered with nets.  Lt. Gould made three passes from south to north, destroying 2 Me 109’s and damaging another.  Lt. Maloney made 2 passes from south to north destroying an FW 190 and an Me 109.  (Encounter Report Attached).

 

Claims:

Air – 1 Me 262 destroyed – 1st Keith R. McGinnis.

1 Me 262 damaged – 1st Keith R. McGinnis.

 

Ground – 1 He 111 destroyed – 1st Lt. John W. Cunnick.

1 Me 109 destroyed – 1st Lt. John W. Cunnick.

3 He 111’s destroyed – 1st Lt. John W. Cunnick.

2 He 111’s destroyed – 2nd Lt. Donald J. Best.

1 T/E U/I destroyed – 1st Lt. Millard O. Anderson.

1 T/E U/I destroyed – 1st Lt. Clifford C. Gould.

1 Me 109 destroyed – 2nd Lt. John T. Maloney.

2 Me 109’s destroyed – 1st Lt. Clifford C. Gould.

1 Me 109 damaged – 1st Lt. Clifford C. Gould.

1 FW 190 destroyed – 2nd Lt. John T. Maloney.

1 Me 109 destroyed – 2nd Lt. John T. Maloney.

 

Scheduled Formation, 10 April 1945.

White Leader     - Kavanaugh

2                              - Anderson, J.E.

3                              - Mooers, H.B.

4                              - Menegay

 

Red Leader         - Griswold

2                              - Beckett

3                              - Mirando

4                              - Morrow

 

Yellow Leader    - Gould

2                              - Maloney

3                              - Cunnick

4                              - Best

 

Blue Leader        - Anderson, M.O.

2                              - Bender

3                              - Mooers, R.B.

4                              - Conners

 

Spare                    - Achramowicz

 

Program White Leader  - McGinnis

2                                              - Bachman

3                                              - Staggs

4                                              - Quinn

 

FLIGHT PLAN

S/E 1211               T/O 1218              S/C 1238

TO.                         MI.                         CC.                         ETA.

Clacton                 20                           115                         1244

Middleberg        96                           118                         1312

Osnabruck          196                         86                           1358

Steinhuder         62                           74                           1422

Wahrenholz       62                           89                           1442

Kalbe                     26                           73                           1450

Target                   36                           144                         1459

Genthin                               12                           59                           1502

Wieren                 76                           306                         1525

Osnabruck          118                         257                         1556

Middleberg        196                         264                         1631

Home                    116                         290                         1652

 

transcription of the official field order for mission 336, 10 April 1945.




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