Mission No 198

MISSION NO. 198
SOEST, GERMANY

28 FEBRUARY, 1945

Marshalling yards were designated as the highest priority transportation targets in the Ruhr Valley. Today's target for the 457th was in the high priority category, the marshalling yards at Soest. Second only to the Hamm yards, it handled the heaviest traffic from the Ruhr Valley to central Europe.

The Group comprised the 94th C Combat Wing, with Major Spencer as Air Commander. Assembly in the Wing formation and Division line were without incident. The route over the Continent until just before the IP was flown as briefed. Slight deviations off course were made in order to remain in Division formation.

At the IP, the G-H equipment of the lead squadron was not functioning properly and the lead was turned over to the high squadron G-H craft. A G-H bomb run was made on the pnmary target with all squadrons in group formation. Bombs were dropped from 24,800 feet. Results were unobserved due to clouds.

Antiaircraft fire was moderate and fairly inaccurate. The craft piloted by Lt. Roy E. Kirk was forced to ditch in the English Channel. No. 3 engine was on fire and the wing fell off. Six crew members were rescued. Lt. Kirk, Sgt. Edward A. Grover and Sgt. Willard Kmeger lost their lives.

February ended with the Group having flown eighteen missions. The torrid pace the Group commenced on 19 February, would continue into March.

CREW LOADING LIST

February 28th, 1945
Mission No 198 Target: Soest, Germany

If you desire to see the original scanned loading lists, click on the respective blue squadron header below.
(If a very small image appears, click on the small image to enlarge.)

748th Squadron

749th Squadron

750th Squadron

751th Squadron

	A/C # 211		A/C # 885		A/C # 211		A/C # 749
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Capt Maj Capt Lt Lt Capt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald L. Seesenguth Fred A. Spencer Roland O. Byers ? Basuil Felicisimo Kenneth B. Taylor Edward J. McGurren George R. Langowski Robert A. Storey Roy E. Goldman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Robert H. Reed Edward M. Monasterio William D. Bird Charles K. Major Robert J. Viles Joseph M. Hamilton Kenneth J. Kuchler Francis D. Stout Peter P. Angett	Lt F/O Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward R. Skyrms Clarence E. Leath Maurice E. Keesling Bernard Weiss Bernard R. Besse Raymond C. Blackson Henry Schmidt, Jr Leonard J. Lewandowski Simon C. Wareck	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Sherrill R. Williams Earl R. Downey Benjamin J. Bushey Ray G. Wilcox Ralph W. Smith Eugene P. Bussard Harold T. Rahbe Harold d. Crosby Burhard A. Klimoski

	A/C # 479		A/C # 113		A/C # 255		A/C # 154
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt Sgt	John P. Weber Douglas J. Sharkey John A. Franck Carl G. Swanberg Charles K. Rawls Louis L. R. Gomes Edgar W. Monell Godfrey C. Edgarton Lloyd G. Hesseltine Louis A. Williams Owen S. O'Rourke, Jr	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Craig P. Greason William G. Litocot Rudolph Haumann Thomas E. Madigan Garland L. Frost Ralph S. Ingraham William N. Wagner Blair Arsenault, Jr Kenneth L. Haseltine	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Lt Sgt	Roy H. Kirk William F. Gibbons Arvo J. Kajander Valentine W. Stype Charles W. Coleman Edward A. Grover Rocco V. Montagno Willard Krueger Victor A. Smith	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Eugene C. Ricker William C. Girard Anthony D. Paruta Pete A. Antonella Murray L. Cooper William C, Lundy Abe Venick Howard H. Jacobson Howard A. Dimpsey

	A/C # 551		A/C # 832		A/C #		A/C # 698
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Albert B Gross William P. O'Connor Robert J. Jacobson Frank R. Humphries Tommy M. Pruitt James L. Gray Harold P. Hubert Robert O. Newell William D. Oden	Lt F/O F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Wendell C. Tague Jack S. Eshe Francis G. Spillane Archie C. Strahan George A. Taylor Frank J. Pekar Ivan L. Mathews, Jr. George T. Zielinski Simon Pomerantz George W. Jackson	Lt F/O F/O Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	James R. Holden Vaden S. Pitts John S. LeVar Leo J. Kleinpeter Leo I. McCombs Paul A. Esvanko Lila B. Bradley Bertram G. Johnson Jackson R. Campbell	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	William T. Thistle Joseph Taylor Craig K. Winters Roy R. Truba John T. Miller Louis E. Domato Harvey G. Henkel Luther H. Smith John H. Taylor

	A/C # 001		A/C # 200		A/C # 881		A/C # 503
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George J. Gilbert Robert G. Quincy David S. Kahne John E. Dubina Albert F. Jenkins Daniel Cadena, Jr. Richard C. Clements Godfrey C. Edgerton ?	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kenneth D. Woods Joseph B. Watkins Paul L. Hertenstein Rex A. Stevens Harry E. Graham Donald H. Gravelle Robert Bonazza Benjamin F. Parris Dennis L. Phelps	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John R. Godwin John Medwin Robert F. Kellow Edward F. Ambrose Andrew J. McCormick George Kakeh Vincent C. Liguori Paul J. Bernstel James A. Conklin Raymond P. Kimmel	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Arnold E. Broughton James J. Jenkins Kenneth L. Post Gordon L. Witt Thomas W. Davis Elias M. Ramirez Paul M. Zalusky Jessie D. Dunn William H. Shaffer

	A/C # 518		A/C # 534		A/C # 203		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Duane F. Southwood Lyle E. Keran Wallace Reed Warren H. Parmeter Orville D. Clark George N. Radakovich Raymond D. VanWagner R. B. Kelly Santos V. Maira	Lt F/O Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Raymond H. Wolf William F. Reynolds Robert W. Hentges Jacob Cohen Thomas J. Hamilton Milton E. Drissler Robert J. Townley Donald E. Polen Dennis G. Schaffner	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Carl P. Sundbaum Galileo F. Bossio Warren W. Nixon Hollis D. Huddleston John V. Brennan Julian S. Smith Edward J. Zeitz Cleon R. Roy Harold H. Reynolds	Lt Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ambrose W. Reese Medford E. Hollis John F. Kelly Roy H. Snyder Joel Lester Edward F. Peters Charles E. Kenny Percy C. Mack Alfred C. Hetrick Robert W. Merritt

	A/C # 394		A/C # 087		A/C # 075		A/C # 240
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Kelly P. Jacobs Donald G. Sellon Albert F. Czarnowsky Robert E. Gee Jacob L. Finnerty George H. Haby, Jr. James T. Means Charles F. Brown Roy F. Goldman	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jack E. Wescott Quentin P. Thompson Merrill H. Ross Louis P. DeCinzo Bernard L. Maki Aber J. DeCoux Billy K. Berry James C. Gianacopolis Harold A. Adams	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Frank R. Guca Clifton R. Smith Orion C. Brower Robert F. Olwick Emil T. Pavlus Albert J. Yost Herold N. Saxby Elton A. Clodfelter Charles T. Root	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Donald P. Straus Vernon L. Terrill Floyd A. Crispin John B. Rogers Robert L. Olsen John P. Lapicca J. W. Bridges John F. Dunn James B. Hartley

	A/C # 072		A/C # 080		A/C # 855		A/C # 161
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Ben W. McChesney William C. Manspeaker William W. Siler Joseph H. Gubino Theodore R. Rose George S. Byoff Charles A. Wilt Robert H. Young Gilbert J. Fleming	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	David M. Omelich Erwin L. Person, Jr Donald C. Beck Orin C. Cerergren Robert L. Foley Carl F. Hanneken John M. Tabar Robert W Foster Benjamin F. Ivey	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John P. Starnes Lawrence D. Wilde Erwin Salnick Glyn E. Aleshire Victor C. Johanson Frank D. Russo Louis A. Qualls John Simmen James Valenti	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gerald M. Russell Carrol R. Wissmiller Floyd A. Crispin John F. Kelley Bernard B. Matz Maurice L. D'Agotino Joseph S. Kutas Elton C. Conerly C. A. Rogers

	A/C # 785		A/C # 594		A/C # 537		A/C # 854
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George H. Greer Thomas J. Cronin Edward J. Strzyzewski Gerald P. Uzdavinis Archie F. Cole Byrne J. Ranney Walter H. Carter John W. Rockefeller Gerald P. Uzdavinis Edward W. Blucker	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Thomas J. Heter Dale E. Harrison Sidney Abraham Ernest D. Pappalardo Philip H> Snyder, Jr Robert K. Butler Donald M. Satra William L. Cooney Joy J. Cappelle Hilary A. Turley	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Edward C. Foulke George D. McCurry Wayne W. Hanley John J. Kearney Daniel A. Doherty Lauren C. Keene Harold W. Logsdon Charles B. Pilling Hilliard B. Maples	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George H. Bane Donn W. Leedham Girvan Peck Warren L. Holbrook John G. Mackie Chester C. Urbanik Frank Nowakowski William H. Stern Walter H. Westels

	A/C # 506		A/C # 904		A/C #		A/C # 574
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	John C. Lindholm George B. Parker Albert D. Barr Ted D. Paneratos Abraham Choc Daniel Friedman Ralph d. Ice Edwin Levine Baron E. Miller	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Jesse E. Castanias Myrton P. Barry Jack Lorber Stephen T. Cowell Cletus R. Newman William F. Waters Stanley F. Bendzynski Michael Denitti Martin Norsic, Jr	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Harlan Buettner George J. Grau Philip A. DuPont Ray F. Hawkins Theodore R. Cowsert Charles R. Haynes James R. Westbrook Walter L. Laddusaw Harry W. Kroll	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Charles E. Birdseye Patrick H. Wallace George N. Blair Chester L. Mohler Henry Freidrich Wallace T. Powell Harmon A. Smith Carl A. Johnson David Barclay

	A/C # 190		A/C #		A/C #		A/C # 521
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Marion K. Burk Cecil C. Harris John T. Freese Frederick A. McDuffie Earl R. Kenyon Cliff N. Cunningham Herbert K. Clark Harold E. Buhrow Joe E. Floerke	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	Gerald M. Russell Carrol R. Wissmiller Julius G. Uhrlaub John F. Kelsey Bernard B. Matz Maurice L. D'Agotino Elton C. Conerly C. A. Rogers Howard A. Dimpsey	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt	George W. Bobbitt Homer P. Mallory Eugene L. Walker Charles M. Carrier John Sing Leland M. Ford Joseph Kirwan Jrank J. Eichenlaub Young W. Rainer

	A/C #		A/C #		A/C #		A/C #
p cp n b tt ro bt lwg tg	Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt		Lt Lt Lt Lt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt Sgt