For the fifth time in two weeks, the same target was assigned again to the Group. On this raid, P-47 Thunderbolts were to dive-bomb the target and mark it with smoke flares and a Mosquite Pathfinder aircraft was also to assist the lead bombers in on the oil refineries. General briefings for (30) crews were conducted at 0415 and 0530 hours with take-offs beginning at 0755. Weather in the target area was poor once more with (24) bombers releasing by H2X through 9/l0ths clouds on the refineries. Results of the (266) 500# bombs dropped could not be observed, but results were thought to be good. Fighter support was excellent and again no enemy fighter reaction was experienced. AA fire was generally moderate but fairly inaccurate. One B-24 and crew, however, apparently suffered flak damage and was lost. This ship, #387 (T for Tango) flown by Lieutenant G. O. Hubbartt’s crew and nicknamed "Birdie Schmidt", was seen to be losing altitude and dropping behind near the IP. The crew dropped their bombs about half-way down the bomb run at 1137 hours and continued to follow the Group formation until 1255 hours. At this time and position 5238N-0743E, the bomber was seen to be falling considerably behind and again losing altitude. It was last seen at 1333 hours crossing the enemy coastline. Nothing more was known about this crew and aircraft. Bombers returned around 1455 hours with (2) battle damaged.
P 2/LT Hubbartt, Gene 0. POW CP F/O Kenyon, John C. POW N F/O Carter, Calvin J. Jr POW NG CPL Neumann, Howard L. POW R/O CPL Laskowski, Raymond (NMI) POW EnG CPL Smith, Loren G. POW WG CPL Schad, Richard P POW WG CPL Matusky, Paul P POW TG CPL Glassman, Paul S. POW
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: Lt. Linzmeir, Pilot 577th flying in the #4 slot formation position, gave an after mission report on this aircrew and aircraft. This account noted that the Hubbartt plane dropped behind the formation near the I.P (Initial Point), losing altitude. It dropped bombs halfway from the l.P. to the target at 1132 hours. The ship continued to follow below and behind the Group formation and was seen at 1255 hours at position 52-38N; 07-43E, well behind and losing altitude. At 1333 hours, the aircraft was last seen crossing the enemy coast at 52-45N; 04-37E, heading toward England. A German Report #KU3684, Hqs Air Base Nordhausen, stated the crash of the plane was (1) kilometer north of Dorna and (5) kilometers northwest of Mulhausen at 1200 hours, German time, having been downed by a fighter according to this account. The report further noted the capture of all (9) crewmen in the vicinity of Mulhausen between 1200 and 1300 hours and their transfer on to the Dulag-Luft Interrogation Center at Oberursel, north of Frankfurt. (Interestingly enough on this German report all of the enlisted members were identified with the rank of "Staff Sergeant"and "Sergeant", when in reality they all were in the grade of Corporal at the time).
In an article in the February 1991 issue of the 392nd BGMA News, copilot Kenyon provided additional details:
"It was a mission that had problems from the start. We were a half hour late in getting off due to a faulty prop governor being repaired, and we took off in a complete fog. We did get to our formation over the channel, however, after having the #2 engine run away (same faulty prop governor) and having electrical problems. We were hit on our bomb run over Magdeburg, losing both #1 and #2 engines, and the latter had a prop that wouldn't feather. However, we were manageable but were dropping about 1000 feet a minute and eventually had to bail out in the clouds at 5,000 feet." In that same issue, Col. Lawrence Gilbert, a war-time commander of the 392nd, had this comment on Kenyon's experiences: "It's a remarkable story right from the start and a real credit to the courage of the crew. It would seem they would have been justified in aborting the mission shortly after take-off in view of their mechanical problems but elected instead to carry on. Another group of unsung heroes and we had many of them in the outfit."
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES:
Flight Officer Kenyon, Co-Pilot, later gave this account after liberation from POW status:
That mechanical difficulty (with engines) commenced on the bomb run; and later everyone was forced to bail out of their ship near Mulhausen around 1200 hours after the #1 and #2 engine failed. He noted everyone landed safely from this crew emergency. After liberation accounts by other surviving crewmen (names not given of those reporting in this MACR) noted other circumstances related to various members after their bail out and capture: that the Navigator, F/0 Carter, had been beaten up by German civilians during this episode and Cpl. Neuman had also suffered some beating abuses; and noting also that Cpl. Smith has broken a leg during his parachute jump and was placed in a German Hospital at Hohemark for three weeks following. Little else was stated in these later reportings other than most all of the members had been in touch with each other from time to time since their returning to the States. From all accounts available, this aircrew was on their first combat mission when their downing occurred, and there was no verification whatsoever that their ship’s loss was due to an enemy fighter attack, as the German Report had surmised.
BURIAL RECORDS: None; no casualties on this aircrew were suffered.
NEXT OF KIN DATA IN WWII: Hubbartt (Wife, Emma A., 40S South 14th Street, Petersburg, Illinois); Kenyon (Father, Harold M., 564 New Britain Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut); Carter (Mother, Luciene E., 1502 Ivanhoe Avenue, Catensville, Maryland); Neuman (Mother, Anna K., Route #1, Box 12, Alberta, Alabama); Laskowski (Wife, Florence, 1307 Howard Street, Saint Louis, Missouri); Smith (Wife, June H., 703 Queen Street, Ottumwa, Iowa); Schad (Mother, Beulah M. 1618 South Broadway, Santa Ana, California); Matusky (Mother, Stella A., Sykesville, Pennsylvania); Glassman (Father, Joseph J., 2133 Wallace Avenue, New York 60, New York).
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 031 |
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P Ross, J.E. 2nd Lt. CP Crane, F.D. 2nd Lt. N Richner, G.C. F/O B Hester, T.G. S/Sgt. R Agnew, T.G. T/Sgt. E Albright, H.B. T/Sgt. RW Brooks, V.B. S/Sgt. LW Blackburn, W.F. S/Sgt. TG Arnold, E.R. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 659 |
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P Steck, R.O. 2nd Lt. CP Quinn, E.J. 2nd Lt. N Jost, E.G. F/O B Gross, E.B. 2nd Lt. R Parker, R.M. Sgt. E Lewis, M.M. Sgt. RW Thompson, W.J. Sgt. LW Jacobson, C.R. Sgt. TG Peters, R.P. Sgt. PN Costa, J.A. Capt. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 416 |
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P Harcus, R.W. 2nd Lt. CP Thompson, J.R. 2nd Lt. N Adler, M.N. 2nd Lt. B Brennan, R.W. S/Sgt. R Shanley, J.V. T/Sgt. E Thomas, E. T/Sgt. RW Spears, D.D. S/Sgt. LW Marshall, L.C. S/Sgt. TG Rosenberg, J.E. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 194 |
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P Linzmeier, R.B. 2nd Lt. CP Fisher, R.M. 2nd Lt. N Leonard, A.C. 1st Lt. B Schutze, G.C. 2nd Lt. R Hughes, C.B. S/Sgt. E Connor, E.J. T/Sgt. RW Downing, J.E. S/Sgt. LW Specht, C.O. S/Sgt. TG Watts, F. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 916 |
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P Hummel, J.R. Jr. 2nd Lt. CP Reynolds, J.E. 2nd Lt. N Knudson, B.L. 2nd Lt. B Chadwick, R.H. 2nd Lt. R Deaton, J.A. Cpl. E Keagle, P.E. Cpl. RW Finney, H.H. Cpl. LW Milchak, E.A. Cpl. TG Powell, H. Cpl. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 567 |
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P DePalma, F.T. 1st Lt. CP Austin, G.E. 2nd Lt. N Oppenheim, R. F/O B Margarones, J.J. 2nd Lt. R Corbosiero, J.L. T/Sgt. E Betterini, A. T/Sgt. RW Bryan, C.F. S/Sgt. LW Mowery, H.J. S/Sgt. TG Ferdinando, A.P. S/Sgt. RCM Hightower, W.H. S/Sgt. S-27 Krohn, O.G. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 302 |
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P Raczko, W. 2nd Lt. CP McGill, C.L. 2nd Lt. N Cline, A.P. F/O B Feldman, P. 2nd Lt. R Reynolds, J.R. S/Sgt. E VanDeven, J.K. S/Sgt. RW Parker, R.J. S/Sgt. LW Holland, J.R. S/Sgt. TG Adkins, J.E. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 576th Sqdn. A/C 387 |
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P Hubbartt, G.O. 2nd Lt. CP Kenyon, J.C. F/O N Carter, C.J. Jr. F/O B Glassman, P.S. Cpl. R Laskowski, R. Cpl. E Smith, L.G. Cpl. RW Schad, R.P. Cpl. LW Matusky, P.P. Cpl. TG Neumann, H.L. Cpl. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 040 (no mission credit) |
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P Jackson, C.J. 1st Lt. CP Parrish, C.E. 2nd Lt. N Pillsbury, A.A. 2nd Lt. B Wolfe, P.G. S/Sgt. R Paren, J.H. S/Sgt. E Jenkins, J.H. Sgt. RW Webb, J.H. S/Sgt. LW Korb, L.J. S/Sgt. TG Roe, W.L. Sgt. RCM Slater, R.E. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 772 |
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P Myers, C.E. 2nd Lt. CP Anderson, K.W. 2nd Lt. N Warntz, W. F/O B Zgurich, E.E. 2nd Lt. R Jaklinski, B. S/Sgt. E Payton, J.B. S/Sgt. RW Thornton, A.H. S/Sgt. LW Gillette, R.E. Sgt. TG Kirk, G.A. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 299 (no mission credit) |
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P Cline, K.E. 1st Lt. CP Garrett, A.W. 2nd Lt. N Mercer, E.A. 2nd Lt. B Lehr, E.L. Sgt. R Leahy, W.E. Sgt. E Thompson, R.H. T/Sgt. RW Cobb, C.E. Jr. Sgt. LW Girulat, R.M. Sgt. TG Larmee, W.H. Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 792 |
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P Jordan, T.J. 2nd Lt. CP Williamson, D.R. 1st Lt. N Sprosty, A.O. 2nd Lt. B Faust, L.E. 2nd Lt. R Brown, L.E. T/Sgt. E Kinzler, S.J. T/Sgt. RW Davis, T.N. S/Sgt. LW Meister, R.H. S/Sgt. TG Kwiatowski, L.P. S/Sgt. PN Lipman, B.D. 2nd Lt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 448 (no mission credit) |
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P Pope, L.S. 2nd Lt. CP Snowhill, T.B. 2nd Lt. N Rodstein, B. 2nd Lt. B Lane, T.C. S/Sgt. R Reed, D.F. S/Sgt. E Turrisi, J.R. S/Sgt. RW Fuller, M.A. S/Sgt. LW Dardano, F.A. S/Sgt. TG Keach, G.T. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 901 |
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P Shaw, B.R. 2nd Lt. CP Bachman, L.W. 2nd Lt. N Anstey, M.P. F/O B Hoover, R.C. Sgt. R Sturm, W.A. S/Sgt. E Kedenburg, J.H. S/Sgt. RW Rice, W.W. Sgt. LW Perlingiero, C.P. Sgt. TG Schunke, C.W. Sgt. RCM Frappier, H.A. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 875 |
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P Dodson, G.H. 2nd Lt. CP LeFevre, L.P. 2nd Lt. N Fletcher, W.J. 2nd Lt. B Hochard, H.H. Sgt. R Green, J.M. S/Sgt. E Herrera, D.R. S/Sgt. RW Allendorf, V.G. Sgt. LW Peterson, F.H. Sgt. TG Jenkins, C.E. Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 838 (no mission credit) |
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P Majesky, A.E. 2nd Lt. CP Wanner, G.L. 2nd Lt. N Vought, E.I. F/O B Zuckert, J.S. 2nd Lt. R Ivey, M.A. S/Sgt. E Patton, F.M. S/Sgt. RW Esenwein, E.R. Sgt. LW Surbaugh, E.R. Sgt. TG Martin, J.F. Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 577th Sqdn. A/C 118 |
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P Grabarkiewicz, L. F/O CP Phillips, C.E. 2nd Lt. N Hickson, D. Jr. 2nd Lt. B Axvig, W.E. S/Sgt. R Quagliano, F.A. S/Sgt. E Duggan, J.J. T/Sgt. RW Cooper, J.T. Pvt. LW Baker, E.R. S/Sgt. TG Moskowicz, S. Sgt. S-27 Hess, J.M. Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 250 |
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P Joyce, J.F. 2nd Lt. CP Bowman, J.A. 2nd Lt. N McQuade, R.N. F/O B Andrews, Q.Q. S/Sgt. R Brown, J.F. T/Sgt. E Albino, A. T/Sgt. RW Gorham, R.L. Cpl. LW Kurkomelis, G.C. S/Sgt. TG Richter, R.H. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 477 |
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P Fox, J.E. 1st Lt. CP Sampley, T.A. 2nd Lt. N Johnson, M.S. 1st Lt. B Robinson, D.T. 1st Lt. R Tameling, H. T/Sgt. E Smith, B.F. T/Sgt. RW Seever, B.H. S/Sgt. LW Knephoff, J.J. S/Sgt. TG Davis, C.L. S/Sgt. RCM Morriset, H.J. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 495 |
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P Case, W.D. 2nd Lt. CP Griffin, R.E. 2nd Lt. N Gullick, C.H. 2nd Lt. B McCoy, F.W. S/Sgt. R Black, C.B. S/Sgt. E Kidd, J.L. S/Sgt. RW Chanson, M.C. S/Sgt. LW Johnson, R.L. S/Sgt. TG Lutes, M.A. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 636 |
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P Downs, H.E. 2nd Lt. CP Bickham, T.E. 2nd Lt. N McKay, R.P. 1st Lt. B Oakes, H.W. 2nd Lt. R Spicketts, J.G. S/Sgt. E Lim, D.P. S/Sgt. RW Crane, T.P. S/Sgt. LW Cinquina, E.A. S/Sgt. TG Weatherman, H.W. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 511 (no mission credit) |
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P Hoover, J.A. 2nd Lt. CP Douglass, G.E. 2nd Lt. N Fetter, G.R. F/O B Fitzgerald, T.R. S/Sgt. R Affinito, L.J. T/Sgt. E Marlowe, J.D. T/Sgt. RW Janak, E.G. S/Sgt. LW Gayda, F.M. S/Sgt. TG Jones, L.A. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 446 |
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P Cerrato, V.H. 1st Lt. CP Addison, A.E. 1st Lt. N Marcelli, A.F. 1st Lt. B Ramos, R.W. Jr. 2nd Lt. R Ewell, A.J. S/Sgt. E Lee, R.M. S/Sgt. RW Burrell, M.L. S/Sgt. LW Lamson, P.M. S/Sgt. TG Warwick, F.W. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 205 |
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P Ardinger, J. 2nd Lt. CP Grandmontagne, E.T. 2nd Lt. N Wagner, H.W. F/O B Edwards, R.L. 2nd Lt. R Huitt, G.E. S/Sgt. E Wiedekehr, R.W. Cpl. RW Gorback, B.S. Cpl. LW White, A. Sgt. TG Jones, J.K. Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 578th Sqdn. A/C 436 |
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P Tokarsky, A. 2nd Lt. CP Moore, M.R. F/O N King, F.S. F/O B Ross, W. S/Sgt. R Vivero, D.L. S/Sgt. E Dowling, R.L. S/Sgt. RW Ridge, B.E. S/Sgt. LW Granzow, L.J. S/Sgt. TG Weissbeck, E.A. S/Sgt. |
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15 Feb 1945 579th Sqdn. A/C 899 |
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P Porter, H.K. Capt. CP Bolstridge, C. 1st Lt. N McFerran, J.B. 1st Lt. B Fletcher, A.S. 1st Lt. R Nero, R.A. T/Sgt. E DeSario, J.L. T/Sgt. RW Bennett, G.H. S/Sgt. LW Amato, J.J. S/Sgt. TG Bowen, W.H. S/Sgt. NV Van Pelt, W.W. 2nd Lt. PN Shumaker, M.C. 2nd Lt. |
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15 Feb 1945 579th Sqdn. A/C 958 |
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P Wood, D.R. 1st Lt. CP McCormick, J.J. 2nd Lt. N Satterthwait, D.R. F/O B Segraves, W.D. 2nd Lt. R Fleischmann, R.F. S/Sgt. E Morgan, K.W. S/Sgt. RW McCormick, F.L.J. S/Sgt. LW Stuck, W.F. S/Sgt. TG Wright, A.P. S/Sgt. PN Reynolds, D.W. 1st Lt. NV Fowler, R.T. 1st Lt. |
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15 Feb 1945 579th Sqdn. A/C 150 |
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P Grettum, R.B. Capt. CA McGregor, J.A. Maj. N Bauer, H.H. 1st Lt. B Good, R.E. Capt. R West, G.E. T/Sgt. E Heuser, W.M. T/Sgt. RW Dobrowolski, C.J. S/Sgt. LW Flowers, W.C. S/Sgt. TG Durant, W. T/Sgt. NV Bader, C.H 1st Lt. PN Waldo, L.C. 1st Lt. |
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15 Feb 1945 579th Sqdn. A/C 801 |
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P White, E.J. 2nd Lt. CP Whalen, J.M. 1st Lt. N Weissberger, M.L. 1st Lt. B Mace, J.E. 1st Lt. R Baker, M. T/Sgt. E Hayden, R. T/Sgt. RW Egler, M.G. S/Sgt. LW Sabolish, G. S/Sgt. TG White, R.A. S/Sgt. PN Zamor, R.J. 1st Lt. NV Barry, W.T. 1st Lt. |
