Target: Koblenz - 21 September 1944 - Mission #170

The marshalling yard was designated for attack this day even though the weather over the Continent was poor. At 0630 and 0730 hours, 24 aircrews were given general briefings and all began take-off at 1005. 1/Lt J.S. Lawrence (576th Sqdn) and F/O S.R. Pipitone (579th Sqdn) were lead bombardiers.

The lead bombardier in the PFF aircraft went through normal procedure at the I.P. Two minutes after the I.P., the navigator reported that all bombs had dropped, although the lead bombardier had not done anything to cause release of bombs. Upon seeing the PFF ship's bombs fall, the squadron released its bombs as well. The bombs (60 500-pound General Purpose and 58 500-pound incendiaries) impacted about 30 miles short of the target.

The second squadron, finding the MPI obscured by clouds, elected not to release and later jettisoned their bombs.

No fighter opposition was experienced but flak over target was heavy and accurate. The loss of one bomber and crew resulted. Aircraft returned to base about 1625 hours with 3 ships battle damaged.

MISSING AIR CREW REPORT SECTION

21 SEPTEMBER 1944 - TARGET: KOBLENZ

MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #10206 AIRCRAFT: #41-29002 (NO NICKNAME) "T-BAR" 30th MISSION

AIRCREW: SHELLEY    *    SQUADRON: 578th

CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:

P   l/LT  Shelley, Joe H.           KIA
CP  1/LT  Scarpino, Pasquale        POW
N   1/LT  Maroun, Nader P.          POW
B   l/LT  Chinchilla, Francis P.    KIA
R/O PFC   Smith, Paul E.            POW
EnG T/SGT Kane, Francis M.          POW
WG  S/SGT Hollenbeck, Charles E. Jr KIA
WG  S/SGT Stewart, Stanley R.       POW
TG  PVT   Childers, James E.        POW

MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: An after-mission reporting by 577th Sqdn pilot 2/Lt Robert H. Tays and his crew members recounted information on the loss of this aircrew and aircraft. "Formation encountered AA resistance, scattered, but fairly accurate along the course from I.P. to Koblenz. (Shelley's) Aircraft believed lost due to damaged sustained in right wing. First observed at 50-50N, 02-00E with problems and gas coming from right wing. (Ship) tried to stay in formation with #4 engine feathered; but flew over target, though not in formation. (Plane) flew back along route and last time seen was a location over the Channel."

German Report KU #2998, Air Base Hqs A (9) 10/VI, reported the plane crashed at Vershoven, 10 kilometers east of Euskirchen at 1300 hours. This Bonn-Hangelar headquarters element also reported and identified all 9 crew members at or near this location. Subsequently, 3 of this aircrew were reported as dead: 1/Lt Shelley, 1/Lt Chinchilla, and S/Sgt Hollenbeck. The remaining members were reported as captured. A supplementary German hospital report dated 10 October 1944 indicated that S/Sgt Stewart had been transferred there on 23 September from a sick-call center at Vallendur/Rhein and was suffering a shot wound in his right thigh; and that he was being moved under guard to the POW Transit Camp at Oberursel (Dulag-Luft).

Based on the German accounts, it is almost certain that the Tays crew had actually reported on a different ship.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: S/Sgt Stewart, Waist Gunner, gave a summary account on a 'Casualty Questionnaire' after the war: that he was the only one known to have been wounded in the plane prior to all members bailing out and the rest were in good physical condition at bail out time; that the Engineer, Radio Operator, himself, the other Waist Gunner and Tail Gunner all bailed out through the aft hatch while the front end crewmen bailed out as follows, in this orde: Bombardier through the nose wheel well; Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Navigator through the bomb bay doors. The Navigator reported that he was the last man out at about 300 feet altitude, and he heard the aircraft crash.

Another surviving crew member reported that Pilot 1/Lt Shelley and 1/Lt Chinchilla were killed by German civilians, but no other confirming information was given. This report also said "dropped bombs too soon; 30 miles short of target; area seen where they (bombs) hit a small group of houses; expect he (Shelley) was killed by civilians." Shelley, Chinchilla, and Hollenbeck were thought to have flown 28 or 29 missions total.

BURIAL RECORDS: The only record existing in this MACR indicates that Lt. Chinchilla was interred at the U.S. National Overseas Cemetery at LUXEMBOURG (Grave E-15-72) with awards of an Air Medal with (2) Oak Leaf Clusters in addition to the Purple Heart. No record exists in this report on the other two deceased members.

NEXT OF KIN DATA IN WWII: Shelley (Father, Clyde S., 1506 Hood, Wichita, Kansas); Chinchilla (Mother, Anna, 2409 Beaver Road, Cambridge, Pennsylvania); Scarpino (Wife, Sylvia, 218 East Chestnut Street, East Rochester, New York); Maroun (Wife, Alice C., 216 North School Street, Carthage, New York); Stewart (Father, Lee H., 2835 Elm Street, Quincy, Illinois); Smith (Wife, Marion N., 1225 Reddour Street, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania); Hollenbeck (Eugenia K., 1203 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia); Childers (Mother, Lucy, Paintsville, Kentucky) and Kane (Mother, Anna K., 1690 South Yendell Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).

CREW LOADING LIST - MISSION #170