Target: Kjeller, Norway - 18 November 1943 - Mission #10

For the second consecutive mission, the Group was given a long mission into Norway the only ones to be flown against this country during World War II. Twenty-two (22) aircraft were launched, led by the 579th, and (21) bombed the target from 12,000 ft. with very good results. Seventy-three (73) percent of all weapons fell within 2000 ft. of the briefed aiming point. Once again, enemy fighters were engaged consisting of 20-25 single and twin-engine types with Group gunners claiming (3) kills. The unit suffered (2) aircraft losses, causes unknown, and (20) aircrew casualties all MIA. This was to be the longest mission ever flown by the 392nd as it logged 10:30 hours flight duration.

Read Mervyn Johns, Pilot 576th Squadron, first hand account of this mission by CLICKING HERE

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MISSING AIR CREW REPORT SECTION

MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #01503 AIRCRAFT: #42-7486 "THE SHARK" "V-Bar" 10th Mission

AIRCREW: DUDZIAK    *    SQUADRON: 578th

CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:

 
P   2/LT Dudziak, Teddy (NMI)    KIA
CP  2/LT Miller, John A. Jr.     KIA
N   2/LT Berlin, William (NMI-G) KIA
B   2/LT Cattano, Joseph V.      KIA
R/O T/S  Watson, HarryQ.         KIA
EnG T/S  Bauer, Herbert P.       KIA
NG  S/S  Patterson, Earl A. Jr   KIA
WG  S/S  Naters, Edmond R.       KIA
WG  S/S  Bartholomew, Daniel(NMI)KIA
TG  S/S  Mehtala, Arvid (NMI)    KIA

MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: There is no specific account in the MACR on this aircrew’s loss except the notation of this aircraft having been attacked by enemy fighters and suspected of having to ditch in the North Sea. There are no indications as to whether this event took place before or after the target was attacked by the Group.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: None available.

BURIAL RECORDS: No German reports exist on this aircrew’s loss. U.S. National Cemetery listings reflect all members of the crew on the WALL OF THE MISSING at the CAMBRIDGE, England, site. All were recorded as having received the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

NEXT OF KIN DATA IN WWII: This listing was as follows: Dudziak (Mother, Margaret Dudziak, Buffalo, New York); Miller (Wife, Helen of Poplar Bluff, Missouri); Berlin (Wife, Roberta, Brooklyn, New York); Cattano (Mother, Anna Cattano, Bellmore, New York); Watson (Mother, Jayne Watson, Toledo, Ohio); Bauer (Mother, name not readable, of Valley, Pennsylvania); Bartholomew ( Mother, first name not readable, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); Patterson (Mother, Mrs Helen Patterson, Los Angeles, California); and Mehtala (Mother, Sofia Mehtala of Arthyde, Minnesota).

MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #01504 AIRCRAFT: #42-7502 "BAKADORI" "X-Bar" 3rd Mission

AIRCREW: FOGARTY    *    SQUADRON: 578th

CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS:

P   2/LT Fogarty, David M.  INT&RID
CP  2/LT Walker, Robert S.  INI&RID
N   2/LT Ott, John W.       INT&RID
B   2/LT Parish, John K.    Int&RTD
R/O T/S  Louizides, Solomon INT&RTD
EnG T/S  Slama, Alex R.     INT&RTD
NG  S/S  Harrod, Charles Jr INT&RTD
WG  S/S  Haskins, Billy D.  INT&RTD
TG  S/S  Kurkomelis, Gus C. INT&RTD
ARO S/S  Smith, William W.  INT&RTD

MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: Group mission route maps reflect that at 1154 hours, just after target Kjeller, Norway, Fogarty's aircraft turned eastward and headed for the Swedish border. In his Internee Report, 2/Lt Fogarty said, "On our way to the target, we were attacked over the Skagerrak by enemy fighters. At the time we noticed no severe damage but as we reached the target we realized that our electrical equipment was burned out. We dropped most of our bombs too soon, so I circled the target again but this time we couldn't release the rest of the bomb load. I then noticed that we had only 200 gallons of gasoline left and with the electrical system shot I could not switch to the emergency tanks, so I headed for Sweden. On the way to Sweden we destroyed our bombsight and the navigator destroyed his tables. We made a good landing in Orebro (a small civilian aerodrome with no facilities). Before landing, I circled the town and realized that the field on which the planes land was camouflaged with little trees (they bend under the weight of the plane and come up again). When we landed the population was waiting for us. We had no time to destroy our ship but we went back in it with the excuse of gathering our clothes and had time to switch the IFF on a battery and blow it up. We were taken to the local jail, but in the courtroom, and interrogated. We told them, when they asked where we were going, that we were on a North Sea search mission. From then on we were interned in Sweden."

An article in the February 1994 issue of the 392nd BGMA NEWS noted that the Fogarty crew "was originally assigned to the 93rd Bomb Group and was in Africa preparing for the Ploesti mission. However, they became surplus and were transferred back to England and the 392nd in October 1943."

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: The men were returned to the UK on these dates:

27 March 1944-2/Lt Fogarty

1 April 1944-2/Lt Walker

17 September 1944-- 2/Lt Ott, 2/Lt Parish, S/Sgt Louizides, S/Sgt Harrod, S/Sgt Haskins

28 September 1944-T/Sgt Slama

Dates unknown-S/Sgt Smith, S/Sgt Kurkomelis

BURIAL RECORDS: None exist in this MACR, as all members survived and were interned.

NEXT OF KIN DATA IN WWII: Hometowns given in their Internee Reports were as follows: Fogarty (Belle Plaine, Minnesota); Walker (Russelville, Arizona); Ott (Altoona, Pennsylvania); Parish (Ann Arbor, Michigan); Louizides (Hackensack, New Jersey); Slama (San Francisco, California); Harrod (Fordyce, Arkansas); Haskins (Kinta, Oklahoma); Kurkomelis (Far Rockaway, New York); Smith (West Hartford, Connecticut).

CREW LOADING LIST - MISSION #8