42-97616 HI BLOWER
MACR 7827
MISSION #106
TARGET: MERSEBURG SYNTHETIC OIL PLANT
MACR 7827
MISSION #106
TARGET: MERSEBURG SYNTHETIC OIL PLANT
Crew on July 28, 1944
|
On July 28, 1944, Hi Blower was flying as the lead plane. On board was the 452nd Bomb Group's
Commander, Colonel Archibald Smith. They were on a mission to bomb the synthetic oil plant in
Merseburg, Germany. 3-4 minutes after reaching the IP, another Combat Wing came in on the
left of the 452nd group and then went in front of it. The 452nd planes were bothered by the
other group's prop wash. Hi Blower passed over the top of A/C 42-97764(Lady Be Good) and
both were at that moment hit by prop wash and collided. 42-97764 had a large hole in the nose
section. Hi Blower was hit in the rear and the tail section fell off. Both planes went down,
crashed, and exploded. They both crashed @ 2 km west of Merseburg. Col Smith, Lt Kaplan,
and SSgt Helms were blown clear of the plane, parachuted safely, and were taken prisoner. Lt
Dyer showed excellent leadership by taking over as lead of the group, which had been spread
apart by flak and the collision of the other two planes. He lead the remainder of the group on to
bomb the target and the planes returned to Deopham Green at @ 13:23 hours. On August 1,
1944, Colonel William D Eckert assumed position as Commanding Officer of the 452nd. Eckert
went on after the war to become the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
Commander, Colonel Archibald Smith. They were on a mission to bomb the synthetic oil plant in
Merseburg, Germany. 3-4 minutes after reaching the IP, another Combat Wing came in on the
left of the 452nd group and then went in front of it. The 452nd planes were bothered by the
other group's prop wash. Hi Blower passed over the top of A/C 42-97764(Lady Be Good) and
both were at that moment hit by prop wash and collided. 42-97764 had a large hole in the nose
section. Hi Blower was hit in the rear and the tail section fell off. Both planes went down,
crashed, and exploded. They both crashed @ 2 km west of Merseburg. Col Smith, Lt Kaplan,
and SSgt Helms were blown clear of the plane, parachuted safely, and were taken prisoner. Lt
Dyer showed excellent leadership by taking over as lead of the group, which had been spread
apart by flak and the collision of the other two planes. He lead the remainder of the group on to
bomb the target and the planes returned to Deopham Green at @ 13:23 hours. On August 1,
1944, Colonel William D Eckert assumed position as Commanding Officer of the 452nd. Eckert
went on after the war to become the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
