452nd Bomb Group Mission List

First 48 missions of the 452nd BG
1. 2-05-44 Romilly
2. 2-06-44 Romilly
3. 2-08-44 Frankfurt
4. 2-10-44 Brunswick
5. 2-13-44 No. France
6. 2-20-44 Posen - Tutow
7. 2-21-44 Brunswick
8. 2-24-44 Posen
9. 2-25-44 Regensburg
10. 2-29-44 Brunswick
11. 3-03-44 Berlin
12. 3-04-44 Berlin
13. 3-06-44 Berlin
14. 3-08-44 Berlin
15. 3-09-44 Berlin
16. 3-15-44 Brunswick
17. 3-16-44 Ausgburg
18. 3-18-44 Augsburg
19. 3-20-44 Frankfurt
20. 3-22-44 Berlin
21. 3-23-44 Brunswick
22. 3-26-44 No. France
23. 3-27-44 Bordeaux
24. 3-28-44 Chateaudun
25. 4-01-44 Ludwigshaven
26. 4-08-44 Achmer - Rheine
27. 4-09-44 Posen - Warnemunde
28. 4-10-44 Courcelles
29. 4-11-44 Rostock                                         Photo courtesy of Rick Richter
30. 4-13-44 Augsburg
31. 4-18-44 Luneburg
32. 4-19-44 Lippstadt *                (42-31330 Dog Breath)
33. 4-20-44 Northern France
34. 4-22-44 Hamm
35. 4-24-44 Friedrichshaven*    (42-97094 Why Worry II)
36. 4-25-44 Dijon
37. 4-26-44 Hildesheim
38. 4-27-44 Northern France*    (42-107091 Forbidden Fruit)
39. 4-29-44 Berlin*                       (42-97361 The Punched Fowl)
40. 4-30-44 Clermont
41. 5-01-44 Northern France
42. 5-01-44 Metz - Brussels
43. 5-07-44 Berlin*                       (42-97222 Deuces Wild)
44. 5-08-44 Berlin-Brunswick*   (42-102499)
45. 5-08-44 Northern France
46. 5-09-44 Juvincourt*              (42-97306 Lady Janet)
47. 5-11-44 Brussels*                 (42-97371 Hairless Joe)
48. 5-12-44 Brux*                        (42-97864 Why Worry)
* indicates missions of 1LT Robert F Kerr. Mission #32 was in Dog Breath,
42-31330, 1LT Herman R Beuchat as pilot. Mission #35 was in Why Worry II,
42-97094, 2LT Milton Mard as pilot. All other missions were flown with
Capt Robert C. Patrick and crew on various B-17's as noted above.

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MACR #4779- Why Worry was shot down by enemy fighters over Merzhausen,
Germany while conducting a bomb run to Brux. Last seen in spin,
#4 engine on fire, south of Koblenz, 1217 hours, May 12, 1944.
According to returning crews, the right wing tip was gone, the right
stabilizer was dangling, and no chutes were seen. Fortunately, they
were wrong about the chutes, as all 10 crew members parachuted
to safety but became POW's.
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This mission was the first penetration made by the 8th Air Force into
Czechoslovakia. It was a high altitude round trip of 1200 miles and was
approximately 9 hours in duration. The target was a high priority synthetic oil plant
in Brux. The 452nd furnished 3 groups of 18 aircraft(inluding The Why Worry) on
this mission. Hordes of enemy fighters forced the A and C groups to abandon the
primary objective, but B group fought its' way to the target. B group lost 2 aircraft
to enemy fighters before reaching the target. The remaining planes bombed the
primary target with excellent results. A and C groups were attacked by an
overwhelming force of at least 200 enemy fighters in the Koblenz area. This
onslaught, in waves of 40-50 enemy fighters, was characterized by the most
viscious and persistent attacks imaginable. Attacks were pressed into ranges of
less than 100 yards and some bombers were deliberately suicidically rammed. The
enemy attacks continued for approximately 3 hours. 12 aircraft of the group were
shot down, 2 aircraft ditched, 9 men seriously wounded, and one man killed. The
group was credited with 17 enemy fighters destroyed, 9 damaged, and 6
probables. A and C groups desperately maintained formation and bombed as a
target of opportunity the marshalling yards at Gera, Germany, with excellent
results.

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My uncle made his first jump at @ 20,000 feet on May 12, 1944. According to him,
he had never parachuted out of a plane until that day. On his way down, a German
Luftwaffe pilot in a Messerschmidt 109 was making his turn to shoot the crew,
when an American fighter pilot in a P-51 took out the German plane. To this day my
uncle wants to thank that pilot for saving his life, but he has no idea who he was.
My uncle told me that one of the engines and the prop from his plane flew by him
on his way down. He landed safely in a potato field, near Merzhausen, Germany,
landing on his back, which was sore for several days. While folding up his chute,
several German 8-9 yo kids approached him. They were friendly and were helping
him with his chute, so he gave them all candy. He always had candy in his pockets
because he never had time for breakfast. Around this time, the local
Burgermeister appeared with rifle in hand and took my uncle as his prisoner. My
uncle said the German was more nervous than he was and was dressed in his
WWI uniform, spiked helmet and all! Uncle Bob did all he could not to laugh, which
might not have been a good thing to do under the circumstances. He was
marched into town by the Burgermeister and jeered and spit at by the locals. He
was taken to a building and sat in a room by himself for a while. To occupy his
time, he read some books that were in the room. My uncle could read and speak
German. Then the burgermeister entered the room with a Luftwaffe officer.
Apparently, there had been an argument between this officer and an SS officer
over who was going to take my uncle as prisoner. Fortunately, the Luftwaffe
officer won the argument. The German started interrogating my uncle, who knew
beforehand what questions he would be asked because he could read what was
on the questionaire setting on the desk. He later was taken to another room,
where he met some other American airman . They were all eventually taken to
Dulag Luft in Frankfurt for more interrogation, and then on to Stalag Luft III, in
Sagan. Transportation was provided by train, in very crowded boxcars. It was
almost impossible to lie down and sleep. There was no food , water, nor facilities
to relieve oneself.

            More to come after next interview with my uncle

THE MISSIONS

Aerial view of Brux on May 12, 1944
Special thanks to Irwin Math for
the picture and his service to our
country. Mr Math was an
intelligence officer for the
452nd/728 Squadron.