From the 401st BS (H) Dailies, 1944

21 February 1944 MISSION TO ACHMER, GERMANY. 7 Officers and 13 Enlisted Men Missing In Action. See Mission Report this date. GROUND SCHOOL: Link Trainer 2 2:00 Spotlight 7 3:30 Bomb Trainer 8 7:00 Shadowgraph 6 6:00 Pilots Code 7 3:30 A/C Recognition 26 26:00 FLYING: 3 A/C made local flight for total 6:10 hours. MISSION TO ACHMER, GERMANY. Squadron supplied 6 A/C for this mission. A/C # TOT ALT AT TARGET BOMBS ON TARGET 729 1451 hrs 21,500 ft 12 x 500 741 1451 hrs 21,800 ft 12 x 500 591 1450 hrs 22,100 ft 12 x 500 761-----Not Dispatched------------------------------------------------ 572-----Missing In Action--------------------------------------------- 073-----Missing In Action--------------------------------------------- BOMBING RESULTS: Reported as good. Bursts were seen in Hangar area of airdrome. A target of opportunity was attacked. ENEMY AIRCRAFT: 20 to 30 FW 190s, Me 109s, and a few Me 110s were sighted West of Hanover. The main formation of this group received no attacks but the Composite Group did. Attacks were pressed home on the latter for a period of 30 minutes.FIGHTER ESCORT: Due to considerable change in route, complete fighter cover was not available. Crews, however, praised the fighter cover which was rendered. FLAK: Enroute to the target, meager, inaccurate AA fire was observed coming from vicinities of Egmond and Linden. At Bielefield AA fire was meager to moderate and rather accurate, Some ground rockets were reported at vicinity of Osnabruck. CASUALTIES: See Missing In Action Paragraph.CREWS CREDITED WITH MISSION: A/C 729: Lts. C. R. Phillips, J. R. Dempsey, H. G. Yockey, J. D. Pope, T/Sgts. G. W. Boyle, M. E. Painter, S/Sgts. C. R. Zimmerman, R. L. Jackson, Anthony Dannucci, Elvin Walsh. A/C 741: Lts. F, C, Ammann, F. L. Butler, H. A. Levin, P. H. McNulty, T/Sgts. F. D. Bynon, J. J. Lacorrazza, S/Sgts. I. F. Kennedy, Howard Hornick, Frank Martin, W. L, Sexton. A/C 591: Lts. P. R. Coleman, R. A. Thompson, R. N. Roberts, J. S. O. Looney, T/Sgts. K. R. Aldrich, Orlando Puntorno, S/Sgts. O. D. Phillips, F. J. Deary, A. W. Truesdale, S. J. Pogan, Jr. MISSING IN ACTION: A/C 572: Lts. Irvin Piacentini, J. A. Rogers, B. P. Hart, S/Sgt. R. M. Dodge, T/Sgts. J. L. Wolstenholme, R. S. Miller. S/Sgts. H. R. Harding, R. D. Libby, R. H. Brown, G. G. Selter. A/C 073: Lts. W. F. Gibbons, C. P. McCallum, D. W. Shea, W. P. Conlon, T/Sgts. W. O. Douponce, J. R. Parsons, Sgts. C. R. Bateman, Jack S. Bowen, S/Sgts. J. W. Edwards, P. H. Goecke.

* Big Week, February 20-25, 1944

Mission 228: 3 areas in Germany are targeted with the loss of 16 bombers and 5 fighters:

336 B-17s are dispatched to the Gütersloh, Lippstadt and Werl Airfields; because of thick overcast, 285 hit Achmer, Hopsten, Rheine, Diepholz, Quakenbrück and Bramsche Airfields and the marshaling yards at Coevorden and Lingen; they claim 12-5-8 Luftwaffe aircraft; 8 B-17s are lost, 3 damaged beyond repair and 63 damaged; casualties are 4 KIA, 13 WIA and 75 MIA.

Rogers, James A. (Jimmy), 2nd Lt