DAVID E. FACKLER CREW - 359th BS B-17F Knockout Dropper #41-24605 (BN-R) (crew assigned 359BS: 29 Mar 1944 - photo: April 1944) Wilbert F. Pohlman (TG) - Had 20 credited missions with the 1Lt Fackler crew (134, 136, 137, 138, 141, 142, 144, 148, 150, 151, 155, 162, 164, 165, 169, 170, 171, 174, 175, 176). Missions with other Pilots: S/Sgt Pohlman - 3 missions (194, 195, 196). Last mission flown: on 5 July 1944.

Mission Summaries:

134 Apr 11, 1944. Sorau, Germany. Target: City of Sorau. Incendiary bombs. Lucien Caldwell piloted the plane, Fackler was the co-pilot. Aircraft: “Nero”.

136 Apr 18 1944. Oranienburg, Germany. Target: Heinkel aircraft components factory. 35 crews dispatched. Casualties: 10 POW 1 crewman wounded by flak. Mission: 8hours 40 min. Incendiary bombs. Aircraft: “Nero”.

137 Apr 19, 1944. Kassel, Germany. Target: FW-190 Aircraft Factory. 8 aircraft lost: 5 B-17s to enemy aircraft, Aircraft: “Nero”.

138 Apr 20, 1944. Sottevast & Mesmil Au Val, France. Target: Crossbow targets. Wilbert’s Engineer on this flight was wounded by a splinter of flak to the eye. Aircraft: “Nero”

141 Apr 25, 1944. Metz/Frescaty, France. Target Airdrome. 21 Crews dispatched. Mission: 7 hours, 40 min. Altitude: 20,000 ft. Lead group. Although neither aircraft nor casualties were reported, wind shifts caused confusion on the bomb run. The route was off course and there was almost a collision. Aircraft: “Bad Penny”

142 April 27, 1944. Sottevast, France. Target: Crossbow Targets, the V-rocket installations in the Pas de Calais area. Bombing altitude: 19,750 ft. Flak moderate to intense. Aircraft: “Thunderbird”.

144 Apr 29, 1944 Berlin, Germany. Target City area. Mission length: 8 hours, 30min. Aircraft: “Ain’t Misbehavin”

145 Apr 30 1944. Lyon/Bron, France. Target: Airdrome. 20 crews + 2 spares dispatched. Mission 7 hours, 40 min. Altitude: 18,500 ft. Meager flak, 10-50 enemy fighters chased away by P-47s and P-51s. First Air Division received a commendation for superior teamwork, and for the good quality of their attackexecution and bombing. Aircraft: “Wallaroo MK II”.

148 May 8, 1944. Sottevast, France. Target: Crossbow “V” weapon. 19 crews dispatched. Mission length: 4 hours. Armor piercing bombs. Altitude: 25,000 feet. Following a morning mission to Berlin, the afternoon attack “Crossbow” V- weapon installations in the Pas de Calais area. Heavy Flak. Crews at post mission interrogation complained about being fed beans and franks for lunch just before taking off. Also they were upset about the lack of whiskey at the afternoon interrogation. Some crews complained about having to attend 3 separate briefings on a single day. Aircraft: “Sky Duster”

151 May 11, 1944. Saabrucken & Volkingen, Germany. Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards. Crews dispatched: 37; Crews lost: 11 MIA Wounded: 11 wounded by flak. Length: 6 hours 25 min. Altitude: 22,000 ft. Aircraft: "Special Delivery". 36 of the 37 planes suffered minor to major flak damage. Back in the tail, no visibility due to flak smoke. It was so bad you could see it, smell it and feel it.”

152 May 12, 1944. Merseburg, Germany. Target: Launa Synthetic oil plant. Length of mission: 8 hours 10 min. Bombing from 26,000 feet. Willie’s plane returned early due to oxygen failure. Fackler returned with his bombs. Aircraft: “Bonnie B”

155 May 19, 1944. Berlin, Germany. Target: City area. 37 crews dispatched. Lt. Roth crew lost – 10 MIA. Incendiary bombs Length of mission: 9 hours 30 min. Aircraft: “8 Ball MK III”

162 May 28, 1944. Cologne, Germany. Target Eifeltor marshalling yards. Bombing Glide bombs at 19,000 feet. Aircraft: “Polecat”.

164 May 29, 1944. Posen, Poland. Target: Focke-Wulf-190 aircraft factory. 35 crews dispatched. Mission: 9 hours, 55 min. Altitude: 22,000 ft. Aircraft: “Lonesome Polecat”.

165 May 30, 1944. Halberstadt, Germany. Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant & Airfield One crew lost. Aircraft: “Liberty Run”.

167 Jun 2, 1944: Dannes, France. Target: gun emplacements. Bombing: 19,000 feet. Tactical mission in preparation for the invasion No enemy aircraft seen, no flak. Aircraft: Spare-returned “Ain’t Misbehavin”.

169 Jun 3, 1944. St. Cecily, France. Target: Gun emplacements. 21 Crews dispatched. Mission: 5 hours, 15 min. Altitude 15,500 ft. No casualties, aircraft returned without damage. Third mission that was unopposed across the Channel to bomb French coast military installations. Aircraft: Thunderbird.

170 Jun 4, 1944. Le Touquet, France. Target: Gun emplacements. 37 crews dispatched. Mission 4 hours, 10 min. Altitudes 25,000 ft. Meager and inaccurate flak and no enemy aircraft seen. No casualties and all aircraft returned to Molesworth. Aircraft: “Thunderbird”.

171 Jun 5, 1944. Azeville, Lessay & Caen, France. Target: Gun emplacements. 38 crews dispatched. Mission: 5 hours 20 min. altitude: 24,000 ft. Aircraft:Thunderbird. Wil’s plane in Lead group. 10 B-17s dropped 143, 500-lb bombs. Its target was Azeville bombed with 500 lb bombs.

172 D-Day Jun 6, 1944. Caen, France. Target: Bridge. The bridge at Caen,important to the German transport system, was the morning target. Willie’s planethe Thunderbird aborted with the failure of the No. 1 propeller governor.

174 D-Day Jun 6 1944. 3rd mission. Vire & Conde-Sur-Noireau, France. Target: city area of Vire and Bridge at Cond. 36 crews dispatched. Mission 5 hours, 15 min. Altitude: 16,000 feet. Crews took off at 5:42 p.m. The afternoonformation experienced a beautiful view of the invasion armies landing on the French beaches. They told of fleets of barges, destroyers and battleshipsstreaming across the channel to landing points on the coast, while flashes of gunfire and shell bursts winked through the thick clouds of black smoke that hung over the coastal area. Some gunners reported that the Germans seemed to be using land-fired rockets to oppose landing troops, but the stream of barges did not seem to be held. Willie’s group, the 303BG-A lead group dropped their bombs on the center of the city of Vire, France. A target of opportunity. Bombing was done visually, but clouds prevented observation of the results. Ships were seen in every direction as far as you could see. In places, the boats looked like a line ofants. The crew also got a good view of the landing crafts and men on the beach.The skies above the beachhead were crowded with Allied planes at different altitudes, including squadrons of B-24s and B-26s. The improved weather allowed the crew to visually locate the target. There was no flak. While over France a single German fighter shooting at US paratroopers dropping from a C-47. Minutes later, a P-51 fighter shot up the German plane until it broke in half. The crew ended this mission with a rare night time landing, coming in at 10:45p.m. Aircraft: “Wallaroo MK II"

175 Jun 7, 1944. Flers & Conde-Sur-Noireau, France. Target: Road Junctions.Bombed German escape routes Aircraft: “Wallaroo MK II”

176 Jun 8, 1944. Orleans, France. Target: Marshalling Yards & Railroad Bridge. 36 B-17s in all took off for the attack. Twelve B-17s from the 359th, flying with the 41st CBW-D high Group, attacked the railroad bridge at Orleans, France. Willie’sBombardier, 2Lt. Hogan laid a perfect bomb pattern with excellent results from 20,500 feet with 1,000-lb bombs. No enemy aircraft were spotted, no flak occurred, and all aircraft returned safely to Molesworth. Hogan was the hero of the day. The 359th squadron which held high group position rescued the mission when the eleven planes of that group laid a perfect pattern on the railroad bridge. Lt. Hogan was the bombardier of the day for that feat. Aircraft: “Thunderbird”.

178 Jun 12, 1944. Cambrai/Epinoy, France. Target: Airdrome. 39 crews dispatched. Losses: 9 KIA, 1 POW. Length: 4 hours, 30 min. Altitude: 21,000 ft. Concentrated attacks on enemy airfields within fighter range of the invasionarea. Moderate flak with accurate flak encountered in target area. Aircraft:Thunderbird was a spare – returned.

194 Jun 29, 1944. Heiterblick (Leipzig), Germany. Target: Erla Aircraft components factory. 36 crews dispatch. 8 KIA, 1 POW. Mission: 7 hours, 55 min. Altitude: 25,000 ft. Flak intense, accurate. During crossing 379th returned to base. It was a favorite trick of the Germans to send phony radio messages to try to disrupt missions. It seldom worked but on this mission it was partially successful. The group was reduced to 15 planes instead of 19. One 17 was ripped in half at thewaist. 9 killed 1 POW. Pilot Edward F. Callahan. Aircraft “Wallaroo MK II”.

195 Jun 30, 1944. Le Culot/Coxyde, Belgium. Target: Airfields. 35 crews dispatched. Altitude 25,700 ft. Moderate to accurate flak encountered at the target and on the edge of Brussels. Four aircraft had major and 18 minor battle damage. Friendly fighter support was good. Pilot: Edward F. Callahan. Aircraft: “Marie”.

196 Jul 5, 1944. Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands. Target: Airfield. 39 crews dispatched. Mission 5 hours. Altitude: 25,000 ft. Friendly fighter support good, no enemy aircraft spotted. Flak was meager and inaccurate at the target. No aircraft sustained battle damage. No casualties and all aircraft returned safely to base.

Wilbert F Pohlman