Mission 594 to Mielec, Poland

HEADQUARTERS 31st FIGHTER GROUP

APO 520                                   US ARMY

27 July 1944.

NARRATIVE MISSION REPORT NO. 594

Mission No. 594, 307th, 308th and 309th Squadrons.  MIELEC, POLAND.  25 July 1944.

1. MISSION AND TARGET:  Escort for P-38’s strafing MIELEC A/D, POLAND.
2. AIRCRAFT AND CHRONOLOGY:  39 P-51’s took off from RUSSIAN bases 1015 hours.  Five P-51’s returned early (4 mechanical, 1 cockpit).  34 P-51’s in target area from 1315 to 1400 hours.  34 P-51’s down at RUSSIAN BASES at 1615 hours.
3. ROUTE:  RUSSIAN bases to MIELEC A/D (50^o18’N, 21^o26’E), to DEBICA (50^o04’N, 21^o25’E), to RUSSIAN base.
4. RENDEZVOUS, FORMATION AND ASSAULT:  R/V was made over base with P-38’s at 1020 hours.  P-38’s were at 2,000 to 3,000 feet, P-51’s at 8,000 feet with 307th Squadron leading, 308th Squadron middle and 309th Squadron top.  P-38’s were escorted to MIELEC A/D, where they strafed from east to west, at 1315 hours.  P-51’s provided top cover and remained in target area until 1400 hours.  307th Squadron strafed the road near DEBICA (50^o04’N, 21^o25’E) at 1325 hours.  The P-38’s were not escorted on return to base.
5. RESULTS OF BOMBERS:  No bombing.
6. STRAFING:  9 trucks were destroyed and several smaller vehicles damaged at DEBICA (50^o04’N, 21^o25’E) at 1325 hours.
7. ENEMY AIR-RESISTANCE AND ACTIVITY:  At 1345 hours between RZESZOW (50^O03’N, 22^O00’E) and PRZEWORSK (50^o04’N, 22^o30’E), 36 JU-87’s, 3 JU-52’s and 1 FI-156 were sighted.  When attacked, the E/A were at various altitudes, from the deck to 3,000 feet.  In the engagement, which lasted for 30 minutes, 21 JU-87’s were destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and 6 were damaged.  3 JU-52’s were destroyed, as was the PI-156.  One HE-111 was encountered on the deck at 50^o29’N, 22^o29’E at 1410 hours and was destroyed.  A HE-177 was observed taking off from RZESZOW A/D, and was shot down, at 200 feet altitude at 1345 hours.  After the main engagement, another formation of approximately 36 JU-87’s was observed just south of PRZEWORSK at 3,000 feet, at 1400 hours.  These E/A were not engaged.  3 ME-109’s and one JU-52 was seen at 1330 hours, on deck, two miles east of MIELEC.

Total E/A seen:  82.  (72 JU-87’s, 4 JU-52’s, 3 ME-109’s, 1 HE-111, 1 HE-177, 1 FI-156).

TOTAL E/A encountered:  36 JU-87’s, 3 JU-52’s, 1 HE-111, 1 HE-177 and 1 FI-156.

Total E/A seen attacking bombers:  N/A.

8. FLAK:  SIH and L at NIELEC A/D, IAH over RZESZOW A/D, and SIL at JANOU.
9. SIGNIFICANT OBSERVATIONS:

ENEMY

1. Naval and Shipping:  None.
2. Enemy ground Activity:  Heavy traffic moving west on all roads.  Vehicles were bumper to bumper, at 1230 hours.
3. Flak:  As in paragraph 8.
4. Other:  Nil.
5. Enemy A/D’s and A/C on Ground:  60/80 E/A seen on MIELAC A/D, mostly HE-111’s, with some JU-52’s, JU-87’s, and other S/E types.  20/30 E/A seen on RZESZOW A/D, ME-109’s, HE-177’s, JU-88’s and JU-87’s.

10. WEATHER:  From base to target, 5/10 to 10/10 a_to cumulus clouds at 4 to 8,000 feet.  Rain squalls enroute, and visibility 3 to 4 miles.
11. AIR-SEA RESCUE:  None.
12. RADIO SECURITY:  Satisfactory.
13. FRIENDLY A/C LOST OR IN DIFFICULTY:  None.
14. ENEMY A/C SEEN DESTROYED BY OTHER GROUPS:  None.

CONCLUSIONS:

15. VICTORIES AND LOSSES:

PROBABLY

            VICTORIES:                              DESTROYED                DESTROYED                DAMAGED

            Lt. Col. Tarrant, 307th Sq.          Three (3) JU-87’s

Lt. Didear, 307th Sq.                  Three (3) JU-87’s

            Lt. Schanning, 307th Sq.                        Two (2) JU-87’s

            Lt. Antonini, 307th Sq.               One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Hendel, 307th Sq.                 One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Brooks, 307th Sq.                One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Brooks, 307th Sq.                One (1) JU-52

            Lt. Brooks, 307th Sq.                One (1) FI-156

            Lt. House, 307th Sq.                  One (1) JU-87

            Major Brown, 307th Sq.             One (1) JU-87

            Lt. McElroy, 307th Sq.               Three (3) JU-87’s

            Lt. Shipman, 307th Sq.              Two (2) JU-87’s

            Lt. Sprout, 307th Sq.                 One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Col. Daniel, 307th Sq.                       One (1) HE-177

            Lt. Seib, 309th Sq.                    Two (2) JU-87’s

            Captain Loving, 309th Sq.          One (1) JU-52

            Lt. Zierenberg, 309th Sq.                       One (1) JU-52

            Lt. Carey, 309th Sq.                   One (1) HE-111

            F/O Shipley, 309th Sq.               (Shared)

            Lt. Schanning, 307th Sq.                                                            One (1) JU-87

            Lt. House, 307th Sq.                                                      One (1) JU-87

            Lt. House, 307th Sq.                                                      One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Scharning, 307th Sq.                                                                                                One (1) JU-87

            Lt. House, 307th Sq.                                                                                          One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Shipman, 307th Sq.                                                                                      One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Sprout, 307th Sq.                                                                                         One (1) JU-87

            Lt. Seib, 309th Sq.                                                                                            Two (2) JU-87’s

LOSSES:                            FLAK                FIGHTERS                    OTHER

Lost                                    0                      0                                  0

Missing                               0                      0                                  0

Damaged (repairable)          0                      0                                  1*

Damaged (not repairable)    0                      0                                  0

            * - Major Brown had the canopy of his A/C holed by the rear gunner of a JU-87.

16. SORTIES:  34
17. FORMATION LEADER AND FLIGHT LEADERS:  307th Squadron, Lt. Col. Tarrant (Group Leader), with Major Brown, Lts. Schanning and Brooks; 308th Squadron, Major Dorris, with Lt. Col. Daniel and Captain Molland.  309th Squadron, Major Warford, with Captain Loving and Lt. Carey.
18. COMMENTS:  This report is PROVISIONAL only, and will be superseded by the intelligence report taken at the other end of the shuttle run, when received.  Because of briefed instructions A/D’s at which our A/C were based in RUSSIA have not been given here.
19. CORRECTIONS:  None.

 

ALBERT D. LEVY,

Major, Air Corps,

Group Intelligence Officer.

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