41st ADG October 1944

Section I

Section 1

1. With the stress on winterization still strong at this Depot all units this month added to and improved their individual areas. The Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron and the 88th Depot Repair Squadron finished their construction of rock roads in their new areas during the month. On coming to this station last year at this time the Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron area was one large sea of mud. This memory served as an added incentive in winterizing the area this year. The 313th Depot Repair Squadron constructed a brick shower building which consists of three rooms; shower room, dressing room and wash room. The 2500th Quartermaster Truck Company (Avn) added a brick Orderly Room and Dispatcher's Office and also completed winterization of their tent area. The 41st Depot Repair Squadron constructed two buildings which will be used for CEL storage, Squadron Supply Room and warehouse.
    
2. The present strength status of Air Force Advanced Depot #62 is seventy-five (75) Officers and one thousand five hundred and ninety (1,590) Enlisted Men. The present strength status of Air Force Advanced Depot #51, which is operated under the command of this Depot, is seven (7) Officers and two hundred and twelve (212) Enlisted Men.
    
3. A total of eighty-two (82) aircraft were brought into the Depot this month for classification. Fifty-five (55) of these aircraft were declared excess and have been put in storage class #4 and stored in designated areas. Two (2) of these aircraft are to be used for an Air-Sea Rescue School. Thirteen (13) aircraft that came in for repair prior to October have been made operational this month.
    

a. "Consolidated Mess", a B-24, with over thirty (30) missions, will not fly in combat again as it was remodified to serve as a plane for schooling purposes. In order to modify the plane the armored plating, top turret, drift meter, and main fuel cells were removed; the navigator's table was modified; left wing, number two and number four superchargers were repaired; right wheel replaced and excessive clearance at the main pivot shaft was corrected; left leading edges were removed and repaired; twenty-seven (27) flak holes in left and right wings were repaired and all spark plugs changed. (See Annex #1)

b. "Weary Willie", a B-24, with twenty-five (25) missions and one German plane to its credit came into the Depot during the month. Nose-wheel doors were repaired; number three Turbo supercharger was replaced; number two supercharger was repaired and number three booster pumps removed; the bomb bay doors were repaired and adjusted; plexiglass in the tail turret was replaced and throttle stops installed; appropriate T/O memorandums were complied with and number one prop was overhauled; left aileron, leading edges, bulkheads, stringers and belt frames were repaired. "Weary Willie" was test flown and is now waiting to be flown back to its group.

c. The Depot modified eighty-one (81) aircraft this month, nine (9) of which were modified into Cargo aircraft for the 885th Bombardment Squadron. Bomb bay tanks were removed from one hundred and nineteen (119) B-24 aircraft and five (5) B-17 aircraft this month.

d. During the month the Classification Committee was notified to inspect all aircraft in the excess pool and to determine how many man hours it would take to make subject aircraft operational and aircraft flyable non-operational. The total number of aircraft that could be made operational was found to be twenty (20) and the number flyable non-operational was one hundred and forty (140).

e. The following represents a few of the results of the work in the shops during the month:

(1) The only shop that dropped off during the month was the Propeller Shop which has caught up with the governor and prop assembly work, so production decreased approximately 50%. The respectable figure of two hundred and forty (240) governors were still turned out and sixty (60) complete propeller assemblies were turned over to Technical Supply.

(2) The Electric Shop was very busy during the month with the main job being Power Turret Junction Box Modifications, of which five hundred and twenty (520) were completed. This modification also affected both the Sheet Metal Shop and the Machine Shop which did a portion of the work. A great deal of work on repairable voltage regulators, generators and relays was performed and approximately two hundred and fifty (250) of each of these items were completed during the month. The Flying Suit Department of the Electric Shop also has caught up with its work. One hundred (100) suits were completed during the month and now the shop will also be utilized to repair fleece-lined flying equipment. This shop, now made up principally of women civilian employees under the supervision of enlisted foremen, has been doing excellent work.

(3) The Machine Shop had two large rush jobs, the quick delivery of which required ability and ingenuity; one, a P-38 winterization modification, two hundred and fifty-five (255) of which had to be made and the other, a Radar Ball Modification of which one hundred (100) are needed. The P-38 Modification has been completed, while the Radar Ball Modification is progressing very satisfactorily.

(4) The Wood Shop erected a new maintenance plant for the Power Plant and spent a good portion of the month manufacturing boxes for the shipment of completed propeller units.

 (5) The Welding Shop, was more than just busy, for its welders called upon to turn out approximately five hundred (500) stoves and stove elbows. Three (3) other major projects were handled by this shop; the construction of an "A" Frame for the Engine Shop, six (6) pressure tanks for the same shop, and a new invention for straightening corrugated runway matting which involved the building of a huge press was turned over to the Welding Shop. If this press operates as expected, the shop will be able to salvage a great deal of damaged runway in this area.

(6) The Engine Shop was moved to a new location during the month and it is expected that this new location will be ready for winter by the 10th of next month. Due to the large number of "war weary" aircraft on the field twenty-seven (27) engines were shipped out and two hundred and seventy (270) engines pickled, in the shop and on the field.

(7) The Little Power Plant Maintenance Shop did an outstanding job during the month in keeping the portable power plants in working condition. Eighty (80) pieces of equipment are in its charge, an average of twenty-five (25) overhauls each month are completed there.

(8) The Fabric Shop was also very busy during the month. The largest job was the construction of twelve (12) leather kidney belts, on orders from Medical Officers for the special purpose vehicle drivers. One thousand six hundred (1,600) items were turned out by this department during the month.

(9) The Fuel Cell Shop processed seven hundred (700) tanks during the month, five hundred (500) of which were bomb bay tanks to be placed in storage to await the day when the planes will leave this Theater.

(10) One hundred and three (103) aircraft were completed by the Sheet Metal Shop during the month. Twenty-one (21) major jobs were completed, ten (10) of which were C-47 Cargo Carriers for front line night supply. Eighty-two (82) minor jobs were completed, of which fifty-one (51) were B-24 Pathfinder Modifications, seventeen (17) B-24 "310" Modifications and six (6) B-17 Radar Ball Modifications. The Sheet Metal Shop was faced with constructing its own Radar Ball Modification Kits and in five (5) days the repair department had filled and passed its quota of one hundred and eighty-four (184) bracket kits. The Repair Department, in addition to this, furnished men for work in constructing the new Combat Crew Replacement Center Camp and turned over seventy (70) items to Technical Supply, of which thirty-nine (39) were critical items. This represents a drop in the turn over of items to Tech Supply from the peak month of September, but this was due to the cleaning up of all salvaged parts in the shops. Very few ships were salvaged during the month.

(11) The Manufacturing Department turned out five thousand eight hundred (5,800) items, eight hundred (800) of these were critical modification parts and two thousand four hundred (2,400) were parts required to keep the home fires burning; stoves, pipes and burners.

(12) The Plexiglass Department produced approximately five hundred (500) parts during the month. One hundred and ninety-six (196) of these were modification blisters, and twenty-seven (27) were waist gunner windows, both of these are critical AOC items.

4. The Salvage and Reclamation Department salvaged four planes this month. The statistics for this department are as follows: one thousand one hundred and eighty-five (1,185) items issued on Form 81's, two thousand six hundred and forty-two (2,642) items issued on Form 82's and seventy and one-half (70½) tons of scrap metal shipped to AFUD #5.
    
5. During the month eighty-three (83) Replacement Pathfinder Aircraft were modified, five (5) GEE installations and nine (9) spot jamming installations were made by the Radar Section. In the Radar Shop, three hundred and six  (306) R.D.F.'s were checked, repaired and prepared for installation. Seven (7) Pathfinder equipment sets, one hundred and thirty-four (134) IEE sets, four (4) Altimeters and fifty-nine (59) inverters were also checked and repaired. The Radio Section made one hundred and fifty-four (154) V.H.F. modifications and removed thirty-five (35) I.F.F. sets from Replacement Aircraft. The Radar School Laboratory was moved to a larger building to handle the expanded training program. The Radar Maintenance School taught a total of thirty-five (35) students in R.D.F. and AN/APS-15 courses. These students were from Signal Companies and Bomb Groups of Fifteenth Air Force and also several British and Canadian Forces students.
6. Air Force Advanced Depot #51 had some excitement on the 25th of this month. The Depot Area was flooded by a torrential rainfall and fortunately no damage was done to either tent or warehouse areas. After an eighteen hour stretch of pumping water the Depot was back to normalcy. (See Annex #1)
    
7. The 2500th QM Truck Company (Avn) stationed at Air Force Advanced Depot #52 traveled approximately one hundred and nine thousand twenty-seven (109,027) miles, handled three thousand seven hundred and fourteen (3,714) tons of freight and carried nine thousand two hundred and thirteen (9,213) persons during the month. The 2460th QM Truck Company (Avn) trucks, including those trucks present and on temporary duty and detached service, traveled one hundred and thirty-one thousand one hundred and twenty-five (131,125) miles during the month, and transported three thousand one hundred and seventy-nine tons of Air Corps Supplies.
    
8. The 41st AAD Transient Camp changed its name to Combat Crew Reception Center during the month, as the camp was not for transients but for Combat Replacement Crews. Due to adverse weather conditions this month it was necessary to detain many crews at this station for periods of indefinite duration in excess of the usual 24 to 48 hours. One hundred and thirty (130) tents are now available for use by incoming crews in the camp. Tents are to be winterized and stoves installed. At the present time various additional buildings are in an advanced stage of construction: Officers' Mess, Officers' Club, Orderly Room, Shower Room, Post Exchange, Supply Room and Storage Room. The mess building that was previously used by both Officers and Enlisted Men is being modified for the Enlisted Men. The kitchen is being enlarged and will accommodate both messes. The total number of meals served for the month was thirty-two thousand six hundred and fifty-two (32,652) and the number of men billeted for the month twelve thousand one hundred and eighty-nine (12,189).
9. A total of six (6) men received the Bronze Star Medal and two (2) men received the Soldier's Medal during this month at Air Force Advanced Depot #52. First Sergeant Truman M. Jacobson, 1044th Signal Co Service Group and Technical Sergeant Norman E. Stump, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 41st Air Depot Group - Bronze Star Medal per General Orders #3201, Hq, XV Air Force, dated 5 October 1944; First Sergeant Gerald J. Gravina, and Sergeant Ralph F. Barone, 41st Depot Repair Squadron - Soldier's Medal per General Orders #3314, Hq, XV Air Force, dated 8 October 1944; and Technical Sergeant William J. Lindsey Jr. and Staff Sergeant Walter J. Chajnowski, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 41st Air Depot Group, Staff Sergeant Frank O. Pitra, 312th Depot Repair Squadron, and Technical Sergeant Edward C. Skrobot, 41st Depot Repair Squadron - Bronze Star Medal per General Orders #4220, Hq, XV Air Force, dated 28 October 1944.
    
10. The Depot was inspected by General Mollison, General Twining, and General Kern during the month. We also had several visits from groups of British and New Zealand soldiers and ATC, who were taken on a tour of the Depot. Such visits are welcome as we feel we have an installation which we can be justly proud to show our allies and the Commanding Generals of our Service Command and Air Force.
     
11. Corporal Appleyard of the 41st Depot Repair Squadron had always received attention at this Depot for his wonderful paintings which adorn practically every depot club and day room plus the American Red Cross Club in Gioia del Colle. During the inspection by General Mollison his work received such favorable attention that he was asked to report to the Headquarters, XV Air Force Service Command to do some work in decorating a club for that Headquarters. Christmas cards have been printed for this Group with paintings furnished by our Group artist.
     
12. The men have been taking an active interest in sports this month. Most of the men rush through chow so they can get out and play touch football, basketball, badminton, and also scores of men are competing in ping pong tournaments. As some of the men are interested in boxing we are now able to have our own bouts here at the Depot. Some of the men are semi-professional and are training for bouts in Bari. (See Annex #1)
     
13. The newest innovation at the Depot is the setting up of messes similar to those we had back in the States. Most units have changed over from mess kits to dishes, bought by the Enlisted Men through donations, and trays manufactured by the men in the shops. (See Annex #1) All the men are well satisfied with the new set-up and as most of them remark, "I feel like a human being again and maybe overseas service isn't so bad after all." Though it is a small item it is a great contribution to the morale of the Depot.
     
14. The Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron had a case of entertainment that was manufactured among the men for the benefit of all. Two men discovered that their birthdays were on the same day and due to the fact they did not celebrate their birthdays the previous year they decided to have some fun this year. The night of the party, which was held in the Enlisted Men's Club, the men had ice cream, cake and weiners and buns. The party was such a great success that it will be a policy of the squadron to have a monthly party for all men having birthdays during the month.
15. The morale of the Depot remains the same. It is very high but like the "Fog" it is resting awaiting the slightest disturbance, as the men await the end of the war and subsequent deployment of this Depot. Warnings of more rigid inspections, of the possibility of a slow process of deployment, stricter uniform regulations, saluting, the return of guard duty of the Depot with the 366th Infantry moved, occasionally ruffled tempers, but splendid living conditions, especially the readiness for the coming winter, sufficient entertainment, work to be done and work done and recognized, combined to maintain a feeling of satisfaction (possibly self-satisfaction - a very high contributing factor to morale) among the men.

FREDERICK B. TOURNEY,

Major, Air Corps, Unit Historian.

 

 41st Air Depot Group