Mission 62

HEADQUARTERS 52^ND FIGHTER GROUP

Office of the Group Intelligence Officer

APO 520                                US ARMY     

JDM/lrw

 

6 August 1944.

 

Narrative Mission Report Number 62 for 6 August 1944.

            2^nd, 4^th, and 5^th Squadrons participating.

1. MISSION AND TARGET:           To provide escort on penetration, over target, and on withdrawal for one group of P-38s of the 82^nd Fighter Group attacking targets of opportunity in the Ploesti-Craiova, Roumania area at 1030/1130 hours.

 

2. AIRPLANES AND CHRONOLOGY; Thurty P-51s took off from Piryatin, Russia A/D at 0827B hours. Three airplanes returned early, (Two mechanical and one escort). Twenty seven airplanes were over the target area at 8000 feet at 1100-1135 hours. Twenty seven airplanes landed at Madna at 1320B hours.

 

3. ROUTE: The group assembled over Piryatin, Russia at 4000 feet, and set course at 0847 hours. The course to rendezvous was direct from Piryatin to Kirovegrad, Russia. From Rendezvous the route was to Lake Snager, 4443N 2009E to Craiova to the Danube at 4350N 2251E to base.

 

The P-38s were left as follows:

Time	Sqdn	No. A/C	Place	Alt.	Reason
1140	2nd	12	4350N 2251E	2,000 ft.	P-38s had completed the attack
1215	5th	5	4418N 2220E	8,000 ft.	P-38s had completed the attack
1245	4th	10	4446N 1731E	10,000 ft.	P-38s had completed the attack

 

                                    The course after leaving the P-38s was direct to base.

4. RENDEZVOUS, FORMATION AND ASSAULT: Twenty seven P-51s rendezvoused with the P-38s at 3 to 8,000 feet at 0915 hours at Kirovograd, Russia as briefed.

The 2^nd Squadron led the Group with the 4^th and 5^th Squadrons to the right and slightly below the 2^nd Squadron. The Group flew up sun to the P-38s about 3000 feet above them. All squadrons flew at approximately 8000 feet.

The P-38 formation was fairly tight and therefore easy to cover.

5. RESULTS OF BOMBING:        Nil.
6. STRAFING:  There was no strafing by the P-51s. The P-38s were observed to strafe a train of fifteen cars a few miles N of Craiova and a similar train S. of Craiova. The locomotive on each train blew up. M/Y at Craiova was strafed with unobserved results. This action took place at 1100-1135 hours.
7. ENEMY AIR RESISTANCE AND ACTIVITY:
   1. At 1100 hours near Nizil at 4500N 2627E five P-51s were headed NW at 15,000 feet when 20 SEF’s were seen 10 miles away at 13-14,000 feet head ESE. These a/c turned south and were not seem again.
   2. No enemy airplanes were encountered: 20 SEF’s were seen but not encountered.
8. FLAK:

Time	Design	Place	Type	Alt. of Burst
1010	SAH	4620N 2850E	Tracking	8,000
1010	SAH	4630N 2910E	Tracking	8,000
1040	MIH	Focsani (4542N 2711E)	Tracking	14,000
1050	NAH	Ploesti		15,000

           

9.  SIGNIFICANT OBSERVATIONS:
   1. Enemy airdromes:

	No.	Type	Location on A/D	Location of A/D	Time	Alt.	Dist. Of Obs.
(1)	20	ME 109*	Dispersed	4650N 2910E	1000	8000	One mile
(2)	4	Ju 52	On runway	4635N 2918e	1015	8000	One mile
(3)	1	He 111**	Dispersed	Sutesti (4520N 3730E)	1035	8000	Overhead
(4)	6	SEF	Dispersed	Sutesti (4520N 2720E)	1035	8000	Overhead
(5)	20	Me 109	Dispersed	Rosierii de Vedi (4408N 2502E)	1050	15000	3 miles away

 

* Roumanian markings on wings.

** He 111 was taking off.

(6)	6	SEF		4419N 2351E	1125	3000	Overhead
	1	Transport		4419N 2351E	1125	3000

1. 2. Ground observations: Smoke screen at Plesti was first seen at 1050 hours at which time it was ¾ developed. Pots were all around the town and were especially numerous long the river running through the NE section of the town. When this screen was first sited it was not very effective.
   3. Shipping:

Time	No.	Type	Head	Speed	Place	Observed from Alt.	Observed from Dist.
1135	1	Tugboat	E		4349N 2305E	5000	2 miles

 

This boat was strafed by some P-38s.

10. WEATHER: East of Danube weather was scattered to broken at 18,000 feet. West of Danube, bro9ken to overcast at 15-18000 feet. At R/V, overcast at 3000 feet with visibility of 10 miles. Target area, scattered to  broken at 5,000 and 18,000 feet.
11. AIR SEA RESCUE: Nil.
12. RADIO SECURITY: Satisfactory.
13. FRIENDLY AIRPLANES LOST OR IN DIFFICULTY: Nil.
14. ENEMY PLANES SEEN DESTROYED BY OTHER GROUPS: Nil.
15. VICTORIES AND LOSSES:
    1. Victories: Nil.
    2. Losses: Nil.
16. SORTIES: 27
17. FORMATION LEADER AND FLIGHT LEADERS: Captain Ohr, 2^nd Squadron, led the group formation.

2^nd Squadron: Caption Oher led the Squadron.

Red	Yellow	Blue
Captain Ohr (F.L.)	Capt. Schneider (F.L.)	Capt. Varnell (F.L.)
Lt. Burden	Lt. Schween	Lt. Borosky
Lt. DeForest	Capt. Betvidson	Lt. Dangelmaier
Lt. Teslinson	Lt. Zachman	Lt. Cowan

 

4^th Squadron: Lt. McCampbell led the squadron.

Red	Yellow	Blue
Lt. McCampbell (F.L.)	Lt. Bullock (F.L.)	Major Wiley (F. L.)
Lt. Fitzpatrick	Lt. Larson	Lt. Frye
Lt. Montgomery	Lt. Deckman	Lt. Parent
Lt. Gassman

 

5^th Squadron: Lt. Zelinski led the squadron.

Yellow	Black
Lt. Zelinski	Lt. Bey
Lt. Anderson
Lt. Empay
Lt. Franklin, I.P.

 

Early returns by Squadrons:

Sqdn.	Pilot	Place left formation	Time	Reason
5th	Maj. Fuller	4740N 3100E	0930	Gas tanks cutting
5h	Lt. Erder	4830N 3218E	0915	Gas tanks cutting
5th	Lt. D.P. Franklin	4730N 3100E	0930	Escort to Maj. Fuller

 

            Early Returns                                                                                   Sorties Credit

Sqdn	No. Off	Cat A M/P	Cat B E/S	Over Target	Down Base	Lost	Msg.	F.F.	Sortie	No Sortie
2nd	12	0/0	0/0	12	12	0	0	0	12	0
4th	10	0/0	0/0	10	0	0	0	0	10	0
5th	8	2/1	/5	5	0	0	0	3	5	3
52nd	30	2/1	/27	27	0	0	0	3	27	3

                        18. COMMENTS: None.

18. CORRECTIONS TO TELEPHONE MISSION REPORT: None.

J.D. MORGAN,

Captain, A.C.,

Group S-2 Section.

 

HEADQUARTERS 52^ND FIGHTER GROUP

Office of the Group Intelligence Officer

APO 520                                US ARMY

DWC/lrw

 

15 August 1944

1^st Supplement to Narrative Mission Report

Number 62 for 6 August 1944

 

            12. RADIO SECURITY: Between August 4^th and August 9^th, 1944, the crystals for “B” channel of 3 P-51s of 5^th Squadron were removed. While in Russia during this period these a/c visited Zilce (4635N 3000E), Piryatin (5014N 3231E), Kharkov (5000N 3612E), and Poltava (4939N 3431E) airdromes. The pilots don’t know at which airdrome the crystals were removed. On the trip home, “A” and “C” channels were used exclusively and the pilots were unaware that their radio equipment had been tampered with until their return to base. Crystals of a frequency of 6650kc were substituted for those removed.

 

J.D. MORGAN

            Captain, A.C.,

Group S-2 Section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEADQUARTERS 52^ND FIGHTER GROUP

Office of the Group Intelligence Officer

APO 520                                            USARMY

DWC/lrw

 

16 August 1944

 

2^nd Supplement to Narrative Mission Report

Number 62 for 6 August 1944.

 

            On 16 August 1944, two P-51s of the 5^th Squadron took off from Poltava, Russia at 0805 hours and landed at Madna, Italy at 1150 hours. The course was direct from Poltava to base at an altitude of 26,000 feet. Weather over the Balkans was overcast with tops of clouds at 22,000 feet. At 0930 hours near 4610N 2720E one dark Me 109 at 24,000 feet was sighted at 2 o’clock to the P-51s. E/A was flying a reciprocal course to P-51s and was lost in clouds before being encountered. Scant, inaccurate, heavy aimed flak was re ceived from Leova A/D (4629N 2814E) at 0920 hours. Altitude of bursts was 21,000 feet. No significant observations.

            The pilots of the two P-51s were Lt. Schumacher and Lt. Heller, formerly reported as missing in supplemental mission report for 4 August 1944.

 

J.D. MORGAN,

Captain, Air Corps,

Group S-2 Section.

 

 

 

 

HEADQUARTERS 52^ND FIGHTER GROUP

Office of the Group of Intelligence Officer

APO 520                                            US ARMY

D-JDM/kfg

 

 

9 August 1944

 

Special Supplement to Narrative Mission Report

No. 62 for 6 August 1944

 

1. On 9 August 1944, four P-51s of the 5^th Squadron took off from Piryatin, Russia, at 0745B hours on a fighter sweep and landed at Madna, Italy, at 1125 hours. The course was direct from Piryatin to base at an altitude of 20,000 feet. Weather over the route was scattered at 10,000 feet to the Dnestr, broken at 18,000 feet over Rumania, and scattered at 10,000 feet over Yugoslavia. No enemy aircraft were seen, there were no significant observations and no flak was experienced. The mission was uneventful.
2. The four P-51s took off with nine P-51s of the 8^th Air Force and three P-38s of the 52^nd Fighter Group. One P-51 of the 8^th Air Force returned early. Major Fuller, Lt. Bruder, Lt. D.R. Franklin and Lt. Gardner piloted the four P-51s of the Group.

J.D. MORGAN,

Captain, Air Corps,

Group S-2.

                                 

           

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