No_Report

Summary

Aircraft Serial Number (Type): 43-21712 (Douglas A-20J-15-DO Havoc)

9th AF; 416th Bomb Gp; 669th Bomb Sq

Mission # 116; Box: II; Flight: 1; Position: 1; A/C Fuselage Code: 2A-H

Reason: Enemy anti-aircraft

Damage: Battle damage

Point Of Departure: AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England

Location: Wethersfield/Sta 170

*Personnel*
Duty	Name	Rank	S/N	Status
Pilot	Napier, John G.	Maj	O-431478	Not Injured
Bombardier/Navigator	Madenfort, James NMI	Lt	O-681755	WIA
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Perkins, Homer W.	Pvt		Not Injured
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Lowe, R. R.	S/Sgt		Not Injured

Description:
On a second bomb run over the target, Major Napier's Bombardier-Navigator, Lt. J. Madenfort, was hit in the face by flak so that his flight was unable to bomb.
(416th BG History 1944)

The sixth was another two-mission day. In the morning, Major Napier led the second box of a formation attacking the last remaining bridge across the Seine river at Oissel. Capt. Huff was a flight leader. Lt. DeMun, Lt. McQuade, led the window flight. Bad weather forced the formation to return from the target area. The same crews returned in the afternoon to attack the same target. On the bomb run, Lt. Madenfort was hit in the face by flak so that Major Napier's flight did not bomb. Capt. Huff's flight, however, scored an excellent. The flak was intense and four planes were lost. Severe battle damage forced Lt. Blomgren to crash land at Tangmere -- none of the crew was injured. Lt. Jack F. Smith also crash landed at Tangmere due to flak damage. His brakes were shot out, and, when his plane nosed in at the end of the runway, it was washed out. None of the crew was injured.
("669th Bombardment Squadron (L) History")

General Orders No. 157, 17 August 1944, Purple Heart is awarded to: 669th Bombardment Squadron (L), James (NMI) Madenfort, O-681755, Second Lieutenant, Air Corps, United States Army. For wounds received in action against an enemy of the United States on 6 August 1944, while serving as Bombardier-Navigator on an A-20 airplane on a combat operational mission over enemy occupied territory. Entered military service from Bristol, Virginia.
(416th BG Purple Heart Awards (PDF))

See Mission # 116 for additional details