9th AF Patch

416th Bombardment Group (L)

Mission # 43 -- May 11, 1944, Thursday AM

Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France

Airfield (S.1630)

 

WWII-Medal

Previous Mission # 42            Mission List            Next Mission # 44

Return to Table of Contents



Summary of Operations

Field Order        : 36-308
OpRep #            : 41
Nature of Mission  : Bombing
Mission Status     : Attacked
Bombing Altitude   : 12,000 feet
Take-off Time      : 0900
Time Over Target   : 1036
Landing Time       : 1159
Duration (Hrs:Min) : 2:59
 

Place of Take-Off  : AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England
A/C Dispatched     : 38 Total -- 32 A-20G's, 6 A-20J's
Target Operational Number: Z 380
Illustration       : S 1630/4
Illustration Ref   : 032103
Summary of Results : Box 1 - Fair Box 2 - Returned early from point over channel 4 miles off Letreport. Had no visual contact with Box 1 in thick haze and did not see fighter escort.

Primary Target Latitude/Longitude: 49.10977,2.02386 (49° 6' 35" N, 2° 1' 26" E)
(Latitude/Longitude based on Google Maps, Visual match to Strike Photo)
(See Latitude/Longitude Coordinates and Target Identifiers for more information. Note: This coordinate represents the Primary Target Location, the Location actually attacked may differ)


Scanned original Mission 43 documents (multipage PDF files)

Mission Folder       Reports Folder       OpRep # 41       Fuel Use

If nothing happens on Click, check to see if the PDF file was automatically saved to your computer. Depending on Internet speed, the display or download may be slow.
These Public Domain, Declassified Mission documents were graciously provided to the 416th BG Archive by the dedicated staff of the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA).
An on-line index of records held by AFHRA up to 2001 is available at Air Force History Index.org.
Most of these PDF files are unaltered originals provided by the AFHRA, a few have been re-organized.
Pages may be out of sequence; files may contain scanned blank pages and/or pages scanned upside-down; some pages may be included in more than one file.
The "Mission Folder" usually contains the majority of documents for a Mission, including Field Orders, Status Reports, Pilot Interrogations, Photos (if available), etc.




Loading List 1

Loading List 1, Box I


Loading List 2

Loading List 2, Box II
Box II did not receive sortie credit for this mission.
Box II returned to base prior to reaching enemy territory due to thick haze and losing sight of Box I.



Target Topo Map

Approximate area of Cormeilles-en-Vexin Aerodrome, Later Station A-59
Extracted from GSGS-4336/AMS-M603 Sheet 18 - "Beauvais" 1:100:000 Military Topographic Map
(Downloaded from Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection - Army Map Service Topographic Map Series,
Belgium, Series 2364, 1:100,000, U.S. Army Map Service, 1937,
Beauvais sheet)

(Annotated Full Map PDF)





Missing Air Crew Reports, Aircraft Accident Reports, and other incidents

         Date          Report

A/C
Serial #
Type
Mis-
sion
#
Bomb
Sq
Location Personnel (Status when available)
May 11, 1944
Thursday
No_Report   43-9200
A-20G
43 670 Gruetzemacher, Robert Oliver (WIA)
Allred, Fred D. (Not Injured)
Stephens, Donald W. (Not Injured)


To view more information regarding an Incident/Report, click on the Report hyperlink.
( = Entries having actual Reports available for review.   = Entries having additional Images or Photos.)
To view an individual's Memorial page, click on the "Name" hyperlink.



Mission Loading Lists Transcription

Mission # 43 -- May 11, 1944, Thursday AM
Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France -- Airfield (S.1630)

Included are Box, Flight and Position; Bomb Squadron; Aircraft Serial Number, Fuselage Code and Model; and Crew Members
transcribed from individual mission Loading List documents by Chris and Mary Adams and Carl Sgamboti.
Some information, such as Squadron, Serial Number, etc. has been expanded from other documents.

Box I -- Flight I
  1  671st                   
  43-9914  5C-X  A-20J
  Maj Willetts, D.L.
  Lt Royalty, P.G.
  T/Sgt Larronde, F.H.
  Lt Sutliff, G.F.
  [Sutliff (4th CCU)]
  2  668th                   
  43-10125  5H-M  A-20J
  Lt Stockwell, R.E.
  Lt Jedinak, A.
  S/Sgt Wellin, H.E.
  S/Sgt Kutzer, L.G.
  3  671st                   
  43-9220  5C-E  A-20G
  Lt Perkins, R.D.
  S/Sgt Sherry, V.N.
  S/Sgt Linneman, R.H.
 
  4  670th                   
  43-9217  F6-D  A-20G
  Lt Wheeler, R.V.
  S/Sgt Brower, J.S.
  S/Sgt Corrin, E.W.
 
  5  671st                   
  43-9711  5C-M  A-20G
  Lt Cole, H.P.
  S/Sgt Fandre, B.G.
  S/Sgt Chvatal, F.R.
 
  6  671st                   
  43-10214  5C-C  A-20G
  Lt Smith, R.H.
  S/Sgt Adams, V.P.
  S/Sgt Harp, C.J.
 

Box I -- Flight II
  1  670th                   
  43-9455  F6-T  A-20J
  Capt McNulty, G.M.
  Lt Bursiel, F.H.
  S/Sgt White, H.E.
  S/Sgt Addleman, R.F.
  2  670th                   
  43-9387  F6-H  A-20G
  Lt McGlohn, C.L.
  S/Sgt Moran, J.W.
  S/Sgt Driskill, P.B.
 
  3  670th                   
  43-9380  F6-N  A-20G
  Lt Johnson, E.L.
  S/Sgt Donahue, W.J.
  S/Sgt Brayn, M.R.
 
  4  670th                   
  43-9209  F6-K  A-20G
  Lt Crispino, J.C.
  S/Sgt Walsh, T.I., Jr.
  S/Sgt Conopask, R.E.
 
  5  670th                   
  43-9978  F6-S  A-20G
  Lt Rooney, R.J.
  S/Sgt McCleary, H.M.
  S/Sgt DiNapoli, S.F.
 
  6  670th                   
  43-9689  F6-I  A-20G
  Lt Shea, D.F.
  S/Sgt Lee, R.E., Jr.
  Sgt Falk, F.G.
 

Box I -- Flight III
  1  670th                   
  43-9439  F6-J  A-20J
  Capt Jackson, C.R.
  Lt Maltby, A.H.
  S/Sgt Stobert, R.F.
  S/Sgt Glynn, F.P.
  2  670th                   
  43-9696  F6-G  A-20G
  Lt Brown, N.G.
  Sgt Swafford, J.O., Jr.
  S/Sgt Glynn, P.F.
 
  3  670th                   
  43-9386  F6-W  A-20G
  Lt Hillerman, J.P.
  S/Sgt Evans, O.D.
  Sgt Palmer, T.A.
 
  4  670th                   
  43-9227  F6-F  A-20G
  Lt Harrold, F.J., Jr.
  S/Sgt Griffin, E.L.
  Sgt Maziasz, C.W.
 
  5  670th                   
  43-9207  F6-B  A-20G
  Lt McBride, L.R.
  S/Sgt Eutsler, R.J.
  S/Sgt Risko, S.
 
  6  670th                   
  43-9200  F6-A  A-20G
  Lt Gruetzemacher, R.O.
  S/Sgt Allred, F.D.
  Sgt Stephens, D.W.
 

Box I
  SPARE  669th               
  43-9181  2A-A  A-20G
  Lt Dontas, P.
  S/Sgt Nielsen, A.L.
  S/Sgt Fields, W.E.
  [No Sortie]
 
                                                           


Box II -- Flight I
  1  671st                   
  43-10129  5C-I  A-20J
  Capt Dunn, L.F.
  Lt Arrington, H.T.
  S/Sgt Foster, H.A.
  S/Sgt Rust, E.W.
  [No Sortie]
  2  668th                   
  43-9640  5H-Z  A-20J
  Lt Osborne, A.E., Jr.
  Lt Forma, W.
  S/Sgt Kelly, E.E.
  S/Sgt Coe, W.H.
  [No Sortie]
  3  671st                   
  43-9393  5C-K  A-20G
  Lt Greenley, R.E.
  S/Sgt Worden, H.C.
  S/Sgt Rzepka, J.J.
  [No Sortie]
 
  4  671st                   
  43-9951  5C-P  A-20G
  Lt DeMand, F.W.
  S/Sgt Middleton, C.W.
  Sgt Troyer, R.J.
  [No Sortie]
 
  5  671st                   
  43-10165  5C-H  A-20G
  Lt Zubon, M.
  T/Sgt Tanner, J.R.L.
  S/Sgt Russell, W.C.
  [No Sortie]
 
  6  671st                   
  43-9937  5C-B  A-20G
  Lt Durante, A.R.
  S/Sgt Best, H.T.
  S/Sgt DeGiusti, I.R.
  [No Sortie]
 

Box II -- Flight II
  1  669th                   
  43-9900  2A-Q  A-20G
  Lt MacManus, P.F.E., Jr.
  S/Sgt Thompson, J.B.
  S/Sgt Cope, G.F.
  [No Sortie]
 
  2  669th                   
  43-9390  2A-G  A-20G
  Lt Connor, J.S.
  S/Sgt Colosimo, R.J.
  S/Sgt Wing, J.S.
  [No Sortie]
 
  3  669th                   
  43-9743  2A-W  A-20G
  Lt Gullion, A.W., Jr.
  S/Sgt Coffey, G.L.
  S/Sgt Webb, C.L.
  [No Sortie]
 
  4  669th                   
  43-9376  2A-O  A-20G
  Lt Peck, W.A.
  S/Sgt Bergeron, A.E.
  S/Sgt Kelton, H.E.
  [No Sortie]
 
  5  669th                   
  43-9679  2A-R  A-20G
  Lt Renth, E.J., Jr.
  S/Sgt Rosenstein, M.
  S/Sgt Carney, H.O.
  [No Sortie]
 
  6  669th                   
  43-9717  2A-N  A-20G
  Lt Morton, R.J.
  S/Sgt LaNave, O.D.
  S/Sgt Citty, F.M.
  [No Sortie]
 

Box II -- Flight III
  1  668th                   
  43-9362  5H-L  A-20G
  Lt Shaefer, R.F.
  S/Sgt Fejes, J.A., Jr.
  S/Sgt Judd, E.R., Jr.
  [No Sortie]
 
  2  668th                   
  43-9379  5H-G  A-20G
  Lt Poindexter, R.D.
  T/Sgt Robbins, L.G.
  S/Sgt Simpson, D.H.
  [No Sortie]
 
  3  668th                   
  43-9684  5H-K  A-20G
  Lt Lesher, R.D.
  S/Sgt Antanaitis, A.J.
  S/Sgt Hedrick, H.R.
  [No Sortie]
 
  4  668th                   
  43-9182  5H-B  A-20G
  Lt Meagher, J.F.
  S/Sgt Damico, E.A.
  S/Sgt Dickenson, E.S.
  [No Sortie]
 
  5  668th                   
  43-9360  5H-S  A-20G
  Lt Downing, W.E.
  S/Sgt Molver, V.E.
  S/Sgt Gray, C.M.
  [No Sortie]
 
  6  668th                   
  43-9195  5H-D  A-20G
  Maj Napier, J.G.
  S/Sgt Shaw, L.R.
  S/Sgt Bankston, R., Jr.
  [No Sortie]
 

Box II
  SPARE  668th               
  43-9216  5H-E  A-20G
  Lt Peede, L.G.
  S/Sgt Hibbs, C.L.
  S/Sgt Daugherty, L.M.
  [No Sortie]
 
                                                           



Group and Unit Histories

Mission # 43 -- May 11, 1944, Thursday AM
Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France -- Airfield (S.1630)


"416th Bombardment Group (L) - Group History 1944"
Transcribed from USAF Archives

Two missions were flown on the 11th. In the morning, 38 planes took off. The second box, led by Captain Dunn, with Lt Arrington, B-N, lost visual contact with box #1, and seeing no fighter escort, turned around and came home. The first box, led by Major Willetts, with Lt Royalty, B-N, hit the target with fair results. This box did find the fighter escort. Nine aircraft received battle damage. The target was the Cormeilles-en-Vexin Airdrome.


"Attack Bombers, We Need You! A History of the 416th Bomb Group"
Ralph Conte
Page 73

Mission #43 - AM - 11 May - Corneille eu Vexin Airdrome. Two boxes of 18 aircraft each went after this target which was heavily defended. The first box led by Major Willetts and Lt. Royalty, BN hit the target with fair results. For no explainable reason, the second box led by Captain Dunn and Lt. Arrington, BN, lost sight of the lead box, so they returned to base. Fortunately, the fighter escort went in to the target area with the first box. Nine of the 18 planes in that first box received flak inflicted battle damage. Since the second box sort of aborted the mission, the crews in that box, were not credited with a mission.


"670th Bombardment Squadron (L) History"
Transcription from USAF Archives

May 11th brought another attack on the Aerschot marshalling yards and an attack on the Monchy Breton airdrome. On these two missions, eighteen 670th crews were used. Lt Gruetzemacher suffered minor flak wounds while over the Monchy Breton target, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.


"671st Bomb Squadron (L) Unit History"
Gordon Russell and Jim Kerns

After a four day recess the 416th Bomb Group reached a new bombing high, crossing the English Channel 11 times from May 7th thru May 13th to smash enemy installations in France and Belgium. The Havocs were out in force twice on the 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12th of May, while just once on the 13th. No mission was flown on May 10th because of poor weather.

Marshalling Yards, Airdromes and "No-Balls" were hit in the weeks operations which culminated in a great loss to the 671st Bomb Squadron.


Previous Mission # 42            Mission List            Next Mission # 44

Return to Table of Contents