September 1944

 

Mission Number: #125
Date: 1 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Frankfurt, Germany (due to weather, targets west of Chartres attacked instead)
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #126
Date: 5 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Stuttgart, Germany
Claims: Lt. Ostrow (503) 1 ME109 shot down
  Lt. Ostrow & Lt. Erickson (503) 1 ME109 shot down
  Lt. Johnson (505) ME410 damaged on ground
  Lt. Graham (505) 1 ME410 damaged on ground
  Lt. Bundgaard (505) 1 ME410 damaged on ground
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Lt. Martin Nay (505) AA fire, EVADER
Misc: The two ME109's the Lt.'s Ostrow and Erickson shot down were Swiss planes, intercepting a crippled B17 heading for Switzerland.

 

Mission Number: #127
Date: 8 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Mainz, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #128
Date: 9 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Dusseldorf, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Lt.Wright (503) AA fire, WIA
Losses: Ø
Misc: After taking AA fire, Lt. Wright lost his oxygen system. Flying lower, he took more AA fire, and was wounded. Due to the efforts of Lt. Stockman (503) he made it safely back to base. Lt. Stockman "talked" Lt. Wright home, since he couldn't see (eye injury) and his instruments were shot out.

 

Mission Number: #129
Date: 10 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Nurnburg, Germany
Claims: Maj. Thury (505) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Jones & Lt. Stewart (505) 1 ME109 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Stewart (505) 2 JU88's destroyed, 3 JU88's damaged on ground
  Capt. Tower (505) 1 JU88 1 JU52 destroyed, 1 JU88, 2 HE111's damaged on ground
  Lt. Malarz (505) 1 ME410, 1 JU88 destroyed, 3 HE111's, 1 JU88 damaged on ground
  Lt. Jackson (505) 1 JU88, 1 HE111 destroyed, 4 unidentified planes damaged on ground
  Lt. Tannous (505) 1 ME410, 1 unidentified plane destroyed, 6 unidentified plane damaged on ground
  Lt. Marts (505) 2 ME410's destroyed, 1 JU88, 2 HE111's, 1 unidentified plane damaged on ground
  Lt. W.A. Jones (505) 1 JU87, 1 unidentified plane destroyed, 2 HE111's damaged on ground
  Lt. Muller (505) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Jackson (505) 1 HE111 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Rich (505) 1 FW190 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Krauss (505) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Powell (505) 1 ME410, 1 DO217 destroyed, 4 unidentified planes damaged on ground
  Lt. Farmer (505) 1 unidentified plane destroyed on ground
  Lt. Moore (505) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Young (505) 3 unidentified planes destroyed on ground
  Capt. Mitchell (505) 1 JU88 damaged ground
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Lt. Raymond Reuter (503) mechanical, EVADED
  Maj. John Reynolds (505) Flak, KIA
Misc: Lt. Reuter had a coolant leak and was forced to bail near Saarbourg. Evaded until he was rescued by the French UNderground, and returned to England. Maj. Reynolds was shot down by flak near Weiszenburg. He was seen to parachute to safety, but was reported killed.

 

Mission Number: #130
Date: 11 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Grimma,Germany
Claims: Maj. Aitken (503) 1 ME109 shot down, 1 FW190 damaged in air
  Lt. Gerard (503) 3 ME109's 1 FW190 shot down, 1 ME109 damaged in air
  Lt. Erickson (503) 1 FW190 shot down, 1 FW190 probably shot down.
  Lt. Coe (503) 1 FW190 shot down
  Lt. Coe & Lr. Graham (503) 1 FW190 shot down
  Lt. Graham & Lt. McClish (503) 1 ME109 shot down
  Capt. Robinson & Lt. McClish (503) 1 ME109 shot down
  Lt. McClish (503) 1 FW190 probably shot down
  Lt. Price (503) 1 FW190 shot down
  Lt. Mayer (503) 2 ME109's shot down
  Capt. Cloud (503) 1 ME109 shot down
  Lt. Stockton (503) 1 FW190 damaged in air
  Capt. Tower (505) 1 ME410, 2 JU88's, 1 JU87, and 1 HE111 destroyed, 2 JU88's damaged on ground
  Lt. Krauss (505) 2 ME410's, 1 JU88 and 1 ME110 destroyed, 3 ME410's damaged on ground
  Lt. Rich (505) 1 ME410, 2 unidentified planes destroyed and 1 ME410 damaged on ground
  Lt. Staggers (505) 1 ME110, 1 JU88 destroyed, 1 ME110,1 HE111, and 1 JU88 damaged on ground
  Maj. Thury (505) 2 JU88's destroyed, 1 JU88, 1 ME109, 1 ME410 and 1 HE111 damaged on ground
  Lt. Bundgaard (505) 2 JU88's destroyed, 3 JU52's damaged on ground
  Lt. Slovak (505) 1 ME410, 1 unidentified plane destroyed, 2 ME410's damaged on ground
  Lt. Jaaskelainen (505) 1 JU88 destroyed, 1 HE111 damaged on ground
  Capt. Olander (505) 1 unidentified plane destroyed, 2 unidentified planes damaged on ground
  Lt. Graham (505) 1 ME410 destroyed, 1 DO217, 1 ME410, and 1 JU88 damaged on ground
  Lt. W.A. Jones (505) 1 JU88 destroyed, 1 JU88, 1 JU52 damaged on ground
Damaged: Lt. Stockton (503) dogfight (high speed damage)
Losses: Lt. Theodore Staggers (505) AA fire, POW
  Lt. William Jones (505) shot down, POW
Misc: Lt. Jones became the first pilot in the 339th (and possibly the first P51 pilot in the 8th Air Force) to be shot down by the German ME262 - it was his last mission since he started in with 297 combat flying hours! Also was the fist mission in which a 339th pilot shot down 4 German fighters (Lt. Gerard, 503)

For the two previous missions (Sept. 10th & 11th) the 339th Fighter Group would be awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation

 

Mission Number: #131
Date: 12 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Magdeburg, Germany
Claims: Capt. Harte (503) 1 ME109 shot down
  Capt. Stevens (504) 1 ME109 shot down
  Capt.Olander (505) 1 ME109 shot down
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #132
Date: 13 September, 1944 Type: Fighter Sweep & Strafing
Target Area: Munich, Germany
Claims: Maj. Aitken (503) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Stockton (503) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Caldwell (504) 1 FW190, 1 unidentified plane destroyed on ground
  Lt. Powell & Lt. Moore (505) 1 JU88 destroyed on ground
  Lt. Mitchell (505) 1 DO217 damaged on ground
  Lt. Hrico (505) 2 unidentified damaged on ground
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Lt. Willaim Slovak (505) AA fire, KIA
  Lt. William Moore (505) AA fire, POW
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #133
Date: 17 September, 1944 Type: Area Patrol
Target Area: Southern Holland
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #134
Date: 18 September, 1944 Type: Area Support
Target Area: Holland
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Maj. Hawthorn (HQ) AA fire
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #135
Date: 19 September, 1944 Type: P.T.W.S.
Target Area: North and West of Ruhr Valley
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #136
Date: 20 September, 1944 Type: Area Patrols
Target Area: Holland
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #137
Date: 22 September, 1944 Type: P.T.W.S.
Target Area: Kassel, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Lt. Coe (503) Landing accident
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #138
Date: 23 September, 1944 Type: Area Support
Target Area: Arnheim, Holland
Claims: Lt. Ammon (503) 2 FW190's shot down
  Lt. Marsh (503) 1 FW190 sht down
  Lt. Beavers (503) 1 FW190 shot down
  Lt. Mayer (503) 1 FW190 shot down
  Lt. Cernicky (504) 1 FW190 probably shot down
  Lt. Tannous (505) 1 FW190 shot down, 1 FW190 damaged in air
  Lt. Powell (505) 1 FW190 shot down
Damaged: Lt. Hauff (503) dogfight
  Lt. Ammon (503) dogfight (structural damage from pullout)
  Lt. Tannous (505) dogfight (structural damage from pullout)
Losses: Lt. Alfred Manke (503) shot down, POW
  Capt. Raymond Mitchell (505) shot down, POW
  Lt. James Muller (505) shot down
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #139
Date: 25 September, 1944 Type: P.T.W.S.
Target Area: Frankfurt, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Lt. Stoudt (505) mid-air collision
Losses: Lt. Carl Stewart (505) mid-air collision, WIA
Misc: The 505th was on a training flight (not on the mission) when the mid-air collision occured. Lt. Stewart ended up with a broken leg and was lost to the group.

 

Mission Number: #140
Date: 26 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Bremen, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Lt. Paul Fickel (503) mechanical, POW
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #141
Date: 27 September, 1944 Type: P.T.W.S.
Target Area: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc: Jet Propelled aircraft seen, but not engaged.

 

Mission Number: #142
Date: 28 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Merseburg, Germany
Claims: Lt. Ammon (503) 2 FW190's shot down
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

Mission Number: #143
Date: 30 September, 1944 Type: Bomber Escort
Target Area: Bielefeld, Germany
Claims: Ø
Damaged: Ø
Losses: Ø
Misc:

 

 

Back to the 339th Mission List