Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #4053 AIRCRAFT: #42-52704 "SON OF SATAN" "P" 5th Mission AIRCREW TIEFENTHAL * SQUADRON: 577TH CREW POSITIONS AND STATUS: P 1/LT Tiefenthal, Dexter POW CP 2/LT Clifford, Richard R. POW N 2/LT Chichetto, Anthony F. KIA B 2/LT Gordon, Archie M. KIA R/O T/S Sichau, Walter R. POW EnG T/S Wright, Anthony (NMI) POW BT S/S Brown, Elmer (NMI) KIA WG SGT Sullivan, Edward Jr. KIA WG S/S Castor, James R. KIA TG S/S Roper, Donald W. KIA MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: Eye-witness accounts by three returning planes reported this aircraft at 1450 hours, position 52-3N;12-25E in the clouds which extended at least 500’ above the plane and being hit by AA fire, then spinning down and rolling over upside down. That report was all that was known. A German Report #KU1553 also reported this aircraft’s downing at 1450 hours at a position (9) kilometers north west of Brandenburg with (6) crewmen found dead, and (4) being captured. INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: One surviving member’s account the bomb release time and the those who were killed in their stated that the plane went into a spin right near the bomb release time and the resultant centrifugal forces undoubtedly pinned those who were killed in their positions and unable to egress. Lt. Tiefenthal reflected in his casualty reporting that the bail out order was given three times, and following the last such signal, he, the Co-Pilot, Radio Operator and Engineer did manage to leave the aircraft through the bomb bay. In the German report, only deceased members Lts. Chichetto and Gordon; and Sgts. Sullivan and Roper could be identified on the scene. Mention was made also of (2) other "unknown" dead also found which turned out as Sgts. Castor and Brown. BURIAL RECORDS: Brandenburg- Bnest (Chichetto and (2) others as "unknowns" from this crew who later were really Brown and Castor); and (3) in the County cemetery of Tieckow, these being Gordon, Roper and Sullivan. 2/Lt Gordon, S/Sgt Brown, Sgt Sullivan, S/Sgt Castor, and S/Sgt Roper are buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Section 79 Site 441-443. From accounts in the MACR, this crew was estimated to be flying their 23rd combat mission at time of missing status. NEXT OF KIN DATA IN WWII: Information recorded is: Tiefenthal (Mother, Lena of Allegan, Michigan); Clifford (Mother, Lillian R., Grovetown, Georgia); Chichetto (Mother, Helen, Boston, Massachusetts); Gordon (Wife, Helen M., Brooklyn, New York); Sichau (Wife, Ruth M., Cleveland, Ohio); Roper (Mother, Mrs. Nolan M., North Terre Haute, Indiana); Wright (Father, Harry T., Downsville, New York); Brown (Sister, Loraine Forque, Port Arthur, Texas); Castor (Sister, Goldie P. Daum, South Gate, California); and Sullivan (Mother, Aledia M., Lowell, Massachusetts). Data found on three prisoners taken by the Germans at time of capture recorded that Tiefenthal was from Michigan; Clifford from Grovetown, Georgia, and Wright from New York City.

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group. This was the first mission flown by my father, Horace Turner. He kept a brief log of all of his 35 missions and here is his entry for this one. "The handwritten log of my father, Horace O. "Hank" Turner, states this.. "Started to raid Berlin, bad weather and we bombed Brandenberg. Formation bad and flak terrific." He had marked it with an "x", which he noted meant that "Our plane was hit by flak."

2nd Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Combat organisation

412th Bomb Squadron

• Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Bombardment

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Description: AIRFIELD

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Notes: The 3 B-17s MIA from 96th Bomb Group were PATHFINDER (PFF) aircraft leading the 94th Bomb Group and 447th Bomb Group. These became separated from the main force of 3rd Bomb Group and came under heavy fighter attack. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group,447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.

3rd Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Combat organisation

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: Poor weather prevented several units from bombing the primary, so they bombed T/O's in the Berlin area. 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. 457th BG MISSION NO. 27 - ORANIENBURG, GERMANY 18 APRIL, 1944 After a few days off, primarily because of the weather, the 457th was back in action. The target was the Heinkel plant at Oranienburg, manufacturer of the He-177. The Group put eighteen bombers aloft to make up the low box of the 94th Combat Wing. The Air Commander of the Group was Major Fred A. Spencer, and the pilot was Captain Jerry Godfrey. The flight to the target was without incident. There was no heavy flak and little enemy fighter opposition in the area, in spite of the fact that the flight plan called for penetration into Germany on a direct path to Berlin. Bombing results were reported good, although the target area was partially obscured by smoke from previous bombs. Flak over the target area was moderate and was only fairly accurate. Upon leaving the target, crews reported they had never before seen so many B-17 and B-24s over Germany as they saw following them to the target. There were no losses.

1st Bomb Division

• Unit Hierarchy: Division
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Bombardment

457th Bomb Group

• Unit Hierarchy: Group
• Air Force: Eighth Air Force
• Type Category: Bombardment

Description: AIRFIELD

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX