On January 16, 1945:  Robert Shaw, co-pilot; Howard Bradley, bombardier; and David Stodder, nose gunner, did not fly.  Major David H. Philips (753rd Sq) was Command Pilot, Major Fred Vacek (Group Bombardier) flew in that capacity, Lt. Traskin flew as pilotage navigator, and F/O Alden L. Armstrong flew as Radar (Mickey) Navigator.

GROUP RECORDS: "On 16th January [1945], on the mission to Magdeburg, Germany, Lt. Moran was flying the Deputy Lead position of the group.  As they were approaching the target, the formation was being tracked by several flak batteries.  As they flew within range of a four gun battery, the first salvo thrown up burst just in front of the lead ship.  The second burst broke just in front of Lt. Moran's ship.  The third burst hit Lt. Moran's ship between the #3 and #4 engine on the right wing.  The impact started a fire in #3 engine and tore away the wing cell.  The flak fragments entered the bottom of the engine nacelle and passed diagonally through the wing to emerge from the top of the engine.  Flames trailed out behind the wing and past the tail of the ship.  The flames burned the fabric of lower half of the right rudder, melted the de-icer boots from the stabilizers and warped the flaps.  The turbo on the #4 engine was knocked off.  The control cables of the #3 throttles, mixture and feathering mechanism were cut.  This made it impossible to feather #3 prop and it continued to windmill at 2300 RPM's.  Part of the left aileron was cast away and there was only 14 inches of power on #4 engine.  Lt. Moran stayed with the formation to drop his bombs and then dropped off to the left of the formation and started back on a SW heading to try and get back to friendly territory.  The fire in #3 engine burned itself out after 4 minutes after the engineer had shut off the gas lines leading to the engine.  The flak fragments had also entered the side of the plane and knocked out the Mickey set inverters, thus making the PFF equipment useless.  The weather was 9/10th undercast making navigation extremely difficult.

"Lt Moran instructed the Command Pilot [Major Philips] to contact the escort for protection as they had a long way to go with only two smoothly operating engines.  The interphone had gone out and difficulty was encountered when Lt. Moran tried to inform the crew of the condition of the plane and what he was attempting to do.  He instructed them that he was attempting to reach friendly territory before landing or giving the bail out order.  A heading of southwest was held although no one was sure of their exact location.  After 2 hours of flying this course, Lt. Moran intercepted the returning "bomber stream".  Major Philips, the Command Pilot, contacted the wing leader on VHF.  About this time the navigator gave Lt. Moran a heading of 252 degrees that would lead them to an emergency landing strip in Allied possession.  Two minutes before running out of gas, Lt. Moran had gotten the ETA of reaching friendly territory as 10 minutes.  Lt. Moran was flying at 11,000 feet when he ran out of gas so he feathered #1, #2, and #4 engines.  He figured that he might be able to glide the remaining distance as his rate of decent was 1500 feet per minute and he was at 11,000 feet.  He gave the order to stand by to bail out and sent the engineer back to the waist to instruct the gunners to be ready to bail when he gave the order.  When the altimeter showed that he had descended to 3000 feet and they had entered the undercast, the order to abandon ship was given.  Lt. Moran was the last man to leave the ship at 1445 hours at 1500 feet.  His chute opened when he was 300 feet from the ground and he made a safe landing.

"The FFI picked up most of the crew almost immediately.  The Mickey Navigator [F/O Armstrong] was wandering around until the next day.  Lt. Moran walked in a westerly direction for about 4 hours when he came to a small rural community where he saw a farmer alone working in his barn.  He walked up and asked the farmer where he was and the farmer showed him on a map where his place was located.  The farmer called the French Police and the police in turn called the FFI and they came out and took Lt. Moran back to the place where his crew was waiting.  The crew was taken to the nearest United States military police detachment that was about 40 kilometers away."

Two of the gunners on this crew S/Sgt Richard Smith and S/Sgt Harold Jones were killed when their parachutes, presumably frozen by the cold temperatures at altitude, failed to open.  The crew was back at Horsham St. Faiths on January 21, 1945.

We were awakened early at 0445 and were to be at briefing at 0515. Here we were told our target to be Berlin or Magdeburg according to the weather. We realized flak would be very rough and everyone was very still. Magdeburg was Plan "A" and we were to bomb the Krupp Tank Factory. There were 74 guns at the target, bombing altitude was 23,000 feet and temperature was -36 degrees. Berlin had 240 guns and our target was to be industrial sections of the city. Stations were 0740 with T.O. at 0810. We dressed and pre-flighted #954 and were second off at 0803.

We were D.L. [Deputy Lead] on the Lead Ship and forming was no trouble. We headed out on course at 0940, and everything was going fine. We climbed to altitude and it was 5/10 cloud cover, we kept a course all the way. Before the I.P., we put on our flak suits and started throwing out chaff as it turned visual.

As we hit the bomb run with bomb bay doors open, we were sure it was going to be rough.

One minute before "Bombs Away", the flak started. It was 155 MM and the third burst hit our right wing setting it afire. The fire was [trailing] 20 feet behind the tail and we were sure it would explode. It hurt the right rudder and melted the flaps. Van and Jones opened the camera hatch, and we put our chutes on. I called Smitty out of the tail turret. We were all ready to go. The interphone went out and we didn’t know what was going on up front.

Up on the flight deck, Ted saw the fire and quickly shut off the gas. This saved our lives, I’m sure. Lt. Moran or Major Phillips didn’t know of the fire, and only saw that [engines] 3 & 4 were no good pulling 11 & 15" respectively. In the bomb-bay, the flak cut the Mickey and GEE plus the intercom. Lt. Traskin and I pulled the "dome" up as we left the formation.

All three navigators were lost as Lt. Adams was in the bomb-bay on the bomb run, Flak had put a large hole (12") in the fuselage by the putt-putt! Number 3 had a 1" hole in it. The left aileron had two large holes in it, plus many little holes. We were losing gas and oil by the minute.

Jones would have jumped over the target, but a B-24 was under us so he waited. Van, Smitty, and myself would probably have followed.

We dropped 5 degree flaps and Lt. Adams steered. On our course out, we threw out all the flak suits to lighten the load, as well as everything of excess weight. Mine went out also. I was hit by a piece of flak which entered over my head. I didn’t say anything to anyone, as it wasn’t necessary.

As we passed over the lines, we saw light flak, but it was still ½ mile to the left. We were losing altitude while going at 150 MPH. We had just crossed the Rhine when Lt. Moran feathered #1, 2, 4, as 3 was just wind milling. We were at 10,000 feet, and all of us had plenty of time to fix our chutes, shoes, and kits. At 3,000 feet, and at 1438 hours, we started out.

I was very frightened and tried very hard to keep my head. We watched the bomb-bay and VanNess lined up at the camera hatch with me, Smitty, Ted, and Jones following. Lt. Traskin left, then Van and Major Vacek followed by me, Lt. Adams, Smitty, Major Phillips, Ted, F/O Armstrong, Jones, and Lt. Moran.

The plane was still in live flight and it crashed 8 miles away, breaking in many pieces with the right wing 50 yards from the bulk of the plane.

I left the plane 4th, going out of the camera hatch head first, crawling from the waist position. As soon as the slip-stream hit me, I rolled over and my back and waited a second or more before pulling the rip cord. My chute opened and I received a helluva jolt, biting my tongue.

When it opened, I said aloud, "I’m safe, I’m OK" over and over.

I looked up and saw the plane as well as three men coming down. Two chutes opened, but the first didn’t. I watched it hit the woods SW of me and "found" all check points in order that we might find the body. I landed with another jolt, and was stunned for a moment. My tongue was bleeding, and I got my bearings and took my chute off and started down the road, eating some snow on the way. I took off my "Mae West" and lit up a smoke. After walking ¼ mile, I saw Frank Adams. We got together and I gave him my black RAF shoes as his ankle was swelling. A Frenchman took us to Voutailles when Ted and Major Phillips joined us. Here we found Major Vacek and Van. We were fed and the FFI questioned us as they thought we were Germans. After much explaining, we convinced them we were USAAF, and wanted to find our crew. F/O Armstrong showed up after this and much talking and explaining lasted for 2 hours.

At 1900 six MP’s from Auxerre picked us up and took us to Clamsy (?) where we met Lt. Moran, and identified the body of Harold Jones.

We left for Auxerre and arrived at 2200 to a meal and a bed. We went to bed early and sleep came hard.

On the 17th, we went to the plane and destroyed all the secret and confidential papers and shut up the GEE box and other equipment. The plane was a mess, with the right wing and engines 3 & 4 scattered over a 75 yard area. A complete wreck.

On the 18th, Lt. Traskin showed up and we went to look for Richard Smith, as he hadn’t shown up. We looked ‘til dark and with nothing found, we left and the FFI, 400 of them, were to do so tomorrow.

On the 19th we left for Paris at 0830 and after 4 hours in a 6X6 GMC, we reached the city. We were assigned to a 1st class hotel in town, and were given all the liberties of a civilian. We went to the PX and American Red Cross and saw the city.

On the 20th the ceiling was zero with 6" of snow, so we again toured the town. I really had one swell time, considering everything.

On the 21st, we took off at 1310 in a C-47 and started for Horsham. My first ride in a C-47 was uneventful and we landed at 3:50 pm. A sad, sorry mission.

KIA – Harold N. Jones, S/Sgt

KIA – Richard B. Smith, S/Sgt

Wounded – Frank E. Adams, 2nd Lt.