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Piskin Crew (AZON 08) - Assigned 753rd Squadron - 26 May 1944 |
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F/O Arnold A. Piskin Crew (L-R) |
Standing: Verle Erickson - WG, Joe Feldman - N, Norm Hull - NTG, Don Shannon - E/TTG, Joe Zanella - CP
Kneeling: Roy Thomas - TG, Henry Sonnenfeld - B, Arnold Piskin - P, Joe Schroeder - BTG/WG, Bill Bothwell - RO
(Photo: Joe Scroeder)
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Piskin Crew - Completed Tour |
| Name |
Pos |
Status |
Date |
Notes |
| 1Lt Arnold A. Piskin |
P |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| 1Lt Giordano Zanella |
CP |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| F/O Joseph M. Feldman |
N |
CT |
30 Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC / Trsf to 389th BG |
| 1Lt Henry R. Sonnenfeld |
B |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| T/Sgt Donald R. Shannon |
E |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| T/Sgt William W. Bothwell |
RO |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| S/Sgt Norman L. Hull |
NTG |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| S/Sgt Joseph B. Schroeder |
BTG |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| S/Sgt Verle C. Erickson |
WG |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
| S/Sgt Roy W. Thomas |
TG |
CT |
Dec 1944 |
Awarded DFC |
The Piskin crew was one of ten crews specially trained in the AZON project. They came to the 753rd Squadron as a group in May 1944 and participated in several AZON missions in June, August, and September 1944.
The B-24 they flew over from the States was 44-40273 "Howling Banshee".
This crew was together throughout their entire tour and finished the required number of combat missions at approximately the same time in December 1944. All of the crew were sent to the Casual Pool 70th Replacement Depot in January 1945 except for F/O Joseph M. Feldman, navigator. He was transferred to the 389th Bomb Group at Hethel on December 30, 1944.
Members of Arnold Piskin's family have created an incredible website at www.howlingbanshee.com. Don Shannon, the crew's engineer and top turret gunner kept a very detailed diary during the war and it can be seen in its entirety at the Howling Banshee site. It has been invaluable in certain areas of my research on crews and aircraft in the 458th. A tour of that amazing website is highly recommended.
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Piskin Crew Missions |
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DATE |
TARGET |
PILOT |
458th Msn # |
Pilot Msn# |
Cmd Pilot |
LD |
Serial |
RCL |
Sqdn |
A/C Msn # |
A/C Name |
MIA |
Notes |
|
14-Jun-1944 |
5 TARGETS |
PISKIN |
AZ 6 |
1 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
1 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
|
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15-Jun-1944 |
3 RAILWAY BRIDGES |
PISKIN |
AZ 7 |
2 |
|
|
44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
2 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
|
|
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20-Jun-1944 |
NOBALL FRANCE |
PISKIN |
-- |
NTO |
|
|
42-95008 |
R |
J3 |
-- |
UNKNOWN 035 |
|
NO TAKE OFF |
|
7-Jul-1944 |
LUTZKENDORF |
PISKIN |
86 |
3 |
|
|
44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
4 |
TABLE STUFF |
|
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11-Jul-1944 |
MUNICH |
PISKIN |
88 |
ABT |
|
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42-100431 |
B |
J4 |
-- |
BOMB-AH-DEAR |
|
ABORT |
|
13-Jul-1944 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
PISKIN |
90 |
4 |
|
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41-28682 |
I |
Z5 |
44 |
UNKNOWN 003 |
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16-Jul-1944 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
PISKIN |
91 |
5 |
|
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42-95118 |
E |
7V |
9 |
ALFRED V |
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20-Jul-1944 |
EISENACH |
PISKIN |
95 |
6 |
|
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44-40273 |
? |
J4 |
3 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
|
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25-Jul-1944 |
ST. LO AREA "B" |
PISKIN |
98 |
7 |
|
|
44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
5 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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28-Jul-1944 |
LEIPHEIM & CREEL |
PISKIN |
-- |
-- |
|
|
44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
-- |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
|
SCRUBBED |
|
31-Jul-1944 |
LUDWIGSHAFEN |
PISKIN |
99 |
8 |
|
|
44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
6 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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1-Aug-1944 |
T.O.s FRANCE |
PISKIN |
100 |
9 |
|
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42-100431 |
B |
J4 |
30 |
BOMB-AH-DEAR |
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5-Aug-1944 |
BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM |
PISKIN |
105 |
10 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
10 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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6-Aug-1944 |
HAMBURG |
PISKIN |
106 |
11 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
11 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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8-Aug-1944 |
CLASTRES |
PISKIN |
108 |
12 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
12 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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9-Aug-1944 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
PISKIN |
109 |
13 |
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44-40273 |
Y |
J4 |
13 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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14-Aug-1944 |
DOLE/TAVAUX |
PISKIN |
113 |
14 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
15 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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15-Aug-1944 |
VECHTA |
PISKIN |
114 |
15 |
|
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FROM PILOT'S LOG |
|
17-Aug-1944 |
LE FOULONS RR BRG |
PISKIN |
AZ 11 |
16 |
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FROM PILOT'S LOG |
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18-Aug-1944 |
WOIPPY |
PISKIN |
116 |
17 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
16 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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24-Aug-1944 |
HANNOVER |
PISKIN |
117 |
ABT |
|
|
44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
-- |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
|
ABORT |
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25-Aug-1944 |
MOERDIJK, NETHLND |
PISKIN |
AZ 12 |
18 |
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FROM PILOT'S LOG |
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26-Aug-1944 |
MOERDIJK, NETHLND |
PISKIN |
AZ 13 |
19 |
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FROM PILOT'S LOG |
|
1-Sep-1944 |
RAVENSTEIN, HOL |
PISKIN |
AZ 14 |
20 |
|
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44-40201 |
N |
J4 |
14 |
SILVER CHIEF |
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8-Sep-1944 |
KARLSRUHE |
PISKIN |
122 |
ASSY |
ROBESON |
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41-28697 |
Z |
Z5 |
-- |
SPOTTED APE |
|
ASSEMBLY CREW |
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18-Sep-1944 |
ST QUENTIN, FR |
PISKIN |
-- |
TR1 |
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TRUCKIN MISSION |
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19-Sep-1944 |
CARTRES A/F |
PISKIN |
-- |
TR2 |
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TRUCKIN MISSION |
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5-Oct-1944 |
PADERBORN |
PISKIN |
127 |
21 |
|
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
18 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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9-Oct-1944 |
KOBLENZ |
PISKIN |
130 |
22 |
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44-40273 |
T |
J4 |
21 |
HOWLING BANSHEE |
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14-Oct-1944 |
COLOGNE |
PISKIN |
132 |
23 |
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42-50449 |
W |
J4 |
4 |
HEAVENLY HIDEAWAY |
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19-Oct-1944 |
MAINZ |
PISKIN |
135 |
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