Mechanical Mishaps

For some inexplicable reason the 353rd ran into a series of aircraft losses due to material or mechanical failure and accidents in January. On the 3rd, Major James N. Poindexter was killed when he crash landed 5 miles from base after material failure in the aircraft. Ten days later another Mustang crashed after takeoff, killing its pilot. Of the 12 planes damaged during January, three bellied in due to material failure. Flak damaged four Mustangs, and two were damaged in a takeoff accident. The run of losses due to mechanical or material failure ended as quickly as it began, and in February no aircraft were lost or damaged by such causes.

The 28th of January saw Major Vic L. Byers, an original pilot on his second tour who had been acting CO in July, take command of the 351st Squadron. A good mixer, standing five-ten and of medium build, he was a good leader and a first class pilot.

The first, and as it turned out, only, air claims of January did not come until the 14th. At 0943 hours that day Major Junttila led A Group into the air from Raydon followed immediately by Major Byers and B Group. There were 65 P-51s in all (four slated for a PRU mission), but ten (including two PRU) aborted the mission. At 1155 hours the yellow and black checker-nose Mustangs rendezvoused south of Heligoland with the bombers they were to escort. These were B-17s of the 34th Bomb Group, flying as the tenth and last combat group of the 1st Task Force, 1st Division in an attack on Derben.

Taking up the job of penetration escort, the 353rd covered the bombers as they flew over Germany toward the target. At 1245 hours, some three hours after take-off and having swung over to escort the 2nd Box of 3rd Division B-17s in the Hamburg area, Lawyer Yellow Flight (351st Squadron) encountered 50 to 60 FW 190s and Me 109s the latter flying top cover.

These enemy fighters were about to attack the bombers from down sun when Yellow Flight drove up behind them. Yellow One, 1st Lt. Howard P. Maree, shot down a 190 whose pilot bailed out: Yellow Three, 1st Lt. James F. Hinchey, accounted for an Me 109 and two FW 190s, all of whose pilots bailed out, the last before a shot was fired at him; and Yellow Four, 2nd Lt. James E. Frye, shot a 109 into a small patch of woods. At about 1315, Lt. Maree got onto a 109 and shot its right wing off, bringing his flight’s total to six enemy fighters destroyed. Escort was continued over the target, which was bombed visually at 1322 hours, and through withdrawal to Bergen.

On the way out, 1st Lt. Arthur C. Cundy spotted the P-51s of the 4th Fighter Group chasing three to five FW 190s. He tagged on to one that was getting away, hit him in the fuselage and wing roots and sent him down into the snow for his third aerial victory. About the same time, Lawyer Red Flight was at 20,000 feet when it sighted two Me 262s headed north at 10,000 feet. The Flight came down out of the sun on the tails of these two jets, building up speed to 500 mph. 1st Lt. Billy J. Murray led the bounce, picked out the 262 on the left, opened fire when well within range and scored hits from the left nacelle to the right nacelle. The jet pulled up sharply and its pilot bailed out. Murray then fired at the other jet, which was being chased by Lts. John W. Rohrs and Rosen. Both of these pilots fired telling shots into the Me 262, and it crashed into an open field from 50 feet.

In all, the day’s score in the air stood at seven single engine enemy fighters and two jets destroyed as escort was broken off at 1440 hours. One element of the 352nd Squadron then strafed on the Elbe Canal east of Hannover, damaging three barges and destroying a locomotive. Another element strafed a marshaling yard in the same area, destroying six locomotives while damaging two others and 20 freight cars. (These were the only claims against ground targets in January.) A third element strafed and damaged two enemy aircraft on the ground. All planes then returned to Raydon, landing at 1514 hours, some 5 1/2 hours after take-off without loss or damage.

The only other claims against German aircraft in January came on the 16th. During an escort to B-24s bombing Magdeburg, Jockey Blue Flight (352nd Squadron) strafed a satellite airfield in the Nuremberg area on withdrawal, destroying an Me 163 and FW 190 on the ground and damaging three Ju 88s. While the Mustangs were up, the ubiquitous winter weather socked in Raydon and most English airfields, and the Group landed at Coulommiers, east of Paris. Snowy weather kept them there for two days, and the remaining planes and pilots in England put up a small and a medium size mission on the 17th and 18th until the rest of the boys came back on the 19th, the Group being released from operations that day to reassemble.

Ch 27

Ch 29