A Deadly Month

March was the busiest month for the 353rd since October of 1944, as 23 missions were flown on 21 days. Aircraft losses in March were the highest for any month in the Group’s history. Twenty planes were lost and 11 damaged, with 5 lost to enemy aircraft. From the 20 planes lost, one pilot bailed out safely over England when his plane iced up, three were known killed and the rest were listed as missing in action, though about half survived as prisoners of war. First mission of the month saw both an A and a B Group escort B-17s to the Ulm marshaling yard.

Shortly after the target Col. Rimerman broke escort with A Group, fanned out and both the 351st and 352nd Squadrons strafed ground targets. Strafing destroyed 25 locos, 20 rail cars and a horse- drawn wagon and damaged numerous targets, including a small factory, a steam shovel and a latrine, not to mention damaging four grounded aircraft. Two of the latter were damaged by Major Wilbert "Weep"Junttila, leading Jockey (352nd) Squadron. He also chanced to spot a Bucker Bu 181 while strafing and shot the biplane trainer down for the only air claim of the day. It is unknown who damaged the latrine.

On March 2, Bill Bailey led A Group and Vic Byers led B Group on an escort of the 385th and 34th Bomb Groups (1st and 2nd groups of the 2nd force of 3rd Division B-17s attacking oil targets at Ruhland. In the vicinity of Wittenberge, B Group engaged six 109s at 27/28,000 feet. Twenty FW 190s then came in, flying a company front formation, to hit the bombers at 24/25,000 feet and were engaged after their first pass while another gaggle of 12 190s was intercepted before attacking. Meanwhile, A Group intercepted 10 -12 FW 190s coming in high at 5 o’clock, breaking them up before they could get to the bombers. In the ensuing battles 10 FW 190s were destroyed and 7 Me 109s were shot down with two damaged.

Major Byers shot down a 109 and a 190 for the 351st Squadron. Four pilots of the 350th.Squadron accounted for as many more enemy fighters and damaged two more. It was the 352nd "Jockey" Squadron, led by Bailey, that had the big claims, however. Bailey destroyed two FW 190s, and 1st Lt. Horace Q. Waggoner also destroyed two 190s plus a 109. Lt. Cundy had a long chase with a 109, even going into a spin with it, before the German pilot gave up and bailed out.

Cundy then shot a 190 down to dive vertically into the ground, and on his way out had a head on pass at another 190 which he exploded. The three victories brought his total air claims to six destroyed. Other 352nd victories were scored by 2nd Lt. Lindsay W. Grove, a 109, 1st Lt. Edward J. Sullivan, a 190, and 1st Lt. Joseph Schreiber, a 109. After his victory, Sullivan either ran into pieces of the plane he shot down or was hit from behind and had to bail out, becoming a POW. After his victory, Schreiber was hit by 20 mm fire from a 109 at 90 degrees to him and bailed out, also to become a POW. One other pilot, from the 351st Squadron, was lost without trace.

Losses did not always come from action. During an uneventful bomber escort to Hamburg on March 11th, Lt. Arthur C. Cundy, who had become an ace only nine days before, lost his coolant on the way to the target. He was forced to turn back, escorted by his wingman 2nd Lt. James G. Bartley, but 40 miles from Great Yarmouth his Mustang caught fire, turned on its back and disappeared into clouds at 6,000 feet. Cundy tried to bail out, but when Air Sea Rescue arrived only an oil slick and some debris could be found.

With ground strafing temporarily banned, from early March due to a plane shortage, and as a break from the usual escort missions, the 353rd went on an Anti-Fighter patrol in the Magdeburg area on March 14th. Capt. Maguire took Lawyer (351st) Squadron on a little private sweep east of that German city and closed in on about 15 Me 109s in the Luckenwalde area. In a series of brief but vicious dog fights the Squadron destroyed 11 Me 109s for moderate damage to only one P-51D.

The mission for 21 March was an escort to B-24s bombing Achmer/Bramsche Airfield after which the Mustangs were to strafe that field. The mission was carried out as planned, and the Group had a field day, destroying 33 aircraft and damaging 18 on the ground. Never to fly again were 12 Ar 234 jets, 8 FW 190s, 7 Me109s, 3 He 111s, 2 Ju 88s and 1 unidentified twin engine plane. Four P-51s and pilots were lost, three bellying in near the target and one being lost without a trace.

Bridging the Rhine

The 24th of March was the jump-off for the final offensive to end the war in Germany as the Allied Airborne Army began landing around Wesel to bridge the Rhine River in the north. In support of this critical yet great operation, the 353rd Fighter Group flew three missions during the day. The first was off at 0806 hours to carry out an area patrol near Hersfeld, and the last was off at 1435 to patrol the Marburg area. Neither encountered opposition, but between them, taking off at 1310, came what may well be the outstanding mission flown by the Group in World War II.

Mission No. 426 was led by Lt. Col. Wayne K. Blickenstaff and consisted of 23 P-51s; 18 from the 350th, 4 from the 352nd and 1 from the 351st (Capt. Hartley flying Blickentaffs wing). One plane, Yellow Four, aborted and the remaining 22 proceeded to Zwolle at 1411 hours, 15,000 feet.

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