Sortie2BDB-24Bombed Primary
XX-XX396.Over Kassel/Henschel.
Mission 650 · 27 September 1944 · Kassel, Germany
Serial
XX-XX396
Unknown
Fuselage Code
??-R
Squadron
Unknown Squadron
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
10
men
The crew.
§ 10 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
1LtWalter F. Hughes
Pilot
Station 1
O-764680
Santa Barbara
Completed his tour
Returned
→
2LtPeter Scott
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-772526
—
Returned
→
2LtLouis H. Windsor
Navigator
Station 3
O-712976
—
Returned
→
2LtRalph Hendershot
Bombardier
Station 4
O-0768958
—
Returned
→
SgtConway Thorstenson
Engineer / Top Turret
Station 5
39464774
—
Returned
→
T/SgtNorbert L. Ecclesfield
“Eck”
Radio Operator
Station 6
3904111
—
Returned
→
SgtMichael J. Kusnir
Waist Gunner
Station 8
35236546
—
Returned
→
SgtBoyd L. Justice
Tail Gunner
Station 9
38440786
—
Returned
→
SgtRobert T. Lee
“The Old Man”
Nose Gunner
18215267
—
Returned
→
SgtCarroll F. Ruby
Gunner
33734687
—
Returned
→
The load.
§ 6,000 lb aboard
M17
Incendiary Cluster
12× 500 lb
TypeIncendiary (Cluster) · Magnesium/oil
Weight6,000 lb
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Record
ResultBombed Primary
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew withUnknown Squadron Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
Kassel/HenschelUnknown
LocationKassel, Germany
Notes.
§ From the Record
The fourth mission was to a tank factory at Kassel, September 27th. The route in passed Egmond, Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, and Münster before reaching the target. Flak over Münster and Kassel was heavy, though inaccurate. Their aircraft came through without damage.
The formation flying behind them was not as fortunate. Fighters struck the 458th Bomb Group in the rear, and 28 bombers were lost. The crew watched it happen from ahead in the formation.
The return leg ran south through Göttingen, Giessen, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, and Koblenz, then back out over Liège, Ghent, and Ostende. Bombing results were recorded as undetermined, relying on PFF equipment through the overcast. All crew returned safe.