Sortie2ADB-24Bombed Primary
44-49472.Over Magdeburg/Rothensee O/I.
Mission 859 · 02 March 1945 · Magdeburg, Germany
Serial
44-49472
Unknown
Fuselage Code
AG
Squadron
330th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
9
men
The crew.
§ 9 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
1LtWalter F. Hughes
Pilot
Station 1
O-764680
Santa Barbara
Completed his tour
Returned
→
LtDouglas A. Schetter
Co-Pilot
Station 2
—
—
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
→
T/SgtRobert E. Lee
Nose Gunner
16060729
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Killed in action
Returned
→
The load.
§ 5,000 lb aboard
AN-M64
500-pounder
10× 500 lb
TypeGeneral Purpose · TNT/Amatol
Weight5,000 lb
FuzingRDX - Hughes Memoir
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
Landed atHardwick (Sta. 104)
The Record
ResultBombed Primary
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew with330th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
Magdeburg/Rothensee O/IOil Industry
LocationMagdeburg, Germany
Notes.
§ From the Record
The third Magdeburg mission targeted the oil refinery. The route ran in over the Zuiderzee, Zwolle, Dümmer Lake, and Hannover. Flak was a mix of tracking and barrage, fairly accurate, at a temperature of minus 38 degrees Celsius. A jet was reported in the area. During the mission the oxygen ran out, though the aircraft took no battle damage and all crew returned safely.
One ship was seen to blow up. Two chutes came out. One ship and ten men were lost.