Supports 1 fact
Missing Air Crew Report 11752
Military Record · United States Army Air Forces · 1945 · Missing Air Crew Reports
Sortie2ADB-24Missing in Action
“Ole Mort”.Over Harburg.
Mission 798 · 17 January 1945
Serial
42-51078
B-24H
Fuselage Code
GO
Squadron
328th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
9
men
The crew.
§ 9 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
Robert W. Bieber
Pilot
Station 1
O-720135
—
Returned
→
Forest R. McClain
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-2063657
—
Returned
→
John H. Field
Navigator
Station 3
O-2068987
—
Returned
→
Elmer Benjaris
Bombardier
Station 4
—
—
Completed his tour
Returned
→
SgtJohn G. Baker
Radio Operator
Station 6
34337528
McMinnville, Yamhill County, Oregon
Killed in action
Returned
→
Charles F. Hopp
Waist Gunner
Station 8
16121440
—
Returned
→
SgtLeon E. Ferrell
Tail Gunner
Station 9
38542833
—
Missing in action
Returned
→
Claude Oliver
Nose Gunner
34335227
—
Returned
→
Everett C. Harth
Top Turret Gunner
33654478
Virginia
Returned
→
In their own words.
§ 9 entries
Robert W. BieberPilot
Pilot of B-24H 42-51078. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD. Born 2 July 1923 in Oklahoma. A German hospital record from Reserve-Lazarett V Hamburg dated 19 January 1945 confirms he was admitted on 17 January 1945 with burns and contusions (Verbrennungen, Prellungen). His dog tag number was recorded as 06730134.
Forest R. McClainCo-Pilot
Co-pilot of B-24H 42-51078 on the 17 January 1945 mission to Harburg. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD.
John H. FieldNavigator
Navigator of B-24H 42-51078 on the 17 January 1945 mission to Harburg. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD.
Elmer BenjarisBombardier
Bombardier of B-24H 42-51078 on the 17 January 1945 mission to Harburg. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD.
John G. BakerRadio Operator
Radio Operator of B-24H 42-51078. Listed as MIA on both the original MACR and subsequent supplement; no RTD annotation appears for Baker. A serial number discrepancy was noted between the MACR (34337528) and the Battle Casualty Report (39337528). ETOUSA issued a clarification request on 16 February 1945. The MACR serial number 34337528 is used here as the primary record.
Charles F. HoppWaist Gunner
Left Waist Gunner of B-24H 42-51078 on the 17 January 1945 mission to Harburg. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD.
Leon E. FerrellTail Gunner
Tail Gunner of B-24H 42-51078 on the 17 January 1945 mission to Harburg. Listed as MIA on the MACR with no RTD annotation, indicating he did not return.
Claude OliverNose Gunner
Nose Gunner of B-24H 42-51078 on the 17 January 1945 mission to Harburg. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD.
Everett C. HarthTop Turret Gunner
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-24H 42-51078. Listed as MIA on the original MACR, with status later updated to RTD. The MACR spells the surname as 'Earth' but the German hospital document and serial number confirm the correct spelling is Harth. Born 24 August 1923 in Virginia. A German hospital record from Reserve-Lazarett V Hamburg dated 19 January 1945 confirms he was admitted on 17 January 1945 with second-degree burns (Verbrennungen II. Grades).
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
The Record
ResultMissing in Action
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew with328th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
Harburg
As the log wrote itHarburg
Notes.
§ From the Record
B-24H serial 42-51078 was flying with the 93rd Bomb Group, 328th Squadron, on a bombing mission to Harburg on 17 January 1945. The aircraft carried a crew of 10 with no passengers. At 1212 hours over the target area, the aircraft received a flak hit in the bomb bay just before bombs away. Witnesses reported the bomb bay burned for approximately two minutes before exploding. The aircraft went into a dive and broke up completely. Eyewitness accounts from crews of the 44th Bomb Group varied on the number of parachutes observed: Lt. Daily reported three chutes, two of which were on fire; Lt. Erikson reported the aircraft broke up completely; Lt. Lowe reported seven chutes. The MACR confirmed parachutes were used. A German hospital document (Reserve-Lazarett V Hamburg, dated 19 January 1945) confirmed that three crew members — Bieber, Harth (Earth), and Schmidt — were admitted on 17 January 1945 with burns and contusions, having been transferred by the Reichsstatthalter Hamburg.
Read the records.
1 document
Original documents behind what this page says about this sortie — reports, records, and histories the archive holds and is free to reproduce. Check the sources for yourself.
Sources.
§ Provenance
United States Army Air Forces · National Archives and Records Administration · 1945
Official record