Sortie2ADB-24Bombed Primary
XX-XX826.Over Schluchtern.
Mission 843 · 23 February 1945 · Schluchtern, Germany
Serial
XX-XX826
Unknown
Fuselage Code
AG
Squadron
330th
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
→
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
→
SgtRobert T. Lee
“The Old Man”
Nose Gunner
18215267
—
Returned
→
SgtCarroll F. Ruby
Gunner
33734687
—
Returned
→
The load.
§ 6,000 lb aboard
AN-M64
500-pounder
12× 500 lb
TypeGeneral Purpose · TNT/Amatol
Weight6,000 lb
FuzingHughes Memoir
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
Landed atHardwick (Sta. 104)
The Record
ResultBombed Primary
Record confidenceInferred
Formation
Flew with330th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
SchluchternRailway
LocationSchluchtern, Germany
Notes.
§ From the Record
The target was a rail line southwest of Leipzig. Heavy flak was active throughout the area and one ship with ten men was lost to it. Their own aircraft came through without casualties, but a fuel check over the target told a different story. Flying A-Able, known as a gas hog, they were critically low. They left the formation and dove for lower altitude, where fuel consumption was better, and made for the continent. They put down in France at D-53 with 40 gallons remaining. The crew returned to base the following day.