Sortie2BDB-24Bombed Primary
“Solid Comfort”.Over Kaiserslautern.
Mission 766 · 28 December 1944 · Kaiserslautern, Germany
Serial
42-50501
B-24J
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-M57
250-pounder
24× 250 lb
TypeGeneral Purpose · TNT/Amatol
Weight6,000 lb
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
KaiserslauternMarshalling Yard
LocationKaiserslautern, Germany
Notes.
§ From the Record
On December 28th the crew returned to Kaiserslautern, hitting the marshalling yards as part of the continuing effort to cut German transportation lines supporting the now-stalling Bulge offensive. Defenses were lighter than previous visits. The bombing results were assessed as very good. Five flak holes in the aircraft, all crew safe.