Sortie2BDB-24Bombed Primary
“Wee Willie”.Over Koblenz/Mosel.
Mission 647 · 25 September 1944 · Koblenz, Germany
Serial
44-50600
B-24H
Fuselage Code
YM
Squadron
409th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Takeoff
08:40
Hardwick (Sta. 104)
Over Target
12:00
Landing
14:40
Hardwick (Sta. 104)
Duration
6:00
Bombing Altitude
22300
Aboard
9
men
The narrative.
§ This Ship
Davis’s 157-W took off at 08:40, attacked the primary by PFF at 12:00 from 22,300 feet on a heading of 360 magnetic, and landed at Hardwick at 14:40. The crew carried twelve 500-pound GPs. Results were logged 10/10. They reported no flak and no enemy aircraft. Fighter support was called good. The sheet is marked CAMERA; a camera was carried.
The crew.
§ 9 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
1LtWilliam C. Davis
Pilot
Station 1
—
—
Returned
→
1LtRaymond H. Klein
Co-Pilot
Station 2
—
—
Returned
→
2LtDonald K. Kleiner
Navigator
Station 3
—
—
Returned
→
1LtFritz U. Lauxman
Bombardier
Station 4
—
—
Returned
→
T/SgtHilary Pietrowski
Engineer / Top Turret
Station 5
—
—
Returned
→
T/SgtHarold C. Frieck
Radio Operator
Station 6
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtJoseph Defoe
Waist Gunner
Station 8
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtSheffy Mahan
Tail Gunner
Station 9
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtRoyce Powell
Nose Gunner
—
—
Returned
→
The load.
§ 6,000 lb aboard
AN-M64
500-pounder
12× 500 lb
TypeGeneral Purpose · TNT/Amatol
Weight6,000 lb
FuzingNose AN-M103 (1/10) · Tail AN-M101A2 (.025)
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Takeoff08:40
Over target12:00
Landing14:40
Time in the air6:00
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
Landed atHardwick (Sta. 104)
Bombing altitude22300
The Record
ResultBombed Primary
Sortie creditFull
Counted toward tourYes
Landing dispositionHome base
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew with409th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
Strike cameraCarried
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
Koblenz/MoselMarshalling Yard
LocationKoblenz, Germany