20TH.FG MISSIONS NUMBER 176 & 177

After five weeks of anticipation the trip to Russia finally came through and the 20th.FG led by Col. Rau took off on Monday, 11 September, at 0948. 71 planes were airborne divided into four squadrons led by Col. Rau, Lt. Col. Randolph, Major Anderson and Major Low. Each squadron was composed of 16 planes and 2 spares and the first break came for a spare when Lt. Larrabee was unable to take off. Gradually the spares filled in as Maj. Low, Capt. Hower and Lt. Bynum of the 55th., Lt. Fiebelkornand Lt. Alexnader of the 77th. and Lt. Coughran of the 79th. were forced to return. Lt. Van Woert of the 77th. was the only unused spare and although he tagged along deep into Germany, he finally returned alone when no one else dropped out. Maj. Smith led the 55th. Squadron after Maj. Low turned back.     Our mission to Russia was carried out with Bombers which formed a small part of the great force of more than 1300 American heavies sent out to smash German oil refineries and storage facilities in the Leipzig area, western Czechoslovakia and at Hannover. The group R/V'd with 75 Fortresses (not including that of crew number "13" B, Capt. Steiner, right waist gunner, which turned back at The Rhein) 30 miles east of their target, an industrial palnt in Chemnitz. 74 Fortresses landed at their Russian base. 1 landed at Zhitomir, 160 miles short. Who do you suppose manned the right waist gun? Could it have been Maj. Lamek? You gussed it. Maj. Lamek and Capt.Steiner have received notice that hereafter they are personae non gratis to the 45th. Combat Wing, 3rd. Bomb Division.     Our bombers formed the last two combat wings of the first firce, Third Division B-17s. The lead 8 Combat Wings of the Force, assigned targets nera Leipzig and SW of Chemnitz, precipitated the greatest air battles since the war against the Luftwaffe baegan. One entire group of Fortresses (13 aircraft) was wiped out by enemy aircraft in five terrible minutes. Seven more were lost to other causes. Strangely and happily our bombers were not attacked. Fighters supporting the first force shot down 57 enemy aircraft, and destroyed another 26 on the ground. The bombers claimed 12 destroyed. Altogether for that day 175 enemy aircraft were claimed destroyed for the loss of 52 bombers (20 to enemy fighters, 14 to flak, 18 to other causes) and 2 fighters (6 to enemy fighters, 2 to flak, 24 to other causes.)     Our bombers were escorted uneventfully until they ran into heavy weather near the Russian-German battle lines. Col. Rau went out ahead to check on weather and informed the bombers they could go between cloud layers at 22,000 feet but the bombers plowed right into the front at 25,000. Our group went between the cloud layers after some instrument flying and became seperated for a short time but reassembled and again picked up the bombers on the other side of the weather and escorted to Luck, Poland. Our group went on and landed at Piryatin airfield, a US base in Russia, 80 miles east of Kiev.     No enemy aircraft were encountered by our bombers or fighters. Lt. Tennant of the 55th. was hit by light flak over the Russian-German lines and bailed out in the middle of a tank battle. He was unhurt and made his way to an Eastern Command Base in Russia. Lt. Mansker of the 55th. had fuel trouble and landed at a Russian base. With fast talking and a bottle of bourbon he persuaded the Russian Colonel to refuel his plane. He took off the next day and joined the others at Piryatin. While at the Russian base he attended a dance, had a steak dinner and partook of genuine Russian "hospitality." Get the details from Joe. The group landed at 1630, 6 1/2 hours after take off.     Lt. Horst of the 79th. became seperated from the group going through the overcast and proceeeded alone but was unable to locate Piryatin airfield. He found a Russian airfield and tried to land three times but each time he was attacked and driven off by a wary Russian fighter plane. Horst finally gave up and decided to head west and look for another field. He finally ran out of gas and crash landed in Poland near an advance base not far from the Russian-German front lines. Harold was airborne 9 hours and 20 minutes -- a new record for a fighter plane on a combat mission. The Russians took good care of him after he established his identity and he was later flown to Piryatin in a C-47.     Monday night the boys sampled freely of Vodka and on Tuesday some of them went swimming -- not in vodka. Women? "Too rugged for me, " said one normally brave pilot.     On Wednesday morning at 1013 the 20th. took off from Piryatin to escort bombers to Italy. 62 planes took off and rendezvoused with the bombers at the target Miscolcz Hungary and Yugoslavia. They left the bombers at the Adriatic Coast of Yugoslavia and all landed safely at three different bases on the eastern coast of Italy near Foggia. The trip was uneventful and all of ou planes landed safely after 6 1/4 hours of flying.     Thursday, Friday and Saturday found the boys guzzling canned beer, coca cola and bourbon shipped in from the States. Some of the boys visted Foggia.     Col. Rau got all the breaks and surprised his wife by walking into her office in Napkles. PFC Rau of the WAC's (once a Corporal) rejoined her husband for the first time in 18 months. With the aid of a borrowed P-38 piggy back the Col. flew his wife to the fighter base and took over the General's Quarters for a few days. PFC Rau is probably a private now for being AWOL one day.     On Sunday, 16 September, the group completed the last leg of the trip on a non-operational flight from Foggia, Italy. 59 Planes took off at 0850. Lt. Taylor of the 79th. returned to Italy after take off and Lts. Barnes and Hurst of the 55th. and Gardner of the 79th. did not take off. The group crossed the Liguarian Sea, flew over Marsailles, up the Rhone Valley, over Paris and landed here at 1420. They flew over Rome, Paris and London on one mission.     Lt. Kummerle of the 77th. had engine trouble and bellied in 40 miles southwest of Paris. He was unhurt and walked away from his plane. Capt. Meyer of the 79th. had his engine practically quit but landed at another base in England.     Lt. Roark of the 79th. returned to find another bar waiting for him and Capt. Roark will be waiting for us at the bar tonight.     And so it is over -- Tennant and Horst in Russia; Gardner, Taylor, Barnes and Hurst in Italy, and Kummerle in France. Lts. Kuemmerle, Rader and Fag, Capt. Horne of the 77th. and Maj. Anderson of the 79th. completed their tours with this mission.     While the boys were relaxing in Italy yesterday, eight of our pilots, who were left behind, led by Capt. Nichols, roamed over central and southeastern Germany and western Czechoslovakia with 4 P-38 phot-reconnaissance palnes out to get pictures of targets attacked by the bombers on Monday and Tuesday. The Luftwaffe failed to make an appearance, even against such a tiny force, but the falk gunners along the whole route unlimbered their pieces with a vengeance and only fancy maneuvering kept the damage down to minor wounds on one aircraft. All out planes returned safely. RETURN TO MISSIONS PAGE RETURN TO THE 20TH.FG