20TH. FG MISSION NUMBER 303
10 April, 1945

Approximately 850 B-17s and B-24s bombed German airfields at Parcim, Rechlin, Larz, Briest, Burg and Zerbst while 430 Forts of 1st. Division attacked an aircraft assembly factory and an ordnance depot at Oranienburg.   The 20th. Group was assigned a choice spot, the escort of the first two combat groups of the 1st.Division to Oranienburg. Led by Col. Montgomery (A Group) and Capt. Riemensnider (B Group), the boys took off at 1150, crossed over the Dutch Islands and rendexvoused with our big friends at Osnabruck at 1341. The target was bombed visually at 1438 with excellent results. escort was continued to Steinhuder Lake where the Group withdrew.   Just after our bombers hit targets about 10 to 15 jets started to come through. Our boys were ready for them and in the mad scramble that followed five twin jets were destroyed and two damaged. Some of the blow jobs were caught at altitude and chased to the deck, another was caught trying to land, another was shot down and crashed in the heart of Berlin.   After the jets had been disposed of, the group divided its force and while some of the boys escorted bombers, the rest hit the deck and strafed six airfields in the Berlin area and an airfield in Fossberg,125 miles wesy of Berlin. When the smoke cleared away the 20th. Group had given itself a new high in planes destroyed in one mission. TOTAL AIR: 5-0-3. Total Ground 52-0-23 Junkers Ju-52 transport plane at an airfield like the one strafed on this mission.

Messerscmitt Me-262 jet fighter like those encountered on this mission.

SQUADRON STANDINGS

55th. Squadron 138 1/2. 77th. Squadron 159 2/3. 79th. Squadron 119. Headquaerters 23 5/6. Group Total: 441 Destroyed.

55th. Squadron

AIR: 1-0-2 Me262s Total    1-0-0 Me262....................Capt. John K. Brown    1-0-0 Me262....................Capt. Douglas Michel    0-0-1 Me262....................Lt. Robert W. Meinzen GROUND: 18-0-10 Total    0-0-1 Me110....................Lt. Paul F. Seifert    0-0-1 He111....................Lt. Paul F. Seifert    4-0-4 Ju88.....................Lt. Gene L. Williams    5-0-4 Ju88.....................Lt. EdwardL. Kier    1-0-0 Ju52.....................Capt. Richard M. Tracy    1-0-0 Me109....................Capt. Richard M. Tracy    1-0-0 Me110....................Capt. Richard M. Tracy    1-0-0 U/I T/E..................Capt. Richard M. Tracy    5-0-0 U/I......................Lt. Joseph A. Peterburs

77th.Squadron

AIR: 3-0-1 Me262s Total    1-0-0 Me262....................F/O Jerome Rosenblum & Lt. John W. Cudd    1-0-0 Me262....................Lt. Walter T. Drozd    1-0-0 Me262....................Lt. Albert B. North    0-0-1 Me262....................Lt. Glenn R. Hall GROUND: 7-0-4 Total    1-0-0 Me262....................Lt. Glenn R. Hall    1-0-1 He111....................Lt. Glenn R. Hall    1-0-0 Ju88.....................Lt. Joseph E. Simanonok    1-0-0 Me410....................Lt. Leo H. Kerns    1-0-0 Me410....................Lt. Richard J. Morris    1-0-0 U/I T/E..................Lt. Richard J. Morris    1-0-2 Ju52.....................Lt. Walter E. Umla    0-0-1 Ju290....................Lt. Glenn R. Hall

79th.Squadron

AIR: 1-0-0 Total    1-0-0 Me262....................Capt. John K. Hollins GROUND: 27-0-9 Total    1-0-0 Ju52.....................Capt. Robert P. Montgomery    1-0-0 Ar96.....................Capt. Robert P. Montgomery    1-0-0 Si204....................Capt. Robert P. Montgomery    0-0-1 Do217....................Capt. Robert P. Montgomery    1-0-0 Ju52.....................Lt. John B. Lee    0-0-1 Ju52.....................Lt. John B. Lee    3-0-0 He111....................F/O Fredric H. Jurgens    2-0-0 Caudron Goel'ds..........F/O Fredric H. Jurgens    1-0-0 U/I T/E..................F/O Fredric H. Jurgens    2-0-0 Si204....................F/O Fredric H. Jurgens    0-0-1 Si204....................Lt.John B. Lee    1-0-0 Ju88.....................Lt. Joseph L. Gubana    1-0-0 Me109....................Lt. Joseph L. Gubana    0-0-2 U/I T/E..................Lt. Joseph L. Gubana    2-0-1 U/I T/E..................Lt. Louis J. Degenhardt    3-0-0 Me110....................Lt. David Stewart    2-0-0 Fw190....................Lt. David Stewart    1-0-0 Me109....................Lt. David Stewart    1-0-0 He111....................Lt. David Stewart    1-0-1 Me109....................Lt. Edward F. Pogue    3-0-1 He111....................Lt. Edward F. Pogue

55th. - White - Riemensnider, Meinzen, Seifert, Chase; Yellow - Michel, Nicholson, Ryan, Prow; Red - Brown, Rackley, Lowman, Skroback; Blue - Kier, Williams, Doody, Fuller; Black - Cosgriff, Decker, Tracy, Peterburs.   77th. - White - Snodgrass**, Papuzynski, Simamonek, Drozd; Yellow - Pitz, Cudd, Umla, Rosenblum; Black - Hall, Rege, King, Phillips; Red - Kerns, Derrenbacker, North, Morris; Blue - Fay, Dorey, Seymour, Podkowa.   79th. - White - Montgomery, Stewart, Jurgens; Yellow- Lee, Gubana, Pogue, Degenhardt; Black- Dufresne, Hahn, Skinner, Schons; Red - Hollins, Hennessy, Taylor, Gardner; Blue- Scott, Diehl, Shelton, Santee.

**Lt. Snodgrass led the 77th. Squadron today for the first time and did a swell job. He picked a good one to start his carer as a Squadron Leader. Total U.S. fighter claims today: 331 destroyed; 228 damaged.

Three of our boys failed to return from the mission. Capt. Richard M. Tracy (55th.) destroyed four enemy planes on the ground but was hit by flak and bailed out near the airfield. His chute opened and he came down in a river near the airfield he was strafing. Lt. Joseph A. Peterburs (55th.) destroyed five planes but was hit as he came in to get his sixth. Nothing further was heard from him but it is possible that he headed for the Russian lines or bailed out. Lt. David Stewart (79th.) destroyed seven planes before he was hit. He was last seen heading for the Russian lines with coolant streaming.

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