Angels unknown

Air Classics, Apr 2002 by Bybee, John

UNBLOODED HEAVY BOMBER CREW NUMBER 6757 HAD TRAINED FOR AND ANTICIPATED THE DAY OF THEIR FIRST COMBAT MISSION SINCE THE TEN MEN HAD MELDED THEMSELVES INTO A COMBAT FAMILY BACK IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, DURING SEPTEMBER 1944

That day arrived Sunday, 17 December 1944. At 3:30 am orderlies carrying hook-necked flashlights swarmed like fireflies through the forest of dark tents huddled behind the white farm house which served as the headquarters of the 764th Bomb Squadron, 461st Bomb Group, Toretta, Italy. A wake-up orderly's flashlight beam broke the fitful sleep of 21-year-old first pilot Kenneth Butler Smith. The orderly abruptly announced, "Briefings at 0530, Lieutenant," and withdrew into the predawn darkness. Ken Smith peeled back his three wool blankets and swung his feet to the frigid floor. Goose bumps dotted his skin as the tent shuddered in the icv wind.

Robert T. Trumpy, Ken's upper turret gunner recalled, "The coldest I have been in my life was in Italy. One night when I was in the replacement depot at Naples, I got up and put on all my clothes, dress uniform, overcoat, flying boots, gloves - and I was still cold."

Ken and the other three officers ot his crew: second Lieutenant Harry LJ. Edmiston (bombardier); Second Lieutenant Edward J. Chojnowski (copilot); and Second Lieutenant Frank V. Hokr (navigator); tugged on gray colored flight suits over their heavy underwear, and

uniforms. Wool socks and fur-lined boots were wrestled on and laced.

Ken strapped on his shoulder holster with the Colt .45 pistol, and grabbed his sunglasses. Before pulling on his fleece-lined flight jacket, Ken gathered up several cigars, tighter, pocket watch, fountain pen, pocket knife and a red comb and handkerchief

Ken stuffed 755 lire and a $10 gold piece into his flier's purse. He tucked letters from his wife Virginia into the vest pocket of his flight suit.

At 4:30 am the squadron mess hall began serving to officers on one end and enlisted airmen on the other, the same fare chipped beef on toast or powered scrambled eggs and thick toast. Strong coffee was in abundance and crew 6757 refilled their heavy white mugs several times.

Shortly before 5:30 am, a truck delivered Ken's crew to the day's briefing at Group Headquarters. Ken's enlisted crewmen: Corporal Roland W, Morin (ball gunner); Staff Sergeant Urban (Bud) Granger (tail gunner); Corporal Charles F. Foss (radio operator); Corporal Edwin A. Burkhardt (nose gunner); Corporal Robert T. Trumpy (upper turret gunner); and Corporal Homer E. Hymbaugh (flight engineer); attended a separate briefing.

At the officer's briefing, the Assistant Operations Officer accompanied by a stranger came up to Ken. Smith was told that for this mission his regular copilot, Ed Chojnowski, would be replaced by a combat experienced first pilot, First Lieutenant Chester (Chet) Rudel. Ken and Chet chatted until the briefing began.

The curtain covering the operational and intelligence maps of Germany was pulled back. The Group Operations Officer intoned,

"Gentlemen, this is the moment of decision. This is where you'll be flying today." He tapped a spot on the map with the rubber tip of his pointer - the synthetic oil refinery at Odertal, Germany.

The Odertal refinery complex was located in upper Silesia about 180 miles southwest of Warsaw, Poland. Cracking towers, storage tanks, and hundreds of miles of gas, oil, water, and compression pipes sprawled like a steel web across the conquered Polish countryside just north of Kozle, Poland.

The Operations Officer informed the crews that Zuckmantel would be the IP (Initial Point). Bombing altitude would be 26,000 feet. Escort would be P-38s, P-51s, call sign "Pixie."

The Intelligence Officer took over the briefing. He informed the crews that the refineries were defended with 75mm and 155mm guns. Flak over Odertal could range from light to severe. The briefed course would skirt the known flak concentrations. However, they might pick up random flak anywhere. The Germans had mounted flak guns on flat cars and were switching them over various routes. Luftwaffe fighter opposition would be non-existent or minimal. Enemy fighters had not aggressively opposed 15th Air Force operations since August. A lack of fuel and skilled pilots would keep the enemy fighters tethered to the ground - the mission was a "milk run."

A clanging of tailgates announced the arrival of the trucks that would carry the crews to the equipment shacks, and then to their aircraft. Ken's crew climbed up and piled into the back of a truck and sat down on the damp wooden slat benches. The truck growled and lurched through frozen mud to the equipment shack. After drawing flak suits, parachutes and harnesses Ken's crew was delivered to a dull silver Consolidated B-24J-5-DT Liberator. Ken's charge for mission number 151 was AAF s/n 42-51324, squadron number 12, nicknamed Paulette for the crew chiefs wife, Paulette Bowers. Paulette had taken First Lieutenant Edward (Tony) Nahkus and his crew number 13-2 safely to Brux, Germany, and back on 16 December 1944.