532nd Bomb Sq.
381st Bomb Group (H)
WAR DIARY
Submitted by Lt. William E. Kornermann
APRIL 1945
1. Non Operational.
2. We were briefed today for a mission to Skrydstrup, Denmark. Take off was 13.00 hrs, but the weather scout reported 10/10th cloud over all the target and the decision was made to abandon the mission.
3. Today we had two plans, one to attack Kaltenkirchen, and the other to hit Beldering, but both were cancelled.
4. The target bombed by our group today was the Hoya landing ground, Germany. We bombed visually through a hole in 9/10th cloud cover. Strike photos show bomb hits close to the M.P.I. No E/A were encountered while the only flak was meagre to moderate but very accurate in the target area. The pilots taking part were: Lts Seeley and Rusch in the lead, along with: Lts Davis, Castille, Godwin, Price, Firlit, Bigelow, Baber and Kreamer.
F/O Ralph A. Thomas was killed on this mission, and as it turned out, the last man of the 381st Bomb Group who was KIA.
5. The target today was an important ordnance depot at Grafenwohr. Bombing was by instruments and results were unobserved. No enemy aircraft appeared and flak was nil. Again Lts Seeley and Rusch were in the lead ship, along with: Lts Baker, Castille, Godwin, Firlit, Gehret, Smith, McDonald and Poland.
6. Non Operational.
7. Today we bombed an airfield at Kohlenbissen, a very active jet aircraft field. Bombing was visual and results were reported as good. Two jet aircraft were observed but no attacks made on this group. Flak was meagre and inaccurate. Taking part were: Lts Marshall and Molloy in the lead ship of the low squadron, with: Lts Firlit, Gehret, Price, Poland, McDonald, Smith, Hughes and Sikes.
8. We took off today to bomb the underground storage depot at Derben, because of cloud cover we bombed our #2 priority target, the railroad workshops at Stendahl. Bombing was by H2X method and crews reported the target covered by fire and smoke. No E/A were encountered and the only flak was moderate and out of range. Leading the low squadron were: Lts Marshall and Seeley, with: Lts Poland, Hughes, Price, Gehret, McDonald, Smith, Sikes and Firlit.
9. Oberpfaffenhofen airfield was our target for today, which was bombed visually and wet prints show excellent results, exact pinpointing of our hits were impossible because of smoke and fire from preceding groups. No E/A were around and the only flak was moderate in and out of the area at Munich. Lts Seeley and Armstrong led the "B" group of the 1st CBW, along with: Lts Hughes, Poland, Price, Gehret, McDonald, Fincher, Sikes and Huff.
10. An ordnance depot at Oranienburg just north of Berlin was our target for today. It was attacked visually by squadrons with good to excellent results. The only flak encountered was en route to the Wittenburg area and it was meagre and low, there was none at the target. E/A opposition was nil. The "A" Group of the 1st CBW was led by Capt McNeill, with: Lts Hendricks, Castille, Fincher, Sikes, Huff, Poland, Firlit and Davis.
11. Ten ships of our squadron attacked an underground oil storage depot at Freiham, Germany, nine miles SW of Munich. With visibility unlimited the target was bombed visually and preliminary interrogation indicated good to excellent results. No E/A were encountered while flak was moderate and accurate in the target area. Taking part were: Lts Huff, Hughes, Price, Baker, Davis, Fincher, Poland, Gehret, Castille and Hendricks.
2nd Lt Earl C. Smith was seriously wounded on this mission and crash-landed at Dover on the south coast.
12. The scheduled target today was a rail junction at Beyrouth, but the mission was scrubbed.
13. Our #2 priority target was attacked by this group today, the rail centre at Neumunster. It was bombed visually with excellent results. No E/A attacks were reported while flak was meagre and inaccurate around the target. The pilots who participated were: Lts Bailey, Davis, Castille, Fincher, Huff, Hendricks, Price, Baker and Sikes.
8. Non Operational.
9. Non Operational.
10. The target for today was the railroad bridge over the Danube, at Regensburg. It was attacked visually but the prints indicate the bombs fell short of the target hitting the west approaches to the bridge. No E/A were encountered, flak was meagre to moderate and encountered at Nurnberg and the target area. Pilots taking part were: Lts Bailey, Sikes, Hendricks, Instone, McDonald, Baker, Firlit, Huff and Fraser.
Captain Elbert E. Husted was transferred to Group HQ as Group Armament Officer.
17. Today our ships went to Dresden to attack the locomotive repair depot, which was bombed visually but wet prints show the results as poor. Air opposition was nil and flak meagre and inaccurate. Lts Kreamer and Bailey led the high squadron, with: Lts Huff, McDonald, Hendricks, Instone, Baker, Firlit, Van Steenkist, and Castille.
18. Non Operational. The following enlisted men were transferred to the infantry today: Cpl Witt, Pfc Frost, Pfc Girdano, Pvt Stansbury and Pvt Knight.
19. Our target for today was the railroad bridge at Elsterwerda 16 miles west of Ruhrland, and important link in the east-west German supply lines. Our squadron which led the group, did not bomb the #1 target, but hit the rail centre at Falkenberg visually with good results. No enemy opposition was encountered and flak was meagre and inaccurate in the Ruhrland area. Lt Seeley led the group with Lt Bailey, the other pilots being: Lts Baker, Castille, Van Steenkist, Instone, Firlit, Poland, McDonald and Sikes.
20. Today we went to Brandenburg, where were bombed very important railroad facilities with a good concentration of bombs near the M.P.I. E/A were not encountered while flak was meagre, sporadic although fairly accurate on the bomb run. The high squadron in the "B" Group 1st CBW was led by Capt McNeill and Lt Armstrong, others being: Lts Instone, Huff, Poland, Marshall, Van Steenkist, Bailey, Fincher, Price and Sikes.
21. Through 10/10th cloud today we bombed the marshalling yards at Munich by H2X methods with results unobserved. One ME 262 was observed but no attack was made, while flak was meagre and inaccurate in the target area. We flew in the low squadron today, being led by Lts Marshall and McDonald, others being: Lts Huff, Van Steenkist, Castille, Fincher, McMurty, Sikes, Hendricks and Davis.
22. Non Operational.
23. Non Operational.
T/Sgt William E. Geist, M/Sgt Edward Z. Gelman, S/Sgt Wayne K. Manes, and Cpl Merle L. Ramsowr were among 31 men killed in an aircraft which crashed into a hill on the Isle of Man, en route for a furlough in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
24. Non Operational.
25. What turned out to be the last operational mission of the 532nd Bomb Squadron in the ETO was made today. This made a total of 297 missions for the group. The target was an airfield just south of Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. Cloud cover prevented visual bombing and all ships returned with their bombs except Lt Davis who bombed on smoke markers of the previous group with unobserved results. No E/A were encountered but flak was intense and very accurate in the target area. Lts Marshall and Armstrong led the squadron, along with: Lts Castille, Van Steenkist, McMurty, Fincher, Sikes, Huff, Hendricks and Davis.
26. Non Operational.
27. Non Operational.
28. 1st Lt Augustus F. Markert transferred to Group HQ as Group Gunnery Officer.
29. During the month the following officers received promotions: 2nd Lts Instone, Baden, Brady, Beens, Hause, Hopson, Locke, Sockrider, Whiting, Bigelow, Kreamer, Poland, Baker, Rusch and Sobol to 1st Lts; from 1st Lt to Captain Lts Seeley and Tidwell; F/Os Taylor and Haeflinger to 2nd Lt.
30. The strength of the squadron at the end of the month was 96 officers and 401 enlisted men.
Awards presented for combat personnel were: 14 Air Medals and 174 Oak Leaf Clusters.
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