ajtchapman74

[limburger59]

Initial Bomber: SIN CITY  B-17F-130BO 42-31031

Pilot: 1LT David Winne
Co-Pilot: 2nd LT Dennis Strange
Bombadier: 2nd LT Trever Snyer
Navigator: 2nd LT Josh Fulton
Engineer: S/SGT Cameron Stay
Radio Operator: SGT Jay Mickey
Ball Gunner: SGT Mike Santee
Port Waist: S/SGT Terry Bruno
Starboard Waist: S/SGT Shane Boxze
Tail Gunner: SGT Travis Steckle

[Deleted]

B-17 Name: Sin City
Commander: 1LT David Winne
Squadron Assigned: 80th Squadron
High Cell - middle
MISSION DATE: 16 April 1944
MISSION NBR. 66
TARGET: Brasov, Romania – Marshaling Yard

Position Rank Name Awards Total Missions Previous Kills Kills this Mission Disposition
Pilot 1ST LT David Winne 1 -- -- RTD
Co-Pilot 2ND LT Dennis Strange 1 -- -- RTD
Bombardier 2LT Trever Snyer 1 0 0 RTD
Navigator 2LT Josh Fulton 1 0 0 RTD
Engineer S/SGT Cameron Stay 1 0 0 RTD
Radio Operator SGT Jay Mickey 1 0 1/3 RTD
Ball Gunner SGT Mike Santee
1 0 0 RTD
Left Waist S/SGT Terry Bruno 1 0 0 RTD
Right Waist S/SGT Shane Boxze 1 0 0 RTD
Tail Gunner SGT Travis Steckle 1 0 1/3 RTD

Bomb Run
On Target - 30%

Claims
ME-109
Destroyed 1

1/3 award to both SGT Steckle and Mickey

B-17 Damage
Oxygen system INOP after bombing run on the return leg home. Rest of the flight was at 10,000msl.

Peckham Points
10

Casualties
none

Awards
none

Airfield
This being our first mission with the 80Th Squadron, it was safe to assume that we are all nervous, anxious, and excited. We wanted to do a good job and not let anyone down. We had heard stories from the other crews about the last mission to Ploesti and hoped this one would be different, a milk run.

Take off/ Enroute
Was normal and we were able to have a normal form up and in quick order we turned to a heading for Brasov. The skies were very quit and smooth air thru zones 2-7. The fighter escort ebbed and flowed during the flight to the target zone.

Bombing Run
Upon reaching the IP for the target we encountered 2 waves of German fighters, the first wave consisted of 2 ME-109 from our 6. One was drive away by the escort fighters, the second one closed and took a burst of fire from both the tail turret and radio room gunners. It was reported that the that there was an explosion from the right wing, possibly the fuel tank was hit, and the plane fell out of the sky. No chute was spotted. The second wave was held at bay by our escort fighters, however it was discovered that several of our guns were jammed due to extreme cold at altitude.

S-2 was correct on there being light flak over the target, it was light and we received no hits. The bombardier and navigator confirmed we were on target for the marshaling yard and released the bombs over the target. It is estimated that 30% of our bomb were on target. After the release we turned for the exit and continued thru the zone of flak remained light and no hits occurred. We did not encounter any German fighters as were exited the zone of flak, the escorts seemed to be doing their job!

Return
Not long after we were pointed home for the return flight we experienced a mechanical problem with our oxygen system, everyone’s O2 quit working. We radioed to Lead that we need to break out of formation and descend to 10,000msl. The flight engineer tried to work on the system but surmised that the problem was a valve had failed and would need to be replaced once on the ground. If we only carried a spare!

For the rest of the flight in zones 6-2 we did not encounter any German fighters and as were neared the coast the weather began to deteriorate, which may be why we did not encounter any fighters. As we approached the base we broke out of the soup around 3,000msl however visibility was down to 3 miles. We spotted the airfield and made a normal approach and landing, taxing to the transient ramp.

After landing
Our temporary crew chief began working on the oxygen system and said it should be fixed and tested and ready by the next day.

This being our first real mission, it was a milk run, which makes me nervous for my crew. I hope they don’t start thinking that they will all be like this one.

1LT David Winne,
80th Squadron, Pilot, Commanding, Sin City

[Deleted]

B-17 Name: Sin City
Commander: 1LT David Winne
Squadron Assigned: 80th Squadron
Middle Cell - middle
MISSION DATE: 24 April 1944
MISSION NBR. 67
TARGET: Ploesti, Romania – Marshaling Yard

Pos Rank Name Awards Total Missions Flown Previous Kills Kills this mission Disposition

Pilot 1LT David Winne 2 --- --- RTD

Co-Pilot 2LT Dennis Strange 2 --- --- RTD

Bombardier 2LT Trever Snyer PH 2 0 0 KIA

Navigator 2LT Josh Fulton PH 2 0 0 KIA

Engineer S/SGT Cameron Stay 2 0 1 RTD

Radio Operator SGT Jay Mickey 2 1/3 0 RTD

Ball Gunner SGT Mike Santee 2 0 0 RTD

PWG S/SGT Terry Bruno PH 2 0 0 RTD

SWG S/SGT Shane Boxze 2 0 0 RTD

Tail Gunner SGT Travis Steckle 2 1/3 1 RTD

Bomb Run
Did Not Bomb

Claims
ME-109 ME 110 ME 190

Destroyed 2 0 0

Encountered 12 3 1

1 awarded to S/SGT Stay
1 awarded to SGT Steckle

B-17 Damage
Heavy Flak damage to nose, light damage to bomb bay, light superficial hits to various parts of bomber.

Peckham Points
75

Casualties
2nd LT’s Snyer and Fulton KIA while on bomb run. S/SGT Bruno superficial cut to left leg. RTD.

Awards
PH for LT Snyer, LT Fulton, Posthumously
PH for S/SGT Bruno

Airfield
Our first mission was a milk run, and after this morning’s briefing we knew we had used some of our luck. Ploesti. The stories from the last mission became vivid again in our heads. However we had a job to do.

Take off/ enroute
Normal takeoff with a normal joining of formation. Zones 2-4 no events occurred. Smooth air. Zone 5 we were jumped by 2 waves of fighters. The first wave was driven off by our escorts, however during the second wave 2 ME 110’s made it through the fighter escort and the formation and made 1 run on us. Our Ball turret gunner and tail gunner claimed hits on both fighters, smoke was seen coming from one of the fighters engine. The other appeared to have damage to the right wing. Both fighter broke off after the attack and one of them passed us by less than 50ft.

Bombing Run
Reaching the IP for the bomb run, heavy smoke filled the sky, it was as thick as a wildfire. With no fighter escort we encountered 1 wave of 4 ME 109 fighters. Our Top turret, Right Cheek and Right Waist gunners claimed hits to fighters but none that were seen going down. We received light damage from the attacks and S/SGT Bruno received a light superficial cut to his leg. As the fighter attack ended the flak started and seamed to increase in intensity every second. Not long after it started, the whoe plane shook and there was a noticeable “pitch up” enough to throw off the auto pilot. I called LT Snyer on the intercom to ask if he disconnected the autopilot, but there was no response. I called for LT Fulton, and had no response. I had SGT Stay go into the nose compartment to investigate, and he shortly reported that both were hit by flak and were dead. He also described the damage to the nose compartment, the Norden bombsite was destroyed, the navigator workstation was broken and the charts were shredded, and the room looked like Swiss cheese, holes everywhere. I told Stay to jettison the bombs when he sees the other bombers drop , however when he tried nothing happened. We stayed with the formation and began the outbound turn.

While the flak was still heavy, we managed to get through it without taking an serious hits. Our luck, if it could be called that improved slightly when we encountered enemy fighters. While we encountered 4 fighters, Top turret reported hitting 2 ME 109’s and saw them go down, one with a chute spotted and other one no chute spotted. Our Tail gunner had luck of the Irish with him and managed to hit a fighter in a passing shot and watched it start to smoke and reported 1 chute open. After several intense minutes of melee combat, it all ended and we could breathe a little easier when we spotted friendly fighters.

Return
Zones 7 through 2 were uneventful. I had SGT Mickey and SGT Stay conduct a survey of the aircraft and troubleshoot the issue with the bomb. It was discovered that the bomb release system was damaged and they worked to release the bombs manually when we were over the Adriatic Sea. Landing at the base was normal.

After landing
Our temporary crew chief began assessing the damage, and gave a rough guess of 1-2 days to get the Sin City back up and running. S/SGT Bruno was taken to the base hospital for treatment.

The rest of us stood somber and hat in hand as we watched the bodies of our friends that we had known and trained with be removed from the plane and placed in a second ambulance.

This was our second mission, the first being that coveted “milk run” however we were bad back for that good luck in spades on this mission.

1LT David Winne,

80th Squadron, Pilot, Commanding, Sin City

[Deleted]

B-17 Name: Sin City

Commander: 1LT David Winne

Squadron Assigned: 80th Squadron

Low Cell - middle

MISSION DATE: 29 April 1944

MISSION NBR. 68

TARGET: Toulon, France -- Shipping



Pos Rank Name Awards Total Missions Flown Previous Kills Kills this mission Disposition

Pilot 1LT David Winne 3 --- --- RTD

Co-Pilot 2LT Dennis Strange 3 --- --- RTD

Bombardier 2LT Sam Markham 1 0 0 RTD

Navigator 2LT Ben Manzano 1 0 0 RTD

Engineer S/SGT Cameron Stay 3 0 1 RTD

Radio Operator SGT Jay Mickey 3 1/3 0 RTD

Ball Gunner SGT Mike Santee 3 0 0 RTD

PWG S/SGT Terry Bruno 3 0 0 RTD

SWG S/SGT Shane Boxze 3 0 0 RTD

Tail Gunner SGT Travis Steckle 3 1/3 1 RTD



Bomb Run

Off Target – 0% Miss



Claims

ME-109 ME 110 ME 190

Destroyed 0 0 0

Encountered 0 2 3



B-17 Damage

Light superficial damage



Peckham Points

1



Casualties

None



Awards

None



Airfield

Mission #3 for Sin City, bombing Axis Shipping. Pin point bombing runs were not easy to train for back in the States, but we tried like hell to get it right into the pickle barrel. Maybe being over here things will be different.



Take off/ enroute

Normal takeoff with a normal joining of formation. Zones 2-6 no events occurred. Lots of turbulence along the way and more fuel consumed while flying at a lower altitude



Bombing Run

LT Manzano reported reaching the turn point to begin the bomb run. Explosions occurred all around us and streaks of white smoke came from below us, we concluded that it was rockets trying to shoot us down. It definitely was not flak. It lasted only a few moments, when 2 ME 110’s made it into our cell but did not make a run on us, but we say them head toward Fort Mackinac. 1 FW 190 made 2 passes at us, with S/SGT Stay claiming to see several hits to the fighter left wing, but it didn’t have an effect on him. After the fight broke off the attack we received light flak, it seemed that the Axis believed we would be higher in altitude as most of the flak was exploding above us.



LT Markham spotted the ships anchored near shore and selected a single freighter as a target that we were lined up with and prepared to bomb, the classic scenario of a pickle barrel. As it turned out, LT Markham did not do well on pin point bombing back in the States and released on time however we were off target by a short distance and the bombs were seen splashing in the ocean however geysers of water washed over the deck of the freighter.



I took control of the plane after the run and turned us back to Foggia. The Axis had not calibrated their ACK ACK and as we exited the flak exploded harmlessly above us. Once we were clear of the flak 4 FW 190’s were spotted and friendly fighters chased 2 of them away, 2 continued to close and several gunners reported hitting the fighters however none were seen smoking. Both fighter made the one pass and left.



Return

Zones 6 through 2 were uneventful. Air was slightly less turbulent and during the return flight several recalculations with the A/N-C-74 to make sure we would make it back to base. I leaned the engines back as far as I dared and as we got closer to the Italian coast we picked up a nice tailwind. Landing was uneventful and made by LT Strange.



After landing

We taxied into our hardstand and hopped out to look over the plane. Only a few holes were spotted in the wings and in the fabric of the aileron left wing. Our new crew chief M/SGT Leeroy Jenkins said he would have the holes patched in a couple of hours.



Another “Milk Run” for the Sin City. I talked with LT Markham about his performance and he freely admitted he was never good with pin point bombing, and only had a couple training missions to train for that type of bombing. It seems that the Army Air Corps is training bombardiers to just bomb on command from the lead bomber. Hopefully those new bombardiers learn to target better than just on time.



1LT David Winne,

80th Squadron, Pilot, Commanding, Sin City