Operation: München (Munich), Germany

Date: 13th June 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 744th Bombardment Squadron (H), 456th Bombardment Group (H), 304th Bombardment Wing, 15th Air Force

Type: B-24H

Serial No: 41-28817

Code: ?

Location: Vipiteno Sterzing, Tyrol, Italy

Base: Stornara airfield, Italy

Pilot: 1st Lt. Henry Read Lambert O-671039_­ AAF Age 22. PoW *

Co Pilot: 1st Lt. Ralph Oliver Griffin O-794399 AAF Age 23. PoW *

Navigator: 1st Lt. Aubrey Orville Nelson Jr. O-797369 AAF Age 25. PoW *

Bombardier: 1st Lt. Walter Denio Bond O-734642 AAF Age 23. PoW *

Radar/Navigator: 2nd Lt. Eugene Joseph Chudzynski O-814253 AAF Age 22. PoW **

Engineer: S/Sgt. William Milton Stoeppler 37392786 AAF Age 23. PoW *

Nose Gnr: T/Sgt. Arnold Herman Reinholz 16110627 AAF Age 22. PoW **

Ball Turret Gnr: S/Sgt. Boyd Lane Foxworthy 35581431 AAF Age 21.PoW **

Left Waist Gnr: S/Sgt. Richard William ‘Dick’ Shipperley 16088365 AAF Age 21. KiA (1)

Right Waist Gnr: S/Sgt. William Stance Merchant Jr. 14154884 AAF Age 23. PoW *

Tail Gnr: S/Sgt. James Omer Boyd 14151660 AAF Age 19. Unknown PoW Camp

The B-24 had 10 crew positions. Crew complements evolved during the war and generally comprised 9 personnel who were typically, but not always, Pilot, Co-Pilot, Bombardier, Navigator, Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner, Nose Gunner, Ball Turret Gunner/Radar Operator, Waist Gunner, Tail Gunner.

* Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland. (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser, Bavaria).

** Stalag 7a Moosburg, Bavaria (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse and 3368 Munich).

Above: 2nd Lt. Eugene Joseph Chudzynski from his captured documents.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the morning of the 13th June 1944 B-24H 41-28817 took off from Stornara airfield, located approximately 3¼ km (2 mls) SW of the town Stornara in Italy, on a mission to bomb the Bayerische Motoren Wecke (BMW) AG (Engine factory) in the Oberwiesenfeld section of München (Munich) in Germany.

The attack damaged buildings believed to be part of the concentration camp located at the factory, as well as workshops, storage sheds, heat treatment buildings and an unloading area. An adjacent airfield was also bombed destroying at least one aircraft.

The aircraft was hit by flak coming off the target and the pilot sounded the bale-out bell. 1st Lt. Nelson Jr., 1st Lt. Bond and T/Sgt. Reinholz baled out immediately through the nose hatch. They were captured as soon as they had landed safely.

The events leading up to these three crew baling out were described in two after mission statements by:

2nd Lt. Benjamin W Grant O-712805:

“Our position in the formation was 'Dog' 3-3. At 10:24 I noticed what appeared to white smoke coming from the bomb-bay of 'Able' 3-2. At 10:32 'Able' 3-2 dropped back out of the formation. At that time 10:32 our altitude was 21,000 feet and position approximately ten miles beyond the target. Our compass heading was 175 degrees. By this time smoke was no longer coming out of the bomb bay. Engines one and two were feathered. At 10:33 'Able' 3-2 was flying along level with the formation and about 300 yards to the left. I saw three men jump from the nose of the ship. All three parachutes opened and the men landed at approximately 47 35N, 12 20E. The ship turned to the left. That was the last I saw of it”.

1st Lt. Richard W. Nunimaker O-747308:

“Immediately after rallying from the target at approximately 10:20, brown smoke was observed coming from the left bomb bay of 'Able' 3-2, #1 engine was feathered and #2 was smoking. The fire from the bomb bay seemed to be under control by 10:25, and shortly after 10:30 #2 engine was feathered, and the ship 'Able' box passing down to the left of 'Dog' box. between 10:30 and 10:35, three (3) men baled out of the nose and all parachutes opened. Coordinates were 47 35N, 12 20E. Immediately after this the crew began to throw out flak suits, boxes and several other objects, evidently to lighten their load. Between 10:35 and 10:40, the ship passed below our formation headed west. It was observed to be flying steadily and without much loss in altitude until 10:50 when we lost sight of it. We did not see any fighters, enemy or friendly in the vicinity of the airplane. We heard Lieutenant Lambert, the pilot, on the command, during the time the ship was with our formation. He first said that they were having difficulties controlling the fire and later said that he was heading for Switzerland. We were flying 'Dog' lead during the time we made the above observations. Lieutenant Lambert was flying low and 300 feet off our left wing at the time the three men baled out of the nose of the ship”.

Note: The position of Lat/Long of 47 35N, 12 20E is some 84 km (52 mls) SE of München (Munich) over Austria.

The remainder of the crew baled out through the bomb bay over the Alps in Northern Italy some 100 km (62 mls) SW from where the first three of the crew baled out.

The aircraft was reported to have crashed near Vipiteno Sterzing, Tyrol in Northern Italy at about 12:00hrs.

S/Sgt. Stoeppler reported that when he baled out the aircraft S/Sgt. Shipperley was in the waist area of the aircraft preparing to bale out. After S/Sgt. Stoeppler landed he met up with two others of his crew and they walked in a south-easterly direction. The following day at about 13:00 hrs they found the body of S/Sgt. Shipperley. His parachute and harness was not in sight and it was S/Sgt. Stoeppler’s opinion that he was killed instantly on impact.

They did not disturb the body for fear of letting any pursuing enemy forces know that there were other crew alive and thereby jeopardising their chances of escape. However, at about 01:00 hrs the next morning they were captured. The Germans showed them S/Sgt. Shipperley’s ‘dog tags’ and other items related to him.

(1) The following is a statement by Capt. Lambert regarding the death of S/Sgt. Richard William Shipperley dated 30th July 1946:

"Verbal statements from two of my crew members, Sgt. Foxworthy and Sgt. Reinholz convinced me that the cause of the Sgt. Shipperley’s death was entirely accidental. Their report was as follows:

"Shortly after our aircraft was abandoned, Sgt. Shipperley was found dead with a severe head wound, unquestionably caused by a rocky ledge near and above the body.

Apparently Sgt. Shipperley had attempted to avoid rocky terrain to make a landing in the snow by releasing himself from his parachute harness twenty or thirty feet above the ground as his chute was located twenty yards from his body. Undoubtably, his speed and been much greater than he had judged it to be and therefore landed at a point beyond that which he had anticipated".

With reference to the German report which stated that Sgt. Shipperley was shot in an attempt to escape, it is my opinion that such a report was recorded for military reasons. At the time this report was made it was the policy of the German Commanders of all American PoW Camps and Interrogation centres to stress the point that escapees would be shot, even though recaptured alive. Many similar incidents were reported and published to discourage escape and weaken possible mass resistance.

At the time of my capture, 17th June 1944, a German interrogation officer informed me that Sgt. Shipperley was dead when they found him. This information is undoubtably correct.”

Burial Details:

S/Sgt. Richard William Shipperley. Air Medal (4 Oak Leaf Clusters). Repatriated and interred at the Silverbrook Cemetery, Michigan. Born on the 28th November 1922 in Niles, Berrien, Michigan. Son of Henry George and Leocadia (née Szutkowski) Shipperley of Berrien, Michigan, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families.

Other sources listed below:

Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them. Franklin Delano Roosevelt