Operation: Giessen (Mission #736), Germany

Date: 4th December 1944 (Monday)

Unit No: 571st Bombardment Squadron (H), 390th Bombardment Group (H), 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G

Serial No: 44-8319

Code: FC:L

Location: Simmern some 26 km (16 mls) west of Bingen, Germany

Base: Framlingham (Station #153), Suffolk, England

Pilot: 1st Lt. George A. Massa O-825665 AAF Age 20. KiA

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. David Walter Wetherill O-829356 AAF Age 20. PoW *

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Francis John Zmudka O-723496 AAF Age 22. PoW *

Togglier: Sgt. William Edward Reulbach 35061097 AAF Age 19. PoW **

Radio Operator: Sgt. Cecil K. Napier 17088820 AAF Age? KiA

Engineer: Sgt. Theodore Wayne Albertus 19161026 AAF Age 22. PoW ***

Ball Turret: Sgt. John Arthur Cederlind 19159430 AAF Age 19. Murdered (1)

Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Daniel Andrew Janish 17181243 AAF Age 24. PoW ****

Tail Gunner: Sgt. Omar Delmar Grubbs 36317570 AAF Age 30. PoW Unknown Camp

* Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang, today situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

** Stalag Luft 4 Groß-Tychow, Pomerania, Prussia now Poland (Moved from Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug. Moved to Wöbbelin near Ludwigslust and then to Usedom near Swinemünde)

*** Stalag 9c Mühlhausen near Bad Sulza, Thuringia, Germany.

**** Dulag Luft 12 Groß-Tychow Pomerania, Prussia now Tychowo, Poland.

One of the two Waist Gunners were removed from crew complements starting on the 7th June 1944 and then both from 23rd February 1945.

Togglier. When it was required for all aircraft in a Squadron formation to drop their bombs simultaneously, the designated Bombardier was on the lead aircraft. The task of the Bombardiers in the rest of the formation was to drop their bombs when the lead aircraft dropped theirs. When there were personnel shortages the role of Bombardier was carried out by an enlisted crew member who was designated as the Togglier.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 4th December 1944, the 8th Air Force dispatched 1191 bombers and 977 fighters into Germany to destroy various marshalling yards scattered across the country. Sixty-two B-17s were sent to attack the yard at Giessen and the 390th BG assigned twenty-eight of its aircraft to participate in the attack. The aircraft started taking off from Framlingham at 09:10 hrs.

As the formation was travelling towards the target south of Koblenz B-17G 44-8319 was struck by flak which set #1 engine ablaze. The fire went out shortly thereafter but a sudden explosion tore off the engine and the entirety of the left wing. The aircraft went into a steep dive and spun into the ground near the town of Simmern some 26 km (16 mls) west of Bingen, Germany.

Sgt. Reulbach in his Individual Casualty Questionnaire (ICQ) recorded that none of the crew had been injured after the aircraft had been hit by flak. He had written some strong words and allegations regarding the lack of a bailout order. He claimed to have seen Sgt. Napier and Sgt. Cederlind with their parachutes clipped on awaiting the bail out order which never came.

It was rumored that 1st Lt. Massa had removed his oxygen mask too soon and passed out. He regained consciousness in the spinning aircraft at low altitude and was last seen by Sgt. Reulbach near the escape hatch when the aircraft exploded. Sgt. Reulbach and S/Sgt. Janish were blown out of the aircraft and survived.

On his return to the USA Sgt. Albertus was still recovering from the beatings by German civilians at the time of his capture.

(1) It appears that Sgt. Cederlind had successfully bailed out of the aircraft. The only information that has been found concerning his death comes for a German document, KU-3426, that records that he had been shot in the head by an infantry weapon and buried in the community cemetery at Langenlonsheim some 9 km (6 mls) due south of Bingen.

Note: KU = Reports crashes of US Bombers

Records show that Sgt. Cederlind’s father, Mr. Harry A. Cederlind, had communicated with a Col. C.E. Straight concerning the death of his son.

It is believed that Col. C.E. Straight was the US Deputy Theatre Judge Advocate for War Crimes.

Although the records show that a case number had been assigned, no one has ever been formally charged with Sgt. Cederlind’s death.

Burial Details:

1st Lt. Massa was buried in an isolated grave in a field near Dietersheim, some ½ km (2¼ mls) due south of Bingen. No initial burial place for Sgt. Napier is known. The three were recovered and reinterred at the Lorraine American Cemetery.

Above repatriation of 1st Lt. Massa (Courtesy of The Daily Register dated, Thursday December 30th, 1948)

1st Lt. George A. Massa. Air Medal. Lorraine American Cemetery, Plot 3Y, Row 9, Grave 107. Repatriated and interred on the 3rd February 1949 in Plot J, Grave 16297, Long island National cemetery, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. Born on the 8th July 1924. Son of Eiro and Enga Massa of Red Bank, New Jersey, USA.

Sgt. Cecil K. Napier. Air Medal, Purple Heart. Lorraine American Cemetery, Plot 3Y, Row 11, Grave 121. Relocated to Plot A, Row 32, Grave 20. Son of James M. Napier of Bremerton, Washington, USA.

Sgt. John Arthur Cederlind. Air Medal, Purple Heart. Lorraine American Cemetery, Plot 3Y, Row 9, Grave 108. Repatriated and interred at the Tulare Cemetery, California. Born on the 14th September 1925 in Los Angeles, California. Son of Harry Arthur and Myrtle I. (née Hanson) Cederlind of Tulare, California, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape and Traugott Vitz for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with additional thanks to Traugott for his work on the ‘VitzArchive’.

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