Mission No. 2

HEADQUARTERS
USAAF STATION 126
APO 634

SUBJECT:  S-3 Narrative
TO:       Those Concerned

     1. Twenty airplanes of the 447th Bomb Group (H) took off
between the hours of 0815 and 1730, 30 December 1943.  Because there
were available only enough fuses for loading 23 airplanes, and 
because (3) loaded airplanes developed mechanical troubles, it was
impossible to get the 21st airplane into the air.
     2. Of the 20 airplanes airborne, one (1) became lost over 
England, was unable to locate the formation, and returned to base.
     3. Wing assembly occurred as briefed, 94th Group was lead,
447th Group was high, 385th Group was low.  The 4th Combat Wing was
briefed to be the 2nd wing of the division; evidently some error in 
division assembly occurred, because the 4th Combat Wing went in first.
     4. Fighter support was present continuously, and was excellently
done.
     5. Airplane #173, pilot, Lt. J. Y. Schrero, was seen to go down 
under control 30 miles northeast of Paris, evidently as the result of 
a flak burst with one or more engines smoking badly.
     6. Of the 19 A/C dispatched, 18 landed safely at the base.

					GEORGE Y. JUMPER
					Lt. Col., AC,
					Operations Officer.

[447bg.com Ref: B0558-0505, retyped for clarity]

Lead Squadron (709BS)

1	Col. Hunter Harris Jr. / Capt. Gene C. Smith	42-31092 Butch II
2	Lt. E. J. McKay	42-31108 Devil's Mate
3	Lt. C. W. Harris	42-31186
4	Lt. J. E. Jurnecka	42-31165
5	Lt. W. P. Tigh	42-31100 The Gimp
6	Lt. C. M. Allen	42-31095 Ground Pounder

High Squadron (711BS)

1	Maj. F.H. Bonham / Maj. E.J. McRay	42-31148 Morning Star
2	Lt. L. A. Kinsinger	42-37842 Miss Boo
3	Lt. C. T. Leach	42-37871 Uninvited
4	Maj. M.C. Carmack	42-37866 Bloated Body
5	Lt. F. A. Lowry	42-31225 Scheherazade
6	Lt. W. H. Johnson	42-31096 The Squirming Squaw

Airborne Spares

7	Lt. E. L. Duke	42-31112 Paper Doll
8	Lt. W. C. Hudson (returned to base)	42-31184 Old Crow
9	Lt. J. Y. Schrero	42-31173 Maid to Please

Low Squadron (710BS)

1	Maj.C. L. Elder / Lt. D. Rowland	42-31144 Miss America
2	Lt. G. N. Leavitt	42-31082
3	Lt. E. Kaffun	42-31160 Mickey
4	Lt. E. E. Beaty Abort, inoperative engine prevented takeoff, replaced by Schrero	42-37873
5	Lt. C. H. Marcy	42-31169
6	Lt. M. A. Esterline	42-31191

No Ground Spares

From Operational Charts (Pictorial History of the 447th Bombardment Group 1946)

Mission No.	2
Mission	LUDWIGSHAFEN
Date	Dec 30 '43
Field Order	118
A/C Airborne	20
A/C Dispatched	19
A/C Attacking	18
A/C Failing to Attack	1
Mechanical	1
Weather	0
Enemy Action	0
Reason Unknown	0
Bombs Dropped
No.	711
Type	INCEND
Tons	36
Result of Bombing	PFF
Bombing Altitude	23000
Time of Take Off	0835
Time of Landing	1710
Position in Combat Wing	HIGH 4CBW
Group Leader	Col. H. Harris, Jr.
Confirmed Claims on E/A	0
Aircraft Lost	1
	#173 Lt. J. V. Schrero 711
Casualties
K	0
W	0
M	10
A/C Battle Damage
Maj.	0
Min.	10
Other Data

From Combat Diary - Capt. Edward Beaty

Briefed at 4:30 a.m. Attempted take off to Ludwigshaven. Assigned an unoperational 873 ship and did not get off. One ship lost on mission, my own 173, "Maid To Please," flown by Lt. Shero on her first raid.

From Combat Diary - Sgt. Harley Tuck

Got up at 715 this morning. Ate and got to the theater by 8.30 for roll call. As we were going to the theater, the ships from our group were gathering over the field headed for some target on the Ruhr river area in Germany. After role call the E.M.'s were excused, came back to the barracks and played cards till the 1st class, 10-11 o’clock. Most of the afternoon the crew was out in the ship working on the gun receivers, getting them clean + cleaning up the ship. At 5 the fellows started coming in. Two of the ships came in with number 3 engines feathered. All were accounted for, with a couple crew members wounded by flak. They encountered no fighter opposition, just flak. Fred + I went around to some of the ships + looked for flak holes: we found some too. After chow I wrote letters + hit the hay at 8:45

Schrero crew
Photo taken in Harvard, Nov 43

Crash site of 42-31173 Maid to Please
at Henonville, approximately 30 miles northwest of Paris
(Archive Photo)

If you have additional information or personal recollections of this mission,
Please let us know!

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requires the explicit written consent of the contributors.

As listed in MACR 1770, A/C 42-31173 Maid to Please
Pilot	2Lt Julian Y. Schrero	KIA
Copilot	2Lt Mehle L. Kent	POW
Navigator	2Lt Joseph J. Lamansky	KIA
Bombardier	2Lt Lowell A. Doan	KIA
Top Turret	T/Sgt Howard B. May	POW
Radio Operator	T/Sgt Dee L. Troxell	KIA
Ball Turret	S/Sgt John Bitzer	POW
Left Waist	S/Sgt Herman F. Holland	POW
Right Waist	S/Sgt Homer L. Miller	POW
Tail Gunner	S/Sgt Walter E. Dickerman	EVD