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Dailies of the 322nd Squadron
1942
Transcribed by Frank Farr
322nd Squadron Daily Reports
Capt. Wm. R. Thompson
14 April, 1942 91st Bombardment Group (H) was organized at Harding Field Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Lt. Edward R. Akert, Commanding, Lt. Frank S. Kamykowski, Engineering, Lt. William M. Cornell Lt. William H. Biggs, Chaplain and Lt. Ben T. Stogner.
13 May, 1942 - 91st Bomb Group. (H) moved to Mac Dill Field, Tampa,
15 May 1942 - 322nd Bombardment Squadron was organized: Captain Victor B. Zienowicz, Commanding; Lt. William F. Genheimer, Acting Commanding Officer.
25 May 1942 - Captain Victor B. Zienowicz reported and assumed command of 322nd Bomb Sq. At that
time squadron had three heavy bombardment type airplanes, B-17s; No. 41-2394 (Hangar Queen), No. 41-2577 and No. 41-2597.
22 June 1942 - 322nd Squadron departed MacDill Field,
4 July 1942 - Personnel of 322nd Squadron reported
1 August 1942 - Entire personnel of 322nd
Squadron departed
16 August 1942 - 322nd Squadron departed Pendleton Air Base; returned same day to
23 August 1942 - 322nd Squadron received orders to pack for movement.
24 August 1942 - Air echelon departed Walla Walla Air Base, arrived Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho; ground echelon departed Walla Walla Air Base by Train, Capt. Theodore R. Parker, Commanding.
25 August 1942 - Ground echelon arrived in staging area at
30 August 1942 - Air Echelon departed Gowen Field,
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322nd Squadron Dailies
Capt. William R. Thompson
1 Sept. 1942 - Air Echelon departed Selfridge Field, Michigan; arrived Dow Field, Bangor, Maine; ground echelon, under War Dept. orders, departed Fort Dix, New Jersey and boarded S.S. Queen Mary to serve as Gun crew aboard ship during passage to destination.
5 Sept. 1942 - Ground echelon departed
6 Sept. 1942 - Air echelon received delivery of nine new B-17F airplanes: Nos. 41- 1942, 24453, 24439, 24481, 24482, 24483, 24479, 24499, 24512 and 24545.
11 Sept. 1942 - S.S. Queen Mary arrived Guroch, Firth of
12 Sept. 1942 - Ground echelon disembarked S.S. Queen Mary and entrained.
13 Sept. 1942 - Ground echelon arrived Kimbolton
Air Field, Hunts,
29 Sept. 1942 - Air echelon departed
Dow Field,
30 Sept. 1942 - Air echelon departed
1 Oct.1942 - Air echelon arrived at
2 Oct. 1942 - Air echelon departed
14 Oct. 1942 - Entire squadron departed Kimbolton Air Field and arrived Bassingbourn Airfield,
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Headquarters
322nd Bomb Squadron
Pendleton, Ore,
August 6, 1942
Subject: Interference by illegal radio stations
To: Intelligence Officer, 91st Bomb Group, Walla Walla, Wash.
1. On August 4, 1942, reports from the radio operators of this squadron to the Squadron Communications Officer, Lt. Nelson, led him to suspect thepresence of illegal radio stations in the vicinity of this Air Base. Upon questioning he became convinced that some action must be taken by way of investigating the reports.
2. Lt. Nelson immediately brought the matter to my attention, and to the attention of the Base Signal Officer, Lt. Guy, who informed him that the authorities at the Pendleton Air Base had been receiving signals from some radio station or stations which they believed might be operating in an illegal manner. Lt. Guy informed us that these signals had been heard first during December, 1941, and at irregular intervals since that time.
3. Upon receipt of this information I immediately visited the Intelligence Officer at the Pendleton Air Base in order to hear what if any steps had been taken to locate the owners of such stations. He very kindly showed me such information that he had collected on the subject. From this I learned that the Intelligence Section of the Pendleton Air Base had been in communication with the G-2 of the Second Air Force, the F.B.I., the F.C.C., and other agencies which should have been interested in this situation. It also developed that Major Dauncy (?), Adjutant of the Walla Walla Air Base had assisted in the investigations that had been carried on. From all of this it appears that little real progress has been made in locating these people, due chiefly to the irregularity of their transmissions, and to the reluctance of the civilian bureaus toward sending their equipment out on a questionable case where it would probably be tied up for weeks or even longer without any assurance of finding these illegal station or stations.
4. The Intelligence Officer of Pendleton Air Base requested that this squadron arrange to photograph certain suspected areas in this vicinity. This has been accomplished, and the report of that mission is attached hereto, together with prints of the photographs taken.
5. This Squadron then arranged for a second reconnaissance over this suspected area. Lt. Nelson, who is an expert in this kind of work accompanied this
mission, and reported that it was impossible to identify anything that looked like a probably radio transmitting station from the air. However, he did notice that the “T” shaped house mentioned in the report of the photographic mission (hereto attached), with the white roof, might be considered as suspicious inasmuch as it did parallel the radio beam leading into the Pendleton Air Port.
6. Upon further investigation yesterday, Lt. Nelson and I further learned that at one time during the month of March, 1942, this station transmitted continuously for a period of about two hours. During this period the transmitting station appeared to be fulfilling the function of a radio guiding device, and was distinctly heard transmitting over and over the letters “WR” (?) and several times the letters “?-5”. At this time Lt,. Guy made a determined
effort to locate the station with some equipment which he had borrowed from civilian sources locally, but was not successful in doing so.
7. During the past 36 hours Lt. Nelson and I have interviewed individually all the radio operators of this squadron. Of the 18 men so interviewed,
practically all of them stated that during the past month they have heard signals which could have been sent from another transmitting station. Many of them
stated that it was their opinion that at times (at least) these signals seemed to be sent out with the intention of “jamming” the stations of the 91st Bomb Group. Several of these men also stated that they had heard voice transmission on their assigned wave-lengths, and wondered at the time who had been given authority to transmit in voice on the wave-lengths assigned to them.
8. We are attaching hereto brief statements as made by several of the radio operators of this squadron. These are self-explanatory.
9. All radio operators of this squadron have been ordered to listen in at the wave-lengths on which these strange signals have been heard at all times, and to report to me all such information as they are able to gather if they are heard again. Such reports will be forwarded to your office as soon as reported.
10. After this had been accomplished I learned that on July 3, a conversation between two stations (presumable illegal) had been picked up at the Pendleton Air Base. As the operators of these stations agreed to meet each other in the town of Pendleton some few hours after the conversation took place, we may assume that these people are located and operating at points within a radius of 50 to 75 miles of this Air Base. A report of this conversation is on file in the office of the Intelligence Officer, Pendleton Air Base.
11. When this information had been collated, Lt. Nelson applied to the base Signal Officer for any equipment which he might use as direction-finding
devices, but was advised that no such equipment was available. Lt. Nelson and I then decided to try to manufacture some makeshift devices by which we will be able to identify the directions from which these signals are coming. We hope to have these arrangements in operation within a day or two, and when ready a continuous watch will be maintained in an effort to secure further information concerning those supposed illegal stations. Any information secured in this manner will be forwarded to your office immediately upon receipt.
12. Upon reviewing all the evidence we have been able to collect, we have also found that the period during which these illegal stations were most active
coincided with the period during which two other conditions existed: five B-17 planes were lost in this vicinity, and much of the submarine activity off the Pacific Coast. This may be purely accidental.
13. For the protection of the airplanes of this squadron, the following orders have been given to all radio operators.
a. That they
are not to transmit to any radio station until that station has authenticated codes set up by the Second
Air Force Headquarters at Spokane.
b. That no
pilot shall under any conditions fly any radio beam
under actual “instrument conditions”, but will rely upon his other
instruments, and at all times shall be extremely careful when flying in this
part of the
states of Oregon and Washington.
We are of the opinion that these measures should tend to negate any
possible harmful intentions, if the above referred-to radio stations are
actually
being operated by enemy aliens.
For the Squadron Commander
TRP
Theodore R. Parker
Capt., A.A.F.,
S-2 322 Bomb Squadron
Enclosures:
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Headquarters
322 Bomb Squadron
Pendleton, Ore.
August 7, 1942
Special Photographic Mission, August 6, 1942.
Briefing Notes:
1. Upon receipt of certain information concerning radio interference, received from the Base Signal Officer, Pendleton Air Force Base, and reported by Lt. Nelson, Squadron Communications Officer, a special photographic mission was dispatched to photograph the area from which the interference was supposed to originate..
2. Base signal unit furnished information that additional pictures of the vicinity of Holdman be taken, and the base photographic unit furnished the detail and equipment.
3. Pilots were instructed to fly up the valley in which this town is located, to reappear from another direction not sooner than thirty minutes later, and to fly across the town again about 45 minutes thereafter. This was intended to divert suspicion.
4. The photographers were instructed to take a complete “photo-strip” of the vicinity of the town during each flight.
5. The pilots were instructed to hold a straight and level course during each flight at an indicated altitude of 8000 feet, or somewhat lower if overcast or
clouds might interfere with the object of taking pictures.
6. All members of the combat crew were instructed to make minute observations of everything in and about the town during the three runs over the town and surrounding territory.
7. The photographic unit was ordered to complete processing of their pictures as soon as possible, and return three prints of each to this headquarters as
soon as finished.
8. All members of the flight were ordered to report individually to this headquarters for interrogation upon completion of the flight.
9. All members of the flight were ordered to maintain strict silence and secrecy concerning the nature of this mission.
10. Maps, photos, and other available information were given to the pilots and photographers just before the mission took off.
Theodore R. Parker, Capt.
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Headquarters
322 Squadron
Pendleton, Ore.
August 7, 1942
Special Photographic Mission, August 6, 1942
Interrogation Notes (condensed):.
1. The mission took off at 0925, and flew directly over the town of Holdman as ordered, taking its first photo-strip during this run.
2. They then flew to the north-east and returned thirty-five minutes later and took a second Photo-strip coming in from that direction.
3. They then flew in from a westwardly direction fifty minutes later and took their third photo-strip.
4. During these three flights, the following was observed:
a. The town appeared to be practically deserted, very little signs of activity were observed.
b. Three or four people were observed, apparently standing and looking up at the plane during its third flight over the town.
c. The navigator and one member of the combat crew thought they saw what might have been an antenna stretched along the roof of one of the houses.
d. All remarked upon a peculiarly shaped house, built in the shape of a “T”. The roof of this house was painted a new white, whereas, most of the other roofs in the town were either unpainted or red in color.
e. Upon investigating the long wing of this white-roofed house was found to point directly parallel to the beam of the Pendleton Airport.
f. A very small landing field, or a place where very light planes could land, was observed just to the east of the center of the town.
5. As a result of this information, another photographic mission will be dispatched to re-photograph the valley at a much lower altitude within a few days. Also, it is our intention to make a visual reconnaissance of this place at a very low altitude during the next 24 hours, making use of one
of the LO5 planes now here.
Theodore R. Parker, Capt.
322nd
Daily Reports, November, 1942
Ed. Note: Occasionally a word or words or a line or lines are illegible as taken off the Microfilm. Where I am able to interpolate intelligently, I try to fill
in that material. Where I am in doubt you may see a question mark (?). If entire passages are missing, I will simply say “___lines unintelligible.” Mostly I
think the sense of the material will come through in good shape. – Frank F.
7 Nov. 1942 Squadron went on its first
,,,(?)…mission. Target was the docks …(?)…at
Ship 4499
Major Zienowicz
Lt. Baxley
Lt. Hampy (?)
Lt. Wechsler
Lt. Hubbard
Sgt. Hall
Sgt. Goldstein
Sgt. Steffens
Sgt. Tamsett (?)
Sgt. Hudjera (?)
Ship 4482
Lt. Bader
Lt. Humphries
Lt. Adkins
Lt. Hensley
Sgt. Pieph (?)
Sgt. Gray
Sgt. Kesslerwad
Sgt. Olaque
Sgt. Hansbury
Sgt. Buzisz
Ship 4479
Lt. McCormick
Lt. Preibe
Lt. Clinton
Lt. Frazier
Sgt. Pidgeon
Sgt. Anderson
Sgt. Ryder
Sgt. Janor
Sgt. Graddy
Sgt. Hamrick
Ship 4545
Lt. Beasley
Lt. Green
Lt. Bocock
Lt. Hawkins
Sgt. Barreh
Sgt. Hale
Sgt. Lammers
Sgt. Richardson
Sgt. Ehrhardt
Sgt. Perry (323rd) (Steve Perri)
Sgt. Graddy and Sgt. Hansbury received credit for shooting down a FW 190. Ships 4481, 4453 and 4483 turned back due
to gun failures.
9 Nov. 1942 Squadron left on second mission.
Target was locks at
The following ships took part:
Ship 4481
Major Zienowicz
Lt. Baird
Lt. Moss (323)
Lt. Bullock
Lt. Bryant
Sgt. Mika
Sgt. Harger
Sgt. Kiss
Sgt. Bucholz
Sgt. Harrison
Ship 4483
Lt. Felton
Lt. Kious
Lt. Cochran
Lt. Hylton
Sgt. Traverso
Sgt. Griffin
Sgt. Welch
Sgt. Paul
Sgt. Burnett
Sgt. Larson
Ship 4545
Lt. Beasley
Lt. Green
Lt. Bowcock
Lt. Santoro
S/Sgt. Ehrhardt
Sgt. Barrett
Sgt. Hale
Sgt. Lammers
Sgt. Richardson
Sgt. Quarles
Lt. Cochran, Lt. Bowcock, Sgt. Burnett and Sgt. Richardson were wounded, also Lt. Bryant.
14 Nov. 1942
Ship 4499 – Capt. Gillespie
Ship 4512 – Lt. Wallick
Ship 4479 – Lt. McCormick
Ship 4453 – Lt. Hardin
Height – 19,000 ft. Weather clear over target. Target attacked successfully.
17
Nov. 1942 – Target for this mission was St. Nazaire. Group furnished 20 A/C of which 6 were abortive. The squadron started 3 A/C of which two
went over the target– #4545, 1st Lt. Beasley and #4481, 1st
Lt. Baird. Target was bombed successfully, each ship attacking at 20,000 ft. with bomb load of 10 x 500 HE. After leaving target, 20 – 30 E/A fighters attacked of which 5 were destroyed, 2 possibles and eight damaged. S/Sgt Ehrhardt of 545, tail gunner, was credited with one FW 190 destroyed. Both ships returned, no casualties.
18 Nov. 1942 – Target was submarine pens at La
22 Nov. 1942 – Group assigned 18 ships to attack
23 Nov. – Of ten ships assigned by group to attack
No further report has been received
of Major Zienowicz and he and his crew reported missing in action. The other four, some ten miles off the target
were attacked by from 20-40 E/A and turned out to sea. In a running fight, an undetermined number of E/A were shot down and several casualties in our A/C were suffered. Captain Wallick safely landed his ship at Chivenor, with his tail gunner S/Sgt. John J. Hudjera suffering a fracture of his leg. Lt. Corman
crash landed at Watford, England, five of his crew were killed. Major Smelzer was last seen at a point 20 miles west of
Following is a list of the crew 4479:
Pilot – Major Victor S. Zienowicz,
copilot Captain Thomas B. McCormick, Navigator Capt. Herbert W. Hampy, Navig. 2nd Lt. Ralph L. Clinton, Bomb. 2nd Lt. Ross E. Frazier, Gun Lt. Arthur S. Applebaum, Eng T/S Doyce F. Hamrick, A.E Ssgt. Joseph G. Janor, Rad T/S Geo.A. Anderson, A/R S/S Wordon J. Ryder, Tail Gunner S/S William C. Grady
24 Nov. 1942 – Capt. Paul L. Fishburne reported and assumed charge of 322nd as acting Squadron Commander.
25 Nov. 1942 – The report of Capt. Wallick and his crew of the fight of the Nov. 23 raid was received and that ship is credited with the destruction of four FW 190’s, enemy aircraft and one damaged. Following are the members credited with E/A.
S/Sgt. John J. Hudjera T.G. destroyed FW 190.
S/Sgt. Jarvis E. Hall T.T.G. destroyed FW 190.
Sgt. Frank S. Tamsett W.G. destroyed FW 190.
S/Sgt. Daniel (NMI) Goldstein R.G. destroyed FW 190.
Sgt. Delbert G. Steffens W.G. FW190 damaged.
This flight occurred from San Jachim (?)
322nd
Daily Reports
Ed. Note: Occasionally a word or words or a line or lines are illegible as taken off the Microfilm. Where I am able to interpolate intelligently, I try to fill in that material. Where I am in doubt you may see a question mark (?). If entire passages are missing, I will simply say “___lines unintelligible.” Mostly I think the sense of the material will come through in good shape. –
Frank F.
6 Dec. 19, 1942 - The target for today was the
locomotive carriage works at Lille, France. The bomb load was 10 x 500 G.P. bombs, the take off at 1020,
over target at 1210 and landing at 1329 hours. The group sent 22 A/C of which 18 went over target. 322nd Squadron had 4 of these - 453, Lt. John T. Hardin, 481, Capt. Paul L. Fishburne, 483, Lt. Ralph A. Felton and 545, Lt. Wm. D. Easley. Fighters, FW 190s were engaged 10 miles west of target on way in, S/Sgt. Bradin C.
12 Dec., 1942 - Target was Romilly-sur-Seine air depot, last resort was Rouens marshalling yards. Nineteen A/C took off 1020, rendezvous at Beachyhead
at 1125 hours, with 303, 305 and 306 groups. Seventy eight planes attacked Rouens marshalling yards. Results were poor. Two B17’s were lost to E/A, B17’s
destroyed 19, probable 10, damaged two. Six of 91st attacked target--two from 322nd, Capt. Paul L. Fishburne in 545 and Capt. Robert B. Campbell in 483.
91st Group was credited with 3 E/A destroyed and one probable. All ships returned, no casualties in squadron. Formations was poor.
13 Dec. 1942 - The following members of the squadron received the award of the Purple Heart on Dec. 7, 1942:
Lt. Robert H. Bowcock
Lt. Norman Bryant
Lt. Linden W. Cochran
S/Sgt. Carson L. Richardson
S/Sgt. Andrew N. Burnet
20 Dec. 1942 - Target for 1st Wing Groups, 306, 91st, 303rd, 305th was the airport at Romilly-sur-Seine, 80 miles, south east of Paris. Group furnished 17 A/C with 10 x 500 bombs, of which 322nd had four, Capt. Kenneth K. Wallick 512, Lt. Bruce D. Barton, 439, Lt. James D. Baird 483 and Lt. Don C. Bader, 545. Take off was at 1005 hours and return was 1433. Fighters were encountered 30 miles from coast and E/A attacked from there to target and back to coast. Group lost two A/C, Lt’s English and Corson of 401st near Paris. Both were at end of formation and were lost to E/A. Capt. Wallick had his #3 engine hit, put on fire and was forced to leave flight on account of reduced speed. He was followed and covered by Lts. Baird and Barton. Barton’s ship was hit several times - he crash landed 30 miles southeast of London. Other squadron A/C returned safely, Capt. Wallick losing his #3 propeller and cowl on landing at base. Lt. Paul C. Burnett and Pvt. Forrest E. Wise were injured, not seriously. The group got 19 E/A destroyed, 3 probably destroyed, and one damaged. Following are the ships bagged by squadron gunners:
Capt. Kenneth K. Wallicks crew #512 - Lt. John G. Hawkins, bombardier, destroyed FW190 - Sgt. Delbert Steffens, tail gunner, destroyed FW190 - T/Sgt. Harvis E. Hall, top turret, destroyed FW190 - Sgt. Vito Pugliese, waist gunner, destroyed FW190 - T/Sgt. Daniel Goldstein, radio gunner, destroyed FW190. Lt. James D. Baird’s crew #482 - T/Sgt. Henry E. Mika, ball gunner, probable FW190 - S/Sgt. Martin A. Bucholz, tail gunner, destroyed FW190. Lt. Don C. Bader’s crew #545 - Sgt. Walter C. Bedzisz, ball gunner, destroyed FW190 - T/Sgt. Ernest L. Pieples, waist gunner, destroyed FW190. Lt. Bruce D. Barton’s crew - Lt. Stephen H. Lindley, bombardier, destroyed FW190 - S/Sgt. John H. Mitchell, waist gunner, destroyed FW190 - T/Sgt. R. L. Hare, top gunner, destroyed 2 FW190 - Sgt. Lester B. Snook, waist gunner, destroyed FW190 - S/Sgt. Myron (?) C. Sasen (?), ball gunner, destroyed FW190.
Score for entire USAAF raid: Lost (?) B17E’s, destroyed 50 FW 190’s, of these 91st Group got 25 (?) FW190s and 322nd Squadron got 14 FW190s and one
probably destroyed.
30 Dec. 1942 - Target for today was
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