World War II Odyssey

Chapter XX: Loss of a Leader

24. Neuss (January 23)

By Bill Frankhouser, Navigator, 603rd Squadron

This mission was another disastrous one for the 398th BG. Colonel Frank Hunter, the sole CO (Commanding Officer) from group activation to the present time, was lost along with eight others in his plane. Those killed included the 603rd Squadron Navigator, Bill Beatovich, who was living in Hut No. 24. The sole survivor was the pilot, Federico Gonzales.

The 398th BG was leading the 8th AF to attack a railroad marshaling yard in the heavily industrialized region near Dusseldorf along the Rhine River. The mission was not a maximum effort for the 8th AF, probably because the weather was “iffy”. In fact, because of the weather, the planned bombing altitude was set lower than normal at 19,000 feet.

The 603rd Squadron was lead, and Colonel Hunter was flying as Command Pilot with Gonzales as Lead Pilot. I was in the Deputy Lead position on the right wing position in the lead element. Our Lead Pilot was John Smith and our Command Pilot was Bill Scott. The weather created visibility problems, with layered clouds and condensation trails, during assembly and later with in the bomber stream. As we approached the target, Hunter’s plane was hit directly in the wing with a flak burst, and it spun out of the formation. Our plane took over and completed the bomb run.

Our three-ship element in the Lead Squadron had provided the first sighting in the entire bomber stream for the flak gunners. They were accurate, since all three ships in the lead element suffered damage. Our Deputy Lead plane lost an engine, and I believe that the plane in the left-side slot lost more than one engine. This event further confirmed the vulnerability of the lead planes which moved ahead of any protection provided by aluminum chaff which was routinely dispersed from the following planes.

 

From World War II Odyssey by Bill Frankhouser, pages 131-132. Published by Hamilton's, Bedford, VA, 1997, ISBN 1-883912-03-2. WWII Odyssey is available in the 398th PX.

Note: Mission date is January 23, 1945.

 

Personal History Information
  1. Veteran: Bill Frankhouser
  2. Navigator, 603rd Squadron
  3. Date of Personal History: October 2006 Web Page submission. Excerpted from World War II Odyssey by Bill Frankhouser.
  4. Author: Bill Frankhouser
  5. Submitted to 398th Web Pages by: Bill Frankhouser