HELL FROM HEAVEN
Chapter 22
Mission 10 - A Quirk of Fate - February 22, 1945
By Leonard Streitfeld, Bombardier, 600th Squadron
This particular mission will never be forgotten since something happened that was fortunate for me or else I would not be here to write about it. The custom was that after the experience of several combat missions some were selected to fly with other crews. Generally, as in my case, it was with a crew flying its first combat mission or as a replacement for someone who was grounded on that particular mission for one reason or another. Before the briefing was over, I was told I would be flying as navigator on another crew.
The officers of this crew lived in the Quonset hut next to ours. The Pilot was Lt. Hubert F. Beatty, Co-pilot Lt. Jim Honaker, Navigator was Lt. Arthur Abraham and Bombardier was Lt. Tom Donelian.
I often used to play pinochle with Abraham and Donelian when we weren’t flying. One day Abraham was made a lead navigator that meant he would not necessarily fly with Beatty every mission. On February 22, 1945, Abraham would not be flying with Beatty and neither would Donelian. Instead, I would replace the navigator and the waist gunner, Urie Zook, who would be the togglier, would replace the bombardier.
This day, we were going to bomb Stendel, about sixty miles west of Berlin, and it was a low altitude mission at 10,000 feet. This was the altitude where the medium bombers like the B-26's or B-25's flew on their combat missions. I think all of us felt that our large planes would be more vulnerable so we were a quite apprehensive about what to expect. The purpose of the low altitude mission, we were told, was to draw up enemy fighters. Then, with our fighter planes not far off, which outnumbered them at that time, we likely would see dogfights and see some shot down. This was going to be interesting to say the least.
There were between ten and twelve planes to a squadron depending on what formation we were flying. We flew in groups of three in a single V or five in a double V formation, with each group of three or five being at different levels. We had a Lead Squadron, High Squadron and a Low Squadron and, in an all out effort when four Squadrons flew, a Low Low Squadron was used.
When I saw the flight formation schedule, I noticed that I was going to be flying in the high squadron on a plane to the left of the plane leading the V formation. My own crew was also going to be in the high squadron on the next plane to my left.
We were brought out to the plane in a truck and unloaded our gear. I was going through all my little chores; checking the oxygen, bombs, ammunition, machine guns, maps, etc. and was just about finished when a couple of minutes before the doors were to close for take off, a message came over the intercom addressing me.
I was notified that I would be flying in still another B-17. This was unusual since I was all set to go but fate stepped in and 2nd Lt. James Luna who would be flying his first mission as navigator replaced me. I wished him luck.
I gathered my gear and was taken by jeep to the other plane. I never got to see this pilot before the mission since it was still dark and I went directly into the escape hatch in the nose. The pilot of this plane, whose name was Harry Shuptrine, which I found out later, was not flying with his crew that day but instead with five enlisted men who had lost all the officers of their crew in a previous mission. His Co-pilot was Lt. Hamilton Mero and I was assigned as navigator/ bombardier on this crew.
After I got organized and checked out everything once more, I wanted to see where this plane would be positioned in the formation. I was to be flying in the same V as Beatty, on his right side. My crew, however, was not aware of this last minute change and still thought I was with Beatty.
One by one the planes took off and, after seeing the flare at the designated rendezvous, headed in that direction and soon positioned themselves in the formation. When all of the squadrons were assembled, we then headed toward the channel and it seemed like no time before we crossed it and were over France.
Since we were flying a low altitude mission we did not have to spend time getting to 25,000 or 30,000 feet. In about one and a half hours we approached Germany and cautiously wove our way in, trying to avoid flying too close to cities that were protected by anti-aircraft guns. The mission was well planned and we skirted the flak areas beautifully as we approached the start of the bomb run. We were able to see many smoke markers ahead of us that appeared to be suspended in the sky.
We turned at the "IP" and headed for our target. All seemed to be going perfectly well when, suddenly, from the right rear and above came a lone Me262 German Jet. It was a beautiful color of grayish blue and, in the blink of an eye; it swooped down on us in a blur just off our wing and fired its guns. Beatty's B-17, the plane next to mine was hit... the very plane I was taken off of at the last second.
The Me262 peeled off to the left and was instantly pounced on by three P-51's high above our formation and was shot down with a furious display of firepower.
The B-17 Pilot, Hubert Beatty, and Co-pilot, James Honaker, were wounded and the left wing partially shot off which caught on fire. The plane dropped out of formation quickly and started to go down in flames. Beatty and Honaker tried to keep the plane level so that the others would have a chance to bail out and several did.
The togglier, Yurie Zook, frantically left his position in the nose and headed for the escape hatch. In doing so, he had to pass the navigator, Luna, who froze in his seat, apparently terrified, and never jumped. Yurie did and joined the others who bailed out. Several chutes were noticed as the flaming plane continued to head towards earth and exploded.
Chills went through my body when I thought of how close I came to being on that very plane. To this day I wonder why I was taken off Beatty's ship prior to the mission. What did fate have in store for me?
The ones who bailed out became prisoners of war. Ironically, while being loaded onto a boxcar to take the prisoners to a POW camp in Nuremburg they were attacked by an American fighter plane, a P-51. The plane strafed them and Zook took two slugs in the stomach. He died in the arms of Jack Conway.
This happened to Logen on McCormick's crew also and there would be others. The fighter pilots cannot be blamed since flying at over three hundred miles per hour and at great height the pilot can easily mistake the POW's for the enemy.
One of those who bailed out was the tail gunner, Jack Conway, who supplied me with the information about his experience when the ME 262 shot down Beatty’s plane.
We continued on the bomb run, still thinking about the attack by the Me262 but were fortunate to not see any flak over the target. As soon the bombs were released, the Bomb Group slowly turned away from the target area, took another course and headed back towards France and England. Meanwhile, the sights that greeted my eyes while still in Germany were incredible. As far as I could see, fires were raging and one town was entirely in flames.
While looking out of the window, I noticed a P-51 strafe a train. He made several passes at it until the engine finally blew up with a tremendous explosion and cloud of smoke.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and finally we arrived back at the base without any further mishaps. When my crew saw me, they couldn't believe their eyes. They thought I was on the plane that was shot down by the Jet. It was then they learned I was transferred to another plane at the last minute.
This was another example of why I thought someone was watching over me but was it possible that my luck would continue to hold out?
HELL FROM HEAVEN by Leonard Streitfeld, Hammonton, New Jersey. Library of Congress Catalogue card number: 94-092215. HELL FROM HEAVEN is available in the 398th PX.
Personal History Information
- Veteran: Leonard Streitfeld
- Bombardier, 600th Squadron
- Date of Personal History: December 2003 Web Page submission. Excerpted from HELL FROM HEAVEN by Leonard Streitfeld.
- Author: Leonard Streitfeld
- Submitted to 398th Web Pages by: Leonard Streitfeld