HELL FROM HEAVEN

Chapter 32

Mission 28 - A Tragic Day - April 13, 1945

By Leonard Streitfeld, Bombardier, 600th Squadron

It was Friday, April 13, 1945, a day I will never forget. Our crew had not flown for three days and the last mission I was on was with the crew that was shot down the following day. I couldn't get that off my mind.

However, my twenty-ninth mission was at hand. The lights being turned on again awakened us and the familiar, "You'se eat now and brief in 3/4 hour." It was 4:00 A.M.

When the lights went on, my radio also went on. It took about thirty seconds for the tubes to warm up and the first thing we heard was the announcer saying, "Word has just been received from the United States that President Roosevelt is dead." This was a shocking and demoralizing bit of news and no one was in the mood to fly after hearing it but we had no choice. The only thing that everyone was talking about was the news of his death.

We went through the usual breakfast and briefing. The target for the day was the marshalling yards in Neumunster and we were informed of a new type of highly explosive bomb called an RDX that all aircraft would be carrying. We were curious about this new bomb and I was hoping to see the bomb strike and get some pictures of the bombs when they exploded. Some of the bombs had markings on it like "To Adolph from FDR." These "greetings" were in his memory.

There was no charted flak on our maps and so we didn't expect a rough mission. This was fine with us.

The flight to the target went off smoothly. Soon we approached the target area, turned on the IP and went on the bomb run. Scanning the sky no flak was seen which always made me feel good and something less to worry about. We were flying in the low squadron and when we reached the target, the lead plane dropped its bombs and all others followed. The bombs in each plane were released at intervals making a train of bombs that streaked towards the marshalling yards making a direct hit.

Taking place in a plane in the lead squadron flown by Pilot Sam Palant and unbeknown to us, a drama was taking place. Palant asked for a bomb bay check to see if all the bombs were released. The Radio Operator, Sgt.Paul Brown took a look and immediately called back on the intercom that none of the bombs had left the plane.

The Bombardier, Lt. Nick Maraneas, who was flying his first mission with this crew, and Palant had a hasty discussion and it was decided to pick a "T.O." (target of opportunity) nearby and release the bombs.

The target picked was in the town of Bad Segegerg about 20 miles away from Neumunster. It would take five minutes to reach it. However, during this time the Pilot tried to reach the Bombardier to tell him to hold up on the drop. The message was never received and in a few minutes the bombs were salvoed.

Within seconds after the salvo, about 100 or 200 feet below the squadron there was a tremendous orange flash. This was followed almost simultaneously by the loudest explosion we had ever heard that sent shrapnel in every direction. I just couldn't believe it was flak since none of us had ever experienced anything like it before. The planes closest to the explosion sustained the most damage. Two of them with the engine and wings ablaze dropped out of the formation and started to go down. Many chutes were seen as the crews bailed out.

Four other planes were able to make it back closer to the front lines two landing in Germany. Two planes made it to France but one of them, whose pilot was Lt. Charles Merritt, had fires in the bomb bay, right wing and # 4 engine. He dove the plane down from 20,000 ft. to 8000 feet before he ordered everyone to bail out. Moments later the plane exploded. 

In our plane a large piece of shrapnel came thru the Plexiglas window where I was sitting and landed past the cabin and near the catwalk. Another piece came in through the navigator's dome just over my head. Both pieces missed me by inches and how I didn't get hit is beyond me.

One more piece came in thru the pilot's window, narrowly missing Al and Hank, leaving a large hole for them to look through the rest of the mission. Not only were they both very lucky but so was the entire crew. Thank God they were not hit because flying without pilots could be hazardous to your health.

There are many accounts by those who had to bail out of their plane and into enemy territory. A book could be written about their experiences but some should be told at this time.

Ed Steele, Waist Gunner on Martinek’s crew, who parachuted out of his plane and landed in a field near some woods where he tried to hide, told a terrifying story. However he was found by a group of civilians. An old man with a shotgun came to him as he was lying on the ground and held it by his side to shoot him.  He warded off the old man by grabbing the barrel of the rifle and directed it away. Shortly some German soldiers came and relieved the shotgun from the old man who proceeded to kick Steel still lying on the ground.

The soldiers searched him for weapons and was then asked if he had one.  Each time he told them he didn't, the officer in charge hit him in the face. When they were sure he had no weapon they walked to the officers staff car where he took out a shovel and gave it to Steele who was told to start digging his grave.

When it was deep enough the German officer in charge lined up a firing squad with machine guns and was about to order them to shoot. Steele, in a last minute attempt to save his life, took out a picture for the officer to see. He looked at it and in good English asked who the people in the picture were. Steele told him it was a picture of his wife and two year old daughter.

He looked at it and then went back to the firing squad to speak to a sergeant in German. The officer came back to Steel and asked again to see the picture and asked if it really was his wife and daughter. He was told that it was. The officer then told him that he too had a wife and daughter.

Once more the officer went back to the firing squad and was ready to order them to fire when again he came over to Steele and asked him if Americans took prisoners. Steele said, "Certainly they do."  He was asking Steele about his family one last time when suddenly the officer ordered his men to put their guns down. Steele was finally taken to a jail in the town and the next day was reunited with most of his crew.

Another story should also be told about what happened to Paul Brown. After he bailed out of the plane and parachuted down, he was taken prisoner. He was taken to the city of Hamburg by train where a second train would to take him to a German Air Force Interrogation Center on the other side of Hamburg.

When they arrived, Brown was astounded by what he saw. Wherever he looked there was destruction with not a single building standing and few walls. Everything seemed to be just an endless pile of brick and rubble due to the pounding it was given by the 8th Air Force.

While on a platform waiting for the train to take them to the Interrogation Center the air raid sirens sounded. The 8th Air Force was coming for another bombing mission. The guards took Brown along with the other American Airmen and hustled them to a railway tunnel that was used as an air raid shelter.

In the tunnel, which had little light, were several hundred civilians who were able to recognize these American airmen by their flying suits. They then turned into animals by screaming, shaking their fists, cursing at them and spitting in their faces. There was no doubt that if the 8th Air Force had dropped a single bomb, they would have died in the railway tunnel. Fortunately, the 8th Air Force was just flying overhead en route to another target and no bombs were dropped.

When the all clear signal sounded and they boarded a train to leave the city for the Interrogation Center, as the train was slowing pulling away Brown and the other airman saw 3 American airmen hanging on lamp posts along side of the tracks, a sight they never forgot.

When our planes returned to the base, we found out that when the bombs were released by Palant's plane, within seconds, two bombs touched each other on the way down and exploded. Of the ten aircraft in the 601 Squadron, only 4 made it back to England and our base in Nuthampstead.

Each mission seemed to have it's own set of frightening circumstances that would come on unexpectedly and put us in jeopardy. This mission certainly did that and we were extremely lucky to have come out of it safely. All of us kept wishing more than ever that the war would end soon.

The map on the wall of the officer's club showed that the front lines were getting closer and we were looking forward to the day they would touch. It wouldn't be far off. However, we still had some deadly missions to fly and everyone hoped they would live to see it.

 

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
  1. Veteran: Leonard Streitfeld
  2. Bombardier, 600th Squadron
  3. Date of Personal History: January 2004 Web Page submission. Excerpted from HELL FROM HEAVEN by Leonard Streitfeld.
  4. Author: Leonard Streitfeld
  5. Submitted to 398th Web Pages by: Leonard Streitfeld