S-2 Report as promised:
Quote:
OFFICE OF THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
STATION 128 - APO 557
U. S. ARMY
15 July 1944
SUBJECT: Lt. Harry E. Haskett and Crew, on Mission to Munich, 13 July 1944.
TO: Commanding Officer, 615th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group (H), APO 557, U.S. Army.
1. The following report of the crew of Lt. Harry E. Haskett which participated
on the Munich mission of 13 July 1944, I believe, merits your perusal and attention.
2. Upon return from target, in vicinity of control point No.4, or approximately Nancy, France, the 401st formation, which was
Low Box of the 94th CBW was attacked by one Me-109 and two FW-190s. Specifically, the attack was made on the Low Squadron
of which A/C 983, piloted by Lt. Haskett, was flying No.4 position and was made from 6 o'clock high, breaking off at 400 to 500 yards.
As a result of attack, A/C 983 was severely damaged: the controls were practically rendered useless; one engine had a turbo out to the
extent that it would only pull 15 inches of mercury; the left wing was about to buckle; the pilots oxygen failed, necessitating using oxygen
bottles; and the tail gunner, Sgt. Edward L. Page was so seriously wounded by shell fire that his injuries proved fatal two hours later.
3. Under such dire circumstances, Lt. Haskett prepared his crew to bail out, but then elected to fly on AFCE which he did for the next
three hours. Even the landing had to be on AFCE, and the interrogating officer was able to glean from the crew that it was excellently done.
4. Sgt. Edward L. Page, during the attack, displayed the utmost heroism by sticking to his station even though wounded by 35 fragments,
one of which pierced his heart, and succeeding too, in getting an FW-190, setting it all afire and into a vertical dive. Corroboration was made
not only by crew members but by observing aircraft. A combat form narrating the destroyed E/A has already been submitted in Sgt. Pages name.
5. Sgt. Page lived for about two hours after the incident. First aid was administered by Sgt's. Lynch and Jones immediately after the attack.
Medical authorities substantiate that everything possible was done to keep Sgt. Page alive.
6. A/C 983 landed at Beccles A/D, very low on "petrol" and earned commendations from the base and engineer personnel, from crew reports, of
course, not only for the fine landing but also for the pilots marvelous job of flying under the circumstances.
HAROLD L. KNOPMAN
1st Lt., Air Corps
Asst. S-2 Officer.
The photos were taken at RAF Beccles by a member of the 401st's photographic unit, who had been flown there by Mary Alice's previous pilot Dan Knight.
All the best,
PB