|
Summary:
|
The 401st furnished three Boxes of 12 aircraft each, comprising the 94th Combat Wing "A" formation. Because of an electrical malfunction, the bombs dropped by the High Box were not released until three minutes after passing the target, falling harmlessly in the countryside. The other two Boxes bombed their MPI's with fair results.
The Group encountered meager but accurate flak over the target, with disastrous results for two aircraft. The ship piloted by Lt. G. J. Melofchik (42-39873) received a direct hit which blew off its tail and caused it to collide with the ship piloted by Lt. R. B. Sproul (42-37859), sending both down. Two members of Lt. Melofchik's crew were thrown free and survived, but the remaining members of that crew and all of Lt. Sproul's crew were killed.
A touching memorial to Lt. Melofchik's crew has been erected in the village of Feugerolles, near Chartre.
|
