Bill Seitz was no fool. Like most of the crew around him in the briefing room, Seitz had long ago scrubbed any obscure sense of mission from his mind. Patriotism had a place there to be sure, but these hardscrabble sons of the depression held close only one single truth. The sooner they bombed the living hell out of the Germans, the sooner the war would be over.

It was that simple.

B-24D at work

As he listened to the briefing details, Seitz reviewed the facts. First, this would be a return mission to bomb the Messerschmitt factory at Wiener Neustadt. The 12th (now the 15th) had been there three times already. This time the whole 15th was going along for the mission, two groups of B-17E’s and  two groups of B-24D’s, including his 98th BG. Seitz had been part of the third raid on 24 October, but had turned back with engine trouble. That mission had inflicted damage, but not enough to halt production at the facility. Anyone that had any experience knew that when something was targeted the first time it was defended with whatever was there at the time. Hit them a second time and they threw the kitchen sink at you. The third time the whole kitchen.

Hit them a forth time and it became personal.    

The briefing detailed all of the usual information. Maps were reviewed, along with weather predictions, route in and out and escape routes if needed, bomb fusing and loading, and defenses. Bombardier Anthony J. Carvalho and Navigator John Bullard would get an additional briefing later and Seitz knew that they would get more information about the mission. Seitz would be flying the number four position. Needless to say flak was expected to be heavy and several enemy fighter groups were known to be in the area. The only good news was that the US bombers would be escorted off the target by P-38’s. So some little buddies would be around to help swat down the enemy fighters.

All the heavy’s would carry ten five hundred pound bombs. The B-24 was designed to carry more but became unstable with a heavier load. All of the 98th pilots knew about the center of gravity issue that larger loads caused and were happy to carry a lighter load, especially that far into Germany.

Early the next morning the crews were in, and the big bombers began to lumber around the base at Hergla, Tunisia that they called home. By 8:00 a.m. they were target bound with an ETA of 11:30. First flying east across the Med, they turned north at the Adriatic and up the shoulder of Yugoslavia to the target in south-central Germany. Along the route, diversions were made around known flak sites usually centered around populated areas.

As Seitz approached the target he looked ahead for thistle planes. These were the German fighters that would stay just out of gun range of the bombers and report altitude, speed, and heading of the group to the flak crews on the ground. He also looked for the telltale colored flak shells that signaled to the German fighters that the crews were changing from barrage to an aimed flak tactic. The fighter pilots would peel off at that point, not wanting to fly through the flak pattern themselves and perhaps get knocked down by what, to them, was friendly fire. Seitz knew that the aimed flak would continue until the bombers went out of range after coming off the target.

The bomb run went as planned and the bombs whistled down from 24,000 feet on the targets below. Seitz didn’t notice the flak during the run, mentally retreating to the place that pilots go when the job is one dimensional: keep the plane in formation and on course. However, right as the run began the bomber off the port wing disintegrated. Seitz was looking right at them when it happened. There was no explosion, no smoke. The B-24 simply went to pieces and fell from the sky.

Just as they were coming off the target Seitz heard waist gunner B.J. Summerhays (or it could have been someone else) report that fighters were coming at 7 o’clock. An ME-109 had penetrated the interlocking field of bomber defensive fire and began working on the B-24 from aft forward with its 20mm cannon. The first rounds chewed through the right rudder and stabilizer. A second burst found its mark, clipping port waist gunner Edward J. Vezina in the jaw, penetrating Summerhays’ back, and finally (after passing through Summerhays) exiting through the starboard side fuselage where it severed a control cable. Next, the number two engine took a round in the intercooler. A last burst blew the Plexiglas observation window directly above Seitz out. Seitz quickly ran his hand across the top of his head, looking for blood. Finding none he determined that, while it was close, he was still good to go.

Seitz knew that he had an engine problem, with number two showing only seven inches mercury. He also knew that once he lost some altitude, the vacuum should come up and the engine should then produce enough power to help them to Foggia, where the group planned to land to top off their tanks for the trip back to Hergla.

The situation in the rear of the plane was more serious. Summerhays first removed the heating cable from his flight suit and used it to splice the control cable back together. This provided Seitz with some additional command of the flight surfaces that had been damaged. Summerhays then administered first aid and oxygen to Vezina, patching him up enough to try and get him back on the ground where more advanced help waited.

During this time, and slightly before the P-38’s arrived to escort the bombers home, Seitz looked out the port side of the plane at an unusual sight. Sitting just off the left wing, not more than 100 feet away, was the 109 that made the run on them. Seitz remembers thinking that the fighters were really bright green in color, once you got close to them.

The German pilot seemed to be looking over the damage he had caused to the number two engine. Seitz could clearly see him crammed into the small cockpit of the German fighter. Why the ball turret gunner did not take his shot remains an unanswered question even today, but the German quickly peeled off when the 38’s arrived.

No flairs were dropped when the group made Foggia because the air would have been full of flairs. Almost all of the bombers had injured or dead onboard. Seitz wrestled the big bomber onto the runway, and his wounded were quickly off loaded and taken to the field aid station. The next day repairs were made and Seitz and his remaining crew flew back to Hergla.

November 2, 1943.

The 15th AAF was on the board.