Hansen, AM crew
CREW #53; 18th Squadron
Mission #1 May 23, 1944 41-28840 B/R 18BS Hansen Smoky Slight damage.
Mission #2 May 24, 1944 41-28878 B/J 18BS Hansen The Heavenly Body
Mission #5 May 28, 1944 41-28840 B/R 18BS Hansen Smoky
Mission #6 May 29, 1944 42-94904 B/P 18BS Hansen Belle of the Brawl
Mission #7 May 30, 1944 41-28840 B/R 18BS Hansen Smoky MIA
CREW #53; 18th Squadron
HANSEN ARTHUR M (P) (1024) 2 LT 18 O-699979
BOYLE GEORGE F (CP) (1024) 2 LT 18 O-816779
ZEMELMAN NATHANIEL O (N) (1034) 2 LT 18 O-699301
KOCK STEPHEN (B) (1035) 2 LT 18 O-694914
ELMO SALVATORE S (AEG) (748) S/SGT 18 31279796
SIMS PAUL E (ROG) (757) S/SGT 18 15277744
ANTANOVICH ALEX JR (AG) (612) SGT 18 33423824
THOMAS JAMES E (BG) (611) SGT 18 19104980
SXARAS ADOLPH JR (BG) (611) SGT 18 12168814
Mission #1 May 23, 1944 41-28840 B/R 18BS Hansen Smoky
Took off at 0547 hours from Hardstand #15.
Flew position 4-2 in Low Squadron.
Carried 12 500 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 0859 hours from 13,800 feet.
"Too much smoke to get good observation. Pattern good."
Slight damage.
Landed 1142 hours.
Hansen (P)
Boyle (CP)
Koch (B)
Sims (R)
Elmo (E)
Layman (NG)
Szards (TG)
Antonovitch (BG)
Thomas (TT) (an add on)
Werner (G) (from crew #47 Dees)
Zemmelman (N) (an add on)
Mission #2 May 24, 1944 41-28840 B/R (Scheduled for Hansen, but replaced.) Smoky
Mission #2 May 24, 1944 41-28878 B/J 18BS Hansen The
Heavenly Body
Took off at 0508 hours.
Flew position 2-1 in High Squadron. In position 2-3 over the target.
Carried 12 500 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the secondary target at 0929 hours from 21,500 feet.
No damage reported.
Landed 1046 hours.
Hansen, A. M. (P)
Boyle, G. F. (CP)
Zemmelman, N. O. (N)
Koch, S. (B)
Sims, P. N. (R)
Elmo, S. S. (E)
Layman, W. E. (NG)
Szaras, A. (TG)
Antanovitch, A. (BG)
Thomas, J. M. (G)
May 24, 1944 Hansen
Crew Status Report 1000 hours.
Crew #53, 18th Squadron
Hansen (P) 2 Lt OK
Boyle (CP) 2 Lt OK
Zemelman (N) 2 Lt OK
Koch (B) 2 Lt OK
Sims (R) S/Sgt OK
Elmo (E) S/Sgt DNIF on one list (Not sure what this means)
Layman (NG) Sgt OK
Szaras (TG) Sgt OK
Antonovitch (BG) Sgt OK
Thomas (G) Sgt OK
Mission #3 May 25,1944 Hansen
Listed as a Ground Spare crew without an assigned plane.
Hansen, A. M. (P)
Boyle, G. F. (CP)
Sims, P. N. (R)
Elmo, S. S. (E)
Layman, W. E. (NG)
Szaras, A. (TG)
Antanovitch, A. (BG)
Wingo, T. E. (G) (from crew #48)
May 27, 1944 Hansen
Crew Status Report 1800 hours.
Elmo (E) S/Sgt DNIF
Mission #5 May 28, 1944 41-28840 B/R 18BS Hansen Smoky
Took off at 1028 hours from Hardstand #15.
Flew position 1-3 in High Squadron.
Carried 10 500 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 1500 hours from 22,000 feet.
No damage reported.
Landed 1810 hours.
Hansen, A. M. (P)
Boyle, G. F. (CP)
Zemelman, N. O. (N)
Sims, P. N. (R)
Elmo, S. S. (E)
Antanovitch, A. (NG)
Szaras, A. (TG)
Layman, W. E. (BG)
Thomas, J. M. (G)
May 28, 1944 42-94883 B/N Hansen
Took of at 2048 hours on a local flight.
Landed 2153 hours.
Mission #6 May 29, 1944 42-94904 B/P 18BS Hansen Belle of the Brawl
Took off at 0751 hours from Hardstand #13.
Flew position 3-1 in Low Squadron.
Carried 10 500 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the Primary but no drop report.
Slight flak damage: to leading edge of wing, right side.
Landed 1634 hours.
Hansen, A. M. (P)
Boyle, G. F. (CP)
Zemelman, N. O. (N)
Koch (B)
Sims, P. N. (R)
Elmo, S. S. (E)
Layman, W. E. (NG)
Antanovitch, A. (BG)
Thomas, J. M. (G)
Sweeney, T. H. (TG) (from another crew)
Mission #7 May 30, 1944 41-28840 B/R 18BS Hansen Smoky MIA
Took off at 0653 hours from Hardstand #15.
Flew position 2-2 in Lead Squadron.
Carried 6 1000 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 1110 hours.
Missing in Action. Aircraft fell 1,000 feet below formation at the IP with #2 engine feathered. After releasing bombs on target at 1110 hours, aircraft left formation with #2 engine feathered and #1 engine smoking. Aircraft was last observed at 1135 hours, position 5236N-0635E, at an altitude of between 5,000 and 10,000 feet on a magnetic heading of 250 degrees with four P-47s in escort. Aircraft was last observed under control, no chutes appeared.
Hansen (P)
Boyle (CP)
Koch (B)
Sims (R)
Elmo (E)
Layman (NG)
Szaras (TG)
Antanovitch (BG)
Thomas (G)
B-24H 41-28840 B/R Smoky Missing in Action believed near Rotterdam. Crashed at Rheine. With 18BS. Pilot: Hansen
Missing Air Crew Report # 5238. 8 Prisoner of War, 1 Evaded. (The name had not been painted on the plane as yet.)
POW HANSEN, ARTHUR M (P) 2 LT 18 O-699979 BROOKLYN NY
POW BOYLE GEORGE F (CP) 2 LT 18 O-816779 FREEHOLD NJ
POW KOCH STEPHEN (B) 2 LT 18 O-694914 NEW YORK NY
POW ELMO SALVATORE S (TT) S/SGT 18 31279796 NEW HAVEN CT
POW SIMS PAUL N (R) S/SGT 18 15277744 VIENNA WV
EVD ANTANOVICH ALEX (BT) SGT 18 33423824 COKESBURG PA
POW THOMAS JAMES E (WG) SGT 18 19104980 TULARE CA
POW SZARAS ADOLPH JR (TG) SGT 18 12168814 BUFFALO NY
POW LAYMAN WILLIAM E (NG) SGT 18 19103290 ELCENTRO CA
NOTES: Layman was returned to Military Control April 16, 1945.
Antanovich evaded capture, contacted the underground and was eventually escorted out through Spain. He arrived months later back at Mendlesham to find all his posessions gone. He was rotated back to the states. (see Sturdivan, p.15.)