458th Bombardment Group (H)

Briney Marlin

B-24H-25-FO 42-95183

Returned to Zone of Interior – June 1945

An early replacement ship, Briney Marlin came to the 458th in late April 1944. During its time at Horsham St. Faith, it saw service with the 753rd, 754th and 755th Squadrons. It was involved in a mid-air collision in May 1944 and one Truckin’ Mission in September. By war’s end, 43 crews had flown had flown this aircraft on 102 combat missions.

Missions

Date	Target	Pilot	458th Msn	Pilot Msn	RCL	Sqdn	A/C Msn	Comments
08-May-44	BRUNSWICK	DeNEFFE	37	20	O	J4	1
12-May-44	BOHLEN	UMPHREY	40	22	O	J4	2
13-May-44	TUTOW A/F	MANKER	41	18	O	J4	3
19-May-44	BRUNSWICK	DeNEFFE	42	21	O	J4	4
20-May-44	RHEIMS A/D	DeNEFFE	43	22	U	J3	5
25-May-44	MULHOUSE M/Y	McNAMARA	47	15	U	J3	6
27-May-44	NEUNKIRCHEN	MARTIN, L	48	ACC	O	J4	--	COLLIDED WITH 159 LOBO - RETURN HORSHAM WING DMG
11-Jun-44	BEAUVAIS	BURTIS	63	ABT	U	J3	--	ABORT - #4 TURBO-FIRE IN ELEC SYST
15-Jun-44	GUYANCOURT	QUIRK	66	2	U	J3	7
18-Jun-44	FASSBERG A/D	MARTIN, L	69	2	U	J3	8	MSN #1
19-Jun-44	REGNAUVILLE	RUARK	72	5	U	J3	9	MSN #2
20-Jun-44	OSTERMOOR	WAGNER	73	4	J		10	RCL COULD BE "U"
23-Jun-44	3 NO BALLS	RIGLEY	76	2	U	J3	11	TGT # 6 COUBRONNE
24-Jun-44	CONCHES A/F	MARTIN, L	77	3	U	J3	12	MSN #1
24-Jun-44	ST OMER	GIBSON, S	79	14	U	J3	13	MSN #3
25-Jun-44	ST. OMER	MARTIN, L	80	4	U	J3	14
28-Jun-44	SAARBRUCKEN	HAUSER	81	9	U	J3	15
29-Jun-44	ASCHERSLEBEN	MANKER	82	22	U	J3	16
02-Jul-44	COUBRONNE	MARTIN, L	83	6	U	J3	17
06-Jul-44	KIEL	MARTIN, L	85	ABT	U	J3	--	ABORT - #2, 3 SUPER CHG GAVE NO BOOST AT ALT
12-Jul-44	MUNICH	MARTIN, L	89	7	U	J3	18	LONG DELAY
13-Jul-44	SAARBRUCKEN	MARTIN, L	90	8	U	J3	19	ABORT - SORTIE CREDIT #1 ENG INTERNAL FAILURE
17-Jul-44	3 NO BALLS	MARTIN, L	92	10	U	J3	20
18-Jul-44	TROARN	MARTIN, L	93	11	U	J3	21
19-Jul-44	KEMPTEN	MARTIN, L	94	12	U	J3	22
20-Jul-44	EISENACH	MARTIN, L	95	13	U	J3	23
21-Jul-44	MUNICH	WAGNER	96	11	U	J3	24
31-Jul-44	LUDWIGSHAFEN	MARTIN, L	99	15	U	J3	25
01-Aug-44	T.O.s FRANCE	MARTIN, L	100	16	U	J3	26
02-Aug-44	3 NO BALLS	MARTIN, L	101	17	U	J3	27
03-Aug-44	2 NO BALLS	MARTIN, L	102	18	U	J3	28
04-Aug-44	ROSTOCK	MARTIN, L	103	19	M		29	RCL M??
05-Aug-44	BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM	GLASS	105	5	U	J3	30
06-Aug-44	HAMBURG	McARDLE	106	21	U	J3	31
15-Aug-44	VECHTA	FREDERICK	114	3	U	J3	32
16-Aug-44	MAGDEBURG	FREDERICK	115	4	U	J3	33
18-Aug-44	WOIPPY	RUARK	116	24	U	J3	34
24-Aug-44	HANNOVER	FLOYD	117	8	U	J3	35
26-Aug-44	DULMEN	FLOYD	120	9	U	J3	36
27-Aug-44	FINOW	BOYLE	121	20	U	J3	37	MISSION CREDIT IN NOV
01-Sep-44	PFAFFENHOFFEN	HOOD	ABN	--	U	J3	--	ABANDONED
05-Sep-44	KARLSRUHE	FLOYD	122	10	U	J3	38
08-Sep-44	KARLSRUHE	FLOYD	123	11	U	J3	39
09-Sep-44	MAINZ	McGOUGH	124	6	U	J3	40
10-Sep-44	ULM M/Y	BOYLE	125	21	U	J3	41
11-Sep-44	MAGDEBURG	HAUSER	126	31	U	J3	42
12-Sep-44	WELFORD to CLASTRES	GLAGOLA	TR01	--	U	J3	T1	TRUCKIN' MISSION
05-Oct-44	PADERBORN	FLOYD	128	13	U	J3	43
06-Oct-44	WENZENDORF	PERRY	129	1	U	J3	44
07-Oct-44	MAGDEBURG	FLOYD	130	14	U	J3	45
09-Oct-44	KOBLENZ	EIDELSBERG	131	1	U	J3	46
14-Oct-44	COLOGNE	PERRY	133	3	U	J3	47
17-Oct-44	COLOGNE	BOYLE	135	25	U	J3	48
19-Oct-44	MAINZ	MITCHELL	136	8	U	J3	49
26-Oct-44	MINDEN	DWYRE	138	17	U	Z5	50
02-Nov-44	BIELEFELD	GABRIEL	140	14	U	Z5	51
04-Nov-44	MISBURG	GABRIEL	141	15	U	Z5	52
05-Nov-44	KARLSRUHE	FRENCH	142	26	U	Z5	53
06-Nov-44	MINDEN	KLEIN	143	13	U	Z5	54
08-Nov-44	RHEINE	MASSARO	144	6	U	Z5	55
09-Nov-44	METZ AREA	FRENCH	145	29	U	Z5	56	SEE OPS REC - POSSIBLE ANA
10-Nov-44	HANAU A/F	WILLIAMS, E	146	17	U	Z5	57
25-Nov-44	BINGEN	SWARTZ	149	11	U	Z5	58
26-Nov-44	BIELEFELD	SKIDMORE	150	12	U	Z5	59	2BD
10-Dec-44	BINGEN	GABRIEL	154	21	U	Z5	60
11-Dec-44	HANAU	DAHM	155	11	U	Z5	61
12-Dec-44	HANAU	MINOR	156	2	U	Z5	62
24-Dec-44	SCHONECKEN	GABRIEL	157	24	U	Z5	63
25-Dec-44	PRONSFELD	KLEIN	158	21	?		64	PARTLY ILLEGIBLE
27-Dec-44	NEUNKIRCHEN	BESTEN	159	20	U	Z5	65
28-Dec-44	ST. WENDEL	SKIDMORE	160	17	U	Z5	66
30-Dec-44	NEUWIED	KLEIN	161	23	U	Z5	67
31-Dec-44	KOBLENZ	KLEIN	162	24	U	Z5	68
02-Jan-45	REMAGEN	DWYRE	164	28	U	Z5	69
03-Jan-45	NEUNKIRCHEN	HODGES	165	21	U	Z5	70
14-Jan-45	HALLENDORF	GABRIEL	170	ABT	U	Z5	71	ABORT - NO DETAILS - SEE OPS RPT
16-Jan-45	MAGDEBURG	EVERETT	171	7	U	Z5	72
21-Jan-45	HEILBRONN	GABRIEL	173	29	U	Z5	73
28-Jan-45	DORTMUND	GABRIEL	174	30	U	Z5	74
29-Jan-45	MUNSTER	GABRIEL	175	31	U	Z5	75
31-Jan-45	BRUNSWICK	KROGH	176	3	U	Z5	76	RECALL - SORTIE CREDIT
03-Feb-45	MAGDEBURG	EVERETT	177	8	U	Z5	77
06-Feb-45	MAGDEBURG	EVERETT	178	9	U	Z5	78
08-Feb-45	RHEINE M/Y, OSNABRUCK	GABRIEL	REC	--	U	Z5	--	RECALL - NEAR ENG COAST, WEATHER
09-Feb-45	MAGDEBURG	GABRIEL	179	33	U	Z5	79
20-Feb-45	NUREMBURG TANK FACT	EVERETT	REC	--	U	Z5	--	RECALL - 5042N 0341E WEATHER
21-Feb-45	NUREMBERG	ROSEN	185	3	U	Z5	80
22-Feb-45	PEINE-HILDESHEIM	EVERETT	186	11	U	Z5	81
02-Mar-45	MAGDEBURG	EVERETT	194	16	U	Z5	82
03-Mar-45	NIENBURG	BOUCEK	195	30	U	Z5	83	REPLACED 273
04-Mar-45	STUTTGART	EVERETT	196	NTO	U	Z5	--	NO TAKE OFF - NO REASON GIVEN
08-Mar-45	DILLENBURG	HODGES	199	35	U	Z5	84
09-Mar-45	OSNABRUCK	HOLTZ	200	1	U	Z5	85
10-Mar-45	ARNSBURG	EVERETT	201	18	U	Z5	86
12-Mar-45	FRIEDBURG	EVERETT	202	19	U	Z5	87
15-Mar-45	ZOSSEN	EVERETT	204	20	U	Z5	88
17-Mar-45	HANNOVER	EVERETT	205	21	U	Z5	89
18-Mar-45	BERLIN	WELCH	206	2	U	Z5	90
19-Mar-45	LEIPHEIM	EVERETT	207	22	U	Z5	91
21-Mar-45	HESEPE	EVERETT	209	23	U	Z5	92
24-Mar-45	KIRKOFF	EVERETT	213	25	U	Z5	93
25-Mar-45	HITZACKER	SANDERS	214	WTHR	U	Z5	--	WEATHER SHIP - 754
30-Mar-45	WILHELMSHAVEN	SNYDER	215	5	U	Z5	94
31-Mar-45	BRUNSWICK	DANIEL	216	7	U	Z5	95
02-Apr-45	TIRSTROP	EVERETT	ABN	--	U	Z5	--	ABANDONED
04-Apr-45	PERLEBERG	EVERETT	217	26	U	Z5	96
05-Apr-45	PLAUEN	EVERETT	218	27	U	Z5	97
06-Apr-45	HALLE	SNYDER	219	6	U	Z5	98
11-Apr-45	REGENSBURG	SANDERS	224	13	U	Z5	99
14-Apr-45	POINTE DE GRAVE	WELCH	225	12	U	Z5	100
15-Apr-45	ROYAN AREA	MINOR	226	31	U	Z5	101
16-Apr-45	LANDSHUT	WALLIS	227	20	U	Z5	102

Crew 74 (pilot Curt Vogel) was assigned B-24H 42-95159 and named it Rough Riders II. They were able to complete four missions in this aircraft, but before they could apply the name and nose art, the ship was lost when another crew took it for a mission to Neunkirchen. On this day, May 27, 1944, the group was assembling over Cromer and had just completed a left turn and were making a right turn when the pilot of #159, 2Lt Howard Lobo, either did not or could not complete the turn rapidly enough and collided with another B-24 42-95183 of the 755th squadron, Briney Marlin piloted by 2Lt Lester C. Martin of Crew 71R. The impact tore the entire tail assembly from #159 and that aircraft was last seen spinning down into the under cast about five miles offshore into the North Sea. All ten men aboard were listed as MIA and later declared dead. Two bodies were recovered after washing ashore – those of the navigator and bombardier. This was their first mission.

Aboard Briney Marlin (#183) that day, as a fill in top turret gunner/flight engineer, was S/Sgt Chester R. Carlstrum, the tail gunner on Crew 74 (he was also qualified as a flight engineer). When the collision occurred, Martin rang the bail out bell. Carlstrum dropped down and opened the bomb bay and salvoed the bomb load. He then bailed out through the bomb bay. The tail gunner S/Sgt Wilbert Abshire, also a fill in crewman that day from Crew 75, bailed out from the tail section. In the few seconds between collision and the two men bailing out, the ship had lost several thousand feet of altitude. Martin was able to regain control and he rescinded his bail out order. The impact had bent about 6-8 feet of the right wing of Briney Marlin down at a 90° angle (photo). They radioed the control tower at Horsham and asked for instructions.

Colonel Isbell took off in Ginny, the group’s P-47, in order to look over the B-24 from the air. He ordered Martin to point the aircraft out to sea and bail the crew out. Martin decided he had enough control and decided instead, to attempt a landing at base. Keeping the airspeed high, they were able to land without further incident. As they were over the North Sea when the accident happened, Carlstrum and Abshire were never found, and presumably drowned in the English Channel.

Both men are listed at Cambridge on the Tablets of the Missing. The rest of Crew 74 did not fly that day. Carlstrum was on his 25th mission, and Abshire had about 27 missions in. Les Martin gives a lot of credit to Carlstrum for saving the plane that day. His quick action in releasing the bomb load is believed to have been one of the factors that helped Martin regain control of the aircraft.

See more under the Stories page – Collision Over Cromer

Additional Images

Scroll left and right for images

Disposition

B-24H-25 FO 42-95183 BRINEY MARLIN
NMF
RCL: O J4 (753)
RCL: U J3 (755)
RCL: U Z5 (754)

Flown into Valley, Anglesey, Wales, by a replacement crew under Movement Order dated 15 Apr 44 – crew and aircraft separated on arrival, the crew going to 445th BG.

Lead aircraft.

Transferred from 753rd BS to 755th BS between 19 & 24 May 44 and from 755th BS to 754th BS between 19 & 30 Oct 44.

Collided in mid-air with 42-95159 on 27 May 44 five miles off Cromer during assembly but was able to return to base. (Neunkirchen)

It had completed 100 missions on VE-Day.

RZI?

(Info Courtesy: Tom Brittan)