Crew 6 – Assigned 752nd Squadron – October 7, 1943

Standing: George Scott – CP, Ronald Gulick – P, Wayne Dabb – N, Felix Acencio – B

Kneeling: Henry Boyd – WG, Byron Chapman – RO, Claude Dozier – TT, Sergio Gottardo – TG

Sitting: Archie Bennett – E, Mabry Mooney – NTG

(Photo: Andy Gulick)

Completed Tour

GulickCrew
 Rank  Name  Serial #  Pos Date  Status  Comments
1Lt Ronald A Gulick 0664003 Pilot Aug-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross
1Lt Wayne E French 0759752 Co-Pilot 09-Jan-45 CT Aptd Air/Sea Rescue Officer
2Lt Wayne C Dabb 0811324 Navigator 16-Apr-44 TRSF TD to 93BG (SO105 2BD 4/15)
2Lt Felix B Acencio 0688157 Bombardier Apr-44 TRSF Trsf to 15AF w/Crew 03
T/Sgt Byron D Chapman 18194112  Radio Operator Aug-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross
S/Sgt Albert L Bennett 39199454 Flight Engineer Aug-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross
S/Sgt Mabry Mooney 34508407 Armorer-Gunner Aug-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross 
S/Sgt Claude R Dozier 13121748 Aerial Gunner/2E  06-Jun-44 UNK Mission Load List
S/Sgt Henry L Boyd 34508627 Armorer-Gunner Aug-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross
S/Sgt Sergio M Gottardo  39412169 Armorer-Gunner 06-Jun-44 UNK Mission Load List

Lt Ronald Gulick and crew were part of the original cadre to train in Tonopah, Nevada in the latter half of 1943.  They flew the Southern Route to the ETO in January 1944.  

 

On December 29, 1944, just prior to the group’s movement overseas, Lt George F. Scott, co-pilot, was removed from the crew and transferred to the 470th Bombardment Group in Mountain Home, Idaho.  His place was taken by Lt Wayne E. French who completed his combat tour with Gulick. Bombardier, Lt Felix Acenio, appears only on the earliest Combat Crew Roster for the 752nd Squadron dated December 1943.  At some point he was moved to Crew 3, pilot 1Lt John S. Martin.  In April, when Martin’s crew was transferred to the 451BG in Italy, Acenio went with them.  He completed his tour in the 15AF.  Available Mission Load Lists show Lt Robert E. Clark from Crew 14 flying as Gulick’s bombardier.

 

Lt Wayne C. Dabb, the crew’s navigator, was transferred to the 93rd Bomb Group on April 16, 1944.  On June 20, 1944 he was severely wounded when his battle-damaged B-24 crashed in England.  It is not known if a replacement navigator was assigned, as records indicate several different names flying with the crew.  Sgt’s Claude Dozier and Sergio Gottardo’s names are also absent from group and squadron records, but appear on several load lists.  It is assumed that they completed their combat tour with this crew.

 

Crew 6 flew B-24H-15-CF 41-29340 7V N  Yankee Buzz Bomb on 20 of their 31 recorded missions.  This aircraft would go on to complete more than 80 credited sorties with the group, the last on April 15, 1945.  At some point the aircraft was stripped of her olive drab paint and flew with a natural metal finish.

Missions

GulickMissions
Date  Target 458th Msn Pilot Msn  Serial RCL Sqdn A/C Msn  A/C Name  Comments
05-Mar-44 BORDEAUX/MERIGNAC 3 1 41-29352 K 7V 2 WOLVE'S LAIR  
15-Mar-44 BRUNSWICK 7 2 42-52457 Q 7V 2 FINAL APPROACH  
21-Mar-44 WATTEN 10 ABT 42-52382 J 7V -- WURF'LESS SUPERCHARGER
26-Mar-44 BONNIERES 14 3 41-29352 K 7V 6 WOLVE'S LAIR  
27-Mar-44 BIARRITZ 15 4 42-52457   7V 7 FINAL APPROACH  
08-Apr-44 BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM  17 5 41-28718 M 7V 15 BO  
09-Apr-44 TUTOW A/F 18 NTO 41-29340 N 7V -- YANKEE BUZZ BOMB UTG OXY LEAK
10-Apr-44 BOURGES A/F 19 6 41-29340 N 7V 2 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
11-Apr-44 OSCHERSLEBEN 20 7 41-29340 N 7V 3 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
12-Apr-44 OSCHERSLEBEN REC NTO 41-29340 N 7V -- YANKEE BUZZ BOMB RECALL
13-Apr-44 LECHFELD A/F 21 8 41-29340 N 7V 4 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
20-Apr-44 SIRACOURT 24 9 41-29340 N 7V 7 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
22-Apr-44 HAMM M/Y 25 10 41-29340 N 7V 8 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
24-Apr-44 LEIPHEIM A/F 26 NTO 41-29340 N 7V -- YANKEE BUZZ BOMB BOMB DOOR HANG OPEN
25-Apr-44 MANNHEIM A/F 27 ABT 41-29340 N 7V -- YANKEE BUZZ BOMB CP ILL, LAND AROS COVE 
26-Apr-44 PADERBORN A/F 28 11 41-29340 N 7V 9 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
27-Apr-44 BLAINVILLE-SUR-L'EAU 30 12 42-52455 O 7V 20 PLUTOCRAT  
29-Apr-44 BERLIN 31 13 41-29340 N 7V 11 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
05-May-44 SOTTEVAST 35 14 41-29340 N 7V 14 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
07-May-44 OSNABRUCK 36 15 41-28709 I 7V 13 LUCKY STRIKE  
08-May-44 BRUNSWICK 37 16 41-29340 N 7V 15 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
09-May-44 ST. TROND 38 17 41-29340 N 7V 16 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
10-May-44 DIEPHOLZ REC -- 41-29340 N 7V -- YANKEE BUZZ BOMB RECALL BEFORE EC
11-May-44 EPINAL 39 18 41-29340 N 7V 17 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
13-May-44 TUTOW A/F 41 19 41-29340 N 7V 18 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
19-May-44 BRUNSWICK 42 20 41-29340 N 7V 19 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
20-May-44 RHEIMS A/D 43 21 42-95219 W 7V 2 PATCHIE  
30-May-44 ZWISCHENAHN A/F 51 22 41-29340 N 7V 22 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
31-May-44  BERTRIX 52 23 41-29340 N 7V 23 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
02-Jun-44 STELLA/PLAGE 53 24 41-29340 N 7V 24 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
06-Jun-44 COASTAL AREAS 56 25 41-29340 N 7V 25 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB MSN #1
06-Jun-44 PONTAUBAULT 58 26 41-29340 N 7V 26 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB MSN #3
10-Jun-44 CHATEAUDUN 61 27 42-95219 W 7V 16 PATCHIE  
12-Jun-44 EVREUX/FAUVILLE 64 28 41-29340 N 7V 27 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
18-Jun-44 FASSBERG A/D 69 29 42-95117 M 7V 19 YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU  MSN #1
19-Jun-44 REGNAUVILLE 72 30 41-29340 N 7V 29 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB MSN #2
02-Jul-44 COUBRONNE 83 31 41-28721 V 7V 36 DOWNWIND LEG NOT ON GULICK'S LIST
07-Jul-44 LUTZKENDORF 86 MSHL -- -- -- --   MARSHALING CHIEF

2Lt Ronald Gulick Mission List

Pilot Ronald Gulick kept track of his missions on a portion of a map of the ETO.  Group and Squadron records match up almost perfectly with his tally.  One mission that does not appear on his list, but does show in the records, was that of July 2, 1944.  The official records can sometimes be misleading, so it is most likely that the Gulick’s list at left is more correct. Click on the map for a larger image.

(Courtesy: Andy Gulick)

June 19, 1944

COMMANDING GENERAL
2ND BOMB DIVISION
ATTN: PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

AN EIGHTH AIR FORCE LIBERATOR STATION, ENGLAND – Flying on only two engines and with 9,000 feet of broken clouds between it and the rest of the Squadron, a Liberator piloted by 1st Lieut. Ronald A. Gulick of 7925 Glenwood Street, Dallas, Texas, this afternoon managed to drop its bombs in perfect timing with the rest of the formation on a military installation in the Pas de Calais.

During the approach to the target, Gulick’s bomber was hit by flak and two engines knocked out of commission with the result he was forced to descend 9,000 feet in order to maintain speed. Through broken cloud the crew of the lone Liberator watched the progress of their formation flying at an altitude of 20,000 feet, synchronizing their own progress on the bombing run. Flak and rockets were being fired at them from the ground all the while. 

 

Finally through the mist and cloud they sighted the flares released simultaneously with the formation’s bombs.

Timing their own release accordingly, they observed their plane’s bombs falling with those dropped by the formation above to hit the target. They returned alone to their base here, dropping down to 6,000 feet before crossing the Channel.

(While it is not clear, evidence points to this occurring on the crew’s 30th mission to Regnauville, France)

Lt Felix B. Acenio

Bombardier, Felix Ascenio (right) in an undated photo.

(Courtesy: Ronald Morgan)

B-24H-15-CF 41-29340 7V N Yankee Buzz Bomb

April 15, 1945 Royan Area: Yankee Buzz Bomb’s last mission.  Note napalm canisters from B-24 in background.

(Photo: George Reynolds)