Helfrecht Crew – Assigned 754th Squadron – July 31, 1944

Completed Tour
Rank | Name | Serial # | Crew Position | Date | Status | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Lt | Charles J Helfrecht | 0699369 | Pilot | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
1Lt | Marvin W Vick | 0715881 | Co-Pilot | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
1Lt | Richard A Lukas | T125624 | Bombardier | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
1Lt | Mackenzie A Lunan | 01635050 | Navigator | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
Sgt | George W Swartz, Jr | 33318398 | Radio Operator | 7-Oct-44 | UNK | TD to AAF 101 |
T/Sgt | Andrew Husari | 31188029 | Fllight Engineer | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
T/Sgt | Frank J Mulhall | 13007498 | Aerial Gunner/2E | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
Sgt | James E Spangberg | 16056391 | Aerial Gunner | 23-Aug-44 | WIA | Purple Heart for wounds 16Aug44 |
Pvt | Basil J Fell | 33601405 | Aerial Gunner | 5-Jan-45 | RFS | Removed from flying status |
S/Sgt | John J McNeill, Jr | 35069848 | Aerial Gunner | 1-May-45 | CT | Trsf 70RD - Tour Complete |
The Helfrecht Crew arrived at Horsham on July 31, 1944 and flew their first combat mission on August 8, 1944. Eight days later, on the crew’s fifth mission to Magdeburg, S/Sgt James Spangberg was wounded. The circumstances and severity are not known, but it was apparently severe enough for him to come off of combat operations. He is not shown flying further missions with the group.
In mid-September the crew took part in five Truckin’ Missions, flying three times to Lille and twice to Clastres. After resuming combat operations, on the group’s first mission on October 3rd, radio operator George Swartz had difficulties at altitude, as is noted in the “Aircraft Not Attacking Report”: 44-40126 Not Pathfinder. No Sortie. returned Bombs. Pilot reported that while flying at 20,000 feet in formation Radio Operator began complaining of cramps in one knee. He was flying waist gun position at the time, and was told to put his oxygen in full rich position, sit quiet and keep his legs straight. By the time A/C reached 24,000 feet both legs were cramped and one arm was giving trouble. Fingernails and lips were purple. A/C returned to base. Swartz was transferred to AAF 101 High Wycomb, headquarters for the Eighth Air Force, on October 7th He did not return to the 458th and it is unknown if he flew any further combat flights.
In mid-November, gunner Sgt Basil J. Fell was sent to AAF Station 114 to appear before the Central Medical Board. Records indicate that he was removed from flying status In January 1945. The crew’s last mission of 1944 (their 16th) was on December 12th when the group hit the marshaling yards in Hanau Germany. The crew flew B-24J 42-51196 The Gypsy Queen, landing off location upon their return to England.
On January 5, 1945, the crew was transferred from the 754th to the 755th Bombardment Squadron, presumably to become a lead crew. Their first mission in the 755th was on January 31st. They flew a total of eight missions as either lead aircraft or deputy lead between February 14 and their last mission on April 15th to Royan. They were assigned to fly lead aircraft in the third squadron. It was on this date that the Eighth Air Force experimented with a new jellied gasoline bomb called Napalm. Helfrecht’s crew, flying B-24L 44-49902 J3 M equipped with GH-H2X equipment is pictured (see below) at the moment they released their Napalm canisters.
Those crew members who had completed their tour were sent to the 70th Replacement Depot on May 1, 1945.
Missions
Date | Target | 458th Msn | Pilot Msn | Cmd Pilot | Ld | Serial | RCL | Sqdn | A/C Msn | A/C Name | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
08-Aug-44 | CLASTRES | 108 | 1 | 42-95018 | J | Z5 | 35 | OLD DOC'S YACHT | |||
09-Aug-44 | SAARBRUCKEN | 109 | 2 | 41-29596 | R | Z5 | 39 | HELL'S ANGEL'S | |||
11-Aug-44 | STRASBOURG | 110 | 3 | 42-51110 | P | Z5 | 33 | TOP O' THE MARK | |||
15-Aug-44 | VECHTA | 114 | 4 | 42-110059 | T | Z5 | 32 | UNKNOWN 056 | |||
16-Aug-44 | MAGDEBURG | 115 | 5 | 41-29303 | H | Z5 | 38 | LIBERTY LIB | SPANGBERG WIA | ||
18-Aug-44 | WOIPPY | 116 | 6 | 41-29596 | R | Z5 | 45 | HELL'S ANGEL'S | |||
24-Aug-44 | HANNOVER | 117 | 7 | 42-95018 | J | Z5 | 38 | OLD DOC'S YACHT | |||
27-Aug-44 | FINOW | 121 | 8 | 41-29276 | G | Z5 | 29 | URGIN VIRGIN/The ROTTEN SOCK | MISSION CREDIT IN NOV | ||
01-Sep-44 | PFAFFENHOFFEN | ABN | -- | 42-95165 | S | Z5 | -- | COOKIE | ABANDONED | ||
09-Sep-44 | MAINZ | 124 | ANA | 42-95018 | J | Z5 | -- | OLD DOC'S YACHT | BOMBS NOT DROPPED | ||
10-Sep-44 | ULM M/Y | 125 | 9 | 42-95165 | S | Z5 | 34 | COOKIE | |||
11-Sep-44 | MAGDEBURG | 126 | 10 | 42-95165 | S | Z5 | 35 | COOKIE | |||
12-Sep-44 | WELFORD to CLASTRES | TR01 | -- | 42-51110 | M | 7V | T1 | TOP O’ THE MARK | TRUCKIN' MISSION | ||
26-Sep-44 | HSF to CLASTRES | TR09 | -- | 42-94975 | M | 754 | T5 | NOT 458TH SHIP - SHIPDHAM | CLASTRES | ||
27-Sep-44 | HSF to LILLE | TR10 | -- | 42-97972 | I | T4 | NOT 458TH SHIP - HETHEL | 1ST FLIGHT | |||
27-Sep-44 | HSF to LILLE | TR10 | -- | 42-97972 | I | T5 | NOT 458TH SHIP - HETHEL | 2ND FLIGHT | |||
30-Sep-44 | HSF to LILLE | TR13 | -- | 42-110077 | W | 389BG | T3 | LUCKY LEONE | TRUCKIN' MISSION | ||
03-Oct-44 | GAGGENAU | 127 | ABT | 44-40126 | L | Z5 | -- | SPITTEN KITTEN / SKY TRAMP | R/O BENDS AT 20,000FT | ||
07-Oct-44 | MAGDEBURG | 130 | ASSY | 41-28697 | Z | Z5 | A19 | SPOTTED APE | ASSEMBLY CREW | ||
14-Oct-44 | COLOGNE | 133 | 11 | 42-50456 | D | Z5 | 4 | DOROTHY KAY SPECIAL | |||
22-Oct-44 | HAMM | 137 | 12 | 42-50456 | D | Z5 | 6 | DOROTHY KAY SPECIAL | |||
30-Oct-44 | HARBURG | 139 | 13 | 44-40298 | E | Z5 | 7 | THE SHACK | |||
16-Nov-44 | ESCHWEILER | 147 | 14 | 42-95120 | M | Z5 | 54 | HOOKEM COW / BETTY | |||
25-Nov-44 | BINGEN | 149 | 15 | 42-110059 | T | Z5 | 47 | UNKNOWN 056 | |||
26-Nov-44 | BIELEFELD | 150 | ASSY | 41-28697 | Z | -- | A32 | SPOTTED APE | ASSEMBLY CREW | ||
11-Dec-44 | HANAU | 155 | ABT | 42-110059 | T | Z5 | -- | UNKNOWN 056 | C/N CATCH FORM | ||
12-Dec-44 | HANAU | 156 | 16 | 42-51196 | Q | J3 | 16 | THE GYPSY QUEEN | OFF LOCATION | ||
25-Dec-44 | PRONSFELD | 158 | MSHL | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | MARSHALING CHIEF | ||
13-Jan-45 | KAISERLAUTERN | 169 | MSHL | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | MARSHALING CHIEF | ||
31-Jan-45 | BRUNSWICK | 176 | 17 | 42-50608 | W | J3 | 21 | FILTHY McNAUGHTY | LAND OFF LOCATION | ||
14-Feb-45 | MAGDEBURG | 181 | 18 | BLACK | L2 | 42-51743 | F | J3 | 12 | UNKNOWN 006 | |
16-Feb-45 | OSNABRUCK | 183 | 19 | 44-10618 | T | J3 | 3 | UNKNOWN 038 | |||
21-Feb-45 | NUREMBERG | 185 | 20 | 44-10602 | P | J3 | 29 | TEN GUN DOTTIE | |||
26-Feb-45 | BERLIN | 190 | 21 | 44-10602 | P | J3 | 32 | TEN GUN DOTTIE | GROUP 200TH MISSION | ||
01-Mar-45 | INGOLSTADT | 193 | 22 | 42-50516 | V | J3 | 24 | STARDUST | |||
02-Mar-45 | MAGDEBURG | 194 | 23 | BRECKENRIDGE | L4 | 42-51939 | G | J3 | 22 | UNKNOWN 028 | |
08-Mar-45 | DILLENBURG | 199 | 24 | L3 | 42-51936 | I | J3 | 19 | UNKNOWN 027 | ||
10-Mar-45 | ARNSBURG | 201 | MSHL | -- | -- | -- | -- | MARSHALING CHIEF | |||
12-Mar-45 | FRIEDBURG | 202 | 25 | 42-95557 | H | J3 | 34 | LADY PEACE | |||
18-Mar-45 | BERLIN | 206 | 26 | L2 | 42-51743 | F | J3 | 21 | UNKNOWN 006 | ||
23-Mar-45 | OSNABRUCK | 211 | 27 | L2 | 42-51743 | F | J3 | 25 | UNKNOWN 006 | ||
06-Apr-45 | HALLE | 219 | 28 | 42-51936 | I | J3 | 30 | UNKNOWN 027 | |||
07-Apr-45 | KRUMMEL | 220 | 29 | L3 | 44-48837 | L | J3 | 26 | UNKNOWN 041 | ||
10-Apr-45 | RECHLIN/LARZ | 223 | 30 | GOODFRIEND | D1 | 44-48837 | L | J3 | 28 | UNKNOWN 041 | |
15-Apr-45 | ROYAN AREA | 226 | 31 | L3 | 44-49902 | M | J3 | 7 | UNKNOWN 043 |
April 15, 1945 – Napalm mission

April 15, 1945: Helfrecht crew (top a/c, center) releasing Napalm canisters in the Royan Area.
Jack Helfrecht (right) and crew flew their final mission on April 15, 1945. This was the date that the 8AF first tried using Napalm.
Force II (2nd Air Division)
This force, made up of five B-24 combat wings having an aggregate of 34 squadrons, was assigned to five targets (Target Nos. 7, 8, 10, 11, 12) closely grouped in the Royan/Vaux-sur-mer area. Although smoke interfered with the sightings of numerous squadrons, and H2X aid was utilized in three instances all units attacked their designated objectives with the exception of two which bombed second priority targets.
As this mission represented the first operational use of Napalm fire bombs by heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force, a ground survey party was dispatched to the area to study effectiveness of this weapon. It was found that the Napalm tanks which fell in open fields and upon relatively soft surfaces had a tendency to bury to a depth which made them practically ineffective; those fire bombs which struck upon harder surfaces such as roadways and strong point areas had a somewhat larger burning radius but were relatively ineffective as to heat intensity or scattering of fire. On an average, the effective, though far from deadly, radius of these incendiaries was 10-15 feet.
Based on first-hand observation, prisoner of war interrogation, and information obtained from French Staff Officers, it was concluded that the pill boxes, gun encasements and underground shelters were not physically damaged by this weapon and that open trenches and dugouts were only slightly affected. The psychological effect upon troops was also found to be generally negligible. Enclosures in the “Bombing” annex of this report summarize in some detail the experience of the Eighth Air Force in adapting the Napalm bomb to heavy bomber use and treat at considerable length the findings of the ground survey team.
Excerpt from 8AF Tactical Mission Report

458th Target #10
The 458th Bomb Group’s target for April 15th is highlighted in yellow on each map.
Click for a larger images.