Second Lieutenant Robert G. Sofio, bombardier; 825th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force, stationed at Toretta Air Field, Italy.
On December 17, 1944, 2Lt Sofio perished with the crew of B-24J #38 "Red 38" (42-51835).
Bomber #38 was lost to fighter attack with the crew of 1Lt Roger A. Martin on a mission to Odertal, Germany (present day Zdzieszowice, Poland), on December 17, 1944 (MACR #10492). Attacked by an ME-109 piloted by Lt. Kraft from III/JG 300 at about 1205 hrs., bomber #38 crashed near the crossroads leading to Liebau (present day Libinia) and Wenzeldorf (present day Václavov), Czechoslovakia. None of the 11 crew members were able to bail out and all perished within the bomber. Lt. Kraft bailed out after his fighter was hit by one of the waist gunners (Sebelski or Fort). The ME-109 crashed in a garden in Libinia and Lt. Kraft landed uninjured.
The crew was buried in a local cemetery. After the war, the bodies were exhumed and sent to the States or to the US cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, depending on the wishes of the families.
Crew of #38:
1LT Roger A. Martin, Pilot
2LT George O. Boomer Jr., Copilot
2LT Bernard Hirsch, Navigator
2LT Robert G. Sofio, Bombardier
T/SGT Clarence A. Sebelski, Engineer &
Waist Gunner
T/SGT Griffeth H. Fort, Radio Operator &
Waist Gunner
S/SGT Albert R. White, Nose Gunner
S/SGT Bill M. Madsen, Top Turret Gunner
S/SGT Merle W. Harrington, Ball Turret Gunner
S/SGT Lonnie V. Dunham Jr., Tail Gunner
(not pictured)
SGT Arlo M. Colbeck, Photographer
(not pictured)
Eye witness account:
"I was flying in ship [#55] and ship #38 was about 1500 yards from the formation with another straggler [#28 "Little Joe"]. At about 1155, three enemy aircraft attacked from out of the sun, hit a B-24 [#28, 11:56] which went down in a spin, then hit #38 [12:05] which caught on fire coming from the waist windows and the plane went down in a flat spin burning as it disappeared into the overcast. I did not see any chutes at the time."
-- S/Sgt James W. Taylor [826th Bomb Group, Gunner with #55, "What's Cookin'"]
On December 17, 1944, 2Lt Sofio perished with the crew of B-24J #38 "Red 38" (42-51835).
Bomber #38 was lost to fighter attack with the crew of 1Lt Roger A. Martin on a mission to Odertal, Germany (present day Zdzieszowice, Poland), on December 17, 1944 (MACR #10492). Attacked by an ME-109 piloted by Lt. Kraft from III/JG 300 at about 1205 hrs., bomber #38 crashed near the crossroads leading to Liebau (present day Libinia) and Wenzeldorf (present day Václavov), Czechoslovakia. None of the 11 crew members were able to bail out and all perished within the bomber. Lt. Kraft bailed out after his fighter was hit by one of the waist gunners (Sebelski or Fort). The ME-109 crashed in a garden in Libinia and Lt. Kraft landed uninjured.
The crew was buried in a local cemetery. After the war, the bodies were exhumed and sent to the States or to the US cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, depending on the wishes of the families.
Crew of #38:
1LT Roger A. Martin, Pilot
2LT George O. Boomer Jr., Copilot
2LT Bernard Hirsch, Navigator
2LT Robert G. Sofio, Bombardier
T/SGT Clarence A. Sebelski, Engineer &
Waist Gunner
T/SGT Griffeth H. Fort, Radio Operator &
Waist Gunner
S/SGT Albert R. White, Nose Gunner
S/SGT Bill M. Madsen, Top Turret Gunner
S/SGT Merle W. Harrington, Ball Turret Gunner
S/SGT Lonnie V. Dunham Jr., Tail Gunner
(not pictured)
SGT Arlo M. Colbeck, Photographer
(not pictured)
Eye witness account:
"I was flying in ship [#55] and ship #38 was about 1500 yards from the formation with another straggler [#28 "Little Joe"]. At about 1155, three enemy aircraft attacked from out of the sun, hit a B-24 [#28, 11:56] which went down in a spin, then hit #38 [12:05] which caught on fire coming from the waist windows and the plane went down in a flat spin burning as it disappeared into the overcast. I did not see any chutes at the time."
-- S/Sgt James W. Taylor [826th Bomb Group, Gunner with #55, "What's Cookin'"]
Second Lieutenant Robert G. Sofio, bombardier; 825th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing, 15th Army Air Force, stationed at Toretta Air Field, Italy.
On December 17, 1944, 2Lt Sofio perished with the crew of B-24J #38 "Red 38" (42-51835).
Bomber #38 was lost to fighter attack with the crew of 1Lt Roger A. Martin on a mission to Odertal, Germany (present day Zdzieszowice, Poland), on December 17, 1944 (MACR #10492). Attacked by an ME-109 piloted by Lt. Kraft from III/JG 300 at about 1205 hrs., bomber #38 crashed near the crossroads leading to Liebau (present day Libinia) and Wenzeldorf (present day Václavov), Czechoslovakia. None of the 11 crew members were able to bail out and all perished within the bomber. Lt. Kraft bailed out after his fighter was hit by one of the waist gunners (Sebelski or Fort). The ME-109 crashed in a garden in Libinia and Lt. Kraft landed uninjured.
The crew was buried in a local cemetery. After the war, the bodies were exhumed and sent to the States or to the US cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, depending on the wishes of the families.
Crew of #38:
1LT Roger A. Martin, Pilot
2LT George O. Boomer Jr., Copilot
2LT Bernard Hirsch, Navigator
2LT Robert G. Sofio, Bombardier
T/SGT Clarence A. Sebelski, Engineer &
Waist Gunner
T/SGT Griffeth H. Fort, Radio Operator &
Waist Gunner
S/SGT Albert R. White, Nose Gunner
S/SGT Bill M. Madsen, Top Turret Gunner
S/SGT Merle W. Harrington, Ball Turret Gunner
S/SGT Lonnie V. Dunham Jr., Tail Gunner
(not pictured)
SGT Arlo M. Colbeck, Photographer
(not pictured)
Eye witness account:
"I was flying in ship [#55] and ship #38 was about 1500 yards from the formation with another straggler [#28 "Little Joe"]. At about 1155, three enemy aircraft attacked from out of the sun, hit a B-24 [#28, 11:56] which went down in a spin, then hit #38 [12:05] which caught on fire coming from the waist windows and the plane went down in a flat spin burning as it disappeared into the overcast. I did not see any chutes at the time."
-- S/Sgt James W. Taylor [826th Bomb Group, Gunner with #55, "What's Cookin'"]
On December 17, 1944, 2Lt Sofio perished with the crew of B-24J #38 "Red 38" (42-51835).
Bomber #38 was lost to fighter attack with the crew of 1Lt Roger A. Martin on a mission to Odertal, Germany (present day Zdzieszowice, Poland), on December 17, 1944 (MACR #10492). Attacked by an ME-109 piloted by Lt. Kraft from III/JG 300 at about 1205 hrs., bomber #38 crashed near the crossroads leading to Liebau (present day Libinia) and Wenzeldorf (present day Václavov), Czechoslovakia. None of the 11 crew members were able to bail out and all perished within the bomber. Lt. Kraft bailed out after his fighter was hit by one of the waist gunners (Sebelski or Fort). The ME-109 crashed in a garden in Libinia and Lt. Kraft landed uninjured.
The crew was buried in a local cemetery. After the war, the bodies were exhumed and sent to the States or to the US cemetery in Saint-Avold, France, depending on the wishes of the families.
Crew of #38:
1LT Roger A. Martin, Pilot
2LT George O. Boomer Jr., Copilot
2LT Bernard Hirsch, Navigator
2LT Robert G. Sofio, Bombardier
T/SGT Clarence A. Sebelski, Engineer &
Waist Gunner
T/SGT Griffeth H. Fort, Radio Operator &
Waist Gunner
S/SGT Albert R. White, Nose Gunner
S/SGT Bill M. Madsen, Top Turret Gunner
S/SGT Merle W. Harrington, Ball Turret Gunner
S/SGT Lonnie V. Dunham Jr., Tail Gunner
(not pictured)
SGT Arlo M. Colbeck, Photographer
(not pictured)
Eye witness account:
"I was flying in ship [#55] and ship #38 was about 1500 yards from the formation with another straggler [#28 "Little Joe"]. At about 1155, three enemy aircraft attacked from out of the sun, hit a B-24 [#28, 11:56] which went down in a spin, then hit #38 [12:05] which caught on fire coming from the waist windows and the plane went down in a flat spin burning as it disappeared into the overcast. I did not see any chutes at the time."
-- S/Sgt James W. Taylor [826th Bomb Group, Gunner with #55, "What's Cookin'"]
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