On 6 September 1943 he and
his crew bombed the Railroad marshalling yard at
Offenburg, Germany (mission 36). The next day
they bombed Evere airbase near Brussels, Belgium
(mission 37).
On the 15th of September (mission
39) they bombed anothe rairfield at
Romilly-sur-Seine, France. On the 23rd it was
back to France to bomb the harbour of Nancy (mission
41).
On the 26th (mission 42)
they again went to France, to bombe an aircraft
plant at Meilan, but they returned without
bombing.
The next day, the 27th,
they bombed the docks in the German City of
Emden (mission 43).
Then the crew did not fly a
few missions. They next came into action on 9
October 1943, when the 351st was sent to bomb
the Arado aircraft factory at Anklam, Germany (mission
47)
David's crew consisted of:
Lt LLoyd N. Christman,
pilot
Lt James D. Laird, co-pilot
Lt Eldred E. Hancy, navigator
T/Sgt Commodore L. Sharp, top turret gunner
T/Sgt David D. Pressel, radio operator
S/Sgt John R. Butterbach , ball turret gunner
S/Sgt William D. Klink, right waist gunner
S/Sgt James D. White, left waist gunner
S/Sgt Edmond J. Blais, tail gunner
In the early morning of the
9th of October, the Group was briefed to attack
the Arado
Aircraft Factory at Anklam, Germany. The crews
were very concerned when confronted by the
mission details. It was the longest flight to
date, with expected moderate to heavy flak
concentrations.
T/Sgt Pressel's crew took
off in B17 42-30867.
Shortly after crossing the
Danish coast the group was attacked by German
fighters. Thirty to fifty Me 109s pressed home
many close attacks. The first plane to be hit
was the second element lead, 42-30790 flown by
Captain Morse. At the start of the
bomb-run the enemy fighters broke off their
attacks, leaving the formation to suffer the
attentions of the Anklam flak gunners. Smoke
from the bombs of the preceding Wing obscured
the target, as a consequence most of the bombs
fell in the center of the city. The
formation turned for home and flew straight into
the Luftwaffe's assembled forces. Me 110s and a
few Ju 88s stood off and fired rockets into the
formation. In Lt Hancey's plane, Sgts. Blais and
Butterbach were killed in the fighter attack.
Shortly later their plane was shot down.
Both Lt Hancey and Sgt David Pressel went down
with the plane. Their bodies were never
recovered. The remaing six crew members were
taken prisoner.
Sgt Blais is buried in
Ardennes American Cemetery. It is not known
where Sgt Butterbach has been buried or
commemorated.
T/Sgt david Pressel is
mentioned on the Margraten Wall of the Missing.
