Navigator 2Lt
Athan Anagnos,
Bombardier 2Lt Charles D. Fiery
Engineer S/Sgt Buster T. Harrah,
Waist gunner Sgt Raymond C. Beus,
Waist gunner Sgt John R. Lantz,
Ball turret gunner Sgt Paul W. Stonich,
tail gunner Sgt George A. Whitney and
Radio operator Sgt Ralph L. Lab
Not much is known
about the crew once they joined the 381st. The
participated in the mission to Oschersleben on
11 January 1944. This was a so-called maximum
effort mission, and the first major attack
undertaken by general Doolittle who had just
taken over command of the 8th U.S. Air Force in
England. This attack would also be the first in
conjunction with Operation Pointblank; the
attack on all resources of the Luftwaffe; plane
factories, air fields, oil installations, etc.
Oschersleben
housed a Junkers aircraft factory. two other
major targets today were Braunschweig and
Halberstadt. 9 ships from 533 squadron flew in
the attack. January 11th would see a massive air
battle over the Netherlands and Germany. As the
flight path for the bomber stream was straight
from England to the targets (no dog legs to
throw the Germans off), the Germans,
figured teh Americans were going for Berlin. As
Berlin had not suffered an American daylight
raid yet, the Germans wanted to prevent such an
attack at all costs. They sent every available
aircraft in the air. When the first of the bomb
wings were a mere 25 miles from their targets,
8th USAAF sent out an abort message. The air
fields in England started to get fogged in and
HQ was afraid chaos would reign when hundreds of
bombers would come home in dense fog and miss
their airfields.
Here the mayhem
started. Some of the bomb groups heard the abort
and started searching for Targets of
Opportunity, broke off from the main bombers
stream to attack and then return home. Most of
the leading bomb groups, however, found
themselves so close to their target that they
opted to stay the course and go for it. this
caused the bomber stream to break up and leave
many bomb groups and wings exposed to the German
luftwaffe who was now amassing en force. Worst
of all; the Fighter escorts heard the recall and
returned to base, leaving the bombers without
proper fighter protection. Shortly after 300+
German fighters attacked the Allied formations.
Several accounts of veterans make clear that
this day many saw so many enemy fighters they
never saw them before or after. A total of 60 US
Bombers were shot down. Not all fighters
retreated. Five were shot down and on this day
the only Medal of Honor for an fighter pilot in
the ETO was won, by Major Howard who single
handedly attacked 30+ German fighters who were
attacking a US bomber formation. he shot down
five German planes.
The 381st Bomb Group
fared badly. Their planes were under attack from
the Dutch German border on the way to target. No
less than nine planes were lost. The 533rd Bomb
Squadron of Sgt Ralph Lab, returned with only
three of the nine planes.
Sgt Ralph Lab's
B17 was hit by flak over the Netherlands. Over
the Dutch German border, it was apparent the B17
couldn't keep up and the pilot 2Lt Donald Nason
decided to abort the mission and return to
England. The condition of the plane deteriorated
rapidly and while flying over the IJsselmeer,
no.3 engine caught fire. Then pilot Lt Nason
order everyone to bail out. Sgt John Lantz, the
left waist gunner, was the only one to survive.
He later stated that he saw Sgt Ralph Lab and
Sgt Paul Stonich in their parachutes floating
over the IJsselmeer. Shortly after these men had
bailed out, the plane exploded, crashing with
the rest of the crew still inside, into the
IJsselmeer. Sgts Lab and Stonich both did not
survive. Their bodies have never been found.
Newspaper articles
courtesy of Mr. Ron Reiger
2Lt Nason is
buried at Margraten. 2Lt Fiery is buried at
Ardennes American cemetery. Lt Anagnos, Lt Byser
and S/Sgt Harrah have been reburied in the USA.
Sgt Beus, Sgt Whitney, Sgt Stonich and Sgt Ralph
Lab are commemorated at the Margraten Wall of
the Missing.
Sgt Ralph Lab's
younger brother Bruce George Lab also joined the
Armed Forces. He was a private with the 12th
Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He was
killed on 19 November 1944. Three days later his
son, Bruce George Lab II was born. Today Bruce
is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in
Belgium, close to Margraten Cemetery.
Sergeant