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Mass, Russell C

Individual Personnel Data
Name Mass, Russell C
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-712630
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #150 dated 28 July 1944, effective 30 July 1944.
  • Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot, AAF Station 591 , effective 14 May 1945.
Duty Navigator
MOS1034 - Navigator
Last Duty Date 14 May 1945
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Appointed First Lieutenant (AUS) effective 13 November 1944 per 544th Squadron Morning report 19 November 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Furzedown House, AAF Station 563 (a Flak house) on 18 December 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #248 dated 17 December 1944.




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Lindberg, Gilbert RPilotTR
2nd Lt. Freiman, Peter PaulCo-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Mass, Russell CNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Frakes, Robert KnoxBombardierTR
S/SGT. Greer, James RaymondRadio Operator / GunnerTR
S/SGT. Phelps, Charles HaroldEngineer / Top Turret GunnerTR
SGT. Miller, Irving LeroyBall Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Sweeney, Clarence JosephTail GunnerTR
SGT. Maas, Robert FrederickFlexible GunnerTR
SGT. Stafford, Walter EdwardFlexible GunnerTR

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 28 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
176 9 August 1944 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany
Navigator 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy, low group.
Sortie Report
177 11 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France
Navigator 42‑102459 Combat Mission Credit
High section deputy, high group.
Sortie Report
178 12 August 1944 Target: "Landing Ground"
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: La Perthe, France
Navigator 42‑39888 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Lead group. Turned back because the radio-compass was out.
Sortie Report
179 13 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Road Network
Type: Transportation
Location: Beaumont-le-Roger (area), France
Navigator 42‑98000 Combat Mission Credit
High group.
Sortie Report
180 14 August 1944 Target: Echterdingen Airdrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Navigator 42‑98000 Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report
181 16 August 1944 Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Delitzsch, Germany
Navigator 42‑102459 Combat Mission Credit
High group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
182 18 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium
Navigator 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report
183 24 August 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Navigator 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
184 25 August 1944 Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany
Navigator 42‑97150 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
195 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands
Navigator 42‑37982 Combat Mission Credit
F Squadron.
Sortie Report
198 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Navigator 43‑38062 Combat Mission Credit
C Wing, lead group. Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
199 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Navigator 43‑38615 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
200 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Navigator 43‑37703 Combat Mission Credit
Went over target but did not release bombs due to bomb bay malfunction; bomb bay doors could not be fully opened, either electrically or manually. Returned bombs to base.
Sortie Report
205 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Navigator 42‑97320 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back, reason unknown.
Sortie Report
209 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Navigator 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
Third Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
212 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Navigator 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
213 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Navigator 44‑8008 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy. PFF ship. Took over on bomb run after lead Gee-h equipment failed, but too late to bomb primary. Led Squadron to attack secondary by PFF.
Sortie Report
216 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Navigator 42‑102661 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy.
Sortie Report
218 2 November 1944 Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany
Navigator 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. Gee-H ship. Gee-H equipment failed before IP. Attempted to follow low Squadron, but they turned off the bomb run. Then tried to catch lead Squadron, but were unable. Then led Squadron to a visual attack on the briefed last resort target.
Sortie Report
219 4 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Navigator 42‑107125 Combat Mission Credit
Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy. Took lead for bomb run and bombing with Gee-H.
Sortie Report
223 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France
Navigator 44‑8008 Combat Mission Credit
Division lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
224 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Navigator 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
41D Squadron, Squadron Lead. PFF ship. Marion Chase, Engineer: 'Feathered #3 after flak hit oil cooler and we lost our oil.'
Sortie Report
227 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Navigator 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
Returned Early
Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy, 41st Bomb Wing C group. The mission commander's narrative states: 'A/C 8016 (Pilot Gilbert) returned early due to engine failure. Bombs were jettisoned.' According to Marion Chase, Engineer: 'Five minutes before target, had a runaway prop and finally feathered it due to vibration. At 29,000 ft. we could not climb and lost our formation. Came back alone.'
Sortie Report
229 25 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany
Navigator 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; landed away at Aldermaston.
Sortie Report
234 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany
Navigator 42‑97824 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. Gee-H ship. Unable to determine if any aircraft were below his Squadron on the first bomb run, he elected to make a second run, which was successful. This meant the Squadron had to return to base without the protection of the bomber stream.
Sortie Report
256 17 January 1945 Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany
Navigator 44‑8211 Combat Mission Credit
Division lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. PFF started acting up during assembly, so the air commander ordered the low Squadron lead (PFF-equipped) to move up and fly as his deputy. At the IP, the Gee-H equipment was unusable, so lead was turned over to the deputy.
Sortie Report
259 22 January 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade, Germany
Navigator 42‑38208 Weather aircraft.
Sortie Report
261 28 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Navigator 44‑8007 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
312 16 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Regensburg, Germany
Navigator 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
313 17 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany
Navigator 42‑98027 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
316 25 April 1945 Target: Skoda Armament Works
Type: Industry
Location: Pilsen / Plzeň, Czechoslovakia
Navigator 44‑8923 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron Lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report

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