Metz, Charles John

Individual Personnel Data
Name	Metz, Charles John ‡ ⇗
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Serial Number	32361334 ‡
Unit Assignments	Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #160 dated 5 December 1943, effective 5 December 1943. Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 545th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 29 March 1944 - transferred to Detachment of Patients, 303rd Station Hospital, Thrapston, effective 28 March 1944.
Duty	Ball Turret Gunner
MOS	757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF
Last Duty Date	28 March 1944
Results	Wounded In Action
Additional Information	Date of Birth: 11 November 1916 Seriously wounded on a mission, 3 March 1944.
Photo Album:	Crew Photo Album⇗

Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER	POSITION	RESULTS
2nd Lt. Heffley, Farris Ormond⇗	Pilot	POW
2nd Lt. Carini, Louis Peter⇗	Navigator	POW
2nd Lt. Betolatti, John (NMI)⇗	Bombardier	EV
SGT. Shade, William James⇗	Radio Operator / Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Deutsch, Samuel (NMI)⇗	Engineer / Top Turret Gunner	EV
S/SGT. Metz, Charles John	Ball Turret Gunner	WIA
SGT. Gatzman, Ralph Lee⇗	Tail Gunner	POW
S/SGT. Alfter, Glen Edward⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW
SGT. Allen, George William⇗	Flexible Gunner	POW

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 9 Combat Missions.
Number	Date	Target	Position	Aircraft	Mission/Sortie Information
51⇗	7 January 1944	Target: Powerhouse Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29703⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Became separated from formation in dense clouds after group assembly; failed to make wing rendezvous. Sortie Report⇗
52⇗	11 January 1944	Target: Ju-88 Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29632⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
54⇗	21 January 1944	Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France	Ball Turret	42‑37727⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗
55⇗	29 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑40005⇗	Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗
56⇗	30 January 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑3259⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Low group. Turned back at 0945 hrs because throttle linkage was broken on #1 and prop had to be feathered; generators on other engines out also. Sortie Report⇗
57⇗	3 February 1944	Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29554⇗	Combat Mission Credit Lead group. Sortie Report⇗
58⇗	4 February 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29809⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off High group, 41st B Combat Wing. Aborted at 1014 hrs because #2 and #4 superchargers were uncontrollable. Sortie Report⇗
59⇗	5 February 1944	Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France	Ball Turret	42‑37793⇗	Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Sortie Report⇗
62⇗	11 February 1944	Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑31235⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑29828. Flying spare; joined formation; aborted before reaching enemy coast because oil temperature on #2 engine was too high, and #2 and #4 engines had detonation (pinging). Sortie Report⇗
63⇗	20 February 1944	Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29828⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41B Group Flying Spare. Joined formation. Sortie Report⇗
64⇗	21 February 1944	Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29828⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
65⇗	22 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29809⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group, High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report⇗
66⇗	24 February 1944	Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29828⇗	Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1137 hrs because ball turret oxygen system hose broke after catching under electrical conduit elbow; later, flexible filler hose got caught in turret gears and entire system went out. Sortie Report⇗
67⇗	25 February 1944	Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑29828⇗	Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, High Squadron, Low Group. Sortie Report⇗
69⇗	2 March 1944	Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑37792⇗	Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗
70⇗	3 March 1944	Target: Roller-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Berlin, Germany	Ball Turret	42‑31166⇗	Combat Mission Credit Ball Turret Gunner suffered frostbite to left hand. Sortie Report⇗

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