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Carella, Jack Vito

Individual Personnel Data
Name Carella, Jack Vito   
Rank Corporal / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 31405572   
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #159 dated 9 August 1944, effective 9 August 1944.
Duty Tail Gunner
MOS611 - Aerial Gunner
Last Duty Date 16 February 1945
Results Completed Tour, Returned to USA
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 9 May 1925
  • Promoted to Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #171 dated 25 August 1944.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #209 dated 22 October 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Erbington Manor, AAF Station 498 (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.
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing PanelCarella Signing




Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Gilbert, Stanley MiltonPilotCT
2nd Lt. Dobson, Roy ECo-pilotTBD
Flt. Ofcr. McCarthy, Robert GeorgeNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Rinkovsky, Charles (NMI)BombardierPOW
SGT. Hickman, Noah ClarenceRadio Operator / GunnerCT
SGT. Chase, Marion Butler, JrEngineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
CPL. McMann, George Francis, JrBall Turret GunnerKIA
CPL. Carella, Jack VitoTail GunnerCT
CPL. Hintergardt, Leroy (NMI)Flexible GunnerTR
CPL. Hurley, Ralph AshbyFlexible GunnerTR

Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 31 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
186 30 August 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France
Tail Gunner 43‑38062 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
187 3 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
188 5 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑37703 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
189 8 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑37822 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
High group flying spare; joined formation, but turned back because he could not keep up with formation due to two supercharger failures; bombs returned to base.
Sortie Report
191 10 September 1944 Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Sindelfingen, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron.
Sortie Report
192 11 September 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf & Merseburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
41A Group, Hot Camera ship.
Sortie Report
196 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97282 Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship, lead Squadron.
Sortie Report
197 21 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mainz, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑6080 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
198 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97320 Aborted Mission After Taking Off
C Wing, lead group. Aborted over base during assembly due to personnel illness.
Sortie Report
199 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38016 Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report
200 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38615 Combat Mission Credit
Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37822.
Sortie Report
201 28 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑39888 Combat Mission Credit
Left formation after target for unknown reasons, but returned to base.
Sortie Report
202 30 September 1944 Target: Handorf Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Münster, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑98000 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
203 2 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑98000 Combat Mission Credit
Dropped bombs early, reason unknown.
Sortie Report
204 3 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Tail Gunner 43‑38615 Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report
205 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑98000 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report
206 6 October 1944 Target: M/T Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Stettin / Szczecin, Poland
Tail Gunner 43‑38615 Combat Mission Credit
D group.
Sortie Report
211 15 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8007 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
213 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 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
214 19 October 1944 Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97824 Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron, Group Deputy. Gee-H ship. Took over at IP and led Squadron on bomb run.
Sortie Report
216 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Tail Gunner 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
Tail Gunner 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
Tail Gunner 42‑107125 Combat Mission Credit
Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy. Took lead for bomb run and bombing with Gee-H.
Sortie Report
224 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 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
Tail Gunner 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
228 23 November 1944 Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead, A group.
Sortie Report
229 25 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; landed away at Aldermaston.
Sortie Report
232 29 November 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8216 Combat Mission Credit
Gilbert Crew took off in 43‑38016 but lost #2 engine; landed and moved to this aircraft.
Sortie Report
234 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany
Tail Gunner 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
238 11 December 1944 Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Tail Gunner 42‑97824 Combat Mission Credit
Group deputy, B Group. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
248 1 January 1945 Target: Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Derben, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship. Waist Gunner hit by flak but was saved by flak suit. After unsuccessful runs on the primary and secondary PFF targets, this Squadron broke formation and returned to bomb the secondary PFF target by visual means.
Sortie Report
257 20 January 1945 Target: Rail and Road Bridges
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8401 Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead; PFF ship. Landed away at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire.
Sortie Report
261 28 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Tail Gunner 44‑8007 Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report

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