Name | McKnight, Lyle Orin ‡ |
Rank | Corporal / Staff Sergeant |
Serial Number | 39392805 ‡ |
Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #174 dated 31 August 1944, effective 31 August 1944. |
Duty | Flexible Gunner |
MOS | 611 - Aerial Gunner |
Last Duty Date | 11 April 1945 |
Results | Completed Combat Tour |
Additional Information |
|
CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
---|---|---|
2nd Lt. Canion, Bill Elmer⇗ | Pilot | POW |
2nd Lt. Gray, Fred Price⇗ | Co-pilot | KIA |
2nd Lt. Koch, William Conrad⇗ | Navigator | MIA |
2nd Lt. Eicher, Alvin Anthony⇗ | Bombardier | POW |
CPL. Friedman, Jack Kenyon⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | POW |
CPL. McAnear, Carlton Sidney⇗ | Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | POW |
CPL. Kulis, Peter William⇗ | Ball Turret Gunner | POW |
CPL. Filkorn, John George⇗ | Tail Gunner | KIA |
CPL. Martin, Leonard Nelson⇗ | Flexible Gunner | KIA |
CPL. McKnight, Lyle Orin | Flexible Gunner | CT |
Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
192⇗ | 11 September 1944 |
Target: Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf & Merseburg, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 44‑6080⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
198⇗ | 25 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38615⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37822. Sortie Report⇗ |
202⇗ | 30 September 1944 |
Target: Handorf Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Münster, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑98000⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
203⇗ | 2 October 1944 |
Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38615⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
205⇗ | 5 October 1944 |
Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑98000⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
206⇗ | 6 October 1944 |
Target: M/T Factory Type: Industry Location: Stettin / Szczecin, Poland |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38615⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit D group. Sortie Report⇗ |
208⇗ | 9 October 1944 |
Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑98000⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
211⇗ | 15 October 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑107125⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy. Took lead for bomb run and bombing with Gee-H. Sortie Report⇗ |
220⇗ | 5 November 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38801⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
224⇗ | 10 November 1944 |
Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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 |
Waist (Flexible) 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⇗ |
254⇗ | 10 January 1945 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38850⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron flying spare. Joined formation (low Squadron). Sortie Report⇗ |
255⇗ | 15 January 1945 |
Target: Neuburg Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑32106⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
257⇗ | 20 January 1945 |
Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 44‑8401⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead; PFF ship. Landed away at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. Sortie Report⇗ |
264⇗ | 3 February 1945 |
Target: Tempelhof Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑107148⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
265⇗ | 9 February 1945 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 44‑8580⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
268⇗ | 19 February 1945 |
Target: Coking Plant Type: Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38801⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
269⇗ | 20 February 1945 |
Target: Main Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑98027⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron lead; PFF ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
273⇗ | 24 February 1945 |
Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard Type: Shipyards Location: Hamburg, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 43‑38016⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
274⇗ | 25 February 1945 |
Target: Tank & Submarine Engine Factory Type: Industry Location: Friedrichshafen, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑97824⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |