| Name | Merlis, Albert L |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant |
| Serial Number | O-718388 |
| Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 special Orders #157 dated 5 August 1944, effective 5 August 1944. |
| Duty | Navigator |
| MOS | 1034 - Navigator |
| Last Duty Date | 6 February 1945 |
| Results | Completed Combat Tour |
| Additional Information |
|
| CREWMEMBER | POSITION | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Lt. Rice, Robert Eugene⇗ | Pilot | CT |
| 2nd Lt. Janczy, Thomas Joseph⇗ | Co-pilot | CT |
| 2nd Lt. Merlis, Albert L | Navigator | CT |
| 2nd Lt. Feider, Leo John⇗ | Bombardier | CT |
| S/SGT. Wynn, Francis Xavier, "Windy"⇗ | Radio Operator / Gunner | CT |
| SGT. Woloszyk, Leonard John, "Wally"⇗ | Engineer / Top Turret Gunner | TBD |
| SGT. Deaton, Marshall Taylor⇗ | Ball Turret Gunner | CT |
| SGT. Oberle, Theodore (NMI)⇗ | Tail Gunner | TBD |
| SGT. Wittig, Harold Raymond⇗ | Flexible Gunner | TR |
| SGT. Ziminski, Henry Thaddeus⇗ | Flexible Gunner | TR |
| 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 |
Navigator | 42‑102459⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 189⇗ | 8 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑38062⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Returned Early Lost formation because he was following element lead (who was aborting); returned bombs to base. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 190⇗ | 9 September 1944 |
Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑97282⇗ |
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Lead group. Returned with one engine out. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 191⇗ | 10 September 1944 |
Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant Type: Industry Location: Sindelfingen, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑6141⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 193⇗ | 12 September 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Brüx, Czechoslovakia |
Navigator | 43‑37703⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back due to low oil pressure in #2 engine at altitude. This failure was confirmed by Engineering Officer. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 194⇗ | 13 September 1944 |
Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑37713⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Ground Spare Aircraft, replaced 42‑37982. Hot camera ship. Landed away at RAF Manston, Kent, with battle damage. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 195⇗ | 17 September 1944 |
Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical Type: Military Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands |
Navigator | 42‑97320⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit B Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 196⇗ | 19 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Hamm, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑97320⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 198⇗ | 25 September 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑98000⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off C Wing, lead Squadron. Aborted due to personnel illness. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 199⇗ | 26 September 1944 |
Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Osnabrück, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑6141⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 201⇗ | 28 September 1944 |
Target: Steelworks Type: Industry Location: Magdeburg, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑37703⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back due to personnel illness. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 202⇗ | 30 September 1944 |
Target: Handorf Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Münster, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑37822⇗ |
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed Lead group Sortie Report⇗ |
| 203⇗ | 2 October 1944 |
Target: Ford Motor Works Type: Industry Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑38615⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 204⇗ | 3 October 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Wesseling, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑98000⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
| 210⇗ | 14 October 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Saarbrücken, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑38016⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron deputy. Gee-H and hot camera ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 214⇗ | 19 October 1944 |
Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory Type: Industry Location: Mannheim, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑102449⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship. Took over at IP and led Squadron on bomb run. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 215⇗ | 25 October 1944 |
Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑38016⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Fourth Squadron deputy. Gee-H equipment failed during assembly. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 219⇗ | 4 November 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8211⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Gee-H ship; high Squadron deputy. Took lead for 1st bomb run - Gee-H equipment failed. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 221⇗ | 6 November 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany |
Navigator | 42‑102449⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron deputy. Led Squadron on bomb run. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 223⇗ | 9 November 1944 |
Target: Ground Installations Type: Military Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France |
Navigator | 42‑107125⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Deputy division lead. Gee-H ship. Led group on bomb run. 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⇗ |
| 228⇗ | 23 November 1944 |
Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G. Type: Oil Industry Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑38016⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron deputy, A group; Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 229⇗ | 25 November 1944 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Lützkendorf, Germany |
Navigator | 43‑38016⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Gee-H ship; landed away at Aldermaston, due to weather. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 230⇗ | 26 November 1944 |
Target: Railroad Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Altenbeken, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8211⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead; PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 240⇗ | 18 December 1944 |
Target: Road Junction Type: Transportation Location: Gemünd, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 241⇗ | 19 December 1944 |
Target: Railway Junction Type: Transportation Location: Glaadt, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Loaned to the 401st BG for today's mission. Manned by 401st personnel, except as noted on the Sortie Report. Landed away at RAF Predannack, Wales. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 244⇗ | 27 December 1944 |
Target: Bridge (Tactical) Type: Transportation Location: Altenahr, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8008⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Division lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. The Gee-H failed prior to the IP so a visual bomb run was attempted. The navigator and bombardier located the target too late to make a good run, so a second visual run was made and bombs were released on the primary target. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 245⇗ | 28 December 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Brühl, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8211⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Led group formation attack with all Squadrons dropping on leader, using Gee-H aiming. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 246⇗ | 30 December 1944 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Limburg, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑98027⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. PFF and Gee-H ship. Made the decision not to attack the primary target and led the Group to the PFF secondary. When the lead and high Squadrons were unable to complete the attack on the first run, led them on a second run that was successful. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 249⇗ | 2 January 1945 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gerolstein, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑98027⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship. Led formation on two bomb runs. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 253⇗ | 8 January 1945 |
Target: Railroad Type: Transportation Location: Kyllburg, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8008⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit PFF & Gee-H ship. Loaned to the 398th BG with Gee-H navigator; remaining unidentified crew provided by 398th BG. Bombed 398th assigned secondary target. Sortie Report⇗ |
| 254⇗ | 10 January 1945 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Bonn, Germany |
Navigator | 42‑107125⇗ |
Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off Gee-H ship. Loaned to 457th BG with Gee-H navigator; unidentified crewmembers provided by the 457th BG. 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⇗ |
| 257⇗ | 20 January 1945 |
Target: Rail and Road Bridges Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany |
Navigator | 44‑8211⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead; PFF & Gee-H ship. Landed away at RAF Warboys, Huntingdonshire (now Cambridgeshire). Sortie Report⇗ |
| 259⇗ | 22 January 1945 |
Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery Type: Oil Industry Location: Sterkrade, Germany |
Gee-H Navigator | 44‑8221⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead; PFF and Gee-H ship. Engine #3 ran away after the target; left the formation about 15 minutes before the Zuider Zee on the return trip. Major Hutchinson ordered the deputy to assume the lead. The mission folder lacks details, but it is known that this aircraft flew its next mission with the 384th on 7 April, and several of the crewmembers continued to fly with the Group. Sortie Report⇗ |