Name | Polito, Michael John ‡ |
Rank | Corporal / Technical Sergeant |
Serial Number | 32782979 ‡ |
Unit Assignments | Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #53 dated 20 July 1943, effective 20 July 1943. |
Duty | Flexible Gunner / Togglier |
Last Duty Date | 4 March 1944 |
Results | Evaded Capture |
Decorations | Awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on 4 March 1944 per General Orders #70, Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe dated 29 Septemmber 1944. |
Additional Information |
|
Related Documents | Missing Air Crew Report # 2740⇓ (39.737 MB) Escape & Evasion Report # 2113⇓ (Filesize N/A) |
Number | Date | Target | Position | Aircraft | Mission/Sortie Information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
24⇗ | 16 September 1943 |
Target: Blockade Runner Ship (in Loire River) Type: Transportation Location: Nantes, France |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑3218⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group deputy. Sortie Report⇗ |
25⇗ | 23 September 1943 |
Target: Submarine Repair Ship Type: Submarine Facility Location: Nantes, France |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑3218⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit High Squadron Lead. Ground Spare Aircraft. Replaced 42‑29768. Sortie Report⇗ |
26⇗ | 27 September 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑3218⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron Lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
29⇗ | 8 October 1943 |
Target: Workshops Type: Submarine Facility Location: Bremen, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑3218⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off High Squadron lead. Turned back, unable to keep up with formation due to lack of power. Sortie Report⇗ |
30⇗ | 9 October 1943 |
Target: Aircraft Factories Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Anklam, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑3441⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Group lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
31⇗ | 10 October 1943 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Münster, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑3218⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
32⇗ | 14 October 1943 |
Target: Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑30033⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back. Landed away at Metfield. Sortie Report⇗ |
35⇗ | 5 November 1943 |
Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑30033⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Returned Early Turned back because of oxygen failure and #3 engine not operating properly; bombed a target of opportunity with unobserved results. Sortie Report⇗ |
38⇗ | 29 November 1943 |
Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Bremen, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑5838⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
55⇗ | 29 January 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑37816⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Wing lead. Sortie Report⇗ |
59⇗ | 5 February 1944 |
Target: Bricy Aerodrome, Luftwaffe Training and Bomber Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Orleans, France |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑29809⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Sortie Report⇗ |
60⇗ | 6 February 1944 |
Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑29809⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off Turned back at 1031 hrs due to defective bomb racks; bombs were released when bombardier released bomb bay tanks over North Sea. Sortie Report⇗ |
61⇗ | 8 February 1944 |
Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑29809⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
62⇗ | 11 February 1944 |
Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 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 |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑97521⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Turned back with #1 engine out. Sortie Report⇗ |
64⇗ | 21 February 1944 |
Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑31484⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low group lead, 41st B Combat Wing. Sortie Report⇗ |
65⇗ | 22 February 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑29632⇗ |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off 41A Group. Sortie Report⇗ |
66⇗ | 24 February 1944 |
Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑31926⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Low Squadron, lead group. Sortie Report⇗ |
67⇗ | 25 February 1944 |
Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑31484⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit 41C Group, High Squadron, Low group. Sortie Report⇗ |
68⇗ | 28 February 1944 |
Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France |
Waist (Flexible) Gunner | 42‑31484⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Lead Squadron. Sortie Report⇗ |
71⇗ | 4 March 1944 |
Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany |
Togglier | 42‑32007⇗ |
Combat Mission Credit Failed To Return In formation at bomb release at 1157 hrs; damaged by flak, crashed 3 km north of Ransart, Belgium. MACR 2740 Sortie Report⇗ |