10 May 1945
Wolfsberg, Austria
P.O.W. Re-supply mission Stalag XVIII A, Wolfsberg, Austria.

11 May 1945
Wolfsberg, Austria
P.O.W. Re-supply mission Stalag XVIII A, Wolfsberg, Austria.

P.O.W. Resupply Missions:
     "We packed everything that we could find inside 6 foot canisters and loaded them into the bomb bay (toothpaste, soap, clothing, candy, cigarettes, letters and pictures from home and from the squadron members, reading material, pin-up posters, blankets, etc.) We would fly low and slow over the stockade and shove the stuff out. Even so, some of it would land outside the stockade. It might take 2 or 3 passes to unload everything. It was a heartwarming sight to see the prisoners waving their arms and screaming. The Germans did not shoot at us. I think they welcomed us because they could confiscate much of what we delivered. In any event, the prisoners knew that we knew that they were there and we had not forgotten them." - Tom

Ian Brown's fine tribute to the prisoners of Stalag 18A, among those prisoners, his father


Number 33 on a resupply mission to the Spittal P.O.W. camp near Villach, Austria, on May 9th -
the day before Lt. Traetta's crew flew their first
re-supply mission. (Stan Staples)
Below is the "poop sheet" for the mission showing the
formation of the B-24s and all relevant mission information.

SUPPLY MISSION 10 MAY 1945

THREE (3) SHIP ELEMENTS

1. LIVELY (COL. ROGERS) 10 J

RADIO CHECK: 1112

#1. LIGHTBODY (TROMMER) 18 R

START ENGINES: A BOX 1115

    TETZLAFF 11 K

FIRST SHIP TAXI: 1123 FIRST SHIP OFF: 1130

    BOOZER 7 G

BASE TO DRAVOGRAD H 357 DIST 326

#2. RATHFELDER 2 B

          TIME 1340 ALT: CLIMB 7,000

    ARNOLT 12 L

(IP) DRAVOGRAD TO TGT (46-50, 14-50)

#3. WHALEN 24 E (THACKSON)

          H 335 DIST 17

    BARAN 27 H

          TIME 1347 ALT: DOWN 2,500

    MC MILLAN 38 S

RALLY LEFT THEN 2 - 360° TURNS CLIMB 8,000 ft.

#4. TRAETTA 32 M

          TIME 1412

    HOLLY 33 N

    WOODRUFF 34 O

TARGET TO BASE H 176 DIST 341

          TIME 1618 ALT: DOWN 5,000

#5. NIXON 41 B

    HALL 56 Q

    EALLACE 43 D

#6. BARCUS 54 O

    MISIUS 48 I

    LEDENDECKER 40 A

#7. LANGLEY 69 J (HESS)

    AUSTIN 74 O

    STEINBERG 67 H

#8. CAMERON 65 F

    BALLINGER 75 P

    CHENNAULT 63 D

LANDING: 2700 ft.

RADIO:  BOMBER COMMAND: 4885 KC

        US TOWERS 6440 KC

        “A” CHANNEL VHF BIG FENCE

                         FIGHTER BOMBER

                         WEATHER SHIPS

        “B” CHANNEL VHF 461ST BOMB GROUP

        “C” CHANNEL VHF 49TH BOMB WING

        “D” CHANNEL VHF DITCHING &

                  EMERGENCY OVER WATER

VISUAL SIGNALS: RED-RED ABANDON PRIMARY TARGET

                RED-YELLOW CLIMB

                YELLOW-YELLOW LEVEL OFF

                GREEN-YALLOW LET DOWN

AIRSPEEDS: 160 CLIMB, 160 CRUISE, 170 LET DOWN

TOWER FLARES: GREEN – START ENGINES, YELLOW – STAND BY SHIP, RED – STAND

BY SQDN OPNS

ALTERNATE FIELDS: ZARA, BIFERNO

GROUP LEADER: COL. ROGERS IN SHIP NUMBER 10 J

DEPUTY GROUP LEADER: MAJOR TROMMERSHAUSSER IN SHIP NUMBER 18 R

 

**NOTE     1ST SHIP CALL SIGN “CONTROL”          SQDN CALL SIGNS

           1ST 3 SHIP CALL SIGN “NEWSBOY 1”      764 – PHILLIP

           2ND 3 SHIP CALL SIGN “NEWSBOY 2” ETC. 765 – SAMSON

                                                766 – WELLDONE

BOMB AT 150  IAS  2400 RPM                      767 - TOOLCASE

 

REMARKS:  SUPPLIES WILL BE DROPPED DIRECTLY ON THE POW CAMP.

CREWS WILL OBSERVE CAREFULLY GROUND ACTIVITY IN THE AREA OF THE POW CAMP.
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