T/Sgt John S. Klisenbauer
B-24 Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
98th Bombardment Group - 344th Bombardment Squadron - 47th Bomb Wing - 15th Air Force
Lecce Airfield, Italy - 24 August 1944 to 16 March 1945
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John S. Klisenbauer
T/Sgt, U.S.Army Air Corps
15 Apr 1943 - 6 Jun 1945
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B-24 MISSION LOG - 1944 to 1945
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| DATE |
DAY |
JSK
Mission # |
Mission
Credits |
98th BG
Mission # |
Mission
Debrief |
Analysis
Report |
Location |
Target |
Fly Time |
AC Tail # |
Pilot in
command |
| 24 August 1944 |
Thurs |
1 |
(1) |
287 of 417 |
|
|
Vinkovci, Yugoslavia |
Railroad Yard |
6:55 |
44-50632 |
Debottis |
| 27 August 1944 |
Sun |
2 |
(1) |
289 |
|
|
Avisio, Italy |
Viaduct |
7:30 |
44-50601 |
Debottis |
| 29 August 1944 |
Tues |
3 |
(1) |
291 |
|
Yes |
Salcano, Italy |
Railroad Bridge |
7:06 |
44-50601 |
Debottis |
| 1 Sept 1944 |
Thurs |
4 |
(1) |
293 |
Yes |
Yes |
Mitrovica, Yugoslavia |
Railroad Bridge |
4:55 |
44-50174 |
Debottis |
| 5 Sept 1944 |
Tues |
5 |
(1) |
295 |
Yes |
Yes |
Ferrara, Italy |
River Bridge |
6:40 |
44-50559 |
Debottis |
| 8 Sept 1944 |
Fri |
6 |
(1) |
297 |
Yes |
Yes |
Nis, Yugoslavia |
Marshalling Yards |
5:30 |
44-50250 |
Debottis |
| 12 Sept 1944 |
Tues |
7 |
(2) |
299 |
Yes |
Yes |
Munich, Germany |
Allach Engine Works |
9:10 |
44-50350 |
Debottis |
| 15 Sept 1944 |
Fri |
8 |
(1) |
301 |
Yes |
Yes |
Athens, Greece |
Eleusis Air Base |
6:30 |
44-40148 |
Debottis |
| One of three airfields in the area of Athens bombed on this day. The enemy was attempting a large scale evacuation of troops and supplies from Eleusis, Tatoi and Kalamari airfields. |
| 19 Sept 1944 |
Tues |
9 |
(1) |
304 |
Yes |
Yes |
Mitrovica, Yugoslavia |
RR Bridge |
4:45 |
44-50559 |
Debottis |
| Important rail link to Belgrade. Needed for withdrawal of enemy troops, B-24s keep bombing it as fast as they repair it. |
| 21 Sept 1944 |
Thurs |
10 |
(1) |
306 |
Yes |
Yes |
Baja, Hungary |
RR Bridge |
6:00 |
44-50951 |
Debottis |
| 22 Sept 1944 |
Fri |
11 |
(1) |
307 |
Yes |
Yes |
Larissa Greece |
W Marshalling Yard |
5:05 |
44-50785 |
Hubbard |
| The 98th, 376th, and 449th Bomb Groups struck the marshalling yard at Larissa, Greece, through mostly moderate, intense flak, with seventy-six B-24s. The raid cut all tracks and badly damaged a large number of freight cars, but some bombs were wide of the target. |
| 4 Oct 1944 |
Wed |
12 |
(1) |
310 |
Yes |
|
San Michele, Italy |
Marshalling Yard |
8:10 |
44-50624 |
Kohl |
| 10 Oct 1944 |
Tues |
13 |
(1) |
312 |
|
|
Vincenza, Italy |
Marshalling Yard |
6:35 |
44-50526 |
|
| 11 Oct 1944 |
Wed |
14 |
(2) |
314 |
|
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Florisdorf, Austria |
Oil Refinery |
7:10 |
44-50632 |
|
| 14 Oct 1944 |
Sat |
15 |
(1) |
317 |
|
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Maribor, Yugoslavia |
S Marshalling Yard |
7:50 |
44-50990 |
|
| Heavy and intense accurate anti-aircraft fire. Bombing results were excellent. |
| 16 Oct 1944 |
Mon |
16 |
(2) |
318 |
|
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Steyr, Austria |
St Valentine Tank Works |
9:00 |
44-50785 |
Poole |
| 23 Oct 1944 |
Mon |
17 |
(1) |
320 |
|
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Ora, Italy |
Brenner Pass |
6:45 |
44-50624 |
Poole |
| 31 Oct 1944 |
Tues |
18 |
(1) |
322 |
|
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Podgorica, Yugoslavia |
German Troops |
4:45 |
44-50559 |
Poole |
| DATE |
DAY |
JSK
Mission # |
Mission
Credits |
98th BG
Mission # |
Mission
Debrief |
Analysis
Report |
Location |
Target |
Fly Time |
AC Tail # |
Pilot in
command |
| 4 Nov 1944 |
Sat |
19 |
(2) |
324 |
Yes |
Yes |
Munich, Germany |
W Marshalling Yard |
8:50 |
44-50559 |
Kohl |
| 6 Nov 1944 |
Mon |
20 |
(2) |
326 |
Yes |
Yes |
Moosebierbaum, Austria |
Oil Refinery |
8:10 |
44-50147 |
VanSickle |
| Post mission debrief: "Some of the intense FLAK over the target consisted of incendiary rounds. Navigator Lt. Ostericher wounded. Many holes in plane. Bombardier combat clothes were on fire." |
Fate Is The Hunter: 12 November 1944 - On short notice Capt Debottis and Lt Stubbs were selected to lead 98th Bombardment Group Mission #330 to destroy the Viaduct in Avisio, Italy. Capt Debottis' normal crew were on their mid-tour R & R leave (Island of Capri) or in the hospital (Lt. Ostericher-Navigator, wounded on mission #20 the week before) so he hand picked another crew. On this 21st mission together, Capt Debottis, Lt Stubbs, and their new crew were shot down over Avisio, Italy (AC# 44-49041) just before bomb release. The B-24 L's tail was severed by an 88mm FLAK round direct hit and the crew of 12 died. Read the Witness Report and Loss Report. The three extra people in the small forward compartment may have inhibited anyone from bailing out as the Liberator spun down to the ground.
This was a terrible blow to the remaining original crew which had flown all or most of the previous 20 missions with Capt Debottis and Lt Stubbs. Engineer Tsgt John Klisenbauer and Radio Operator Tsgt Thomas Crehan had flown all of their recent missions with Capt Debittis and Lt Stubbs. Their last mission together was on 6 November 1944 (mission# 20) when Lt Ostericher was wounded. The original crewmembers were saved on this day by being on leave or wounded and unavailable to fly. Unfortunately they all had 15 more missions left to fly. 75% of bomber crews did not survive the first 25 missions. According to official Army Air Force records all remaining eight original crew members survived World War II. |
| 19 Dec 1944 |
Tues |
21 |
(2) |
353 |
|
Yes |
Rosenhiem, Germany |
Marshalling Yard |
8:50 |
44-50785 |
Kohl |
| 21 Dec 1944 |
Thurs |
22 |
(2) |
354 |
Yes |
Yes |
Rosenhiem, Germany |
Marshalling Yard |
7:35 |
44-50787 |
Poole |
| 26 Dec 1944 |
Tues |
23 |
(1) |
356 |
Yes |
Yes |
Avisio, Italy |
Viaduct |
8:10 |
44-50785 |
Rastede |
| 15 Jan 1945 |
Mon |
24 |
(2) |
362 |
|
|
Vienna, Austria |
SE Railroad Targets |
8:00 |
44-50624 |
Poole |
| 1 Feb 1945 |
Thurs |
25 |
(2) |
366 |
Yes |
|
Moosebierbaum, Austria |
Oil Refinery |
7:40 |
44-50624 |
Poole |
| 5 Feb 1945 |
Mon |
26 |
(2) |
367 |
|
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Salzburg, Austria |
Marshalling Yards |
10:30 |
44-50917 |
McCraney |
| 22 Feb 1945 |
Thurs |
27 |
(2) |
381 |
|
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Muhldorf, Germany |
Marshalling Yards |
9:00 |
44-40148 |
Poole |
| 25 Feb 1945 |
Sun |
28 |
(2) |
384 |
|
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Linz, Austria |
S Marshalling Yard |
8:30 |
44-50981 |
Poole |
| 27 Feb 1945 |
Tues |
29 |
(2) |
385 |
|
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Salzburg, Austria |
Marshalling Yard |
8:40 |
44-10559 |
McCraney |
| 1 March 1945 |
Thurs |
30 |
(2) |
387 |
|
|
Moosebierbaum, Austria |
Oil Refinery |
8:00 |
44-50442 |
Poole |
| 4 March 1945 |
Sun |
31 |
(1) |
389 |
|
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Zagreb, Yugoslavia |
Marshalling Yard |
6:55 |
44-50624 |
Poole |
| 8 March 1945 |
Thurs |
32 |
(2) |
390 |
Yes |
Yes + Loss |
Kamaron, Hungary |
Marshalling Yard |
7:40 |
44-50624 |
Poole |
| 12 March 1945 |
Mon |
33 |
(2) |
392 |
|
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Florisdorf, Austria |
Oil Refinery |
8:20 |
44-50782 |
McCraney |
| 14 March 1945 |
Wed |
34 |
(1) |
394 |
|
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Varazcin, Yugoslavia |
Railroad Bridge |
6:50 |
44-50782 |
McLenny |
| 16 March 1945 |
Fri |
35 |
(2) |
396 of 417 |
|
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Wiener-Neustadt, Austria |
Marshalling Yard |
6:45 |
44-50981 |
McLenny |
| Totals: 35 Missions, 52 Credits, 7 Months, and 258.7 Combat Flying Hours |
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After John and the crew rotated home in late March 1945 the 98th Bomb Group completed their last 21 missions of the war. Hostilities ceased in late April 1945 followed by VE day on 6 May 1945 and the official German surrender on 7 May 1945.
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The number of missions that a bomber crew member was required to fly evolved and increased from 1942 to 1945 based on the expected attrition rate. 75% of bomber crews did not survive the first 25 missions. By mid 1944 bomber crews needed 35 missions and 50 "credits" to qualify for rotation to a non-combat assignment. Subjective "credits" were assigned to each mission based on the percieved threat. Medium threat missions earned "1" credit for a successful completion. High threat missions to highly defended targets (Munich, Vienna and any refinery or aircraft factory) earned "2" credits. The 15th Air Force attrition rates in 1943 on missions to highly defended targets reached 20%. This means that a crew could only be expected to survive five missions. Losses per mission did slow down in 1945 to 4% after months of hammering enemy factories, fuel refineries and transportation infrastructure by the 15th and 8th Air Forces.Thats where the 25 mission survival max came from. It did not get much better than that. We just delivered more aircraft and crews to drop more bombs. In 1968 the U.S.Air Force produced a report on the pilot rotation requirements and the calculations of WWII. No one was very happy when the number of missions required increased in mid 1944 but what could they do. It was quickly overcome by daily events. They were too busy trying to stay alive. They volunteered to fly and fight and destroy the Germans and Japaneese and they were successful. Thats why they are called "The Greatest Generation". When it was over they went home. They just wanted to get on with life and they all knew that this was probably the most important thing that they would ever do in their life. One thing for sure, I don't think John ever liked monkeys very much after his war experience. |
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| Early in Training - May 1943 |
John with Monkey. Lecce Airfield, Italy
Camp mascot (Monkey not John) who enjoyed a few beers.
Monkey attacked John while in a drunken rage.
Lucky that John had his leather jacket on. Monkey let go
after a punch in the face. Monkey has drinking problem.
Monkey Grounded.
We'll Meet Again
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Between B-24 Missions |
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