Mass, Russell C

Individual Personnel Data
Name Mass, Russell C
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-712630
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #150 dated 28 July 1944, effective 30 July 1944.
  • Transferred to a non-384th unit, per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report - Casual Pool, 70th Reinforcement Depot, AAF Station 591 , effective 14 May 1945.
Duty Navigator
MOS1034 - Navigator
Last Duty Date 14 May 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Appointed First Lieutenant (AUS) effective 13 November 1944 per 544th Squadron Morning report 19 November 1944.
  • Ordered on seven days Temporary Duty to Furzedown House, AAF Station 563 (a Flak house) on 18 December 1944 to carry out the instructions of the Commanding General per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #248 dated 17 December 1944.
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Lindberg, Gilbert R⇗PilotTR
2nd Lt. Freiman, Peter Paul⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Mass, Russell CNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Frakes, Robert Knox⇗BombardierTR
S/SGT. Greer, James Raymond⇗Radio Operator / GunnerTR
S/SGT. Phelps, Charles Harold⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerTR
SGT. Miller, Irving Leroy⇗Ball Turret GunnerCT
CPL. Sweeney, Clarence Joseph⇗Tail GunnerTR
SGT. Maas, Robert Frederick⇗Flexible GunnerTR
SGT. Stafford, Walter Edward⇗Flexible GunnerTR
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 28 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
176⇗ 9 August 1944 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany 		Navigator 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron deputy, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
177⇗ 11 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France 		Navigator 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High section deputy, high group.
Sortie Report⇗
178⇗ 12 August 1944 Target: "Landing Ground"
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: La Perthe, France 		Navigator 42‑39888⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Lead group. Turned back because the radio-compass was out.
Sortie Report⇗
179⇗ 13 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Road Network
Type: Transportation
Location: Beaumont-le-Roger (area), France 		Navigator 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group.
Sortie Report⇗
180⇗ 14 August 1944 Target: Echterdingen Airdrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Stuttgart, Germany 		Navigator 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report⇗
181⇗ 16 August 1944 Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Delitzsch, Germany 		Navigator 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
182⇗ 18 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium 		Navigator 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
183⇗ 24 August 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
184⇗ 25 August 1944 Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97150⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
195⇗ 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands 		Navigator 42‑37982⇗ Combat Mission Credit
F Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
198⇗ 25 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
C Wing, lead group. Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
199⇗ 26 September 1944 Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38615⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
200⇗ 27 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Went over target but did not release bombs due to bomb bay malfunction; bomb bay doors could not be fully opened, either electrically or manually. Returned bombs to base.
Sortie Report⇗
205⇗ 5 October 1944 Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97320⇗ Aborted Mission After Taking Off
Turned back, reason unknown.
Sortie Report⇗
209⇗ 11 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38016⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Third Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
212⇗ 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97282⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
213⇗ 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 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⇗
216⇗ 30 October 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Navigator 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 		Navigator 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 		Navigator 42‑107125⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Gee-H ship; lead Squadron deputy. Took lead for bomb run and bombing with Gee-H.
Sortie Report⇗
223⇗ 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France 		Navigator 44‑8008⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Division lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
224⇗ 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 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 		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⇗
229⇗ 25 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8401⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; landed away at Aldermaston.
Sortie Report⇗
234⇗ 2 December 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany 		Navigator 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⇗
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⇗
259⇗ 22 January 1945 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade, Germany 		Navigator 42‑38208⇗ Weather aircraft.
Sortie Report⇗
261⇗ 28 January 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead; PFF and Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
312⇗ 16 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Regensburg, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8401⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
313⇗ 17 April 1945 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany 		Navigator 42‑98027⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗
316⇗ 25 April 1945 Target: Skoda Armament Works
Type: Industry
Location: Pilsen / Plzeň, Czechoslovakia 		Navigator 44‑8923⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron Lead. PFF & Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report⇗

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