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09.04.1945 458th BG B-24H 42-52457 Final Approach 7V-Q Abramowitiz Location: Lechfeld Germany + 3
Mission: Lechfeld, Germany.

Date: 9th April 1945

Unit: No 458th BG

Type: B-24H

Serial 42-52457 "Final Approach"

Coded: 7V-Q

Location: Lechfeld, Germany.

Pilot. 2Lt Leonard Abramowitz, POW.

Co Pilot. 2Lt Joseph E. Szalanski, POW.

Navigator. 1Lt John S. Holodak, POW.

Radio operator. T/Sgt Bernard E. Zeiler, POW.

Engineer. T/Sgt John Barrillaro, POW.

Nose Turret Gunner. Sgt Allen C. Rupp, KIA.

Waste Gunner. S/Sgt Walter H. Freeman, POW.

Waste Gunner. S/Sgt Elmer F. Grow, POW.

Tail gunner. S/Sgt Jack H. Zimpleman, POW.

REASON FOR LOSS.


On April 9, 1944 the 458th BG flew their 222nd mission to the airfield at Lechfeld, Germany. On the bomb run, ìFinal Approachî, flown by 2Lt Leonard Abramowitz, suffered a direct flak hit almost simultaneously with bomb release. 2 Engine went on fire and A/C went into power dive in attempt to smother fire. One chute came out while in power glide, A/C circled to left then pilot seemed to lose control, three more chutes
came out aircraft then went into a dive, one more chute came out before A/C broke up at 10,000 feet."
All crew members except for nose gunner Sgt Allen Rupp managed to bail out in time. According to the navigator, Lt John Holodak, he had just let Rupp out of the nose turret and the two were about to bail out when the plane blew up. At least one of the crew believes that Rupp never made it out of his turret. Holodak, Zeiler, and Freeman were wounded by flak, but received treatment on the ground and recovered.
The crew was rounded up and spent the final weeks of the war as prisoners of the Germans.

Report by S/Sgt Elmer F. Grow, Waist Gunner.
This is a full account of what happened to the best of my knowledge. A few seconds after bombs away at the target, flak hit our No. 2 engine.
We caught fire and were given orders to bail out. The tail gunner and I went out the camera hatch. The right waist [gunner] was last to leave but we never saw him again. On hitting the ground, Wehrmacht troops captured me and took me to a nearby flak battery. There I seen, pilot who had slight burns, and tail gunner who appeared OK. That night we were moved to a town and locked up for the night. There I seen co-pilot,
navigator ñ wounded, radio operator ñ wounded. The nose gunner and right waist gunner were not there and their whereabouts unknown observing from what the other members said. The only one that may know something might be the Navigator, Holidak. Although he was seriously wounded he may have been just about able to get out himself. At no other time from then, at prison camp or any time after we were liberated have I seen or heard of either of the two missing gunners.

00281a0029-a-c-rupp  00281b0029-j-s-holdak
Above left: Sgt Allen C. Rupp, Nose Turret Gunner (Photo: Craig Smith) Right: 1Lt John S. Holodak, Navigator (Photo: Mike Bailey)

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42-52457 7V-Q "Final Approach" Going down over the target.

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Nose Art on "Final Approach"

BURIAL DETAILS:

"LINK"

Allan C. Rupp Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces Service No. 33935486 752nd Bomber Squadron, 458th Bomber Group, Heavy Entered the Service from: Pennsylvania Died: 9-Apr-45 Buried at: Plot F Row 16 Grave 27 Lorraine American Cemetery St. Avold, France Awards: Purple Heart


002840029st-avold
Lorraine American Cemetery St. Avold, France

Our most sincere thanks to Darin Scorza for the use of photos and records that have enabled us to reproduce this loss page, and others in remembrance of the boys from the 458th Bomb Group.
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