Rank and Name, First Lieutenant Franc Palmer Larson.
Unit/Placed in, 716th Bomber Squadron, 449th Bomber Group, Heavy, United States Army Air Force.
Franc is born on 9 Sep. 1922 in Missouri.
Father, Frank Oscar Larson.
Mother, Bessie Irene (Palmer).
Sister(s), Vida Helen, La Vaughn and Bertha Grace Larson.
Brother(s), Lewis Lavaughan Lardon.
Franc enlisted the service in California with service number # O-699429.
Franc‘s Crew-members and their position on-board the plane a B-24 were,
2nd Lt. John Sullivan Pilot
2nd Lt. Franc P. Larson Co Pilot
2nd Lt. Paul D. Teske Navigator
F/O. Ancel O. Harthold Bombardier
S/Sgt. Hans Christensen Engineer
S/Sgt. Albert V. Ilizaliturri Radio Operator
S/Sgt. John J. Mahoney Left Waist Gunner
Sgt. Milton S. Sapadin Right Waist Gunner
Sgt. Erwin J. Zuba Tail Gunner
Sgt. Robert S. Uber Nose Gunner
Franc was KIA according the Macr they were downed somewhere Monastir, most of the crew where made POW and others died on 18 Dec. 1944, he is honored with an Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Good Combat Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Franc is buried/mentioned at Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy.
Walls of the missing.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56364835/la
Thanks to, https://449th.com/
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L15P-11H
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com ww2-europe.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
WordPress en/of Wooncommerce oplossingen, https://www.siteklusjes.nl/
Military Recovery, https://www.dpaa.mil/
MISSION 182
- CHRONOLOGY
34 B-24’s took off at 0759 hours to attack Vienna/Florisdorf Oil Refinery. There wee no early returns but were 2 prior returns. 32 dropped on the target 62 tons of 500 lb RDX bombs with .1 nose and .o1 tail fusing at 1206 to 1209 hours from 23,500 to 24,500 feet. The two prior returns attacked targets of opportunity. One dropped 2 tons on Gleisdorf M/Y (4705N – 1545E) at 1125 hours from 23,000 feet and the other dropped 2 tons on R/R tracks at Pressbaum (4811N – 1606E) at 1204 hours from 24,300 feet. 32 returned to base at 1536 hours. None lost, none missing, and none at friendly fields.
There were 34 effective sorties.
- ROUTE AND ASSAULT
Rendezvoused with the 450th Group as the third group in the Wing line at Manduria on course to San Vito at 7,000 feet at 0901 hours. Proceeded from San Vito to Split (4330N – 1628E) and from Split proceeded to left of briefed course because of weather and to follwo the group ahead of this formation. At 4522N – 1552E contact was lost with the group ahead and this group proceeded to 4554N – 1538E to avoid possible flak at Zagreb and then back to briefed course at Varazdin (4618N – 1620E). From this point the briefed course was followed to Murzzuschlag (4737N -1540E) to I.P. to target, attacking the target on a heading of 53 degrees true. Bombing was done by boxes and by PFF methods as both the I.P. and the target were totally obscured by 10/10 low clouds. Rallied left to 4828N – 1603E to 4838N – 1603E to 4832N-1529E to 4737N – 1540E and then reciprocal of route out to base.
Throughout most of the route 8 to 10/10 low clouds were encountered, clearing on the north slopes of the Alps but again covering the Danube basin. 10/10 low clouds obscured the I.P. and the target, but with no middle or high level clouds. The return route was the same as the route out with no clouds near the flight level until over the Dinaric Alps. An altitude of 19,000 feet was necessary to clear clouds over the Dinaric Alps. The base on return was covered with 10/10 low clouds down to 1,500 feet with rain beneath.
Rendezvous was made with approximately 20 P-38’s at 4828N – 1623E at 1210 hours at 22,000 feet. The escort departed at 4737N – 1540E at 1305 hours at 17,500 feet.
No radio jamming was reported.
III. RESULTS
No results were observed because of the solid undercast of low clouds and no bursts are visible in the photographs because of the solid cloud cover. No results were observed of the bombings of the two targets of opportunity.
- ENEMY RESISTANCE
- Fighters: none
- Flak: Flak at the target was M-I-H. Many crews reported that the flak was from 3 to 5 miles to the right of the formation and was bursting at the tops of or in the clouds, approximately 15,000 feet below the formation.
[Losses: None. Damage: None. Casualties: None.]
