" On 28 November 1944, Lt Howard W. Schmitz (0-704753) and William J. Jordan were on a scheduled artillery adjustment at the town of Mersch, Germany, at coordinates F-0463. We reached our target at 1050 hours, and began circling. I was approximately 5,000 feet and Lt Schmitz was a few hundred feet above me.
We were not receiving any flak, although I could see other airplanes being shot at in practically any direction. We had circled for a few minutes while I looked for the targets on wich we were supposed to adjust. I divided my attention as best I could between the ground and the air, and everything seemed to be working out nicely.
When I first missed Lt Schmitz, I called, asking him for his location, thinking that we had marely become momentaily separated. After trying to contact him several times on "B" channel on wich we had been working, I switched to "A", hoping to get him there. But it was to no avail. I then tried both "C" and "D" channels, but received no reply. I figured that perhaps his radio had gone out and he was lost. I then proceeded to comb the air for a radius of about five miles. I called "Roselee" and asked them to try to contact Lt Schmitz. They had no success.
I then switched to "A' channel and got "Flypost" to call him. They had no success, either. By this time, I began to suspect that Lt Schmitz had been hit. I looked for his ship on the ground, but couldn't find it.
I was then advised by "Roselee" to return to my base, for they had received a message from "Convez, Yellow Section" about my wing-man, wich they could not give me over the R/T.
When I was about half way home, I was told by my home field controller that Lt Schmitz was down.
I landed at our home field at 1150 hours. It is my conviction that Lt Schmitz must have gotten a little too far away from our target, thereby putting him in range of the surrounding flak."
We were not receiving any flak, although I could see other airplanes being shot at in practically any direction. We had circled for a few minutes while I looked for the targets on wich we were supposed to adjust. I divided my attention as best I could between the ground and the air, and everything seemed to be working out nicely.
When I first missed Lt Schmitz, I called, asking him for his location, thinking that we had marely become momentaily separated. After trying to contact him several times on "B" channel on wich we had been working, I switched to "A", hoping to get him there. But it was to no avail. I then tried both "C" and "D" channels, but received no reply. I figured that perhaps his radio had gone out and he was lost. I then proceeded to comb the air for a radius of about five miles. I called "Roselee" and asked them to try to contact Lt Schmitz. They had no success.
I then switched to "A' channel and got "Flypost" to call him. They had no success, either. By this time, I began to suspect that Lt Schmitz had been hit. I looked for his ship on the ground, but couldn't find it.
I was then advised by "Roselee" to return to my base, for they had received a message from "Convez, Yellow Section" about my wing-man, wich they could not give me over the R/T.
When I was about half way home, I was told by my home field controller that Lt Schmitz was down.
I landed at our home field at 1150 hours. It is my conviction that Lt Schmitz must have gotten a little too far away from our target, thereby putting him in range of the surrounding flak."
" On 28 November 1944, Lt Howard W. Schmitz (0-704753) and William J. Jordan were on a scheduled artillery adjustment at the town of Mersch, Germany, at coordinates F-0463. We reached our target at 1050 hours, and began circling. I was approximately 5,000 feet and Lt Schmitz was a few hundred feet above me.
We were not receiving any flak, although I could see other airplanes being shot at in practically any direction. We had circled for a few minutes while I looked for the targets on wich we were supposed to adjust. I divided my attention as best I could between the ground and the air, and everything seemed to be working out nicely.
When I first missed Lt Schmitz, I called, asking him for his location, thinking that we had marely become momentaily separated. After trying to contact him several times on "B" channel on wich we had been working, I switched to "A", hoping to get him there. But it was to no avail. I then tried both "C" and "D" channels, but received no reply. I figured that perhaps his radio had gone out and he was lost. I then proceeded to comb the air for a radius of about five miles. I called "Roselee" and asked them to try to contact Lt Schmitz. They had no success.
I then switched to "A' channel and got "Flypost" to call him. They had no success, either. By this time, I began to suspect that Lt Schmitz had been hit. I looked for his ship on the ground, but couldn't find it.
I was then advised by "Roselee" to return to my base, for they had received a message from "Convez, Yellow Section" about my wing-man, wich they could not give me over the R/T.
When I was about half way home, I was told by my home field controller that Lt Schmitz was down.
I landed at our home field at 1150 hours. It is my conviction that Lt Schmitz must have gotten a little too far away from our target, thereby putting him in range of the surrounding flak."
We were not receiving any flak, although I could see other airplanes being shot at in practically any direction. We had circled for a few minutes while I looked for the targets on wich we were supposed to adjust. I divided my attention as best I could between the ground and the air, and everything seemed to be working out nicely.
When I first missed Lt Schmitz, I called, asking him for his location, thinking that we had marely become momentaily separated. After trying to contact him several times on "B" channel on wich we had been working, I switched to "A", hoping to get him there. But it was to no avail. I then tried both "C" and "D" channels, but received no reply. I figured that perhaps his radio had gone out and he was lost. I then proceeded to comb the air for a radius of about five miles. I called "Roselee" and asked them to try to contact Lt Schmitz. They had no success.
I then switched to "A' channel and got "Flypost" to call him. They had no success, either. By this time, I began to suspect that Lt Schmitz had been hit. I looked for his ship on the ground, but couldn't find it.
I was then advised by "Roselee" to return to my base, for they had received a message from "Convez, Yellow Section" about my wing-man, wich they could not give me over the R/T.
When I was about half way home, I was told by my home field controller that Lt Schmitz was down.
I landed at our home field at 1150 hours. It is my conviction that Lt Schmitz must have gotten a little too far away from our target, thereby putting him in range of the surrounding flak."
Inscription
SCHMITZ HOWARD W, 2LT 160 SQ 363 TAC RCN GP
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Minnesota.
Family Members
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
