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 360th Moselle Crew
Arnold P. Moselle, Pilot
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ARNOLD P. MOSELLE CREW - 360th BS
B-17G #42-97187 Miss Umbriago (360BS) PU-I
(crew assigned 360BS: 15 July 1944 - photo: 26 Aug 1944)

(Back L-R) Capt Arnold P. Moselle (P), 2Lt Kenneth H. Freeman (CP-WIA),
1Lt Gabriel Rudolph (B), 2Lt Bruce C. Stangohr (N-KIA)

(Front L-R) T/Sgt Gerald J. Groth (R), T/Sgt Donald H. Conley (E),
S/Sgt Joseph C. Bialobrzeski (WG), S/Sgt Frank J. Crawford, Jr. (BTG),
S/Sgt Jerome J. Koshar (WG)

Crewmen ranks and grades at time of last combat mission.

Thirty-One credited Combat Missions flown by Capt Arnold P. Moselle:
Twelve regular missions: 214 (29 July 1944), 215, 216, 217, 222, 223, 225, 227, 230, 234(AS), 237, 241(AS)(12 Sept 44). Nineteen Lead Crew missions: 254(Low)(9 Oct 44), 256(Low), 261(Lead), 268(High), 270(Low), 274(Low-A), 280(High-A), 286(Low), 290(Lead), 295(Low), 300(High), 304(High), 317(High), 320(Low), 328(Low), 337(High), 341(High), 345(High), 347(Low) (28 March 1945). For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions.

Crew Notes:

  • Capt Arnold P. Moselle (P) - All regular missions flown as First Pilot. Five Lead Crew missions flown as CoPilot - 261 Maj Casello (P), 286 Capt Stouse (P), 290 LtCol Raper (P), 317 Capt Stouse (P), 320 Capt O'Beirne (P). Combat tour completed on 28 March 1945.
  • 2Lt Kenneth H. Freeman (CP) - Flew on 12 missions with Capt Moselle - 214, 215, 216, 217, 222, 223, 225, 227, 230, 234, 237, 241. Wounded in both legs on mission 241 (12 Sept 1944). Was hospitalized and later removed from combat status.
  • 2Lt Bruce C. Stangohr (N) - Flew on nine missions with Capt Moselle Crew - 214, 215, 216, 217, 222, 223, 225, 227, 230. Flew on six missions with other Pilots - 237, 238, 244, 245, 247, 248. Was killed in action on mission 248, 28 Sept 1944 to Magdeburg, Germany, 2Lt Edward F. Shields (P) in B-17G #44-8330 (No name) 360BS (PU-D), MACR Number 9404. (7 Crewmen KIA & 2 POWs). Was attacked by German fighters, went into a spin and exploded. Lt Stangohr is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
  • 1Lt Gabriel Rudolph (B) - Flew on seventeen missions with the Capt Moselle Crew - 214, 215, 216, 217, 222, 223, 225, 227, 230, 234, 268, 270, 274, 280, 286, 295, 300 and fourteen missions with other Pilots - 238, 244, 247, 254, 255, 256, 262, 263, 264, 293, 295, 310, 314, 317. 31 mission combat tour completed on 19 February 1945.
  • T/Sgt Donald H. Conley (E) - Flew on all of the Capt Moselle missions except for mission 347. Combat tour completed on 24 March 1945.
  • T/Sgt Gerald J. Groth (R) - Flew on all of the Capt Moselle missions except for missions 254, 300, 317, 347. Flew on four missions with other Pilots - 250, 330, 330A, 344. Combat tour completed on 24 March 1945.
  • S/Sgt Frank T. Crawford (BTG) - Flew on twenty missions with Capt Moselle Crew - 214, 215, 216, 217, 222, 223, 225, 227, 230, 234, 237, 241, 254, 256, 261, 268, 270, 274, 280, 304. Flew on ten missions with other Pilots - 263, 271, 272, 280, 295, 300, 311, 317, 318, 324. Combat tour completed on 26 February 1945. Substitute Ball Turret Gunner used on two missions - 300 - 304. No Ball Turret Gunner used on eleven Lead Crew missions where Radar Dome replaced Ball Turret - 280, 286, 290, 295, 317, 320, 328, 337, 341, 345, 347.
  • S/Sgt Jerome J. Koshar (WG) - Flew on all of the Capt Moselle missions except for mission 300 where no Waist Gunner was used and mission 320 where a substitute Waist Gunner was used. Flew on two make-up missions with other Pilots - 330, 332.
  • S/Sgt Joseph C. Bialobrzeski (TG, WG) - Flew on the twelve Capt Moselle regular missions as Tail Gunner. On the Capt Moselle Lead Crew missions a Pilot Officer was used as a Tail Gunner/Observer. S/Sgt Bialobrzeski flew on seven Capt Moselle Lead Crew missions as Waist Gunner - 254, 256, 261, 268, 270, 274, 317 and on ten missions with other Pilots - 280, 286, 300, 304. 315, 316, 320, 330A, 332, 341. Combat tour completed on 20 March 1945.
Mission 241, 12 September 1944 to Brux, Czechoslovakia in B-17G 42-31340:
Miss Liberty 360BS (PU-D), piloted by 1Lt Moselle, lost two engines from German fighter attacks northeast of Berlin. Miss Liberty flew the entire width of Germany and over occupied countries, without escort, at 105 MPH indicated air speed. Miss Liberty, on her 93rd combat mission, ran into flak from a German battery at Boulogne, France, where a third engine was lost, and crash landed with one engine operating, at Ruxquelier, France under very difficult conditions. The substitute Bombardier 1Lt Rufe H. Parrilla, who was flying on his final combat tour mission, was seriously injured during the crash landing and was left in a Canadian Hospital in the Pas de Calais area. He died in the hospital on 15 September 1944. The crew was transferred to an RAF station in England where the CoPilot, Lt Kenneth H. Freeman, who had been wounded in both of his legs, was left. Lt Freeman was later removed from combat status. On the night of September 14th, the returned crew contacted Molesworth, requesting transportation home. Major Casello flew to the RAF airfield and returned Lt Moselle (P), Lt Mundell (N) and the enlisted crewmen to Molesworth.

[photo courtesy of Rob Koshar]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]