Victor J. Loughnan Crew

VICTOR J. LOUGHNAN CREW - 359th BS
B-17F #42-5482 Cat O' 9 Tails (359BS) BN-W
(crew assigned 359BS: 01 July 1943 - photo: 17 July 1943)

(Back L-R) 1Lt Victor J. Loughnan (P-POW), 2Lt Winfield H. Gredvig (CP-POW),
1Lt James L. Maxwell (N-POW), 1Lt John M. Robinson (B-**)
T/Sgt Eugene W. High (E-POW)

(Front L-R) S/Sgt Billy F. Knorpp (RWG/TG-POW), S/Sgt Gordon E. Barr (LWG-POW),
T/Sgt Russell M. Daley, Jr. (R-POW), S/Sgt Kenneth L. McGee (BT-POW),
S/Sgt Leo R. McConaghy (TG-**)

** - Completed combat tour of 25 missions

Twenty-one credited combat missions flown by 1Lt Victor J. Loughnan:
48 (4 July 1943), 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 74 (4 Oct 1943). For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions.

Six B-17Fs flown by 1Lt Victor J. Loughnan on his twenty-one combat missions:

41-24695 Knockout Dropper (P) (359BS) BN-R - 4 Missions - 48, 49, 69, 70
42-5482 Cat-O-Nine Tails (P) (359BS) BN-W - 11 Missions - 50, 52, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 68
41-24565 Idaho Potato Peeler (P) (359BS) BN-P - Mission - 51
41-24416 Black Diamond Express (P) (359BS) BN-V - Mission - 56
42-29846 (No name) (359BS) BN-P - 3 Missions - 65, 73, 74
42-3029 Wallaroo (P) (359BS) BN-N - Mission - 67 (P) See Nose Art photos.

Crew Notes:

1Lt Victor J. Loughnan (P)(POW) - First mission (48) flown with the 1Lt Guy H. McClung crew. Other 20 missions flown as First Pilot.
2Lt Winfield H. Gredvig (CP)(POW) - Stood down on mission 48. Seventeen Missions flown with 1Lt Loughnan (49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 68, 73, 74). Mission 64 flown as a Photographer. Substitute CoPilots used on four missions (64, 67, 69, 70).
1Lt James L. Maxwell (N)(POW), T/Sgt Eugene W. High (E)(POW), T/Sgt Russell M. Daley, Jr. (R)(POW), S/Sgt Kenneth L. McGee (BTG)(POW), S/Sgt Billy F. Knorpp (RWG/TG)(POW), S/Sgt Gordon E. Barr (LWG)(POW) - Stood down on mission 48. Flew on the 20 other credited 1Lt Loughnan missions and no missions with other Pilots. S/Sgt Knorpp flew his last three missions as Tail Gunner (70, 73, 74) and others as Waist Gunner.
1Lt John M. Robinson (B) - Twenty-Nine Missions flown: With 1Lt Loughnan - 19 missions (All Loughnan missions except two (48, 74) when he stood down; With 1Lt John P. Manning - Three missions (80, 81, 83); With Capt George T. Mackin - 1 missions (88); With 2Lt Billy M. Goolsby - 3 missions (101, 103, 106); With 2Lt William E. Eisenhart - 2 credited missions (109 (Aborted), 110 and 111). Completed his combat tour on 22 Feb 1944 (Mission 111).
S/Sgt Leo R. McConaghy (TG) - Missions flown; With 1Lt Loughnan - 17 missions (All 1Lt Loughnan missions except four (48, 70, 73, 74) when he stood down); With 2Lt LeRoy E. Daub - 8 credited missions - As Top Turret Gunner (90, 91, 92, 93 (Aborted), 94, 96 (Aborted), 97), As Left Waist Gunner (101, 102, 103). Completed his combat tour on 3 Feb 1944 (Mission 103).

Substitute Crewmen on Mission 74:
1Lt Edward J. Pullman (B)(POW) for 1Lt John L. Robinson, Jr. (B)
S/Sgt Paul C. Robillard (RWG)(POW) for S/ Sgt Leo R. McConaghy (TG). S/Sgt Robillard also flew as the substitute Right Waist Gunner on missions 70 and 73.

Mission 74 Note:
04 October 1944, to Heiddernheim, Germany in B-17F 42-29846 (No name) (359BS) BN-P. B-17 was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Was last seen flying under control on three engines, about 12 miles South of Achen. Crewmen had tossed out their guns and one had hit the #3 engine propeller. The crew parachuted from the damaged B-17 southwest of Achen, close to the Belgian lines. All ten crewmen were captured and made POWs and taken to an German airbase near Achen. The B-17 crashed near St. Vith, Belgium. (MACR 780)

[photo courtesy of the Irue Ferguson Family]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]