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 360th Michaelis Crew
Arthur D. Michaelis, Pilot
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ARTHUR D. MICHAELIS CREW - 360th BS
B-17G #42-97187 Miss Umbriago (360BS) BN-I
(crew assigned 360BS: 15 Sep 1944)

(Back Row) 1Lt Arthur D. Michaelis (P)(KIA), 2Lt Danny D. Johnson (CP),
2Lt Thomas J. Lillig (N)(KIA), 2Lt William A. Schobert, Jr. (B)(KIA)

(Front Row) T/Sgt Donald E. Jones (Eng)(KIA), T/Sgt Dale E. Jensen (Rad)(KIA),
S/Sgt Harry W. Barth, Jr (BTG)(KIA), S/Sgt George C. Hlavac (WG)(POW),
S/Sgt Edward P. Healy, Jr. (TG)(KIA), Sgt Bennie W. Crosby (WG)

crewmen are not in order

Nineteen credited combat missions flown by 1Lt Arthur D. Michaelis:
213 (28 July 1944), 214, 216, 220, 221, 222, 224, 225, 226, 230, 233, 234, 238, 240, 241, 243, 246, 247, 248 (28 September 1944). For mission dates, targets and mission reports see Combat Missions.

Eleven B-17Gs flown by 1Lt Arthur D. Michaelis on his nineteen credited missions:

  • 42-97546 (P) Idaliza (360BS) PU-E - Missions 213, 246
  • 42-31340 (P) Miss Liberty (360BS) PU-D - Mission 214
  • 42-97187 (P) Minnie the Moocher (360BS) PU-M - Mission 216
  • 42-97187 (P) Miss Umbriago (360BS) PU-I - Missions 220, 225, 233
  • 42-31055 (P) Aloha (360BS) PU-J - Missions 234, 247
  • 42-97329 (P) Flak Hack (360BS) PU-H - Missions 240, 248
  • 42-31377 ---- Lonesome Polecat (359BS) BN-L - Mission 221
  • 42-37841 ---- Banshee (360BS) PU-P - Mission 222
  • 42-97861 ---- Iza Vailable III (360BS) PU-C - Mission 238
  • 43-97860 ---- (No name) (360BS) PU-L - Missions 224, 226, 241, 243
  • 43-37930 ---- (No name) (360BS) PU-F - Mission 230
    (P) See Nose Art Photos
Crew Notes:
  • 1Lt Arthur D. Michaelis (P)(KIA) - Nineteen credited missions flown: All missions flown as First Pilot. First mission (213) flown with a combat orientation CoPilot, 2Lt Victor L. Howard.

  • 2Lt Danny D. Johnson (CP)(KIA) - Ten credited missions flown: With 1Lt Michaelis (214, 216, 220, 221, 222, 224, 225, 226, 230, 233). Last mission on 27 August 1944 (Mission 233). Substitute CoPilots used on other 1Lt Michaelis' missions.

  • 2Lt Thomas J. Lillig (N)(KIA) - Twenty credited missions flown: 19 With 1Lt Michaelis (All of 1Lt Michaelis missions); With 1Lt William C. Crawford (227).

  • 2Lt William A. Schobert (B)(KIA) - Seventeen credited missions flown - All with 1Lt Michaelis - (All Michaelis missions except 246 and 247 where 2Lt Gabriel Rudolph was used as a substitute Bombardier)

  • T/Sgt Donald E. Jones (E)(KIA), T/Sgt Dale E. Jensen (R)(KIA), S/Sgt Harry W. Barth (BTG)(KIA), S/Sgt George C. Hlavac (WG)(POW) and S/Sgt Edward P. Healy, Jr. (TG)(KIA) - Nineteen credited missions flown - All with 1Lt Michaelis.

  • Sgt Bennie W. Crosby (WG) - Was deleted from the 1Lt Michaelis crew when crew size was reduced from ten to nine men. Flew no combat missions with the 303rd BG(H)
Crew Notes: Substitute crewmen used:
  • 2Lt Earl R. Huckins (CP)(KIA) - 32 credited missions flown: 7 with 1Lt Michaelis (234, 238, 240, 241, 243, 246, 247, 248); 25 with 1Lt Willard Hobbs. KIA with the 1Lt Michaelis crew on 28 September 1944 (Mission 248).

  • 2Lt Aloysius I. Sapak (CP)(POW - 2 credited missions flown: 1 with 1Lt Michaelis (247); 1 with 1Lt Victor L. Howard (248) where he became a POW on 28 September 1944.

  • 1Lt Gabriel Rudolph (B) - 31 credited missions flown: 2 with 1Lt Michaelis (246, 247); 17 with Capt Arnold P. Moselle; 2 with other Pilots. Combat tour completed on 19 February 1945 (Mission 317).
Mission Note:

Mission 248 - 28 September 1944 to Magdeburg, Germany in B-17G 42-97329 Flak Hak (360BS) PU-H. Was last reported under control, in formation, with the right wing on fire. It then plunged to the earth out of control near Bad Grund - 60 km Southwest of Wolfenbuttel, 20 km Northwest of Gosler, Germany. S/Sgt George A. Hlavac (WG) was able to bail out and became a POW. He was the only crew survivor. (Missing aircrew report 9411) The eight KIA Crewmen were buried in the Bad Grund/Harz cemetery. All but 2Lt Thomas J. Lillig (N) were later interned in the Neuville-en-Cobdrez cemetery near Liege, Belgium, in a group burial and were later transported to the USA for a Group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis,. MO, on 2 March 1950. 2Lt Thomas J. Lillig (N) is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten, Netherlands.

[photo courtesy of Col. Walter K. Shayler]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]