When I decided to include some “taxi sheets” in the original report, I had only a few and thought that I would put them in for illustrative purposes. Now, I believe that Dave Garnham and I have around 100, and we are including quite a few of them plus a list of all that we have showing donors. One might question whether it is appropriate to include so many, but they are not presented elsewhere, so why not here? Dave Garnham has done a magnificent job of typing them, adding mission notes, correcting typos, researching inconsistencies, etc. As the taxi sheets do not scan very well, each needs to be typed, which is very time-consuming. As I said, I had included some taxi sheets in the original printed report, and I must correct a gross error in the original report. Dave brought to my attention that what I had thought was the Clarion taxi sheet was actually the taxi sheet for Mission #265 on 22 Mar 45, so if you see a reference to the Clarion taxi sheet, I have overlooked it in error.
In looking at these new taxi sheets from Dave, I found a couple of things that completely confused me until Dave straightened me out. I noticed that there were many Captains and many of the pilots were not in my database. Fortunately, Dave was able to explain the situation to me. Apparently, when the 391st first began operations, a number of experienced pilots and crews (89 officers and 97 enlisted men from the 322nd, 323rd, 386th, and 387th) were assigned temporarily to fly with the group and help it get a good start in combat operations. This explanation undoubtedly accounts for the large number of Captains and the new names. I did not arrive until September, 1944, and so had no first-hand knowledge of this.
We should remember that there is a crew associated with each pilot and airplane on a taxi sheet. If pilot Jones flew a mission, his crew flew with him unless there was some very good reason for the crew or an individual not to do so. Having these taxi sheets included may help someone to reconstruct a crewman’s combat history.
Immediately following and before the first taxi sheet, there is a list of all of the taxi sheets that we have (not all are included yet), showing the donor of each taxi sheet. The mission date comes from the taxi sheet itself, but for the mission number and target, we are indebted to several sources, including Hugh Walker’s softback history.
The taxi sheets show the pilot (and usually the bombardier for lead aircraft), partial aircraft number and opcode, parking location, and formation position for the specified missions. The reader may ask, “Why are these called Taxi Sheets?” The proper takeoff and join-up of 36 or 54 aircraft demanded strict adherence to procedure. A pilot, knowing the procedure and knowing where the various airplanes were parked, could determine from the taxi sheet which airplane he must follow onto the taxiway and which airplane(s) he must let onto the taxiway ahead of his airplane in order to be in proper sequence for takeoff.
A taxi sheet shows the pilots’ names and the aircraft alignment by Box and Flight. A normal mission consisted of 36 aircraft arrayed in two Boxes of 18 aircraft each. A Box consisted of three flights of 6 ships each: a Lead Flight, a High Flight (on the right), and a Low Flight (on the left). Normally, a flight consisted of airplanes and crews from one squadron, but there were rare exceptions. You will note that the normal arrangement, before moving to France, was for each Box to be manned by one squadron; after moving to France, the arrangement was for one squadron to man the lead and high flights of the 1st Box; a second squadron manned the lead and high flights of the 2nd Box; and a third squadron manned the low flights of both boxes. Under the ops rotation scheme implemented in France (described earlier), one squadron was off ops at any time for two days, as was the 572nd on Dec 23, 1944, the day of the Ahrweiler mission.
A “Maximum Effort” mission included a third Box and thus numbered 54 aircraft.
A “Pathfinder” mission usually consisted of 30 aircraft, as the lead flights had only 3 aircraft each.
I have indicated the squadron for each flight by putting the squadron number after the lead pilot’s name.
I believe that the effects of the Ahrweiler mission were felt for months, with the three affected squadrons short of qualified crews and lead crews. As an example, refer to the taxi sheet for Mission 245 on 4 March 1945. Chatellier of the 572nd led the low flight of the 1st Box; the other five aircrews in the flight were from the 574th. Richmond, in the slot position, was a Major, but only recently arrived. Transition to the A-26 may have further complicated scheduling.
Unfortunately, some of the taxi sheets were very difficult to read in spots. For example, I was unable to identify the pilot flying No. 5 position in the 2nd box, High Flight, of the Bitburg mission, #206, on 25 Dec 44.
The taxi sheets prepared by Dave Garnham are somewhat different in appearance from mine. Dave’s taxi sheets begin with Mission No. 4, and continue through Mission No. 137. Because the taxi sheet file had become so large, I have broken it up into three files, 1st half of 1944, second half of 1944, and 1945.
I haven't been able to get the mission sketches to show in an .htm taxi file, so they are shown as separate picture files.
Some of the airplanes are "out of position," especially in the second half of 1944, and I have not been able to solve the problem. I started through the file, putting each airplane entry in a table, thinking that this would lock them in position. When I open the file with Microsoft Word, they are in position, but on the Internet, they must be opened by the browser and are not all in position. I am working on it! (ADDENDUM: This problem has been resolved on the new website !)
Mission number | Station | Date | Target | Type | Country | Taxi Sheet | Website | Donor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
40 | 166 | 28 Apr 1944 | Creil | Marshaling Yard | France | X | View | Holliday |
-41 | 166 | 29 Apr 1944 | Mission not flown | Holliday | ||||
43 | 166 | 1 May 1944 | Douai | Marshaling Yard | France | X | View | Mynn/Ethel Bush |
44 | 166 | 1 May 1944 | Valenciennes | Marshaling Yard | X | View | Mynn/Ethel Bush | |
45 | 166 | 2 May 1944 | Valenciennes | Marshaling Yard | X | View | Holliday | |
47 | 166 | 7 May 1944 | Mezieres/Charleville | Marshaling Yard | X | View | Holliday | |
48 | 166 | 7 May 1944 | Le Mans | A/C Repair Plant | France | X | View | Holliday |
53 | 166 | 10 May 1944 | Mons | Marshaling Yard | Belgium | X | View | Holliday |
54 | 166 | 10 May 1944 | Douai | Marshaling Yard | France | X | View | Holliday |
60 | 166 | 15 May 1944 | Evreux/Fauville | Airfield | X | View | Holliday | |
61 | 166 | 19 May 1944 | Fecamp | Coastal Guns | France | X | View | Holliday |
65 | 166 | 22 May 1944 | Beaumont-Le-Roger | Airfield | France | X | View | Holliday |
70 | 166 | 26 May 1944 | Poissy | Bridge | X | View | Holliday | |
71 | 166 | 27 May 1944 | St. Pierre du Vauvray | RR Bridge | X | View | Holliday | |
72 | 166 | 27 May 1944 | Maisons-Lafitte | Bridge | X | View | Holliday | |
77 | 166 | 30 May 1944 | Mantes-Gassicourt | Bridge | X | View | Holliday | |
78 | 166 | 31 May 1944 | Courcelles-Sur-Seine | Bridge | France | X | View | Holliday |
81 | 166 | 3 Jun 1944 | Mont Fleury | Coastal Guns | X | View | Holliday | |
82 | 166 | 4 Jun 1944 | Gravelines | Coastal Guns | X | View | Mynn/Ethel Bush | |
84 | 166 | 6 Jun 1944 | Benerville, Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, and Maisy | Coastal Guns | France | X | View | Holliday |
86 | 166 | 7 Jun 1944 | Aigremont | Coastal Guns | France | X | Holliday | |
87 | 166 | 7 Jun 1944 | Briouze | RR Sidings | France | X | View | Holliday |
88 | 166 | 8 Jun 1944 | Valognes | RR Junction | X | View | Walker | |
90 | 166 | 10 Jun 1944 | La Pernelle; Coastal Defense Battery and Radar Station at Aigremont. | Nav. Beam Station | France | X | View | Holliday |
92 | 166 | 11 Jun 1944 | Nantes-Gassicourt | Highway Bridge | X | Holliday | ||
93 | 166 | 12 Jun 1944 | Granville | Coastal Guns | France | X | View | Holliday |
96 | 166 | 14 Jun 1944 | Gallardon's Pont | RR Junctn/Sidngs | X | View | Holliday | |
-99 | 166 | 18 Jun 1944 | Mission not flown | Holliday | ||||
99 | 166 | 18 Jun 1944 | Foret d'Andaine | Fuel & Ammo Dump | X | View | Mynn/Ethel Bush | |
100 | 166 | 20 Jun 1944 | Predefin and La Belle Hotesse | V-1 Base | X | View | Walker, Holliday | |
101 | 166 | 21 Jun 1944 | Le Grismont | V-1 Base | X | View | Holliday | |
102 | 166 | 21 Jun 1944 | Erny/St. Julien | V-1 Base | X | View | Mynn/Ethel Bush | |
-105 | 166 | 23 Jun 1944 | No mission this date | Mynn/Ethel Bush | ||||
108 | 166 | 5 Jul 1944 | Senonches | Fuel & Ammo Dump | France | X | View | Mynn/Ethel Bush |
109 | 166 | 6 Jul 1944 | Maintenon | Viaduct | X | View | Holliday | |
120 | 166 | 23 Jul 1944 | Foret de Conches | Fuel Dump | X | View | Holliday | |
121 | 166 | 24 Jul 1944 | Laval | RR Viaduct | France | X | View | Holliday |
122 | 166 | 25 Jul 1944 | St. Lo | Close Support | X | View | Holliday | |
123 | 166 | 26 Jul 1944 | Marigny | NA-Weather | X | View | Holliday | |
124 | 166 | 28 Jul 1944 | Grosley-sur-Risle | RR Bridge | X | View | Holliday | |
127 | 166 | 31 Jul 1944 | Nantes | RR Bridge | France | X | View | Holliday |
128 | 166 | 1 Aug 1944 | Bourth | RR Bridge | France | X | View | Holliday |
131 | 166 | 5 Aug 1944 | Le Mans | RR Bridge | France | X | View | Holliday |
133 | 166 | 6 Aug 1944 | Courtalain | RR Bridge | France | X | View | Holliday |
137 | 166 | 8 Aug 1944 | Anizy Le Chateau | RR Bridge | France | X | View | Holliday |
138 | 166 | 8 Aug 1944 | Perrone | RR Bridge | X | Holliday | ||
139 | 166 | 10 Aug 1944 | Anizy Le Chateau | RR Bridge | France | X | Holliday | |
143 | 166 | 13 Aug 1944 | Lisieux | Road Junction | X | Holliday | ||
144 | 166 | 13 Aug 1944 | Cherisy | RR Bridge | France | X | Holliday | |
145 | 166 | 14 Aug 1944 | Mezieres | RR Junction | X | Holliday | ||
149 | 166 | 17 Aug 1944 | Massandres | Road Bridge | X | Holliday | ||
150 | 166 | 18 Aug 1944 | Valenton | Fuel Dump | X | Holliday | ||
154 | 166 | 27 Aug 1944 | Vucy les Pierrpoint | Fuel Dump | X | Bischoff | ||
155 | 166 | 30 Aug 1944 | Ile de Cezembre | Troop Center | X | Bischoff | ||
158 | 166 | 3 Sep 1944 | Brest | Harbor Area | France | X | Holliday | |
159 | 166 | 5 Sep 1944 | Ostend | Leaflet Drops | Belgium & N. France | X | Holliday | |
161 | 166 | 6 Sep 1944 | Brest | Strongpoints | France | X | Holliday | |
162 | 166 | 6 Sep 1944 | Brest | Strongpoints | France | X | Holliday | |
-163 | 166 | 9 Sep 1944 | Mission not flown (Brest) | Bischoff/Holliday | ||||
163 | 166 | 10 Sep 1944 | Custines & Pompey | Close Support | France | X | View | Holliday |
164 | 166 | 11 Sep 1944 | Brest | Coastal Guns | France | X | View | Holliday |
165 | 166 | 12 Sep 1944 | Scheid | Siegfried Line | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
166 | 166 | 12 Sep 1944 | Chaligny, Foret de Haye | Gun Positions | France | X | Bischoff | |
167 | 166 | 14 Sep 1944 | Brest, Camaret, Crozon | Strongpoints | France | X | View | Holliday |
168 | 166 | 16 Sep 1944 | Bath | Dike & Rail Line | Holland | X | Bischoff | |
170 | A-73 | 23 Sep 1944 | Duren | ?? | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
171 | A-73 | 27 Sep 1944 | Foret de Parroy | ?? | X | View | Holliday | |
172 | A-73 | 29 Sep 1944 | Webenheim | Siegfried Line | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
173 | A-73 | 2 Oct 1944 | Ubach | Siegfried Line | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
-175 | A-73 | 6 Oct 1944 | Mission not flown | Holliday | ||||
175 | A-73 | 7 Oct 1944 | Euskirchen | Supply Depot | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
177 | A-73 | 12 Oct 1944 | Gravenbeuch | RR Bridge | Germany | X | Holliday | |
-179 | A-73 | 14 Oct 1944 | No mission this date (note #1) | Bischoff/Holliday | ||||
181 | A-73 | 2 Nov 1944 | Bullay | RR Bridge | Germany | X | Holliday | |
182 | A-73 | 3 Nov 1944 | Morschied | RR Bridge | X | View | Bischoff | |
-183 | A-73 | 5 Nov 1944 | Mission not flown | Sink | ||||
185 | A-73 | 11 Nov 1944 | Euskirchen | RR Bridge | Germany | X | View | Bischoff |
188 | A-73 | 19 Nov 1944 | Sinzig | RR Bridge | X | Bischoff | ||
192 | A-73 | 29 Nov 1944 | Elsburg | ?? | X | View | Bischoff | |
196 | A-73 | 5 Dec 1944 | Oberzier | Defended Village | X | Bischoff | ||
197 | A-73 | 9 Dec 1944 | Baumholder | Barracks | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
198 | A-73 | 10 Dec 1944 | Huchem | Defended Village | X | Bischoff | ||
202 | A-73 | 15 Dec 1944 | Harperscheid | Defended Village | X | Bischoff | ||
203 | A-73 | 23 Dec 1944 | Ahrweiler | RR Viaduct | Germany | X | View | Walker |
204 | A-73 | 23 Dec 1944 | Neuerburg | Defended Village | X | View | Mazurk, Bischoff | |
205 | A-73 | 24 Dec 1944 | Konz Karthaus | RR Bridge | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
206 | A-73 | 25 Dec 1944 | Bitburg | Comm Center | Germany | X | View | Main, Bischoff |
207 | A-73 | 25 Dec 1944 | Taben | RR Bridge | X | View | Main | |
208 | A-73 | 26 Dec 1944 | Badmunster | RR Bridge | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
209 | A-73 | 1 Jan 1945 | Salm Chateau | Comm Center | Belgium | X | View | Main |
210 | A-73 | 14 Jan 1945 | Bullay | Bridge | Germany | X | View | Bischoff |
212 | A-73 | 22 Jan 1945 | Gerolstein | Supply Depot | X | View | Bischoff | |
214 | A-73 | 28 Jan 1945 | Eller | RR Bridge | X | View | Mazurk | |
215 | A-73 | 29 Jan 1945 | Blankenheim | Supply & Comm. Center | Germany | X | View | Bischoff |
219 | A-73 | 6 Feb 1945 | Near Borfink | ?? | X | View | Bischoff | |
223 | A-73 | 10 Feb 1945 | Bergisch Gladbach | Motor Depot | Germany | X | View | Mazurk |
236 | A-73 | 24 Feb 1945 | Zulpich | Comm Center | X | Bischoff | ||
238 | A-73 | 25 Feb 1945 | Niederscheid | RR Bridge | X | Bischoff | ||
241 | A-73 | 2 Mar 1945 | Sinnern | RR Bridge | X | Bischoff | ||
243 | A-73 | 3 Mar 1945 | Wiesbaden | Ordnance Depot | Germany | X | View | Bischoff |
244 | A-73 | 3 Mar 1945 | Schwelm | Transport Center | X | Bischoff | ||
245 | A-73 | 4 Mar 1945 | Rechlinghausen | ?? | X | View | Mazurk | |
247 | A-73 | 6 Mar 1945 | Siegburg | Storage Depot | X | View | Crumal | |
251 | A-73 | 11 Mar 1945 | Ettingshausen (note #2) | Luftwaffe Airfield | X | View | Bischoff | |
255 | A-73 | 14 Mar 1945 | Babenhausen | Luftwaffe Airfield | Germany | X | View | Mazurk, Crumal, |
261 | A-73 | 18 Mar 1945 | Bad Durkheim | Comm. Center | Germany | X | View | Bischoff |
265 | A-73 | 22 Mar 1945 | Coesfeld | Comm. Center | Germany | X | View | Bischoff, Crumal |
-273 | A-73 | 27 Mar 1945 | Mission not flown (Ruthen, Oil Storage) | Bischoff | ||||
277 | A-73 | 3 Apr 1945 | Hameln | Marshaling Yard | Germany | X | Bischoff | |
284 | A-73 | 10 Apr 1945 | Probably Zwickau (note #2) | RR Yard (A-26s) | X | Bischoff | ||
291 | Y-29 | 24 Apr 1945 | Landau | Airfield | Germany | X | Bischoff |
NOTES:
#1 Taxi sheet lineup probably used for next day's mission to Konz Karthaus RR bridge.
#2 Taxi sheet says Worms marshalling yard.
#3 Not in history book (NB not annotated in original webpage !).