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Memories from the Out House Mouse - The Personal Diaries of One B-17 Crew

by G. Robert Harvey

202 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0336; ISBN 1-55369-523-2; US$21.50, C$25.00, EUR17.50, £12.50

The collected personal diaries of one B-17 bomber crew.

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about the book      about the author      reviews      sample excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book The following are the combined personal diaries of the last World War II combat flight crew of the Boeing B-17-F Flying Fortress named "Out House Mouse". Each of these diaries has been transcribed from the original or from a first generation copy of the original provided to me by the crewmember or his immediate family. My father was 1Lt. E.J. ("Joe") Harvey, the pilot on this crew and it was the transcription of his diary that began this project. Lt. Harvey's notes were hand-printed in block capital letters and an effort has been made to retain that personality in this transcription. For each combat mission, Lt. Harvey also included carefully cut and folded newspaper accounts, which have also been transcribed and where possible, the source newspaper identified. An effort has been made to duplicate the newsprint type, column size and position as much as possible to retain the look of his original diary. From his diary, I learned the names of the other members of his crew and their hometown at that time. Using that information, I've been able to locate all the members of the crew or their family. Six others have provided me with copies of their diary for which I am most grateful and I have included transcriptions of these diaries in this combined record. Because Lt. Harvey provided an entry for every day, even when not flying, and because his diary covers the greatest period of time, from the first of January through the middle of June 1945, his diary provides the date stamp and serves as the basis for all of the other records. This combined chronological record includes the seven available records of all 9 members of this last combat crew of the "Out House Mouse". Thus, this record includes the diary of 2Lt. Phil Darby, the co-pilot, provided by Mr. Darby; the diary of 2Lt. Marty Raber, the bombardier who actually sent me his original diary and his scrapbook for my use in preparing this book; the diary of 2Lt. Paul Katz, the navigator for the crew, provided by his wife, Joan Katz; the diary of S/Sgt Niel C. Jorgenson, the crew's flight engineer, which has been provided by his daughter, Ms. Susan Lunt who also provided the computer scans of the photographs of the flight crew and their signatures at the beginning of this book. The remaining records are the "Mission Sheets" of the ball turret gunner, S/Sgt George H. Odenwaller and the diary of the tail-gunner S/Sgt Walter M. Limberger. Both of these gentlemen provided me with a hand-written reproduction of their diary. The last record of course is that of Lt. Harvey from which all of this has grown. Following the entries of the pilot and co-pilot, the entries from the other five diaries are arranged in a nose-to-tail order of that crewmember's position aboard the "Out House Mouse". Each of these records is separated from the others by a break line (----) with each contributing member identified. In addition, the individual contributions also use a different type font. A sincere effort has been made to replicate the handwriting and format the diarist used in each of the original records. For example, while most of the diary authors established a format for reporting the specific important facts of their missions and recorded these facts in hand-printed letters, Paul Katz wrote his diary in long-hand using a narrative style and addressed it to his wife, Joan. Consequently, for Lt. Katz, I chose a script font to replicate the transcription of his diary. "Mission days" are preceded by a small pilot's wing prior to the diary date and conclude with the transcription of the newspaper account (or accounts) that Lt. Harvey had so carefully cut, folded, and pasted into his diary. Photographs from these articles have been electronically scanned and reproduced here.

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About the Author As a small boy, Robert Harvey's interest in the small red leather diary with the brass buckle was usually met with a slap on the hands and the admonishment that he would be told about the book when he was old enough to understand. As stated in his introduction, his father died before Bob was able to learn the facts of the book first hand, but through his research and the collection of the diaries of the other members of his father's B-17 crew, that small book is now available to anyone interested enough to open the cover of this book. Those who do will be able to see and read the combined recollections of this one crew exactly as they were written immediately following their missions over Germany. Born in Boone, Iowa in April 1945, Bob is the second of four children. Following his active duty services in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, Bob graduated as an electrical engineer and has worked for a major west coast untility company for over 30 years. He currently lives in northern California.

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Reviews

"Among the things Joe Harvey left his son Robert when he died was a thumb-sized chunk of shrapnel, a worn, red diary from early 1945, and unanswered questions on his time as a bomber pilot over Europe during World War II.

"More than 50 years later, Harvey began turning the yellowed, brittle pages of his father's diary and transcribing the hand-written, block-letter entries. They covered the period from the time he left flight training in Lincoln, Neb., on Jan.1,1945, through heart-stopping missions into Germany with the Air Force's 91st Bomb Group, past V-E Day, and into the middle of June 1945."

-from an article by Gus Thomson in the Auburn Journal 11/10/02

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Sample Excerpts

APRIL 17

BREAKFAST AT 6:50, BRIEFING AT 750. OFF TO DRESDEN, GERMANY. BOMBED MARSHALLING YARDS WITH 12-500# BOMBS. 12 GROUPES WENT IN ON YARDS. FLAK MODERATE AND ACCURATE. POPPED UP EVERYWHERE. GOT A FEW FLAK HOLES. FIGHTER (262's) HIT OUR SQD. NO SHIPS LOST BUT A LOT OF CASUILTIES[sic]. OUR ELEMENT GOT THREE FIGHTERS ON OUR TAIL. ELEMENT LEADER GOT HIT BAD, BALL TURRET DIRECT HIT AND GUNNER FELL OUT OF TURRET. HIS TAIL GUNNER ALSO HIT BAD BUT ALIVE I THINK. MY UPPER LOCAL GUNNER LET GO A BURST OF 400 RDS. ALL MY GUNNERS SHOT UP THE FIGHTER.
MISSION 9-1/2 HRS LONG.

MISSION #25 COMPLETE

THANK GOD WE ARE HOME !

[The limited personal comments in Lt. Harvey's diary emphasize the few he does make. This mission must have been hell ! Some minor notes: Due to the small space, ball turret gunners could not wear their parachute while in the turret making the scene potentially even more horrific to witness. "My upper local gunner" would have been S/Sgt. Niel Jorgenson, the flight engineer. From his normal position between and behind the pilot and co-pilot, the engineer could turn and stand to operate the top turret gun during aerial combat. - grh]

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From the diary of Lt. Phil Darby:

Mission #17
Dresden - I'll never forget it. Me262's hit our element just after we left the target. A sight that will live in my mind forever; that ball turret gunners limp body hanging from his safety belt and swinging in the air. Finally it dropped, and he didn't have a chance (no chute). The tail gunner also hit. The "Jet" that had us singled out broke away under the hail of fire from Jorgenson and Limberger. [flight engineer on the top turret and the tail gunner - grh] Flak was heavy and accurate. Our ship was "Anxious Angel". "Out House Mouse" is getting an engine change.

[Per The Ragged Irregulars, pg. 223, "Anxious Angel" was assigned to the 401st - tail number 338035 - grh]

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From the diary of Lt Paul Katz:

Number 24 today Our target was a marshaling [sic] yard at Dresden I saw a boy die today It was the first (and I hope the last) time I actually saw anyone killed We reached our objective on time and then it happened They through [sic] up everything they had at us Flak and Jet fighters We got out of the Flak alright but these jets made a pass at our element J-Jig [apparently the name of the aircraft - grh] who was leading our element was hit. Two 37mm shells hit it One in the tail and one in the ball turret The one that hit the ball turret smashed it open and got the gunner He fell out but his leg got hung up and he lay there dangling in the air dead for about three minutes The vibrations and air finally shook him loose and he fell the 21,000 feet [to] the ground It was horrible I will remember how he looked as long as I can remember We finally got back to the base without any casualties.

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From the diary of S/Sgt Niel Jorgenson:

Sixteenth Mission

Target - Dresden, Germany

Flak - Heavy over target
Fighters - ME-262's made pass 07:30 high in a pursuit curve. Shot 400 rds. One burst stopped him & two 51's jumped him.

Damage - None
Altitude - 21,000 Ft.

Troubles - None

Ships Name - "Anxious Angel" - 401st

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"Mission Sheet" of S/Sgt George Odenwaller

MISSION: #23
TARGET: DRESDEN
FLAK: MODERATE
FIGHTERS: ME-262's
DAMAGE: NONE
TAKE-OFF: 09:45
LANDED: 19:30
T.T: 9 HOURS - 45 MIN
OXYGEN TIME: 4 HOURS
BOMB LOAD: 12 500 LB. G.P.'s
ALT: 21,000 FT
SHIP No: 636
TEMP: - 36 F..

A BUSY ONE TODAY - SOME FLAK - VERY ACCURATE OVER TARGET: AFTER BOMBS AWAY & ON OUR 180 TURN LEFT, 3 ME-262's HIT OUR ELEMENT - THE LEAD A/C HAD IT'S BALL TURRET GUNNER BLOWN OUT OF HIS TURRET BY 30mm CANNON - THE TAIL GUNNER ALSO WAS GONE - THIS A/C WAS RIGHT NEXT TO US - I BELIEVE I GOT ONE OF THE 163's - AS HE WAS SMOKING AS HE WENT UNDER ME: I COULD SEE HIS FACE LOOK UP AT ME AS HE WENT BY UNDER ME - WAS HIT AGAIN BY THE ME 262's A MOMENTS LATER. THIS TME CHASED BY P-51's. OUR LEAD B-17G WAS "BLOOD & GUTS", A/C No. 48324 OF THE 401st BOMB SQD, CODE LL-R WE MADE IT BACK O.K. !

NOTE: THESE ME 262's ATTACKED US FROM 6 O'CLOCK LEVEL - VERY FAST A/C.

[S/Sgt. Odenwaller states that "the lead a/c...was right next to us" and gives the name of the aircraft as "Blood & Guts". In a conversation with Phil Darby, the co-pilot, he stated that the plane was on "his side" thus it would have been on the right side of the "Anxious Angel" making them the left wing-man of the lead a/c "Blood & Guts". With the close formations flown by the B-17's, they would have been little more than a wing-length away from "Blood & Guts" during this attack. NOTE: In his book, Plane Names & Fancy Noses, Ray Bowden lists this aircraft name and tail number as "Blood 'n' Guts".

More information from George follows the diary entry of S/Sgt Limberger below. - grh]

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From the diary of S/Sgt Walter Limberger:

#23
Target - Dresden, Ger.
Fla - Moderate
Fighters - ME 262's
Damage - None
Take Off - 0945 hrs
Landed - 1930 hrs
Total Time - 9 hrs 45 min
Oxygen - 4 hrs
Bombs - 12-500 lb G. P.'s
Ship # - 035 Anxious Angel
Temp - -30 degrees

Thought we had it today. Plenty of flak, but didn't get hit - very accurate though. After bombs away, 3 jets jumped our 3 plane element. I fired without hitting the one on my tail section. My guns jammed several times still not able to score a hit on him. Top turret Neil Jorgenson was firing also as the 262 went down underneath us. The plane next to us was hit hard. Ball turret gunner was hit with 30 millimeter cannon fire and blasted completely out of the turret and tail gunner also wounded but still alive. Later, another lone fighter came on my tail. Still my guns wouldn't fire properly. Found out later after mission that brass on ammunition clips were corroded due to dampness in U.K. 2 P-51's came at the fighters. Don't know if they got him. I thank the Lord we got back without a scratch.

[George Odenwaller provided me a copy of a draft letter he wrote April 6, 1996 where he related some of his combat flying experiences. The following further describes this mission:

"I know I got one and possibly two ME-262's - both came around from the 6 o'clock level [behind - grh] together and at about 600 yard out. As I fired, the a/c on the left blew out black smoke and then at about 300 yards out the a/c on the right belched black smoke and fire in his port [left] engine. [He] flew right under me while looking up at me - I saw his face. As I wheeled the turret to the left to follow them, both broke left and dived away.

When I came back around right, I got a look at the a/c flying on our starboard [right] - it was "Blood 'N Guts" a/c No. 48324, LL-R of the 401st B.S. [bomb squadron]. The tail gunner's guns were pointing in 2 different directions, the rear window was blown in and no tail gunner to be seen.

Then I saw the ball turret: the 2-inch thick glass plate was apparently blown into the gunner who was then blown out the back of the turret - empty with the headset and heated suit electric cables trailing out the front of the ball - gunner gone.

We both were targets [but] Lindy and I didn't get hit." - grh]

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Catalogue Information

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