The James M. McBroom crew: 710th Squadron
Rattlesden, undated — McBroom/Jepson crew, 710th
| Back Row L-R: |
| Lt. Van Dyke Jones |
| Lt. James McBroom |
| Lt. Charles Jepson |
| Lt. Dan D. Smith |
| Front Row L-R: |
| Cpl. John Schaeffer |
| Cpl. Stephen Ottman |
| Cpl. Kirk Richards |
| Cpl. Leland Kirby |
| Cpl. Norman Jones |
| N/A | RTU: Drew Field, FL |
| N/A | Transit Station, Kearney AAB |
| N/A | In Transit (by air) |
| 11/44 – 05/45 | 710th Squadron, Rattlesden, UK Special Order No. 259 |
| Missions flown: 35 | |
Flights with James M. McBroom listed as Pilot
These lists are NOT limited to officially credited Combat missions, and may include Aborts, returns and non-takeoff occurrences as well.
| 447th Mission (Date) | Target | Plane Number | Notes |
| #240 (24-Mar-45) | Varrelsbusch, Germany | 43-39054 | |
| #241 (28-Mar-45) | Hannover, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #242 (30-Mar-45) | Hamburg, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #243 (31-Mar-45) | Salzwedel, Germany | 44-8502 | |
| #245 (04-Apr-45) | Kiel, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #246 (05-Apr-45) | Nuremberg, Germany | 43-39189 | |
| #247 (07-Apr-45) | Schwerin, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #248 (08-Apr-45) | Plauen, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #249 (09-Apr-45) | Neuburg, Germany | 43-38712 | |
| #250 (10-Apr-45) | Brandenburg, Germany | 43-38712 | |
| #251 (11-Apr-45) | Ingolstadt, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #254 (16-Apr-45) | Royan, France | 44-6958 | |
| #255 (17-Apr-45) | Dresden, Germany | 44-6958 | |
| #257 (20-Apr-45) | Neuruppin, Germany | 44-6958 |
The Jepson crew at Drew Field in 1944
Lt. Charles H. Jepsen; original pilot, Washington |
 Lt. James M. McBroom; Co-Pilot/Pilot, Mississippi |
Lt. Van Dyke Jones; Bombardier, New Jersey |
Lt. Dan D. Smith; Navigator, Illinois |
Cpl. Stephen W. Ottman; Top Turret Gunner & Engineer, New York |
Cpl. John J. Schaeffer; Ball Turret Gunner, California |
Cpl. Norman E. Jones; Radio Operator & Right Waist Gunner, Georgia |
Cpl. Kirk M. Richards; Left Waist Gunner, California |
Cpl. Leland M. Kirby; Tail Gunner, California |
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Richards and McBroom with 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II sometime between January 8 and March 24, 1945.
Jersey Bounce II after a wheels-up landing on March 24, 1945. Briefly described in the Engineering Report for March, 1945
See the growing collection of Lucky Bastard’s Club certificates from the 447th BG.
See also Jepson crew page
Combat Missions (previously compiled)
| No. | DATE | TARGET | AIRCRAFT | COMMENTS (from James McBroom’s diary) |
| 178 | 11/26/44 | HAMM | 42-97803 | R.R. Yards- Moderate, accurate flak. No fighters, no damage, no losses Temp 46° |
| 179 | 11/27/44 | BINGEN | 43-38524 Blonde Bomber II | R.R. Yards. Slight, inaccurate flak. No fighters, no damage, no losses. |
| 180 | 11/30/44 | LUTZKENDORF | 44-6595 | R.R. Yards – moderate, inaccurate flak, fighters – Buthe lost over target, no damage. |
| 181 | 12/04/44 | MAINZ | 42-97819 | R.R. Yards – Moderate, inaccurate flak, no fighters, very bad weather in target area, No damage or losses. |
| 182 | 12/06/44 | MERSEBURG | 42-97819 | (Jepson flew w/o McBroom) |
| 186 | 12/15/44 | HANOVER | 42-97819 | R.R. Yards – Moderate, inaccurate flak, no fighters, very bad weather in target area, No damage or losses. |
| 187 | 12/18/44 | MAINZ | 42-97819 | R.R. Yards – Slight, accurate flak. Bombed in overcast at 28,000. No losses, weather bad at home field, though. |
| 188 | 12/24/44 | BABENHAUSEN | 42-97819 | Airfield – Heavy, accurate flak at enemy lines. Krug went down, we got hit at 5015 N. – 0612 E. No. 1 out and on fire and wouldn’t feather, No.3 supercharger & throttle gone, No.4 very bad vibration, hydraulic system out, two command receivers out, left waist oxygen system out, #2 generator out, #1 oil temp. out, #1 cylinder head temp out, both radio turning units out. I had one hole and one dent in flying-flak helmet, cut on neck, hit on back of neck, and three holes in leg of flying suit. Landed at Woodbridge, over 150 holes. |
| 189 | 12/28/44 | ZELLHAUSEN | 44-6595 | R.R. Yards – Slight, inaccurate flak, no fighters. Bombed through solid undercast. No losses and no damage. |
| 191 | 12/31/44 | WENZENDORF-STADE | 43-38995 | R.R. Yards – Slight, inaccurate flak, no fighters. Bombed through solid undercast. No losses and no damage. |
| 192 | 01/01/45 | DOLLBERGEN | 43-38995 | Oil, instr t.o. Sills lost on t.o., Beighley crashed but safely – two runs on target – Hanover flak on 2nd run – Unescorted south thru Ger. – out at same as Dec. 24 – got flak there – several holes. |
| 195 | 01/05/45 | WAXWEILER | 42-97803 | R.R. Yards – Bad weather – Assembly in So. Eng. at 25,000 – Bombed from 29,000. Slight accurate flak. No losses. |
| 196 | 01/06/45 | WORMS | 43-38995 | R.R. Yards, inst t.o. – Weather ship crashed and burned – Heavy, inaccurate flak thru undercast – Bad weather entire mission – |
| 198 | 01/08/45 | FRANKFURT | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Assembly in So. England before daylight – heavy, accurate flak – Weeks went down – visual flak – instr. bombing – very bad weather entire mission – |
| 199 | 01/10/45 | KARLSRUHE | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | (Jepson flew w/o McBroom) |
| 202 | 01/15/45 | AUGSBURG | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | (Jepson flew w/o McBroom) |
| 208 | 02/03/45 | BERLIN | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Gov’t Hdqrs. – Moderate, accurate flak, no fighters – good weather all way – no losses – 900 fighters |
| 209 | 02/06/45 | CHEMNITZ | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Our group got no flak – Bad weather and group all split up on way back – 600′ ceiling and rain at base – no losses |
| 217 | 02/23/45 | CRAILSHEIM | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | R.R. Yards, Bombed at 12,000 – No flak or fighters – Weather good to enemy lines out – then very bad – 400′ at base |
| 219 | 02/25/45 | NEUBERG | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Oil underground – bad weather t.o. Sweated fighters whole time – light flak at enemy lines – none at target – No losses |
| 220 | 02/26/45 | BERLIN | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | R.R. Yards – Good weather – Good escort, moderate, inaccurate flak at target only – Instr. bombing & flak – no losses |
| 223 | 03/02/45 | DRESDEN | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Light, inaccurate flak, good weather, undercast except in Dresden area – Dresden was secondary – 30 gallons gas on landing |
| 227 | 03/09/45 | FRANKFURT | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Led 8th A.F. and got a little flak – undercast except at target – Good weather, no losses |
| 229 | 03/11/45 | HAMBURG | 44-8502 | Oil – undercast at target, heavy flak, but mostly inaccurate – no losses |
| 235 | 03/19/45 | ZWICKAU | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | City – made 2/3 of bomb run on Rhuland (?) Oil & flak – no flak at Zwickau, but bombed in clouds – very bad weather – assembled over France – 400′ ceiling for t.o. and landing – Fighters but diamond (?), no losses |
| 236 | 03/20/45 | HAMBURG | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | (Jepson flew w/o McBroom) |
| 238 | 03/22/45 | HELBERT AREA | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | (Jepson flew w/o McBroom) |
| 240 | 03/24/45 | VARRELBUSCH A/F | 43-39054 Jersey Bounce II | Airfield – Pilot – no flak or fighters, good weather entire route – CAVU – Dyke led – good results Lt. McBroom takes over as 1st pilot |
| 241 | 03/28/45 | HANOVER | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | R.R. Yards – Primary visual and flak free – assembled over France – very bad weather – 30 min. delay at enemy lines – weather bad at base – 3 runs on Hanover with Neal & Sapore – no losses |
| 242 | 03/30/45 | HAMBURG | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | Submarine Pens – Flak heavy and accurate, Bull, Reese, and Dyke leading – lots of damage – Smith came close – Jets hit us and group in front – We had no losses |
| 243 | 03/31/45 | BRANDENBURG | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | City – no flak – we hit last resort. Primary north of Magenburg, secondary Brandenburg – 109’s hit all around us – no losses |
| 245 | 04/04/45 | KEIL | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | Submarine pens and docks – heavy, inaccurate flak, but instr. flak and bombing. I flew low element lead – no losses |
| 246 | 04/05/45 | NURNBERG | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | City – Assembly over France – never found 447 – bombed with 34th – airfield in edge of city – Hvy, accurate flak |
| 247 | 04/07/45 | SCHWERIN | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | City – Primary was airfield – Hit Schwerain visual – No flak and fighters missed us – Instr t.o. to 3,000 – bomb at 15,000 |
| 248 | 04/08/45 | PLAUEN | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | R.R. Yards – Flak light but accurate – Two ships in groups behind us – no losses – Jep finished |
| 249 | 04/09/45 | NEWBURG A/F | 43-38712 Buddy Buddy | Airfield – Visual all way – Dyke leading and finished – Kirby finished with me – No flak and fighters – Straight line |
| 250 | 04/10/45 | BRANDENBURG | 43-38712 Buddy Buddy | Airfield – CAVU all the way – Flak heavy all over Germany – Saw 8 blow up before target – Flak at IP & target, lots of damage, but no losses |
| 251 | 04/11/45 | INGLOSTADT | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | Airfield – CAVU all way. No flak and no fighters – Bombing at 18,000 – Good results – N E Jones finished. |
| 254 | 04/16/45 | ROYAN AREA | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | German troop concentrations – good results, no flak, no escort, saw ships shelling coast – CAVU Schaeffer finished |
| 255 | 04/17/45 | DRESDEN | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | R.R. Yards – Bad weather at target, went thru Brux flak at IP – moderate – inaccurate flak at target |
| 257 | 04/20/45 | NEURUPPIN | 44-6958 Jersey Bounce III | CAVU except at target and IP – no flak and no fighters – sweated uncharted flak – low section lead |
Some photos/information provided by:
- Mr. Allen McBroom
Some information and/or images sourced from the American Air Museum database