Photos and
History of the 446th Bomb Squadron from S/Sgt. Stuart Layne Huntoon
Provided by a relative
"I have attached a picture of my husband's 'Uncle,' Stuart Layne Huntoon the 1st
who was a B-25 gunner in the 446th squadron. He joined the air force at the age of
17 and was killed in action at the age of 19. My husband is Stuart Layne
Huntoon II and our son is Stuart Huntoon III who was actually born on the
same day as Stuart Huntoon I. The movies wanted to put my husband's uncle
in the movies but the Air Force wouldn't let him go (He may have still been
alive, if they would have let him out). One time, Stuart Layne Huntoon checked
out a jeep from the Motor pool, and drove somewhere in Italy, to see his brother
(my husband's dad), while his dad was in maneuvers in the Army. He got away with
it. Another time, he either came back drunk, or got drunk and was on a Bomber,
and had the engine started, when he got caught. He was going to fly back to the
states to visit his family. Those may have been one of the times that McCrae was
talking about, when Huntoon was acting up."
The 321st Bombardment Group history provides the following information for the date of
Sunday, December 10, 1944:
446th BS War Diary: The squadron loses a ship over Bologna, Italy, piloted by Lieut.
Kaenzig. Other crewmen were Lieut. Ritger, Lieut. Rondel, Staff Sergeants Hermanson
and Huntoon, and Corporal E. M. Allen. Sergeant Hermanson, an original member of the
squadron, had flown 50 combat missions with us in Africa, returned to the states for over
a year, then rejoined the squadron. This was his first mission upon his return overseas.
T/Sergeant McKearin received a serious wound in the face on the mission and is
hospitalized.
Allen, Emmitt M., Cpl, gunner
Hermanson, Ingwal J., Sgt, gunner
Huntoon, Stuart L., S/Sgt, turret gunner
Kaenzig, Charles L., 2Lt, bombardier
McKearin, William J., T/Sgt, radio-gunner
Ritger, Frederick C., 1Lt, pilot
Rondel, Albert O., 2Lt, pilot
446th BS Mission Summary: Squadron Mission 440
TARGET: Castel Bolognese Defense Area, Italy DATE: 10 Dec.1944
Type of Bombs: Fragmentations 446th Planes: 6
Capt. Murray led the formation. Target area N of main highway well covered. Several
explosions in target area. Flak was heavy, moderate, fairly accurate becoming intense,
accurate. Ten planes holed. No fighters.
