U S Army Air Force/8th Air Force/2nd Air Division/14th Bomb Wing/492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
 492ndBombGroup.com home
follow the 492nd
on
Kaufman Crew R-05
 Kaufman Crew R-05
Back row, left to right...
John J Page, navigator
Richard C Kaufman, pilot
Arnold R Kasper, co-pilot
Robert N Zipfel, bombardier
Front row, left to right...
Joseph A Manfredi, engineer
Peter B Raymond, gunner
Anthony Jr Tuzzolino, gunner
Jack S Gillet, gunner
John A Martino, radio operator
Lee Royal, gunner
Kaufman Crew R-05 Summary
The Kaufman Replacement Crew transferred into the 492nd on 27 May 44. After they completed their in-house training they were assigned to the 856th BS on 4 Jun. At this time we don't know which crew they replaced.
On 4 Jun 44, they began flying combats missions. By our initial count they flew 9 missions plus an aborted one. We haven't confirmed if there were any personnel substitutions made on any of their missions.
Lt Kaufman and his crew fell victim to the Luftwaffe durng the massive air battle engaged on 20 Jun 44. That mission was designed to bomb the heavily defended oil refineries at Politz. While the Group was still over the Baltic Sea near Rugen Island, the formation made a right hand turn to head them towards land. Since the low left section (squadron) was on the outside of the wheel turn, they had to fly faster then those in the inside. They couldn't keep up with the sharp turn. They ended up drifting off to the left and back.
The low left section became separated from the Group, without fighter protection and the defensive fire power of the Group's formation. The Luftwaffe, who had been shadowing the Group from a distance, seized the moment. The German fighters swept in from 8 o'clock. After their first pass, they spun around and returned for a second pass.
The would-be massacre turned into a toe-to-toe slug-fest. During this air battle the 492nd lost 9 planes while destroying 6 of the German fighters.
Kaufman's plane, along with that of the Harris Crew 612, were seen going down in flames by the Seitzinger Crew 616.
Reportedly, the Kaufman Crew was flying as a 9-man crew. We don't know why one of the gunners wasn't on board. However, flying short-handed wasn't uncommon. The casualty figures for this crew is 9 KIA, MACR 7079.
Only Lt Zipfel's body was found and recovered for burial. The rest of the crew was never seen again.
More Info
plus other photos
42-110152
LADY WILL
42-50370
44-40116
TOBASCO KEEDS
44-40128
44-40146
SUGAR-N-SPICE
44-40067
BIG FAT MAMA
44-40161
TROUBLEHUNTER
Links to missions
flown by the
Kaufman Crew R-05
are below in their
Mission Record
Original Roster for
Kaufman Crew R-05
Position / MOS Name Rank Serial # Notes
Pilot
MOS 1024
Kaufman, Richard C 2nd Lt O-693788 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024
Kasper, Arnold R 2nd Lt O-760327 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Netherlands
Navigator
MOS 1034
Page, John J 2nd Lt O-707799 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Bombardier
MOS 1035
Zipfel, Robert N 2nd Lt O-702999 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Buried at Sassnitz/Rugen cementary
Reinterned in Ardennes, Plot Q-12-291
See Footnotes
Engineer
MOS 748
Manfredi, Joseph A S/Sgt 17070859 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Radio
Operator
MOS 757
Martino, John A S/Sgt 15017680 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Gunner
MOS 748
Gillet, Jack S Sgt 39272172 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Gunner
MOS 612
Raymond, Peter B Sgt 32349111 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Gunner
MOS 748
Royal, Lee Sgt 38365574 KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7079
Commemorated, Wall of Missing, Cambridge
Gunner
MOS 748
Tuzzolino, Anthony Jr Sgt 34546954 Reassigned to McLaughlin 811
Promoted S/Sgt
Kaufman Crew R-05
492nd BG Mission Record
856th Bomb Squadron
Crew
Mission
Number
Group
Mission
Number
Group
Mission
Date
Aircraft
Serial
Number
Primary Target Mission Notes
01
 Link to Mission 16 page 16
4 Jun 44 42-110152 Avord, France Target: Airfield
02
 Link to Mission 20 page 20
8 Jun 44 42-110152 Angers, France Target: Railroad junction
Aborted, initially uncredited
credited later
03
 Link to Mission 21 page 21
10 Jun 44 42-110152 Boulogne, France Target: Airfield
04
 Link to Mission 23 page 23
11 Jun 44 42-110152 La Possonniere, France Target: Marshalling yard
05
 Link to Mission 25 page 25
12 Jun 44 42-50370 Dreux, France Target: Airfield
A/C borrowed from 859th BS
Abort
 Link to Mission 26 page 26
14 Jun 44 44-40116 Emmerich, Germany Target: Oil refinery
Aborted, uncredited
06
 Link to Mission 28 page 28
15 Jun 44 44-40128 La Frilliere, France Target: Railroad bridge
07
 Link to Mission 29 page 29
17 Jun 44 44-40146 Melun, France Target: Airfield
08
 Link to Mission 31 page 31
18 Jun 44 44-40067 Luneburg, Germany Target: Airfield
Bombed target of opportunity
09
 Link to Mission 34 page 34
20 Jun 44 44-40161 Politz, Germany Target: Oil refinery
Lost before target
9 KIA, MACR 7079
492ndBombGroup.com — an Arnett Institute project
Page last modified Tuesday, October 4, 2011.