458th BG. - Based at HORSHAM ST FAITH

I also succeed to get in contact with Brenda PISKIN, the daughter of Lt Arnold PISKIN BG 458th pilot, who writes in her father’s behalf:
Base de Horsham
HORSHAM St FAITH Station
My dad did not fly the Biarritz mission. However the entry for that sortie in the 458th Bomb Group Book by George A. Reynolds reads as follows:


3/27 - a beautiful example of pinpoint bombing of an airfield. 24 A/C hit bomb and fuel dumps,
dispersal areas, hangars, barracks and some aircrafts in the dispersal areas. No enemy A/C, no battle damage.

Weather set in at Horsham after takeoff, ships diverted to other airfields on returning. "
B24 Liberators
458th BG B-24” LIBERATORS”
My dad remembers that when the lead plane dropped its bombs the others commenced to drop their bombs. He doesn't recollect the colored flares being used for this purpose.


First mission 24 February 1944
Last mission 25 April 1945
A/Cs lost 47
Total missions 240


On 27 March, Mission 22, Sortie 22, a beautiful exemple of precision pin point bombing was observed when we hit BIARRITZ A/F in France.

Twenty four aircrafts, let by Major HOGG and Major HENSON, dropped 100 Lb Frag Clusters on the airfield. Strike photos show bomb pattern along north and eastside of the field, includes bomb and fuel dumps, dispersal areas, hangars, barracks, and aircrafts in dispersal areas. No E/A were sighted and no battle dammage from Flak. As the crew remarked “it was a darn long haul, but well worthit”.

Weather set in after taking off and continued poorly all day, necissating our aircraft to land at another base in England. They returned to the base the next day and were then interrogated.

Due to weather, this was to be our last mission for the month of March. As our second month ended in the ETO, we feel proud of the record we have accomplished. As a summary of operations from 1 March to 31st. we point with pride to our record of fifteen sorties on important military and industrial targets in GERMANY and German held territotory. Twelve aircrafts were lost, five members killed and one hundred and five missing. With the present high standard morale we should go a long way to make this group the first combat outfit in the ETO.
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