During the early part of 1943, the 369th Bomb Squadron, known as Fightin’ Bitin’, established a phenomenal record of completing forty-two consecutive missions without a loss.
This almost unbelievable feat started on the first Wilhelmshaven raid (“First Over Germay” on January 27) and was finally broken on the July 29 mission to bomb the ship building facilities at Kiel, Germany.
It ended when two planes were shot down. Pilot Keith Conley, a 22 mission veteran, was the first to go down with navigator Hvman Adler and flight engineer Louis Leonardini killed. Next was Donald Winters crew. Killed were Winters, bombardier Levi Irwin, flight engineer Robert Moore, and waist gunner Frank Latto.
The record stood until after D-Day, when of course, several squadrons in many groups broke it, However, the fact remains that the 369th accomplished this remarkable action when the opposition by the Luftwaffe was at its fiercest.