Nicholas A. Tenaglia
Technical Sergeant Nicholas A. Tenaglia, Serial: 12132226, 351st Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Forces. Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart. He lived at 621 West Street, Camden NJ. Memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
Technical Sergeant Nicholas A. Tenaglia was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dominick Tenaglia. He grew up at 621 West Street in what was then the “Little Italy” section of Camden NJ. After enlisting in the United States Army, he qualified for flight duty, and received gunnery and engineering training at Fort Myers and Amarillo TX. The Camden Courier-Post reported on October 2, 1943 that he was in Walla Walla WA, serving as an engineer on a B-17 Flying Fortress. This news was a bit dated, as Sergeant Tenaglia and his crew joined the 351st Bomber Squadron in early September, 1943.
Nicholas A. Tenaglia was the Top Turret Gunner and Engineer of the crew led by First Lieutenant James R. Haddox. This crew joined the 351st Bomber Squadron in early September, 1943, and they generally flew on a B-17 (Number 42-102528) nicknamed “Sugar Foot.” On a raid on the submarine base at Emden, Germany on December 11, 1943, the Sugar Foot was damaged by flak and crashed into the North Sea, taking Sergeant Tenaglia and all but one of the crew to their death. The “Sugar Foot” was the only plane lost that day from the 351st Bomber Squadron.
A statement by James Grosskopf, the crew’s only survivor, reads in effect that they linked up with aircraft from the 390th Bomber Group and were #3 ship in one element of that group. The ship was damaged, whether from flak or fighters is unknown, and “everyone was out of oxygen.” Ship crashed into the North Sea off Norderney Island, one of the East Frisian Islands, near the German-Dutch border. Some in cockpit & nose may have bailed out since Grosskopf saw several chutes in the air before he jumped; but apparently those from the radio room back were unconscious from lack of oxygen. Grosskopf added that a Captain Warren and a Captain Liefson of the 390th landed on the same island as he and were taken POW with him. The engineer from Captain Warren and Liefson’s crew landed in the North Sea and drowned. Grosskopf could not recall his name. Captain Liefson was a Squadron Navigator and Captain Warren was the Group Navigator of the 390th. It was noted in MACR report #01570 that Lt. Albert Warford’s body washed ashore 17 Mar 1944.
Nicholas Tenaglia’s death was reported in the January 19, 1944 edition of the Camden Courier-Post.
The Crew of the Sugar Foot
The crew of the B-17 “Sugar Foot,” 351st Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group. Note: Sgt. Lyle Jones was a replacement on the mission of December 11, 1943 to Emden.
| Rank | Name | Position | Status | Date | Mission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Lt | James R. Haddox | Pilot | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| 1st Lt | John L. Wagner | Co-Pilot | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| 2nd Lt | Albert C. Warford | Navigator | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| 2nd Lt | Ellsworth C. Power | Bombardier | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| T/Sgt | Casimier J. Kobis | Radio Operator/Gunner | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| T/Sgt | Nicholas A. Tenaglia | Top Turret Gunner/Engineer | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| S/Sgt | Gonzalo C. Orta | Ball Turret Gunner | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| S/Sgt | James L. Grosskopf | Waist Gunner | POW | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| S/Sgt | Kendall L. Morrow | Waist Gunner | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
| Sgt | Lyle S. Jones | Tail Gunner | KIA | 11-Dec-43 | Emden |
See also: 100th Bomb Group website
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands
Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, where Technical Sergeant Nicholas A. Tenaglia is memorialized.