(N. Dornette)
2/Lt. Robert J. Kenning
(N. Dornette)
2/Lt. Robert J. Kenning
343rd FS - 07 December 1943 - 05 January 1944 (Killed in Action)
| Assigned Aircraft |
P-38H 42-67084 |
| Mission History |
Not Known |
| Mission List |
Not Known |
| Air Scores | 0-0-0 |
| Ground Scores | 0-0 |
| Notes | Born 03 November 1919 Cincinnati, OH, son of Herman Henry
Kenning & Mary Magdalena Pfeiffer Graduate of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Grade School & Elder High School - both in Cincinnati, OH Enlisted in Army Air force - trained at Kelly AFB & Randolph AFB Entered service from Cincinnati, Ohio. ASN - 0-750612 Callsign - Whiteman 62 07 December 1943 - Joined the 343rd Fighter Squadron 05 January 1944 - Killed in Action MACR No. 01744 1/Lt. Joseph Fluty reported: "On the morning of January 5, 1944, we were on an escort mission over Kiel, Germany. Major Shipman was leading the group, and I was flying number four man in White Flight of the 343rd Fighter Squadron. We had passed over the German coast northwest of Hamburg. We had made a sweep to the north as far as Flensburg and then made a 180 degree turn to the right and started a sweep back to the south. I called in a lone enemy fighter which was at our level, at about four o'clock. The enemy aircraft was approximately 700 to 800 yards to our right. I called Lt. Barnett and told him to watch the bandit off his right wing. Lt. Barnett was in the flight on my left, slightly below, and behind. After calling in the enemy aircraft I heard Lt. Kenning call to Lt. Barnett to slow down to let him catch up. At about the same time six Me-210s came down in front of the group in a dive heading toward Kiel. Major Shipman turned into the attack. This put our tail to the one lone enemy aircraft which had been tailing us. We formed a lufbery to the left, a moment later I heard Whiteman 62 call and ask for help. He called several times and the last I heard him say was that he was at 27,000 feet and behind us. We made at least two more 360 degree turns, but were unable to see Lt. Kenning anywhere. By this time we were extremely low on gas and started to form and come home. The last I saw of Lt. Kenning was just before we started the lufbery. He was behind about 300 to 400 yards. At that time we were in the area due west of Kiel about fifteen miles." (reproduced with kind permission from Robert M. Littlefield's book, 'Double Nickel - Double Trouble'.) Apparently 2nd Lt Robert J. Kenning got separated from
his flight and headed north up the Jylland (Jutland) peninsula. North of
Fliegerhorst Grove, he was attacked at 5000 meters altitude and shot down
by a German night fighter JU 88C-6, piloted by Oberleutnant Rudolf
Szardenings of II.NJG 3. Kenning bailed out at too low an altitude and
fell to his death. The aircraft crashed at 13:00 hours between the
villages of Brøndum and Næsborg some seven kilometres south east of
Løgstør. The body of Lt. Kenning was found 800 metres away from the wreck.
On 14 January he was laid to rest in Frederikshavn cemetery. |
| Memories | "He and Joe were extremely close as brothers, they were mischievous and had much fun together. Both were 'hands on' people who enjoyed doing things together. There was a small swimming pool and tennis court on the property which they enjoyed, Bob was an exceptionally good athlete both in football and baseball. He had a wonderful personality and many friends." |
| Additional Photos | In 1955 local people erected a
memorial stone for Robert Kenning near the crash site (Søren
C. Flensted) Air war Over Denmark website (opens in new window) Lt. Kenning in Flight School (N. Dornette) Lt. Kenning in Flight School (N. Dornette) (Nb. Photos open in new windows. Close window to return to this page.) |