1/Lt. Delorn L. Steiner


(Robert M. Littlefield)

1/Lt. Delorn L. Steiner

38th FS - 12 April 1943 - 31 January 1944 (Killed in Action)

Assigned Aircraft

P-38J 42-67711
Mission History

24 Missions
Mission List
55th FG Mission # Date Target
01 15 October 1943 Sweep-Dutch Islands
06 20 October 1943 Duren (Red 2)
07 22 October 1943 Cambrai (Red 4)
09 03 November 1943 Wilhelmshaven (Yellow 4)
10 05 November 1944 Gelsenkirchen (Blue 4)
12 07 November 1943 Sweep - Lille Area (Yellow 2)
n/a 18 November 1943 Practice Mission (Red 3)
16 25 November 1943 Sweep - Lille Area (White 4)
17 26 November 1943 Bremen (Blue 3)
22 11 December 1943 Bremen (Yellow 4)
23 13 December 1943 Kiel (spare and filled in for Lt. Brown)
24 16 December 1943 Bremen (White 4)
26 22 December 1943 Osnabruck (Red 2)
27 24 December 1943 Pas De Calais (White 4)
28 30 December 1943 Ludwigshaven (Yellow 3)
30 04 January 1944 Kiel (Blue 3)
31 05 January 1944 Kiel (White 3)
32 07 January 1944 Ludwigshaven (White 3)
33 11 January 1944 Celle (Blue 3)
34 14 January 1944 St. Poi (Yellow 3)
35 21 January 1944 Cherbourg Area (Yellow 3)
37 29 January 1944 Frankfurt (Blue 3)
38 30 January 1944 Brunswick (Red 3)
39 31 January 1944 Sweep-Eindhoven-Arnheim (Blue 3)
Air Scores

2-0-1
Ground Scores

0-0
Score Detail 05 November 1943  Do-217 damaged (air) Munster
25 November 1943  Me-109 destroyed (air) Lille
05 January 1944  FW-190 destroyed (air) SW Kiel
Notes

07 September 1920 - Born in Wilson, Kansas
ASN - 0-740297
12 April 1943 - Joined the 38th Fighter Squadron
November 1943 - Promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant
November 1943 - Awarded the Air Medal
November 1943 - Awarded 1st Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
December 1943 - Awarded 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
December 1943 - Awarded 3rd Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal
31 January 1944 - Killed in Action
MACR No. 02105
Lt. Steiner was shot down and killed by enemy aircraft during an aerial battle in the Venlo, Arnhem area of Holland. 
He was recorded by German records as having crashed at Nuenen, near Eindhoven.

Capt. Thomas E. Beaird reported: "During an engagement with E/A on 31 January 1944 over Eindhoven, Holland at approximately 26,000 feet, I saw Lt. Steiner who was flying slightly above, ahead and to my left, pull straight up and fire at four Me-109s approximately 1500 feet above us and travelling 180 degrees to our course.  This was the last time I saw Lt. Steiner to recognize him."
Reproduced with kind permission of Mr. Robert M. Littlefield from the author's book Double Nickel - Double Trouble

Lt. Steiner was initially buried in the General Cemetery Woensel, Eindhoven. He was re-interred on 05th July 1945 in Plot KKK-8-191, Netherlands Cemetery. For final burial Lt. Steiner was returned to Ellsworth, Kansas in 1949.
Memories  
Additional Photos Lt. Steiner's gravestone in Ellsworth, Kansas (The Steiner Family)

P-38 on Lt. Steiner's gravestone (The Steiner Family)

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