Memorial

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1st Lt Schmidt graduated from DeVilbiss High School, where he was president of the Student Council. He entered Heidelberg College for one term, then worked for the Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Michigan, as a chemist in the research department before enlisting. He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Chicago, Illinois, on 27 November 1943 and was commissioned on 14 April 1944 at Freeman Field, Indiana and went overseas in November.

The mission of the day was to bomb the oil refinery of Ruhland with 222 bombers. Only 24 of them attacked this primary target. 166, including #44-6584, bombed the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Chemnitz.

While over Brussels, when returning to their base in England, flying at 25,000', aircraft #43-38675 hit prop wash and dropped down, striking aircraft #44-6584.

It was struck at the radio room, broke into three pieces, and both aircraft spiraled down. One parachute came from Lt Schmidt's aircraft: its sole survivor was S/Sgt Edward W. Bartley, Jr., the tail gunner. The other eight crew members were killed.

From the other plane, only Sgt Marshall P. Dellinger, ball turret gunner, was killed when his parachute failed to open. All other members of the crew survived.

The men of both airplanes that died in the incident are remembered on a statue on the Place Albert I in Fontaine-l'Evêque in Belgium.