Narrative - Official Air Force Mission Description
Morning and afternoon missions are made against targets in France.
Mission 423: In the morning, 464 B-17s are dispatched against airfields in the Bordeaux area: 92 hit Cormes Ecluse, 84 hit Bordeaux/Merignac, 39 hit Cazaux, 34 hit Landes-de-Bussac, 12 hit Cabanac and 3 hit targets of opportunity; 7 B-17s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 11 damaged; 3 airmen are WIA and 59 MIA; escort is provided by 88 P-38s and 261 P-51s; 4 P-38s and 6 P-51s are lost (all pilots MIA).
Mission 424: In both morning and afternoon missions, 216 of 391 B-17s and 294 of 312 B-24s hit 35 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area; 1 B-24 is lost, 1 B-24 damaged beyond repair and 65 B-17s and 22 B-24s damaged; 2 airmen are WIA and 10 MIA. Escort is provided by 196 P-38s, 122 P-47s and 48 P-51s; 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair; 1 P-38 group, after completing escort duty, dive-bombs and strafes transportation targets in NE France, destroying a locomotive and 3 barges.
858th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), VIII Air Force Composite Command, moves from North Pickenham to Cheddington, England with B-24s (the squadron begins flying leaflet missions). | |
Source: THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History, |
Mission Reports
303BG Mission Report - Target: Military Installations at Fiefs & Predefin, France. Crews Dispatched: 40 (358BS - 10, 359th - 10, 360th - 10, 427th - 10). Length of Mission: 4 hours, 30 minutes. Bomb Load: 36 x 100 lb G.P. bombs. Bombing Altitude: 24,500 ft. Ammo Fired: 0 rounds. The afternoon mission was almost identical to the morning mission. The 303rd BG(H) dispatched two Groups of 20 aircraft. Clouds over the target were 7/10 to 8/10 with some breaks over the target. Bombing was again by "GEE-H" navigation equipment and 1,493 100-lb. G.P. M30 bombs were dropped from 24,000 and 24,500 feet. Results were poor – the bombs hit over and to the right of the target. There were no enemy fighters or flak. Friendly fighter support was poor – only a few were spotted. All aircraft returned safely to Molesworth. More info on this mission at the 303BG website | source: 303rd Bomb Group web page http://www.303rdbg.com/ | 303BG Mission Report - Target: Military Installations at Fiefs & Predefin, France. Crews Dispatched: 40 (358BS - 10, 359th - 10, 360th - 10, 427th - 10). Crew Members Lost or Wounded: 6 crewmen wounded by flak. Length of Mission: 4 hours, 30 minutes. Bomb Load: 36 x 100 lb G.P. bombs. Bombing Altitude: 25,500 & 25,000 ft. Ammo Fired: 0 rounds. Each of the 303rd BG(H)'s formations took off with 19 regular B-17s and one additional aircraft equipped with "GEE-H" navigation equipment. No aircraft returned early. The primary target was a V-Weapon "No Ball" target. The secondary and last resort targets were "any bridge, road center, rail center, troop concentration, or other objective of military importance in the movement of enemy troops, not adjacent to a built-up area on which a visual sighting can be made." Both Group formations, utilizing the "GEE-H" equipment, bombed the primary target with 1,513 100-lb. G.P. M30 bombs. Bombs were dropped from 25,500 and 25,000 feet through solid 10/10 clouds. The results could not be observed. No enemy aircraft or flak was encountered. All aircraft returned to Molesworth with no damage or casualties. More info on this mission at the 303BG website | source: 303rd Bomb Group web page http://www.303rdbg.com/ | 306BG Mission Report | source: 306th Bombardment Group website www.306bg.org/ | 384BG Mission Report - 384th BG Mission Number 139A. Primary Target: V-1 Launch Site: "Crossbow" - Fleury, France. Target Attacked : Primary (Gee-H). 24 aircraft assigned to this mission: Completed Mission - 19. Aborted - 1. Scrubbed - 1. Returned To Base - 1. Ground Spare, Unused - 2 42-3441 Brown, Donald H - Weather aircraft 42-102617 Murchan, Lawrence A - Aborted Tail gunner, Sgt Erling Nielsen, suffered from the bends, forcing the crew to abort. | source: 384th Bomb Group web page http://384thBombGroup.com/ | 384BG Mission Report - 384th BG Mission Number 140A. Clouds obscured the assigned visual target, so the decision was made to attack the assigned secondary Gee-H target. Primary Target: V-1 Launch Site: "Crossbow" - Fleury, France. Target Attacked : Secondary (Gee-H): NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) - CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) - Bientques, France. 25 aircraft assigned to this mission: Completed Mission - 20. Ground Spare, Unused - 5 42-97960 Kelly, John T - one engine and aileron control were shot out by flak on bomb run and bombs were jettisoned 200 yds. from target and plane left formation | source: 384th Bomb Group web page http://384thBombGroup.com/ | 388BG Mission Report - The 8th Air Force was to attack tactical targets in France. The 388th furnished two Groups, one as high Group in each the 45th A and B Combat Wing formations. 40 a/c were airborne between 0500 and 0532 hours. 1 a/c of the A Group returned for mechanical problems and 2 a/c of the B Group, one for personnel failure and the other was a spare. Formations were effected and the formations proceeded to the target as briefed. Over the Continent the clouds were 10/10th up to 29,000 feet. Just before reaching the target area the 45th B Combat Wing leader abandoned the mission because of bad weather. The A Group went over the target but did not drop its bombs. All a/c returned to base by 1136 hours. | source: 388th Bomb Group web page http://www.388bg.info | 392nd Bomb Group Mission Report | source: 392nd Bomb Group web page http://www.b24.net/missions/ | 398th Bomb Group Mission report | source: 398th Bomb Group web page http://www.398th.org/ | 398th Bomb Group Mission report | source: 398th Bomb Group web page http://www.398th.org/ | 401BG / 613BS Mission Report - The 613th furnished the lead element of the Lead Box and the Low Squadron of the Low Box. Crews in this operation: Hanson, Lippert, Riegler, Lemmons, Jetter, Fox, Connolly, Pipe, Mannix. Bombing was good, all Boxes hitting their assigned MPI's. There was no enemy air opposition; flak was described as being moderate but accurate. All 613th crews returned from this operation. | source: 613th Bombardment Squadron History | 401BG / 612BS Mission Report - Another long and successful mission was flown on the 19th June to Merignac airdrome located at Bordeaux, France. Bad weather forced the Group to 31,000 feet altitude at one point bur the target was clear and all three M.P.I.ls assigned to the Group\\\'s three boxes of 12 aircraft each were hit with good to excellent results. Enemy opposition was flak over the target which was of the moderate and very accurate type. This accounted for the loss of two crews and a third crew which was from the 612th was lost to unknown reasons. This was Lt. Massey and crew. Massey was flying in \\\"Channel Express\\\" on the mission to Bordeaux, France. His aircraft was leading the high squadron of one of the Group\\\'s boxes for that effort. The Group had not encountered enemy opposition of any kind when Lt. Massey\\\'s aircraft dropped down and out of formation. He was noticed by the Group leader and called by him on VHF. No answer was received and the aircraft pulled into a tight bank and nosed down in a spiral and began to disintegrate. No chutes were observed to come from the aircraft and chances for any crew members surviving were slight. Lt. Kelly and his co-pilot Lt. Coyne were flying on Lt. Massey\\\'s wing. When asked what they were able to observe about the aircraft they both stated that they had seen smoke in the cockpit which could have probably been fire. Lt. Massey later told the hair-raising tale of luck that is beyond the category of possibilities it seemed. Their aircraft had caught fire along the floor below the top-turret and behind the cockpit. Lt. Massey and the top-turret gunner were making a gallant effort to extinguish this fire when it became apparent that it was uncontrollable and they should bail out. Lt. Massey signalled the co-pilot to pullout of formation and gave the bail-out alarm. Then the trouble started. Lt. passed out from anoxia (but with his parachute in-his hand) and the aircraft went out of control. Being unable to jettison the nose escape hatch several of the crew were thrown against the nose plexiglas with Lt. Stelljes pinned underneath them. Then the aircraft exploded and the next thing any of the escaping three remembered was falling through the air and at low altitude when they regained consciousness. Lt Massey was still holding on to his parachute as was S/Sgt. Bernard who had been blown out with his in his arms. Both miraculously managed to get the chest-type parachutes on and pop their chutes at about 2,000 feet altitude, and all three landed safely. After 10 weeks of dodging the Germans they managed to evade to England. They were received well and after a short stay departed for a much-deserved leave at home in the states. | source: 612th Bombardment Squadron History | 401BG / 614BS Mission Report - The 1st and 3rd Air Divisions were sent to attack six airfields in the Bordeaux area on the 19th June. The 401st, under the command of Major D.E. Silver, put up 41 aircraft to form the Lead and Low Box positions of the 94th "B" Combat Bomb Wing. Bad weather forced the formation up to 31,000 feet but it was clear at the target and the three MPI's assigned to the Group were well hit. The results were excellent. The flak over the target was moderate and accurate and three of the Group's aircraft were lost. Lt. Filemyr's plane was hit by flak which exploded in the tail, killing the tail gunner, Sgt. L.T. Maiden, and leaving only part of one elevator. The aircraft lost 1,000 feet and it looked to the other crews as if it was all over. It was found later that Lt. Filemyr had flown it to Spain where the crew bailed out. The aircraft was 42-31315, IW-C, DRY RUN. The other two aircraft were 42-40002, IY-D, BREEZING HOME, pilot 1st Lt. W.W. Trimble and 42-40050, SC-J, CHANNEL EXPRESS III, pilot 1st Lt. W.E. Massey, of 615th and 612th Squadrons respectively. Crews: Owens Rozzell Chapman Risher Taylor Fisette La Fevor, Filemyr. | source: 614th Bombardment Squadron History www.401bg.org | 401BG / 615BS Mission Report - Yet another very early mission, the briefing taking place at 0130 hrs. 41 crews were briefed and 41 aircraft were airborne by 0553 hrs. There were many changes, the last one having to be taken out to the three lead and three deputy lead aircraft out on the runway. The 615th Squadron put up IY-K, Serial No. 42-31069, as the weather ship at 0434 hrs. The 1st and 3rd Air Division were sent out to bomb the airfields in the Bordeaux area but heavy clouds up to 30,000 feet forced some units to abandon the mission. The target for the 401st was the airfield at Merignac with Major D.E. Silver in the Lead aircraft. When they reached a point near the I.P. they found they were boxed in by two other Wings and unable to turn. The Mickey operator, Lt. Alfred A. Winograd, led them around to a point where the Wing was back on the correct course, enabling the Wing Bombardier, Lt. Fesmire, to bomb visually and get a shack. Four minutes of moderate but very accurate flak was encountered and three aircraft went missing, one of them being the crew of Lt. W.W. Trimble of the 615th Squadron. One of the others, IW-C, Serial no. 42-31315 took a direct hit in the tail, killing the tail gunner Sgt. L.T. Maiden. The pilot, Lt. Filemyr, flew the aircraft on to Spain and bailed out near Barcelona, returning to Deenethorpe with his crew shortly afterwards. The third aircraft lost was SC-J, Serial No. 42-40050, piloted by Lt. W.E. Massey. This aircraft blew up over France at 26,000 feet for an unknown reason. Lt. Massey, Lt. L.V. Stelljes, Bombardier, and Sgt. F.J. Bernard, were blown out of the wreckage and survived. All other crew members were killed. The 615th loading list was as follows: Kalinski, Ochsenhirt, Heenan, McIlraith, Gillespie, Post, Trimble, W.J. Mann, C.J. Mann, J.C. Neill. | source: 615th Bombardment Squadron History www.401bg.org | 44BG Mission Report - The Group was scheduled for two missions today. The 68th, with 11 aircraft, represented the entire 44th when the 506th's ships were cancelled. Autheux, France, Was the target - a military installations - and was hit with unobserved results due to 10 10th cloud cover. Moderate, accurate predictor controlled flak was encountered, but only one ship suffered battle damage. The 67th was scheduled for the second mission but it was scrubbed at the very last minute. | source: 44th Bomb Group web page http://www.8thairforce.com/44thbg | 446th Bomb Group Mission Report Noball targets; Haute-Cote/Bachimont, France The 2 sites were bombed through cloud cover with unobserved results. | source: 446th Bomb Group www.446bg.com | 447BG Mission Report - Briefing was at 0300 hours and the target was an airfield at St. Jean DAngely, France, 30 miles north-northwest of Cognac. Take off started at 0521 hours. The target area was cloud covered and two runs were made trying to hit the target, but there was no clear shot so no bombs were dropped. The Group started landing at 1300 hours.
| source: 447 Bomb Group Association http://www.447bg.com | 457th Bomb Group Mission Link | source: 457 Bomb Group http://www.457thbombgroup.org | 492nd Bomb Group Mission Link | source: 492 Bomb Group Mission Links http://www.492ndbombgroup.com | 492nd Bomb Group Mission Link | source: 492 Bomb Group Mission Links http://www.492ndbombgroup.com | 91st BG / 323nd BS Mission Report - Cazaux, France was the target. There was an enemy airfield located there. It was successfully bombed. All ships returned safely and there were no abortives. Enemy opposition was stronger than usual. Our ships were considerably shot up. Ship #7625 was so badly disabled that it hardly got back to England. It was successfully brought to Exeter by the Pilot, Lt. Maziarz. This was the second time this pilot has come back when all odds seemed against him.
| source: 323rd Bomb Squadron / 91BG Mission Report http://www.91stbombgroup.com/ | 91st BG / 322nd BS Mission Report - The Bordeaux Merignac A/D was attacked for the second time within a week, this time with 100 pound G.P. bombs to render the runways unserviceable. Photographs showed very good results. No casualties, but Lt. Hayen and Lt Goodrich's A/C sustained minor flak damage.
| source: 322rd Bomb Squadron / 91BG Mission Report http://www.91stbombgroup.com/ | 91BG / 401BS Mission Report - Air drome in the Bordeaux area. BOMBING RESULTS: Photos show very good results.ENEMY AIRCRAFT: Nil. FIGHTER SUPPORT: Good-P-51's at target.FLAK: Moderate and very accurate at target. | source: 91st BG / 401st BS Mission Report http://www.91stbombgroup.com/ |
Non-Combat Accident Reports
Aircraft: B-17G (#42-102541). Organization: 728BS / 452BG of Deopham Green, Norfolk. Pilot: Wright, Oliver E. Notes: crash landing out of gas. Location: Wattisham, Suffolk England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 5 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: B-17G (#42-6133). Organization: 525BS / 379BG of Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire. Pilot: Ramacitti, Armand J. Notes: killed in mid air collision. Location: Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 5 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: B-17G (#42-97942). Organization: 525BS / 379BG of Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire. Pilot: Burns, Lloyd L. Notes: killed in mid air collision. Location: Kimbolton, Huntingdonshire England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 5 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: B-24N (#42-94844). Organization: 851BS / 490BG of Eye, Suffolk. Pilot: Dodd, Charles C. Notes: take off accident. Location: Eye, Suffolk England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 5 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: C-47A (#42-100563). Organization: 82TCS / 436TCG of Membury Berkshire. Pilot: Vanderhaven, Robert M. Notes: mid air collision. Location: Membury Berkshire England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 4 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: C-47A (#42-100673). Organization: 82TCS / 436TCG of Membury Berkshire. Pilot: Sicnolfi, Edward W. Notes: mid air collision. Location: Membury Berkshire England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 2 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: P-38J (#43-28433). Organization: 79FS / 20FG of Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire. Pilot: Peterson, Roger S. Notes: crash landing engine failure. Location: Ketton/ 1mi S England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 5 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: P-47C (#41-6225). Organization: 551FTS / 495FTG of Atcham, Shropshire. Pilot: Huber, Warren E. Notes: crashed belly landing due to engine failure or fire. Location: Treshold Farm, Picklescot England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 3 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: P-47D (#42-25512). Organization: 62FS / 56FG of Boxted, Essex. Pilot: Murray, Steven T. Notes: taxiing accident. Location: Boxted, Essex England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 3 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: P-47D (#42-8617). Organization: 359FS / 356FG of Martlesham Heath, Suffolk. Pilot: Peet, George B. Notes: forced landing due to engine failure. Location: Sutton Head A/D,Woodbr England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 5 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: P-51B15 (#43-24843). Organization: 374FS / 361FG of Bottisham, Cambrdigeshire. Pilot: Murdy, Edward B. Notes: crash landing engine failure. Location: Plumpton England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 4 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ | Aircraft: P-51D5 (#44-13534). Organization: 312FRS / 27ATG of Debden, Essex. Pilot: Lohr, Ray D. Notes: crashed belly landing. Location: Debden, Essex England. Damage (0-5 increasing damage): 3 source: Aviation Archaeology http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ |
Mission "8th AF Fighter Command Fighter Operation 399 and 400" Escort for 8th AF 423 and 8th AF 424 June 19, 1944Primary source for mission statistics: Mighty Eighth War Diary by Roger A. Freeman |   | Aircraft Sent | Aircraft Effective | Bomb Tonnage | Enemy Aircraft X-P-D | Enemy Aircraft (on gnd) X-P-D | USAAF Aircraft X-E-D | USAAF Personnel KIA-WIA-MIA | Notes | 715 | 715 | 0.0 | 0-0-0 | 0-0-0 | 16-1-0 | 0-0-16 | 20FG crash-lands near base | Mission Targets Click blue links for maps, photos and other documents. This will open a new tab in your browser | |
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Aircraft Groups Click blue links for info on the group This will open a new tab in your browser. | |
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Aircraft Losses Click blue links for info on the MIA aircraft (if known). This will open a new tab in your browser. | | |
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