VIII Bomber Command 111
8 October 1943
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 1498 - B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 388th Bomb Group fly over Nazi smoke screens. Printed caption on reverse: '73228 AC- The Nazis have released smoke...
Description
The shipyards and industrial areas of Bremen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission, but cloud cover causes some formations to bomb targets of opportunity. The attacking elements have been summarized below:
The first element is a combined force of 118 B-17s from: 91BG (16); 381BG (21); 351BG (19); 379BG (21); 384BG (21) and 303BG (20) dispatched to bomb the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. 105 aircraft are effective on various targets, 44 of these actually drop on Bremen. 9 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 33KIA 57POW. 2 other airmen in returning aircraft are KIA and 18 are Wounded in Action (WIA). 61 aircraft are damaged. The bomber gunners claim 42-2-28 of attacking German fighters. The 381BG is awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for their actions on this mission.
The second element is a combined force of 56 B-17s from: 305BG (17); 306BG (20); and 92BG (19). 53 aircraft are effective on targets; 33 of these bomb the industrial area of Bremen and 19 drop on Vegesack. 4 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 12KIA 22POW 1DIC 1EVD. 44 aircraft are damaged. 1 other airman is KIA in returning aircraft and 12 are Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners in this element claim 24-7-17 of attacking German fighters.
The third element is a combined force of 170 B-17s from: 388BG (21); 94BG (21); 96BG (42); 385BG (22); 100BG (22); 390BG (21); and 95BG (21) dispatched to bomb any available target at Bremen, Germany. 156 aircraft are effective on some target with 97 of the 156 actually bombing Bremen, Germany. 14 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 54KIA 87POW 1EVD; 2 other aircraft are listed as returning so damaged as to be considered Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) one from 100BG (confirmed 1DOI 10RTD) and one from 95BG (actually repaired 10RTD); 110 aircraft are damaged. 21 airmen in returning aircraft are Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners in this element claim 84-12-33 of attacking German fighters.
NOTE: Bomber gunner claims on attacking German aircraft are most often exaggerated due to the pandemonium of the action experienced during the attacks. However, even so, the formations attacking at Bremen certainly gave the Luftwaffe a "bad day."
The fourth element was a combined force of 55 B-24s from: 389BG (18); 93BG (19); and 392BG (18) dispatched to bomb the U-Boat pens at Vegesack, Germany. 43 are effective on the target. 3 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 21KIA 9POW; 1 other airman in a returning aircraft was KIA and 5 were Wounded in Action (WIA). 21 aircraft were damaged. The bomber gunners in this element claim 17-1-7 of attacking German fighters.
Mission Details
/ /
Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 3 aircraft drop 12 X 500GP and 72 X 100 IB on Meppen, Germany as a Target of Opportunity.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 81.00
- People killed in action: 13
- People wounded in action: 12
- Prisoners of war: 27
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 24
- Enemy aircraft destroyed by fighter: 7
- Enemy aircraft probably destroyed by fighter: 17
- Aircraft sent: 56
- Aircraft effective: 53
- Aircraft missing in action: 3
- Aircraft damaged: 44
/ /
Description: SHIP YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: The 381st Bomb Group is awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (2nd of 2). Clouds hamper target acquisition. 19 aircraft drop 228 x 500GP on Vegesack as a Target of Opportunity, another 18 aircraft drop 676 x 100 IB on Oldenburg as a Target of Opportunity. First use by 8th Air Force of airborne transmitters (Carpet equipment) to jam Germany radar.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 130.00
- People killed in action: 35
- People wounded in action: 18
- Prisoners of war: 57
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 42
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 2
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 28
- Aircraft sent: 118
- Aircraft effective: 105
- Aircraft missing in action: 9
- Aircraft damaged: 61
Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA and BTO
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 2nd wave on Bremen and Targets of Opportunity.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 233.25
- People killed in action: 54
- People wounded in action: 21
- Prisoners of war: 87
- People returned to duty: 20
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 84
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 12
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 33
- Aircraft sent: 170
- Aircraft effective: 156
- Aircraft missing in action: 14
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 2
- Aircraft damaged: 110
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: First mission for 93rd Bomb Group and 389th Bomb Group since their return from North Africa. No fighter escort.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 143.81
- People killed in action: 21
- People wounded in action: 5
- Prisoners of war: 8
- People returned to duty: 9
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 17
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 7
- Aircraft sent: 55
- Aircraft effective: 43
- Aircraft missing in action: 3
- Aircraft damaged: 21
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-382247
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 385th Bomb Group 548th Bomb Squadron 551st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-746142
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 547th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: O-675361
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-799818
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-742000
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Battle Wagon
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Charlene
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 36th Bomb Squadron 562nd Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hard Luck
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Sad Sack
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Big Red
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 3-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to the statistics of the Vegesack (B-24) element per "The Mighty EIghth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 3-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to the 156 aircraft attacking Bremen City per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 3-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to the statistics of the 105 aircraft attacking the Bremen shipyards per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 3-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on German fighters to the statistics of the 53 aircraft attacking the Bremen industrial areas per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 3-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Associated Media based on images associated with missions in Freeman, The Mighty Eighth War Diary.
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.