5 November 1943
The crew of "Flak Suit" in Texas, 1943. Back row, from left to right Hank C. Johnson, George Watt, Albertus Harrenstein, Leslie E. Meader, Joseph A. Sage and John M. Craig. Front row : William J. Bramwell Jr, William E. Current, Charles L. Smith and John J. Maiorca.
Forrest Stanley Clark
Mission 121 Report, a/c 42-37724
Not yet known
Having had good success with P-38 escorts and limiting penetration depth into Germany this mission is directed at the railroad marshaling yards and oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. In addition the marshaling yards at Munster, Germany are also targeted.
The mission consists of three elements: The first element is a formation of 193 B-17s from 3rd Bomb Division including: 94BG (29); 95BG (25); a double dispatch of 43 from 96BG; 100BG (25); 385BG (24); 388BG (25); and 390BG (23) dispatched to bomb the railroad marshaling yards and oil refinery at Gelsenkirched, Germany. The numbers dispatched indicate this is another "maximum effort". 155 aircraft are effective on the target. 5 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 31KIA 14POW 5EVD all lost to Anti-aircraft fire or damage therefrom. 1 aircraft with battle damage crash lands at Elmham St. Cross, UK and is considered Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) 10RTD. 260 aircraft are damaged (most to to AA fire). 9 airmen in returning aircraft are Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners make no claims on enemy aircraft. The FTRs included B-17F 42-31030 "Shy Anne" from 390BG/571BS which was the last B-17F model assigned to a USAAF combat theater.
The second element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division including: 91BG (18); 92BG (22); 303BG (19); 305BG (19); 306BG (21); 352BG (18); 379BG (21); 381BG (22); and 384BG (20) dispatched to bomb the railroad marshaling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. 186 are effective on the target. 3 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 8KIA 22POW. 1 battle damaged aircraft makes a crash landing at Ipswich, UK and is declared to be Damaged Beyond Repair (DRB) 10RTD. 111 aircraft are damaged (most due to AA fire). 22 airmen in returning aircraft are Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners in this element claim 5-1-3 of attacking German aircraft.
NOTE: 11 PFF H2X radar equipped B-17s from 482BG are dispersed among the B-17 formations to pinpoint the target and signal "bombs away" to the bombardier of the formations.
The third element is a combined force of 118 B-24 of 2nd Bomb Division including: 44BG (32); 93BG (26); 389BG (30); and 392BG (30) dispatched to bomb the railroad marshaling yards at Munster, Germany. 104 aircraft are effective on the target. 3 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 16KIA 15POW. 7 aircraft are damaged with 22 airmen Wounded in Action (WIA). This element does not have fighter escort. The bomber gunner claim 21-4-7 of attacking German aircraft.
MARSHALLING YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
482nd Bomb Group contributes 4 Pathfinder (PFF) equipped B-17s, 3 strike the target.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Group
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Group
The 351st Bomb Group flew strategic bombing missions from their base at Polebrook, Northamptonshire from April 1943 to June 1945. The Group's most famous member was Hollywood actor Clark Gable, who flew four/ five missions with them as an observer...
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for...
| Tonnage dropped | 384.52 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 184 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 171 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 3 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 111 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 10 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 22 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 21 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 5 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 3 |
OIL REFIENRY and MARSHALLING YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
482nd Bomb Group contributes 3 Pathfinder (PFF) equipped B-17s, two strike the target. More than 500 aircraft took part in this raid. Flak is very heavy, resulting in many damaged aircraft, but fighter resistance is light. 383 fighters including 47 P-47s escort the two waves of B-17s.
Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
Group
The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Group
The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...
Group
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942; Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
Group
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
...
| Tonnage dropped | 354.78 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 197 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 157 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 5 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 105 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 33 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 9 |
| Number of people Evaded | 3 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 14 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
MARSHALLING YARDS
B-24 Liberator
482nd Bomb Group contributes 4 Pathfinder (PFF) equipped B-17s, 4 strike the target. One B-24 dropped 12 x 500 M50 IB on COESFELD as a Target of Opportunity, and one B-24 dropped 8 x 500GP and 16 x 100 IB on HALTERN as a Target of Opportunity.
Group
The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...
Group
The 392nd Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators out of Wendling, Norfolk from August 1943 until April 1945. They were the first Group allocated B-24H Liberators, the first B-24 series fitted with a nose turret on the production line. The an adaptation ...
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Group
93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1-March-1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15-May-1942 the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to continue advanced flight training and also to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; they...
| Tonnage dropped | 284.05 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 118 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 104 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 3 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 43 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 23 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 22 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 14 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 21 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Fighter Command | 4 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Fighter Command | 7 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-Pilot, Butler crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. On Mission #42, November 5, 1943 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen on B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite', pilot Butler returned to base with 3 crewmen as 6 had bailed out over Southern Holland...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot, Baer crew, 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Forced to ditch in the North Sea on mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-30029 'Chap's Flying Circus'. MACR 2495. Lt Baer radioed that they were running out of fuel and may not make...
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #4230789 'Flak Suit'. Prisoner of War (POW).
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Air Gunner, Togglier/Bombardier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 26 November 1943 in B-17 #4230832. Prisoner of War (POW). He was a Prisoner of War (POW) from 26 Nov. 1943 to 04 May 1945. He was at Stalag 17B, Krems, Austria. Prisoner of War (POW) no. 100388.
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator / Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Radio Operator Conner Brewster was killed by Flak inside B-17 42-30088 'Squawkin' Hawk II' on the Gelsenkirchen mission, November 5, 1943. Pilot William Flesh ordered a bail out after plane suffered severe bomb damage. Brewster's parachute failed to...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier, Butler crew. Member of the Shultz crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Wounded on 5 November 1943 on Mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The pilot, Lt Butler ordered Lt Brown to bail out. He removed his oxygen mask...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 22 December 1943 in B-17 #4237773 'Full House. ' Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).
The plane was ditched in the Ijsselmeer, The Netherlands.
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster / Purple Heart
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Hess crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #42-3540 'Bacta-th'-Sac'. Mission #46 to Solinger, Germany. MACR 1660. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft I, Luft III and Luft VIg (?).
POW
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-R] Bangor 22-Sep-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; First 8th Air Force aircraft to complete 50, then 75 missions- 27-Mar-44; with M/Sgt Buford Pafford as crew chief; 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 5-Jun-44; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 12/2/43; Walker 27/2/43; Salina 11/3/43; Gulfport 28/3/43; Dow Fd 8/4/43; Assigned 338BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 20/4/43 LITTLE CAESER, VINI VIDI VICI.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 20/5/43; Assigned to the 547BS/384BG [S0-G] Grafton Underwood 24/5/43, then the 546BS [BK-G]; Missing in Action Leverkusen 1/12/43 with Maj Maurice Stanley Dillingham, Co-pilot:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill 12/5/43; Wendover 18/5/43; Kearney 22/5/43; Dow Field 27/5/43; Assigned 349BS/100BG [XR-E] Thorpe Abbotts 9 June 1943. Severe battle damage over Stuttgart 6 September 1943 with Sumner...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 14/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 16/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 17/6/43; transferred Aphrodite project, Missing in Action V-sites, Watten 6/8/44 with Lt Joeseph P Andrecheck & T/Sgt Raymond Healy (2...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Gore 9/5/43; Sioux City 10/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 1/6/43; crashed on take off for Bremen after encountering mechanical problems 13/11/43 with Bob Simons, Co-pilot: Alvin...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/5/43; Gore 25/5/43; Kearney 5/6/43; Dalhart 27/6/43; Gr Isle 26/7/43; with Gordon Crozier force landed Geiger 29/7/43; Patterson 8/8/43; Gr Isle 11/8/43; Presque Is 16/8/43; Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-B] Chelveston 3/9/43;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Gore 6/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Reno 14/8/43; Pierre 16/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; crashed on take off for France 13/8/44 with Leon Sutton, Co-pilot: Harlan Thompson, Navigator: George Healy, Bombardier:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Dyersburg 7/8/43; Assigned 563BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; Missing in Action Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43 with Pilot William J. Bramwell Jr, Co-Pilot William E. Current, Navigator Charles L. Smith, Bombardier John J. Maiorca, Radio...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/9/43;
...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 January 2018 18:08:53 | william henry | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Correct typos |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 July 2015 22:26:13 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Jul-2015. Addedbomber gunner claims to Muster element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 July 2015 22:25:04 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to 1st BD statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 July 2015 22:23:14 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:16 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
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'. |
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