Although the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
7 November 1942
34 Heavy Bombers attack U-boat pens at Brest.
A combined bomber force of 56 B-17s are despatched by 91BG, 301BG and 306BG to bomb the U-Boat pens at Brest, France. This is the first mission flown by 91st Bomb Group. This element is joined by 12 B-24s from 93BG. To aide the attacking bomber force, 7 B-24s from 44BG fly a diversion. This is the first mission for 44th Bomb Group
DIVERSION
B-24 Liberator
The 44th Bomb Group fly their first mission.
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...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 7 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 7 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
The 306th Bomb Group has 15 of 24 B-17s reaching the target. All 18 B-17s despatched from 301st Bomb Group are recalled and none reach the target.
Group
Activated 3-February-1942 at Geiger Field, Washington and equipped with B-17s. On 27-May-1942 the ground unit moved to Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico, and the aircraft went to Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base), California for...
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,...
| Tonnage dropped | 57.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 56 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 23 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 11 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 2 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 5 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
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 | 22.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 12 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 11 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 1 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 2 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 2 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
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
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 | 22.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 14 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 8 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 11 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 3 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 20 December 1942 in B-17F 41-24495 'Rose O'Day' while serving as Co-Pilot. Prisoner of War (POW). Officially recognized by German Gov't as American POW #99. Interned at Dulag Luft, Oflag 23b, Stalag Luft 3, and Stalag 7b. Cartoonist, sent POW...
Military | Captain | Navigator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Flew on John L. Ryan crew. From Sept 1942 until 6 March 1943. Shot down 6 March 1943 over Lorient, France in B-17F 42-5130 'Sweet Pea', 306BG/367BS while serving as Navigator Baled out and taken Prisoner of War (POW). Had flown 12 1/2 missions. His...
B-24 Liberator
This aircraft was assigned to the 93BG/329BS and participated in the mission to Lille, France on 7-Nov-1942. The aircraft crash-landed at RAF Exter and all the crew except pilot Capt Ralph J. McBride, Jr. were uninjured. Capt McBride sustained a wound...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2019 13:52:37 | Emily | Changes to official description |
| Sources | ||
Air Force Combat Chronology |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 February 2015 19:02:50 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 91BG/93BG Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 February 2015 19:00:49 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 92BG Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 February 2015 18:59:47 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 306BG Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 October 2014 18:18:36 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Recall of 301BG based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 October 2014 18:15:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Last mission event detail is in error concerning 93BG, the 14 B-17s despatched are from 91BG and on their first mission. I am blocked from DELETING the 93BG reference. Based on "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 October 2014 18:02:04 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Correction of typographical error in Mission Description. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 October 2014 18:00:40 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Edit to mission notes. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 October 2014 17:56:02 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 29-Oct-2014. Mission description based on "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'. |
||
