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24 January 1944
B-17 42-39867 'Hang the Expense II' sustained Flak damage on a mission to Frankfurt on 24th Jan 1944. A 88mm Flak shell exploded nearby causing the damage and also the departure from the A/C of the tail gunner S/Sgt Roy Urich. Urich was wounded but miraculously survived to become a POW. With a new tail section fitted the A/C returned to Ops renamed to 'Boeing Belle'. Seen here on the ground at RAF Eastchurch, Kent, UK. Witnesses on board swear he flew through the air still in his seat and hanging on to Browning gun handles !!
B-17G 42-39867 'Hang the Expense II' sustained Flak damage on a mission to Frankfurt on 24th Jan 1944. A 88mm Flak shell exploded nearby causing the damage and also the departure from the A/C of the tail gunner S/Sgt Roy Urich. Urich was wounded but miraculously survived to become a POW. With a new tail section fitted the A/C returned to Ops renamed to 'Boeing Belle'. Seen here on the ground at RAF Eastchurch, Kent, UK.
B-17G 42-39867 'Hang the Expense II' sustained Flak damage on a mission to Frankfurt on 24th Jan 1944. A 88mm Flak shell exploded nearby causing the damage and also the departure from the A/C of the tail gunner S/Sgt Roy Urich. Urich was wounded but miraculously survived to become a POW. With a new tail section fitted the A/C returned to Ops renamed to 'Boeing Belle'. Seen here on the ground at RAF Eastchurch, Kent, UK.
Not yet known
The primary target of this mission was the Zukunft power station at Eschweilier, Germany. The mision was composed of 563 bombers three elements from 1BD, 2BD and 3BD. The despatch from 2BD was recalled doe to weather before it could take off. Mission summary as follows:
3rd Bomb Division: 272 B-17s were despatched from: 94BG; 95BG; 96BG; 100BG, 388BG, 390BG and 447BG. Weather hampered bombing and only 56 of this formation were effective on the target. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 5KIA 12POW 3EVD. 1 aircraft crashed on takeoff - 1 KIA 9RTD. 1 airman was KIA in a returning aircraft. The bomber gunners claimed 1-0-3 of attacking German aircraft.
2nd Bomb Division - element recalled before takeoff.
3rd Bomb Division: 291 B-17s are despatched from: 91BG; 351BG; and 381BG. 1 aircraft was Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) in a crash landing at Ickelton Abby, UK - 4KIA 6RTD. There were no other losses or claims.
ZUKUNFT POWER STATION
B-17 Flying Fortress
All groups in this element were recalled, but 56 managed to bomb the power station.
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 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
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
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.
...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 272 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 56 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 2 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 10 |
| Number of people Evaded | 3 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 12 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 15 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 3 |
ZUKUNFT POWER STATION
B-17 Flying Fortress
A combined force of B-17s and B-24s were despatched to bomb industrial targets around Frankfurt. However, weather frustrated form-up and only 563 of the force were despatched. Eventually all groups were recalled. Only two aircraft from this element managed to drop bombs on the power station.
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 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 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...
| Tonnage dropped | 143.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 291 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 5 |
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
B-24 Liberator
All the B-24s were recalled before leaving the ground.
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 adaptation increased...
Group
The 445th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators from Tibenham, Norfolk. The crews' first mission was bombing U-boat installations at Kiel on 13 December 1943. The Group continued to hit strategic targets in Germany, including the aircraft components factory...
Group
The 446th Bomb Group, who came to be known as "the Bungay Buckaroos" after the name of their Suffolk base, flew B-24 Liberators on strategic, support and interdictory missions over Europe. The Group led the Eighth Air Force and 2nd Bomb Division on the...
Group
The 448th Bombardment Group was organized on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field, near Boise, Idaho. The initial training of the air crews took place in Florida. The entire group was assembled Wendover Field, Utah. Both air and...
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 | 0.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 0 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 0 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Damaged by fighter attacks on the return from a mission to Klein Machow, Berlin on 6 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31299 'Junior' maintained formation until finally crashing NW of Beilen, Holland after the crew baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Mickow crew. 381st BG, 534th BS, 8th AF. Shot down by fighters on mission #61 to Frankfurt, Germany on 29 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37884. MACR 2241. Killed in Action (KIA).
Groves, TX
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Barker, a native of Yorktown, Ind., was a burly 6-foot-2 inch forward on the 1948 Kentucky team that finished the season with a 36-3 record, the national title and the nickname of the Fabulous Five. The other starters were Wallace (Wah Wah) Jones at...
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
On a mission to Klein Machnow, Berlin on 6 Mar 1944, another B-17 from the 388th went out of control after being attacked by fighters and collided with B-17G #42-40054 which exploded and crashed SE of Emmen, Holland. Killed in Action (KIA). Died of...
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
On the return from a mission to Klein Machnow, Berlin on 6 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-37886 'Blitzing' Betsy' was severely damaged by attacks from several FW190s causing it to collide with another 388th B-17, exploding in mid-air and crashing near Emmen,...
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
He flew with Pilot Lt. Ray Cambell on 'Ray's Hell' The plane crashed in England but the crew escaped.
DFC, purple heart, etc
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Mickow crew. 381st BG, 534th BS, 8th AF. Shot down by fighters on mission #61 to Frankfurt, Germany on 29 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37884. MACR 2241. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft I.
Rockmart, GA
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24-Apr-43; Smoky Hill 5-May-43; Kearney 29-May-43; Atlanta 2-Jun-43; Dow Field 16-Jun-43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-X] Framlingham 19-Jun-43 HERKY JERKY II; Horham 15-Jun-43; with force landed Framlingham AF 10-Oct-43 with Pilot R.E....
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 11/5/43; Smoky Hill 9/6/43; Dow Fd 12/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG [ -T] Knettishall 14/6/43; Missing in Action Bordeaux 27/3/44 with Julius Lederman, Co-pilot: Waite Law, Bombardier: John Luzell (3 Prisoner of War)...
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 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 21/9/43; Gr Island 6/10/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 25/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 10/2/44 with Jim Feeney - not found till 25/2/44, Radio Operator: Norman Kajut, Waist gunner: Marion Forbis, Tail gunner: Lou LeFevre ...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/9/43; Gr Island 7/10/43; Romulus 10/10/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 15/10/43; Missing in Action Augsburg 13/4/44 with Art Nelson, Co-pilot: Art Livermore, Navigator: Maurice White, Bombardier: Bill Matuszewski, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/11/43; Gt Falls 15/11/43; Denver 22/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Presque Is 25/12/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-H] Framlingham 2/1/44; suffered n/battle damaged hitting tree at Grundisburgh Hall, Sfk, being slow timed on 2/6/44, with...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27-May-43; Dow Field, Bangor, Maine 4-Jub-43; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-N] Thorpe Abbotts 9-Jun-43; on takeoff for Frankfurt the aircraft dove down to miss another aircraft during assembly and could not recover and was crash landed...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 17 August 1943. Assigned 95th Bomb Group/335th Bomb Squadron, Horham 6 September 1943. 23 missions. Missing in Action Eschweiler 24 January 1944 with Pilot Charles H. Mowers; Co-pilot: Gerald E. Roderick; Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 2/10/43; Gr Island 21/10/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 25/10/43; Missing in Action Berlin 6/3/44 with Lowell Watts captured by civilians, Co-pilot: Bob Kennedy, Navigator: Emmett Murphy, Bombardier: Ed Kelley, Flight engineer...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 January 2016 22:50:56 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Corrected aircraft associations of FTRs and DBRs per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 January 2016 22:16:20 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Added bomber gunner claims to statistics of 3BD element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 January 2016 22:11:35 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Added Mission Narrative per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 May 2015 09:48:54 | jdossetter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
http://www.8thafhs.com/maps.php?lat=50.8252&lon=6.30105&target_name=ESCH... |
||
| 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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