17 May 1943
Lt. Frank Robert Spitznagel and crew. 364th Squadron, 305th BG. Assembled June 18, 1943 in front of their B-17 #42-29633. (Personnel noted Back Row Left - Right; Front Row L-R)
Grave of TSgt John W. McFarland in the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
Lt. Carroll Dayle Briscoe flying the Joan of Arc (42-29477), the plane his crew became known for. 1943
Not yet known
VIII Bomber Command launches another operation against German U-Boat facilities with three elements. The first element is a formation of 100 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (24); 92BG (10); 303BG (21); 305BG (21) and 306BG (24) to attack the German U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. All but the 92BG have attacked this target many times in the past. Heavy fighter resistance is anticipated and those Groups with the most combat experience will lead the attack. 80 of the 100 despatched are effective on the target. The Bomber gunners claim 27-6-16 on the attacking fighters.
The second element is a force of 59 B-17s despathced from 94BG (21); 95BG (18) and 96BG (20) to attack the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. This force also encounters stiff Luftwaffe resistance, but only 2 B-17s are MIA. 38 of the 59 B-17s are effective on the target. The bomber gunners in this formation claim 20-2-13 on the attacking fighters.
The third element is a force of 39 B-24s despatched from: 44BG (21); and 93BG (18) to attack the U-Boat pens at Bordeaux, France. This is the first attack on the U-Boat pens there. The formation approaches at low level across the Atlantic but uses every effort to climb to the 22,000 foot altitude to make the attack 23 minutes later than the attacks on Lorient. The first two elements have drawn most of the German fighter resources so resistance is light. 34 of the 39 aircraft despatched are effective on the target. No aircraft are lost to enemy aircraft, but one has engine trouble on the inbound route and crashlands at Gijon, Spain. The bomber gunners only claim 1 German aircraft as a "Probably destroyed."
The last operation is a completely separate operation against the power stations at Ijmuiden and Haarlem, Holland by 11 B-26s despatched from 322BG. This is basically a repeat of the operation flown by this Group on 14-May-43, but the Germans are ready for this one. 1 B-26 aborts and the other 10 head for the targets, but fighter opposition and especially AA fire down the remaining 10. A complete disaster, so bad in fact that the 8th Air Force never mounts another attack using the B-26. The resources will be given over to the 9th Air Force in October 1943 and used against tactical targets and support of ground forces following D-Day.
The planners are rapidly learning that there is much merit in the axiom of "divide and conquer."
PORT AREA - U-BOAT PENS
B-24 Liberator
B-24 from 44th Bomb Group crash-landed at Gijon, Spain, 10 Returned To Duty (RTD).
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 | 85.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 39 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 34 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 1 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 2 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
VELSEN POWER STATION
B-26 Marauder
11 B-26s of the 322nd Bomb Group are despatched on a low-level attack on power stations at Haarlem and Ijmuiden. One B-26 aborts and the other 10 are shot down before they reach the target. One of the Missing in Action (MIA)s is Lt. Col Robert M. Stillman, Commanding Officer of the 322th Bomb Group. He is wounded and captured becoming a POW. The lead B-26 is shot down by AA fire and two others suffered a mid-air collision. The explosion from the two that collided brought down another. One B-26 went down in the sea, 4 Killed in Action (KIA) and two rescued two days later by a British destroyer. This mission prompts 8th Air Force to abandon low-level medium bomber attacks. No fighter escort on this mission.
Group
The 322nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium) was activated on 19-Jun-1942 at MacDill Field, Florida with B-26B Marauder aircraft. In late September 1942 the unit moved to Drane Field, Florida. The Ground echelon sailed for the UK aboard the Queen Elizabeth...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 11 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 10 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 34 |
| Number of people Evaded | 24 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 2 |
PORT AREA- SHIPPING
B-17 Flying Fortress
One battle damaged B-17 from 95th Bomb Group crash-lands at RAF Exeter.
Group
Activated 15-Jun-1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organisation and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29-Jun-1942; Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28-Aug-42 to 31-Oct-42 than at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas from...
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 | 92.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 59 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 38 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 3 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 1 |
| Number of people Evaded | 7 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 7 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
305th Bomb Group B-17 loses one down at sea, 5 RTD, 5Missing in Action (MIA) and 3 to AA and enemy aircraft.
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 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's 327th Bomb Squadron was the only Eighth Air Force squadron to fly YB-40s in combat. YB-40s were B-17s modified to fly as a heavily armed escort for other bombers. They were flown on missions between May and June 1943. Between May 1943...
| Tonnage dropped | 199.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 100 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 80 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 23 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
| Number of people Evaded | 1 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 15 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 3 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
On 3 January 1943 in B-24D 41-23771 while serving as Navigator the aircraft made a crash-landing near Puncheston, Pembrokeshire when it ran out of fuel upon return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. He was uninjured and Returned to Duty (RTD)
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator; Bombardier | 322nd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA). May 17, 1943, in B26 41-17982 on mission to a power station in Holland, plane hit by flak and crashed in sand dunes west of Rozenburg, Holland. 3 Killed in Action (KIA) and 3 Prisoner of War (POW). See Pilot Robert Stillman's...
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
He reported to group on 15 Jan 1943. He was the 35th Officer to complete 25 missions. Reported on 05 Feb 1945 with the 2AF weather scouts. Retired as a Colonel from the USAF in 1972.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer | 322nd Bomb Group
Morgan Freeman was Engineer/Gunner on B26 41-17982 on the 17 May 1943 mission to a power station in Holland, plane hit by flak and crashed in sand dunes west of Rozenburg, Holland. 3 Killed in Action (KIA) and 3 Prisoner of War (POW). He was one of the...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 322nd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA). May 17, 1943, in B26 41-17982 on mission to a power station in Holland, plane hit by flak and crashed in sand dunes west of Rozenburg, Holland. 3 Killed in Action (KIA) and 3 Prisoner of War (POW). See Pilot Robert Stillman's...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
On January 3, 1943 B-24D 41-23371 while serving as Pilot, the aircraft crashed near crossroads south of Puncheston returning from target U/B yards (submarine) at St. Nazaire, France. Fuel shortage caused the crash. Pilot Hilliard was injured and...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Gunner; Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined Sqd 3-Aug-42. ETO/Flight Echelon 2-Oct-42. On 15-Feb-43 in B-24D 41-23800 "The Captain and the Kids' while serving as Radio Operator the aircraft was damaged by flak and enemy fighter attacks but managed to make it back to England where the...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Story of "Mischief Maker" participation on 27 Aug 1943 Regensburg mission in Snetterton Falcons, pg 44.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
Robert McGuire served as a radio operator with the 358th Bomb Squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group, flying missions out of Molesworth, England.
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA). May 17, 1943, in B26 41-17982 on mission to a power station in Holland, plane hit by flak and crashed in sand dunes west of Rozenburg, Holland. 3 Killed in Action (KIA) and 3 Prisoner of War (POW). See Pilot Robert Stillman's...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/1/43; Salina 7/2/43; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-M] Molesworth 26/3/43. 18 missions. Missing in Action on the mission to bomb the airfield at Amiens-Glisy, France on 31 August 1943. Pilot: William J. Monahan; Co-pilot: Louis M....
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/2/43; Rapid City 22/2/43; Salina 4/3/43; Kearney 12/3/43; Assigned 92BG Alconbury 9/4/43; transferred 412BS/95BG [QW-N] Framlingham 12/5/43; with R.E. Robinson force landed Framlingham afd 17/5/43; with Robinson 19/5/43, Navigator...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15 February 1943; Walker 27 February 1943; Salina 10 March 1943; Assigned 338BS/96BG [BX- ] Grafton Underwood 17 April 1943; Andrews Field 13 May 1943.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Plane Mischief Maker II entered combat approximately Jun43 under command of Capt V.L. Iverson after the original Mischief Maker was damaged beyond repair. After this crew completed 25 missions Maj. Iverson was retained for HQ USSTAF, the crew...
B-26 Marauder
B-26B 41-27982 was shot down by AA fire on 17-May-1943 while on a mission to bomb a power station at Ilmuiden, Holland. The aircraft crashed into the sand dunes at Rozenburg, Holland. 3KIA, 3POW. MACR 15539.
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2016 19:08:13 | Mags | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd BG Web Page |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 January 2015 23:15:46 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 3-Jan-2014. Correction of typo in description. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 January 2015 23:13:45 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 3-Jan-2015. Description based on "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop and "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:17 | 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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