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26 June 1943
Not yet known
The targets for today are all Luftwaffe installations: the Villacoublay air depot SW of Paris, France is the primary; the airfield at Poissy, France is attacked as the secondary because of cloud cover; the airfield at Tricqueville, France; and the airfield at Le Mans, France. A force of 123 B-17s are despatched from: 91BG (14); 92BG (18); 303BG (20); 351BG (21); 379BG (13); 381BG (19); and 384BG (18) to attack Villacoublay air depot. 5 of the 18 aircraft despatched by 92BG were YB-40 gunships. 1 of these flew with the 303BG, 1 with the 384BG and 3 with the 379th BG. Only 12 of the 124 despatched were able to bomb at Paris and 6 others bombed the secondary airfield at Poissy, France because of complete cloud cover of the air depot at Villacoublay. There is some fighter opposition and the bomber gunners claim 13-3-10 of the enemy aircraft.
A second formation of 42 B-17s is depatched from: 305BG (21) and 306BG (21) to bomb the airfield at Tricqueville, France. This target is clear and 39 of the 42 B-17s despatched are effective on the target. The bomber gunners claim 4-2-0 of the enemy aircraft.
A third formation of 81 B-17s is despatched from: 94BG (19); 95BG (18); 96BG (21); and 100BG (23) to bomb the airfield at Le Mans, France, but cloud cover prevents bombing and the formation turns back before reaching the target. There are no losses or claims.
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
All return to base without bombing.
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
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 | None |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 81 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
| Tonnage dropped | 12.25 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 6 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 6 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
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,...
| Tonnage dropped | 90.15 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 42 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 39 |
AIR DEPOT
B-17 Flying Fortress
91st Bomb Group despatched 19, 5 of which were 5YB-40 assigned to escort the bombers but none of the aircraft make it to the target. Only 6 aircraft from 92nd Bomb Group and 12 from 379th Bomb Group are effective. Fighters are despatched as escort for all elements. All 5 Missing in Action (MIA) aircraft are from 384th Bomb Group
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 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 | 28.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 117 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 12 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 5 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 14 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 6 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
| Number of people Evaded | 7 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 38 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 17 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 5 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 10 |
Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW). 26 June 1943, B-17 #42-3188 'Miss Carriage' was attacked by fighters, left formation and exploded. Crashed near Bernay, France. Missing Air Crew Report #15567
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Evaded. . 26 June 1943, B17 42-30031 was attacked by fighters, hit by flak crashing near Bernouville, France. .
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 384th Bomb Group on Gowen Field (Boise, Idaho) Special Orders #32 dated 1 February 1943, Lykes Henderson Crew, 2 combat missions.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 384th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 384th Bomb Group on Gowen Field (Boise, Idaho) Special Orders #32 dated 1 February 1943, Lykes Henderson Crew, 2 combat missions.
...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Aerial Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
18 November 1942 in 'Fury' B-17 #41-2499 bombs could not be released so were jettisoned in an open field. On return, 10 miles SW of Exeter, A/C collided with #41-24553 which was able to land safely; however Fury landed at RAF Turweston and was salvaged.
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 August 1943 in B-17 #423231 'The Inferno. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DSC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean conflict.
Military | Captain | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 August 1943 in B-17 #423231 'The Inferno. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
William Cassedy first flew as Copilot on Capt. Raymond Check's crew. On the 26 June 1943 mission to Tricqueville airfield, Cassedy, the plane's regular Co-Pilot, had filled the post of one of the waist gunners on B-17 #42-3172, piloted by Lt. Col....
Military | Captain | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
He was assigned to the 303rd BG on approximately 15 April 1942.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-T] Bangor 10/9/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; 59m transferred 1 Base Air Depot (sic),* Burtonwood 7/7/44; Returned to the USA Altus 18/8/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 14/8/45. Over...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-W] Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Doug Mutschler, Co-pilot: Ed Carter, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Carlton Boberg (3 Killed in Action), Navigator: Bill Bagwell...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-G] Presque Is 27/11/42; Molesworth 13/12/42; Returned to the USA 2/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Arledge 22/11/44. IZA VAILABLE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 12/2/43; Walker 23/2/43; Smoky Hill 28/3/43; Presque 8/4/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 18/4/43 MOOR-FIDITE; Andrews Fd 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 532BS/381BG [VE-E] Ridgewell 16/7/43; Missing in Action...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/2/43; Gore 7/3/43; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-Q] Alconbury 19/4/43 LITTLE JIMMIE;
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 20/4/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG as BATTLE WAGON but not to UK; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-J] 29/5/43; Returned to the USA 13/7/43; 4100 BU Patterson 31/7/43; 4000 BU Patterson 5/12/43...
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 5/4/43; New castle 29/4/43; Presque Is 6/5/43; Assigned 546BS/384BG [BK-M] Grafton Underwood 17/6/43; Missing in Action Villacoublay 26/6/43 with Joseph Rosio, Co-pilot: George W. Evans, Bombardier: Sidney Casden, Radio Operator:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/4/43; Gore 14/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill 16/5/43; Kearney 22/5/43; Dow Fd 30/5/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG [MZ-X] Andrews Fd 2/6/43; RUM BOOGIE II; transferred 418BS/100BG [LD-U] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; as war weary F...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/2/43; 19/4/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-U] Molesworth 4/6/43; RWG Leon Kesky Killed in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43; 40m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with John Carothers, Co-pilot: Chas Frost, Radio Operator: George...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2016 19:24:24 | Mags | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd BG Web Page |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 January 2015 18:30:49 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2015. Statistics and Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 January 2015 18:28:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2014. Correction of typo in description. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 January 2015 18:25:15 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2041. Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| 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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