9 September 1943
Mission 94 Report, a/c 41-24498
Not yet known
This mission has been named OPERATION STARKEY. It is planned as a coordinated attack of multiple bomber elements upon multiple targets and incorporates fighter escort as a rehearsal of what may be required to support an invasion of the Continent. It is the largest operation of the war to date with 330 bombers and 215 fighters participating. It is composed of 7 bomber elements. It is hoped that smaller formations of bombers directed to multiple targets will frustrate the Luftwaffe defenses and reduce bomber losses.
The first element is a combined force of 87 B-17s from: 95BG (23); 96BG (20); 388BG (21); and 390BG (23) dispatched to bomb the industrial areas of Paris, France. Cloud cover frustrates bombing efforts at Paris and some formations attack the secondary target of the German airfield at Beaumont-sur-Oise, France. 20 aircraft are effective on the targets at Paris and 48 bomb the airfield at Beaumont. 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) at Paris - 2KIA 8POW and 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) at Beaumont - 6POW 5EVD. These 2 bomber losses are the ONLY sustained by the 330 bombers dispatched. 21 aircraft are damaged and 3 airmen are Wounded in Action. The bomber gunners in this element claim 16-2-9 of attacking German aircraft. This element is the only one that draws up any significant Luftwaffe defense. This element has some fighter escort but it is limited by the range of the P-47s.
The second element is a formation of 63 B-17s from: 94BG (21); 100BG (21); and 385BG (21) dispatched to bomb the German airfield at Beauvais/Tille, France. 59 aircraft are effective on this target. There are no losses or claims, but 6 aircraft are damaged.
The third element is a formation of 37 B-17s from: 351BG (19) and 381BG (18) dispatched to bomb the German airfield at Lille/Nord, France. All 37 are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims, but 10 aircraft are damaged and 2 airmen are wounded.
The fourth element is a formation of 56 B-17s from: 92BG (19); 305BG (19); and 306BG (18) dispatched to bomb the German airfield at Lille/Vendeville, France. 52 aircraft are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims, but 7 aircraft are damaged.
The fifth element is a formation of 56 B-17s from: 303BG (18); 379BG (20); and 384BG (18) dispatched to bomb the German airfield at Vitre-en-Artois, France. 51 aircraft are effective on the target. There are no losses or claims.
The sixth element is a formation of 38 B-24s from: 93BG (20) and 389BG (18) dispatched to bomb the two German airfields as St. Omer, France: Ft. Rouge and Longuenesse. 28 aircraft are effective on the targets. There are no losses or claims, but 3 aircraft are damaged and one airmen is Wounded in Action (WIA).
The seventh element is a formation of 40 B-24s from: 44BG (19) and 392BG (21) dispatched to bomb the German airfield of Abbeville/Drucat, France. This is the first combat mission for the 392BG. 35 aircraft are effective on the target. This is the only element that does not get fighter escort, but there are no losses or claims.
The mission is declared a large success even though the Luftwaffe does not commit any significant numbers of fighters against the various elements.
AIRFIELD
B-24 Liberator
392nd Bomb Group first mission. Operation "STARKEY".
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 63.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 40 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 35 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Operation "STARKEY".
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 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 | 139.25 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 64 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 48 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 15 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 2 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
| Number of people Evaded | 5 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 14 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 10 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 2 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 1 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Operation "STARKEY".
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
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 84.20 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 63 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 59 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 6 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Operation "STARKEY".
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 53.45 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 37 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 37 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 10 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 2 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Operation "STARKEY".
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 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 | 74.52 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 56 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 52 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 7 |
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
B-17 Flying Fortress
Operation "STARKEY", D-Day Rehearsal. 330 B-17s participate. Largest raid to date. Luftwaffe fails to commit any large force.
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 58.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 23 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 20 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 6 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 6 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
AIRFIELD
B-24 Liberator
Operation "STARKEY".
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
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 | 65.40 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 38 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 28 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 3 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 1 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Operation "STARKEY".
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 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 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...
| Tonnage dropped | 75.18 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 56 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 51 |
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Loftin crew. 381st BG, 534th BS. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29958 'Battlin' Bombsprayer'. Mission #37 to the Arado Aircraft components at Anklam, Germany. MACR 886. Killed in Action (KIA). Buried in the Ardennes AMC.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Major
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Loftin crew. 381st BG, 534th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29958 'Battlin' Bombsprayer'. Mission #37 to the Arado Aircraft components at Anklam, Germany. MACR 886. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft III and Stalag XIIID.
...
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel
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 | 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 | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot ; Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Loftin crew. 381st BG, 534th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 42-29958 'Battlin Bombsprayer'. Mission #37 to the Arado Aircraft components at Anklam, Germany. MACR 886. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft III and Stalag XIIID.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Henry Jr. was a graduate of the 1940 class of Cumberland County High School. Two classmates, and football team members, graduating from CCHS in 1938, Ben H. West Jr. and Cecil G. Buttram were killed in action. AMM 3rd Class Ben H. West Jr. enlisted Dec...
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 Denver 31/12/42; Salina 7/1/43; Morrison 2/12/43; Homestead 14/2/43; Assigned 423BS/306BG [RD-D] Thurleigh 2/3/43; transferred 358BS/303BG [VK-K] Molesworth 30/7/43; 25m Missing in Action Oschersleben 26/1/44 with Jack Watson (RTD-alone),...
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 24/4/43; Sioux City 8/5/43; Smoky Hill 9/6/43; Dow Fd 14/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 15/6/43.
...
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 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 26/6/43; Smoky Hill 13/7/43; Kearney 16/7/43; Dow Fd 19/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 20/7/43; (34m) transferred Aphrodite project as OLIN'S 69'ERS; when War Weary, fuselage cut down and vehicle windshield fitted before open...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 26/4/43; Sioux City 7/5/43; Smoky Hill 9/6/43; Dow Fd 30/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/7/43; detailed Solignen, 30/11/43 with Paul Kelly, Co-pilot: John Corzette, Navigator: John Wiley, Bombardier: Marion Wiles, Flight...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 January 2018 17:42:19 | william henry | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Correct typos |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 January 2016 19:43:53 | Mags | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd BG Web Page |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 20:52:50 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 5-Jun-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to Paris statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 20:51:13 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 5-Jun-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to Beaumont statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 20:47:19 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to name and description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 5-Jun-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:18 | 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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