VIII Fighter Command FO-119 BOMBER ESCORT

31 August 1943

Description

160 P-47s from: 4FG; 56FG; 78FG and 353FG are despatched to escort the B-17 formations bombing the German airflied at Amiens/Glisy, France. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 1KIA 1POW. The aircraft collided with eachother at 30,000 feet nine miles north of the target. Both airmen were seen to bale out, but the parachute of 2LT Lester L. Dansky faile to open and he was killed. 1 aircraft is Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) when it ran out of gas and crashlanded in a field near Southend-on-Sea-Essex, Pilot RTD.

Mission Details

AMIENS / MEULAN / ROUEN

Description: FIGHTER ESCORT

Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt

Notes: Fighter escort for Amine/Meulan/Rouen mission. Two 353rd Fighter Group P-47 suffer a mid-air collision south of St. Omer, pilots Missing in Action (MIA)

Mission Statistics

  • People killed in action: 1
  • Prisoners of war: 1
  • Aircraft sent: 160
  • Aircraft missing in action: 2

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

Lester Louis Dansky

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11998257 / O-790459
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
A P-47 Thunderbolt (LH-T, serial number 42-74665) nicknamed "Fatty Patty II" of the 353rd Fighter Group flown by Captain Charles W Dinse shoots down a BF 110 during a mission. Gun camera image. Printed caption on reverse: '50416 AC - Discovering an Me 110 below him, Capt. Charles W. Dinsa, 304 Touhy Ave., Park Ridge, Ill., dove down and destroyed it. The pictures were taken by his automatic camera as his bullets found their mark. Credit for the kill was shared with Lt. Richard A. Stearns, Jr., 102 Forest

Charles W Dinse

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-665391
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Robert T Murden

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-794284
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-8383

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 28-May-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A, Freeman aand "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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'.