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25 July 1944
Mission map for 8th Air Force mission #494, July 25, 1944 to St. Lo, from Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Note that on this map, the dark line is the route for the mission of the previous day (#492), while the light pencil line is for the mission of July 25. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.
Mission list kept by 2nd Lt. Donald Muckerman of the 8th Airforce, 305th Bomb Group, 422nd Squadron (front)
8th Air Force mission 494; St. Lo, France; July 25, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo
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Gen. Bayerlein continued, "The shock effect on the troops was indescribable. Several of my men went mad and rushed round in the open until they were cut down by splinters. Simultaneously with the storm from the air, innumerable guns of American artillery pounded drumfire into our positions." He continued, "over 70 percent of my soldiers were either dead, wounded, crazed or dazed." Because of the friendly-fire casualties, GEN Dwight Eisenhower forbids the use of heavy bombers in a tactical support role for ground troops for the remainder of the war.
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For the second consecutive day the 8th Air Force sent its forces to a tactical target near St. Lo, France.
The 388th Bomb Group put up three Groups of 12 aircraft for the 45th A Combat wing. No aircraft aborted for the second day in a row. Formations were effected and the briefed route was followed to the target. Bombs were away at 1031 hours from 13,000 feet. Strike photos show a very tight pattern covering the target. Bombing was done from 3,000 feet lower than briefed because of clouds.
No enemy fighters were encountered. Flak in the target area was meager and inaccurate. One of our aircraft in the C Group had self inflicted damage caused by the premature exploding of a fragmentation bomb at bombs away. There were no casualties. Brigadier General Kissner, 3rd Air Division Chief of Staff, and members of his staff accompanied personnel on the mission.
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 1,647.60 |
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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483 of 500 Fighters (mix of P-47s, P-38s and P-51s) from 8th AF also participate in the attack with strafing and bombing runs. German Lt. Gen. Fritz Bayerlein, commander of the Panzer Lehr Division commented in his memoirs that," the bombers came as if on a conveyor belt. Back and forth the carpets were laid, artillery positions were wiped out, tanks overturned and buried, infantry positions flattened and all roads and tracks destroyed. By midday the entire area resembled a Mondlandschaft (moonscape), with bomb craters touching rim to rim. All signal communications had been cut and no command was possible."
| Tonnage dropped | 24.6 T |
TROOP CONCENTRATION
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All groups of the 2nd and 3rd Bomb Divisions participate except the 486th Bomb Group and 487th Bomb Group. Continuation of OPERATION COBRA - 11 B-26 and A-20 groups from 9th AF continue to bomb the rectangle adjacent to the Periers/St.Lo Road. 42 B-26s repeat the bombing errors of the pevious day and short-bomb the area again hitting the 30th Infantry Division. 9th AF fighters strafe German troop positions also. While killing many Germans these attacks tended to shroud the bombing zone with smoke and dust, thus, hampering the bombing barrage launched by 8th AF. Some of the 8th Air Force's bomb drops were short also. The result was another tragic friendly-fire incident. 111 American soliders were killed and another 490 were wounded. Among the KIA casualties was Lt. Gen, Leslie J. McNair, who was conduting observation along the front lines. He was the highest ranking officer to be killed in the European theater in WWII. Despite the American losses the ground attack proceeded at exactly 1100 hours and First Army made an 800 yard advance though the bombed out zone.
Division
The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
| Tonnage dropped | 1723.1 T |
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
newly assigned May 1944
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Warran Callahan served as a co-pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Navigator; Statistics | 490th Bomb Group
AWARDS:
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Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 448th Bomb Group
Lee's original aircraft was named "Do Bunny", after his soon to be wife, Doris Christianson (Frank Christianson's sister). However; upon arrival at Wales, the aircraft they named was given to another crew.
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Top Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Thomas Diamond served as a top turret gunner in the Westrope crew with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
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Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Oscar Flores served as a waist gunner with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier - 1035 | 490th Bomb Group
Member of Willis crew;
Remained an Air Force officer until 1972, retired as Lt. Colonel;
Was an Electronics Engineer for the Air Force;
Did the same job as a civilian after retiring.
Died February 1986.
Military | Sergeant | flexible gunner/ Togglier | 384th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Flew 30 missions, many on 'The Lemon'
DFC/ Air Medal w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ American Campaign Medal/ WW II Victory Medal/ Armed Forces Reserve Medal/ 2 Battle Stars
B-24 Liberator
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; New Castle 10/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-C] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; sal battle damaged 27/4/44. NEVADA AVENGER.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 26/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-C] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; 118m landing accident at base with Jim Nolan 7/5/45; sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 8/5/45. HELL’S ANGELS OUT OF CHUTE 13 aka GROSSLY INADEQUATE.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/2/44; Gr Island 25/2/44; Presque Is 10/3/44; Assigned 452BG Deopham Green 16/3/44; damaged in taxi collision with 42-107225 at Hardwick Afd 7/6/44; Missing in Action Frankfurt 25/9/44 with Gaston Efird, Co-pilot: Bruce Merickle,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/5/44; Kearney 1/6/44; Grenier 16/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 20/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-24 Liberator
B-24H #42-94937 "Call Me Savage" was first assigned to the 490th Bomb Group/849th Bomb Squadron at Eye. Transferred to the 493rd Bomb Group/862nd Bomb Squadron at Debach. 493rd BG Pilot Richard B. Lewis flew it on the 25 July 1944 support mission West...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 June 2015 17:50:10 | Pete | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
452nd Bomb Group Assoc. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2015 12:42:49 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Information sent by Dick Read relating to Arthur M. Read and the 388th Bomb Group. (From 'The 388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger). |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2015 12:41:18 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Information sent by Dick Read relating to Arthur M. Read and the 388th Bomb Group. (From 'The 388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger). |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:07 | 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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