1st Bomb Division
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.
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364
23 May 1944
Official description
Not yet known
Description
Not yet known
Mission details
1.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 26 T HE |
2.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 3 T HE |
3. AVORD (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 295 T HE |
4. BAYON (Secondary)
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 31 T HE |
5. BOURGES (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 195 T HE |
6. CAEN/CARPIQUET (Secondary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 54 T HE |
7. CHATEAUDUN (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 49 T HE |
8. CHAUMONT (Primary)
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 160 T HE |
9. EPINAL (Primary)
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft type
B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes
457th BG - MISSION NO. 49 - EPINAL-BLAINVILLE, FRANCE
23 MAY, 1944
French airfields and marshaling yards were the targets for the day with the Eighth Air Force supplying 1045 heavy bombers and 1185 escorting fighters. The 457th supplied two twelve-aircraft boxes, to make up the 94th A and B Combat Wings. Major Fred A. Spencer served as Air Commander with Captain Jerry Godfrey as pilot of the A Wing and Major William F. Smith was Air Commander of the B Wing, with Captain Clarence E. Schuchmann as pilot.
The target for the A Wing was the marshaling yards at Blainville, located eleven miles southeast of Nancy on the main rail line from Strasbourg to Paris. The B Wing's target was the marshaling yards at Epinal, located forty miles south of Nancy on a connecting link between two double track lines out of Paris. The A box dropped bombs on a target of opportunity. Results were unobserved due to the cloud cover. The B box dropped on the primary target at Epinal with good results.
The mission was marred shortly after its assembly by a B-24 group cutting through the lead box of the B Wing. This scattered the Wing's pattern, and resulted in a collision between aB-17
Lt. Amenco Procopia aborted the mission because of mechanical trouble. Additionally, the left landing gear was locked in the down position and the right landing gear in the up position. The crew was unable to correct either manually. Bombs were dropped in the Channel and the plane began circling the field to Use up fuel. After the other planes returning from the mission had landed Lt. Procopia made a smooth landing on the Left gear and tail wheel When the right wing dropped and hit the runway the plane veered and went off the runway. No one was injured.
Units
-
-
457th Bomb Group
Group
The 457th Bomb Group began combat operations during the Big Week of 20-25 February when American bombers carried out concentrated raids against German aircraft bases, factories and assembly plants. The air crews' targets on that first mission were...
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 97 T HE |
10. ETAMPES/MONDESIR (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 290 T HE |
11. METZ (Primary)
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
The 34th Bomb Group flies its first mission. 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
Units
-
1st Bomb Division
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. -
3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 102 T HE |
12. NEUNKIRCHEN (Secondary)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 111 T HE |
13. ORLEANS/BRICY (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 39 T HE |
14. ORLEANS/BRICY (Primary)
Description
AIRFIELD
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
The 34th Bomb Group flying B-24s joins with other 3rd Bomb Division units (386th Bomb Group, 387th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group) flying B-24s to attack Etampes/Mondesir German airfield. This is the first mission for 34th Bomb Group. 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 386th Bomb Group, 387th Bomb Group.
Units
-
2nd Bomb 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. -
3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 474 T HE |
15. SAARBRUCKEN (Secondary)
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 357 T HE |
Service
People
-
Robert Allison
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Flew 26 missions on 'Mission Bell', was wounded on 26th mission. Purple Heart, 4 Air Medals -
Thomas Barton
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
newly assigned May 1944 -
James Bates
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
-
Virgil Brave
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California. ... -
Palmer Bryan
Military | 446th Bomb Group
-
Edgar Burton
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 446th Bomb Group
Flew 25 missions, ending just before D-Day. Flew on D Day just to see it. According to him, he never saw a German fighter but did see lots of flak. -
Nicholas Duncan
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
-
Lewis Funk
Military | Master Sergeant | Photographic Chief | 34th Bomb Group
Lew was born in Wattenberg, Colorado, on Jan 30, 1921, to John and Alta Funk. An Eagle Scout who served in the National Guard at Fort Logan, he attended photo school for the Army at Lowry Air Force base. He achieved the rank of Master Sergeant as the... -
Milton Goodridge
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Shot down by fighters and crashed at Stettin on 6/20/44 in B-24 Bottle Baby 44-40169. Prisoner of War (POW) -
Victor Grzymkowski
Military | Major | Pilot | 385th Bomb Group
Assigned to ETO UK, STA 155, Great Ashfield, 385th Bomb Group in April 1944; flew missions through June 1945. Was assigned temporary duty to 388th Bomb Group, Knettishall. Was sent to RAF STA 136 Winsfarthing, Fersfield for missions with Project...
Aircraft
-
42-102485 Bare Essentials
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/44; Gr Island 2/4/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 12/5/44; Missing in Action Dessau 28/5/44 with Art Codding, Co-pilot: Roger Withers, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Berg, Radio Operator: Clyde Waite,... -
42-107062 Worry Bird/Miss Bea Haven
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 9/2/44; Rapid City 2/3/44; Dow Fd 3/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 562BS/388BG Knettishall 29/4/44 WORRY BIRD; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 29/11/45;... -
42-30778 Old 66/Lady Margaret
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Gore 6/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Reno 14/8/43; Pierre 16/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; crashed on take off for France 13/8/44 with Leon Sutton, Co-pilot: Harlan Thompson, Navigator: George Healy, Bombardier:... -
42-95021 San Antonio Rose
B-24 Liberator
-
41-31755 'Ye Olde Crocke'
B-26 Marauder
Assigned to 554BS, 386BG, 9AF USAAF. Written off after crash-landing in France on 7-Oct-44.
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2015 09:49:03 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/ |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:06 | 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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