2nd Bomb Division
Division
8th Air Force 298
11 April 1944
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Sgt. Douglas James Irvine killed in action on 29 April 1944. He was Born 1 May 1923 in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was the second oldest of 9 children. On June 25th 1940, at the age of 17, he immigrated to Vandalia, Montana, where he lived and worked with his cousin Albert Kerr on his cattle ranch. He enlisted in the Army on February 10 1943 in Butte, Montana. He was in the U.S.A.A.F and was a crew member in the 447th Bomb Group and the 711th Bomb Squadron. He was a right waist gunner on the B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed, "GUM CHUM". They went down when a German fighter jet hit the cockpit and KOD 9 crew members. The only surviving crew member was Joe Kotulak, the top turret gunner who ejected before impact.
Official description
Not yet known
Description
Not yet known
Mission details
1.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
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Mission Statistics
2. ARNIMSWALDE (Secondary)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
3. BERNBURG (Primary)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
4. COTTBUS (Primary)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
5. DOBBERPHEL (Opportunistic)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
6. EISLEBEN (Opportunistic)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
7. HALBERSTADT (Secondary)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
8. OSCHERSLEBEN (Primary)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
2nd Bomb Division was made up of 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.
Units
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 494T HE 173.5 T IB |
9. POLITZ (Secondary)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
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Mission Statistics
10. ROSTOCK (Opportunistic)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
The German aircraft industry is the strategic objective of this 3-fold mission as weel as the destruction of the Luftwaffe in the air. 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
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3rd Bomb Division
Division
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 453.5T HE 180.4T IB |
11. Sorau, Germany (Zary, Poland)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
One of the heaviest single-day losses of WWII. However, it is a truly bad day for the Luftwaffe. In addition to the 73-24-23 score of the bombers, the escorts claim 61-5-25 in the air and 65-0-67 on the ground. The bombers also drop 2,400,000 leaflets. Of the group that was despatched to Stettin, 1st Lt. Edward S. Michael, (pilot) of a B-17 assigned to the 364thBS/305thBomb Group was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions. This was the 10th CMOH awarded to a member of the 8th Air Force.
457th BG MISSION NO. 25 - SORAU, GERMANY
11 APRIL, 1944
The target was the eastern complex of the FW-190 aircraft factories located at an airdrome near Sorau. Overall, a thousand heavy bombers and eight hundred escort fighters were involved in the operations of the day. Remembering the occurrences of 9 April, the Group expected a tough mission. The mission was flown at an altitude of sixteen thousand feet.
The 457th supplied twenty-four aircraft to compose all the high and part of the lead box of the 94th A Combat Wing. Major Rod Francis was Air Commander of the high box with pilot Lt. Edward M. Bender.
On the way to the target, heavy flak was encountered in the Hannover area. Two planes, piloted by Lt. Marsden W. Mattatal and Lt. Adrian W. Seabock, were knocked out of formation and returned to England badly damaged. However, five of Lt. Seabock's crew, including the navigator, parachuted and became prisoners of war. The lead aircraft was hit, had to salvo the bombs, but stayed with the formation. As they emerged from the flak, Me-109s were waiting, but escort fighters and gunners kept them away.
The primary target was covered with clouds; so the formation headed north for the Politz Oil Refinery, the secondary target, where clouds and other wings prevented bombing. Targets of opportunity were bombed; and the aircraft took the Baltic Sea, Denmark, North Sea route back to Glatton, completing a ten hour mission.
Thirteen craft sustained minor, and eight major, damage.
Units
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1st Bomb Division
Division
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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 | 399.1T HE 345.7TIB |
12. STETTIN (Opportunistic)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
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, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.
Mission Statistics
13. TRECHEL (Opportunistic)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
Service
People
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Oliver Andres
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Oliver Andres served as a bombardier with the 334th Bomb Squadron of the 95th Bomb Group, out of Horham, England. ... -
Louis Brown
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer | 95th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4231798. Killed in Action (KIA). -
Enrico Carpini
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
My dad, Enrico 'Rick' Carpini was from Linden, NJ and served as a radio gunner on a B-17G with the 305th Bomb Group/365th Bomb Squadron. He flew 30 missions from 1/4/44-5/22/44. The pilot was John F. Schleifer from Buffalo, NY. The majority of his... -
Loran Caskey
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-24 #4252582. Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Herbert Cox
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Flight Engineer - Top Turret Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-24 #4252582. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Carrol Lawrence
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Radio Operator | 466th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-24 #4252582. Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Adrian McKee
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
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Robert McWhite
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Crash landed in B-17 42-30793 Ellough, Norfolk, on return from a mission. 11/4/44. Shot down 24 April 1944 Freidrichshafen mission in B-17 #4231253. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
John Mernagh
Military | Technical Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner; Top Turret Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
Flew 50 missions from 22 December 1943 to 1 February 1945. Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal w/ 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation. -
Joseph Palatas
Military | Flight Officer | Bombardier | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
A Minor League Baseball player, Joseph M. Palatas signed with the St. Louis Cardinals' organization in 1942 and was assigned to the Springfield Cardinals of the Class C Middle-Atlantic League. He was expected to join the Springfield Cardinals of the...
Aircraft
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42-30793 'Tom Paine'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Named Tom Paine after a famous soldier who served in the American Army during the War of Independence after the airmen of the 562nd after they found out that he had been born in the nearby town of Thetford. Was chosen to promote Anglo-American co... -
42-31427
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/11/43. ... -
42-31462 "Roarin' Bill"
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/11/43; Kearney 17/11/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [ET-R] Horham 13/12/43; S/Sgt Gardner Wright (Killed in Action) 11/4/44; with G. R. Hall force landed RAF Woodbridge 12/12/44, all OK; Missing in Action [97m] Strasburg 20/1/45 with Capt... -
42-31798 Rose O'Day
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 21/12/43; Kearney 31/12/43; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-J] Horham 3/2/44; 15m, Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Garland Maddox, Navigator: Joe Krecji,Tail gunner: Ed Cunliffe (3 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Ewalt Kuchling, Bombardier:... -
42-31835
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Slated 388BG, transferred 334BS/95BG [BG-A] Horham 3/2/44; 14m, Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Delmar Miles, Co-pilot: George Ralph, Navigator: John Loyd, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sid... -
42-37876 'Struggle Bunny' "Batcha’s Patches" 'Miss Raps-O-Dee'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 28/9/43; Gr Island 21/10/43; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-S] Horham 3/11/43; 30m, Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Gene Schiapacasse, Co-pilot: Dave Janofskyburied Suaneke, on Bornholm Is, Den, Navigator: Henry Kress, Bombardier:... -
42-7522 Southern Comfort
B-24 Liberator
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 13 May 2015 14:48:36 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Relocated incorrect pin location. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 May 2015 14:43:39 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Mission detail added courtesy of Diane Reese - http://www.457thbombgroup.org/Narratives/ma25.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:12 | 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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