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Military
SSgt Gerald Erdahl (RT Waist) Survived his final mission to the synthetic rubber plant located at Hulls Germany on June 22, 1943. Enemy aircraft attacked the formation at approximately 09:15AM just prior to their reaching the IP of their bomb run. His B17F 42-29946 was damaged by 20 mm cannon fire causing the aircraft to spin, tumble and crash. 2nd Lt Walter J Nachtwey Co Pilot stated that some of the crew unable to contact either Captain Dollarhide or himself was able to exit the airplane via the waist door prior to the plane spinning completely out of control. Captured he remained a Prisoner of War for the duration.
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/3/43; Gore 16/3/43; Cheyenne 22/3/43; Walla Walla 2/4/43; Metropolitan 13/4/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG Kimbolton 4/5/43;
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 20/7/43; Cheyenne 22/7/43; Dyersburg 1/9/43; 4100 BU Patterson 3/8/44; 326 BU MacDill 29/10/44; 327 BU Drew 18/5/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 18/12/45.
22 June 1943
The German rubber industry (Chemische Werke Hüls AG) at Marl (district Hüls-Nord), Germany, is the primary objective of this mission and is assigned to the Bomb Groups with the most expericence. Also the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is assigned...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 November 2015 22:45:13 | Hobie@64205 | Changes to role |
| Sources | ||
Erdahl |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2015 21:25:36 | Hobie@64205 | Changes to role |
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Erdahl |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2015 21:24:45 | Hobie@64205 | Changes to service number |
| Sources | ||
Erdahl |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2015 21:23:13 | Hobie@64205 | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Erdahl |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2015 21:18:09 | Hobie@64205 | Changes to awards |
| Sources | ||
Erdahl |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2015 21:17:08 | Hobie@64205 | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Erdahl |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:11:20 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1294 / MACR 1294; The 379th Bombardier Group Anthology, pg 265 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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