96th Bomb Group
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Plane Mischief Maker II entered combat approximately Jun43 under command of Capt V.L. Iverson after the original Mischief Maker was damaged beyond repair. After this crew completed 25 missions Maj. Iverson was retained for HQ USSTAF, the crew disbanded and some crew members were returned home. MMII was refurbished and assigned to Lt Paul Herring. On his first mission in this aircraft Lt Herring was shot down.
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
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Squadron
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 96th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
15 combat missions. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Berlin and on the return flight with two engines out, B-17F 42-30412 'Mischief Maker II' crashed SSE of Brussels, Belgium on 4 Mar 1944. Evaded in Belgium for months. Liberated by 1st Army...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Attacked by fighters on a mission to Berlin and on the return flight with two engines out, B-17F #42-30412 'Mischief Maker II' crashed SSE of Brussels, Belgium on 4 Mar 1944. Evaded (EVD). Page about him at http://www.evasioncomete.be/fbrennege.html
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
1st mission 14 January 1944. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Berlin and on the return flight with two engines out, B-17F #42-30412 'Mischief Maker II' crashed SSE of Brussels, Belgium on 4 Mar 1944. POW. Luft 6, Luft 4. Stalag 13B, & 7A
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 28 July 1943 in B-17 #42-30394. Plane crashed into North Sea, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Flight Officer | Co-pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Attacked by fighters on a mission to Berlin and on the return flight with two engines out, B-17F #42-30412 'Mischief Maker II' crashed SSE of Brussels, Belgium on 4 Mar 1944. Evaded (EVD).
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Attacked by fighters on a mission to Berlin and on the return flight with two engines out, B-17F #42-30412 'Mischief Maker II' crashed SSE of Brussels, Belgium on 4 Mar 1944. Evaded.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Story of "Mischief Maker" participation on 27 Aug 1943 Regensburg mission in Snetterton Falcons, pg 44.
13 May 1943
The large fighter sweeps of the last several weeks have not been successful in drawing any significant numbers of German fighters in opposition. So, if the German will not send his fighters up for a one-on-one confrontation with the American P-47s,...
14 May 1943
Today's operations will be the most extensive yet mounted by VIII Bomber Command. The operations call for a "maximum effort". Whereas in the past a single target or those close together have been chosen, today's effort is against widley separated...
17 May 1943
VIII Bomber Command launches another operation against German U-Boat facilities with three elements. The first element is a formation of 100 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (24); 92BG (10); 303BG (21); 305BG (21) and 306BG (24) to attack the German U-Boat...
21 May 1943
The German naval and port facilities at Wilhelmshaven and Emden, Germany are the two primary targets for this mission. Once again, there is a two-fold strategic objective: entice the Luftwaffe to commit its fighter forces; and further degrade the naval...
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is...
11 June 1943
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown...
13 June 1943
German naval facilities and port areas at Bremen, Germany and Kiel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A formation of 151 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (27); 305BG (24); 306BG (28); 351BG (21); and 379BG (13) are to...
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...
23 June 1943
A combined force of 172 B-17s is despatched from 91BG (13); 92BG (14); 303BG (22); 305BG (21); 306BG (22); 351BG (20); 379BG (20); 381BG (22); and 384BG (18). Also 8 YB-40 gunships from 92BG are interspersed in the formation. The intention was for 140...
25 June 1943
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG ...
Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
Event | Location | Date |
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Delivered | 1 January 1943 | |
Delivered Cheyenne 28/5/43; Roswell 9/6/43; Kearney 10/6/43; Dow Fd 2/7/43; This may match Capt Iverson's flight records; his wife's recollections; and the date on the photo (22Aug43) showing 13 completed missions. Capt Iverson started operational missions 13May43 and completed 13 missions 19Aug43. So if plane arrived early July in England he could have switched after his 10th mission. His flight records don't record the tail number of his flights so it's hard to be exact here. |
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First crew under Capt V.L. Iverson | 1 June 1943 – 31 December 1943 | |
Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-B] Snetterton 3/7/43; Capt Vern Iverson (standing in back row in picture, 2nd from left) was made aircraft commander of MMII in approximately Jun43 after the original Mischief Maker suffered extensive battle damage. From Capt Iverson's flight records he flew the original MM from Patterson Fld to Dow Fld 16Apr43; Dow to Goose Bay 23Apr43; Goose Bay to Meeks Fld 25Apr43; Meeks Fld to Preswick 26Apr43; Preswick to Grafton Under 27Apr43. His crew at this time included Lt. Wm. Galle Bombadier, Lt Davidson Navigator, Lt Jack Gawley CoPilot. At the time the picture was taken the nose of MMII records 13 missions and the date on the photo appears to be 22Aug43. Capt Iverson's first operational mission (in MM) was 13May43. He flew his 13th operational mission on 19Aug43 (Bomber Mission 85) in MMII. After he was selected as a lead aircraft for the 8th AF, he didn't always fly with 96th BG. When Capt Iverson became an 8th AF lead crew his bombadier was replaced by Capt Mike Arpaia. I think this crew completed their last mission 31Dec43 with a mission to Paris (Bomber Mission 171). Maj. Iverson then flew two more operational missions with substitute crew and aircraft on 21Jan44 and 3Mar44 before being assigned to HQ USSTAF. When his crew departed, Mischief Maker II was assigned to Lt Paul Herring. Lt Herring was shot down on his first operational mission in MMII on 4/3/44. |
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Second crew under Lt. P. Herring | 1 January 1944 – 4 March 1944 | |
Plane refurbished and fitted for new crew. Checked out with Lt. Paul Herring. |
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Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 4 March 1944 |
Lt Herring was shot down on his first mission 4/3/44. Missing in Action 15m Berlin 4/3/44 with Paul Herring; Co-pilot: Charles D. Beard Jr; Navigator: John W. Wilson; Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Goetz; Tail gunner: Glenn E. Brenneke; photographer Howard G. Sakarias (6 evaded capture); Bombardier: William D. Wood, Radio Operator: Robert E. Doherty; Ball turret gunner: Walter C. Rich; Waist gunner: Everett N. Johnson, Waist gunner: Luigi Iacovialle (5 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Glabais, 15 miles SE of Brussels, Belgium; Missing Air Crew Report 3425. MISCHIEF-MAKER II. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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19 August 2021 21:58:05 | jmoore43 | Changes to production block number |
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Added "B-17" to the production block number. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
07 February 2020 15:45:48 | phil marchese | Changes to markings |
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Alternate AAM Ssociated image. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
07 February 2020 15:42:58 | phil marchese | Changes to production block number and markings |
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AAM associated image. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
02 June 2015 02:40:43 | 466thHistorian | Changes to mission associations |
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Chris Brassfield |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
01 April 2015 10:19:29 | DIvy | Changes to description, events, person associations and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Taken from flight records of V.L. Iverson by his son Derek Iverson (which included flight of original Mischief Maker and record of all operational missions in Europe); corroborated with americanairmuseum.com mission data; discussed with Margaret A. Iverson, Vern's wife. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
24 March 2015 13:20:08 | ED-BB | Changes to nicknames, description, place associations and mission associations |
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MACR 3425 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:40:29 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3425 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |