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B-17G-15-BO #42-31369 "Round Tripper" Code: IW-K
401st BG - 614th BS
Deenethorpe
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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 19, 3 Feb 1944, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
Over 1,100 fighters and bombers participated in the attack on the great port and fighter base at Wilhelmshaven. The 401st emerged unscathed, and the results of bombing were good. This was the first Group lead for "Hi Ho" Silver, who later became Deputy Commanding Officer of the 401st. All aircraft down safely by 1540 hours.
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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 21, 5 Feb 1944, Chateauroux, France. The results of bombing Chateauroux Airfield were excellent. Pictures of 401st bombs striking the target appeared in Stars and Stripes and in London newspapers. They showed the target completely demolished. One aircraft, "Nasty Habit", was landed safely on three engines by its co-pilot, Lt. George Hellmuth, and engineer, Sgt. James Bailey, both of whom were wounded, after the pilot, Lt. Harry Piper, was severely wounded. Hellmuth and Bailey both passed out after landing the aircraft. Upon return all aircraft were accounted for by 1439 hours--23 at Deenthorpe, one at Gravesend with three wounded, and one at Abingdon with one dead (Sgt. Fatcia) and two seriously wounded (Sgts. Minor and Moneybaker).
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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 23, 11 Feb 1944, Frankfurt, Germany.
Captain Donald McCree led the Group to Frankfurt, the site of important aircraft and manufacturing plants. He reported a very successful mission, stating: "We could see the target area, and our bombs smacked right into it. The fighter support was superb." One aircraft (#026) landed at 1111 hours after being shot up by one of our own B-17's, running off the runway with a flat tire and all rudder controls gone. All other operational aircraft were back by 1555 hours.
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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 24, 20 Feb 1944, Leipzig, Germany.
All 41 aircraft were airborne by 0955, constituting two complete boxes of 18 aircraft each plus spares. All but two operational aircraft had returned by 0730 hours, one of which was later reported to have landed at Raydon.
Colonel Bowman led the 1st Bomb Division in an operation to Leipzig, where the 8th Air Force struck the greatest blow yet to German aircraft production. For this achievement, the 401st received messages of commendation from Generals Doolittle and Williams.
Lt. (later Major) Alvah Chapman, with Capt. Silver, Deputy Group Commander, in the co-pilot's seat, brought his aircraft, "Battlin Betty", back safely, flying across much of Germany at low altitude after having had two engines shot out and suffering major damage to brakes, flaps and fuselage.
Lt. Edward T. Gardner, the pilot of Doolittle's Doughboys" (# 42-31518) gave his life for his crew, holding the B-17 steady until the other nine crew members had safely bailed out, by which time it was too late to bail out himself.
Delivered Cheyenne 26/10/43; Gr Island 13/11/43; Romulus 25/11/43; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-K] Deenethorpe 14/1/44; Missing in Action Brandenburg 6/8/44 with John Sauerwald, Co-pilot: John Zimmerman, Navigator: Forrest Holmstrom, Bombardier: Cletus Meyer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lloyd Dautrich, Radio Operator: Buford Saville, Ball turret gunner: Warren Spence, Waist gunner: Paul Pamilla,Tail gunner: Rob Ruiz (9 Prisoner of War); flak, crew bailed and captured at Warnemunde, Ger. aircraft crashed in Baltic Sea. Missing Air Crew Report 7887. ROUND TRIPPER.
Service
Units
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Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
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People
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 29 x combat missions. Bill Trimble crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield in B-17 42-40002 19-Jun-44; force landed Le Pouyau. Evaded capture (EVD). See the page with details about his evasion at...
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Military | Chief Master Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Bill Trimble crew.
Awards: DFC, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Post war: Served in Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
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Military | Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed at Warnemuende on 8/6/44 in B-17 'Round Tripper' #42-31369, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Robert Sylvester Kinsey Born April 1 1924 in Oklahoma's Osage Indian Reservation in Hominy Oklahoma to Robert S. Kinsey and Olive Forsythe. His father worked for the Train Company in the Oil Fields. Later moved to Atchison Kansas were he married his...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by flak and crashed at Warnemuende on 8/6/44 in B-17 'Round Tripper' #43-231369
POW
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Military | Corporal | Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
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Military | Corporal | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by flak and crashed at Warnemuende on 8/6/44 in B-17 'Round Tripper' #42-31369
POW
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by flak and crashed at Warenmuende on 8/6/44 in B-17 Round Tripper #4231369
POW
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Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by flak and crashed at Warnemuende on 8/6/44 in B-17 Round Tripper #4231369
POW
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Missions
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3 February 1944
The port area and Naval facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany was the primary target for this mission. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bomb Divisions all participated.
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5 February 1944
German airfield in France are the targets for this mission. All three Bomb Divisions despatch aircraft. The combined bomber gunner's claims of all three Bomb Divisions were 5-0-5 (displayed with Chateauroux element of 1BD). Summary as follows:
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11 February 1944
This mission is composed of two separate elements. 3rd Bomb Division stands down having sustained massive losses of 29 aircraft on the previous day.
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20 February 1944
This mission is the opening salvo of the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive known officially as "Operation Argument" but remembered in 8th Air Force History as "BIG WEEK". The immediate strategic objective of this six-day operation is the degradation of...
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22 May 1944
From diary of Lt. David W. Leblanc: "Was up at four for a mission to Kiel, Germany. I went as first pilot and Rocky as my co-pilot. Every thing went along swell except at target. Flack was moderate but extremely accurate. Two ships in the lead squadron...
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11 July 1944
More than 1000 planes bombed Munich. Flak cut our control cables to elevators and rudder. Flew back by wing trim tabs. Shippy spliced cables before landing. Nine hour ride. Flak hit Sgt Rollinger's oxygen mask and injured his nose and eyes.
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12 July 1944
Picked up a few flak holes. Overcast weather all the way. Another long ride. This makes 17 completed Missions.
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18 July 1944
Flew an easy one over Denmark to Germany. Only had one hours sleep between yesterday and today.
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Places
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Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Delivered |
Cheyenne, Wyoming |
26 October 1943 |
Assigned |
Deenethorpe Airfield, UK |
14 January 1944 |
401 BG
614 BS
IW-K
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Failed to Return (FTR) |
North Sea of the coast of Warnemunde, Germany |
6 August 1944 |