41-24517 Kali

B-17F #41-24517 [GN-O] 'Kali' 303BG/427BS assigned with crew on 1-May-42 at Alamogordo Field, Almogordo, New Mexico. Sent with crew to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine for deployment 5-Oct-42. Arrived at Molesworth, UK 24-Oct-42

Missing in Action St Nazaire 3-Jan-43. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed into the Atlantic while on approach to target of St. Nazaire, France. 10 KIA, MACR 6141. Participated in 6 Operations (3 were Aborted) See Biography events for crew information.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Dante G Barron

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18058489
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Merel D Bradley

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19062629
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Benjamin H Burma

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O661444
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

William H Goetz

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-435765
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Vernon E Koch

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16041534
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Places

Missions

VIII Bomber Command 26

  • Date: 20 December 1942
  • Official Description: 72 HBs attack air de pot at Romilly-sur-Seine in effective raid. 6 bmrs are lost to ftrs.

VIII Bomber Command 25

  • Date: 12 December 1942
  • Official Description: 17 HBs bomb Rouen-Sotteville M/Y. Bad weather prevents large attack planned for air installations at Romilly-sur-Seine.
A flight of B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 305th Bomb Group, in formation returning from Lille. Printed caption on reverse: 'Vapor trails made by Boeing B-17's returning from Lille, France. US Air Force Photo.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'KY-A, 25085?. KY-B, 124591 "Rigor Mortis". KY-C, 25078. JJ-Q, 25060. JJ-R, 123614 "Snafu". XK-U "Wham Bam". XK-P "Flapper".

VIII Bomber Command 24

  • Date: 6 December 1942
  • Official Description: 36 HBs attack Atelier d’Hellemmes locomotive works at Lille while a smaller group of aircraft bomb Abbeville/Drucat A/F.

VIII Bomber Command 23

  • Date: 23 November 1942
  • Official Description: 36 HBs hit Saint-Nazaire submarine base for the fifth time in 2 weeks. Cumulative effect of operation on the base is large though the sub shelter shows little permanent damage. HB crews report change in ftr tactics from rear to head-on attack as they...

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned with Crew

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 1 May 1942 Original Crew B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz; CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott N 2LT Robert L. Madrid; B 2LT Robert W. Smith E/TTG TSGT James F. Shelly; RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters BTG SGT Walter E. Runge; WG SGT Charles R. Storer WG SGT Vernon E. Koch; TG SGT Not assigned.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 24 October 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz; CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott N 2LT Robert L. Madrid; B 2LT Robert W. Smith E/TTG TSGT James F. Shelly; RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters BTG SGT Walter E. Runge; LWG SGT Charles R. Storer RWG SGT Vernon E. Koch; TG SGT Walter E. Runge

Other

Mission #1, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) N 2LT Robert L. Madrid (RTB); B 2LT Robert W. Smith (RTB) E/TTG TSGT James F. Shelly (RTB); RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters (RTB) BTG SGT Edward T. Levering (RTB); LWG SGT Charles R. Storer (RTB) RWG Not carried; TG SGT Walter E. Runge (RTB)

Other

Mission #2, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS. Temporary crew assignment P 1LT Harry A. Robey, Jr. (RTB); CP 2LT Benjamin H. Burma (RTB) N 2LT Charles S. Grice (RTB); B 2LT Roy R. Moser (RTB) E/TTG SSGT Francis Sulcofski (RTB); RO SSGT Sebastian L. Vogel (RTB) BTG SGT Edward T. Levering (RTB); LWG SGT Charles R. Storer (RTB) RWG SGT Merel D. Bradley; TG SGT Donald H. Rutt (RTB)

Other

Mission #3, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS. P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) N 2LT Robert L. Madrid (RTB); B 2LT Robert W. Smith (RTB) E/TTG TSGT James F. Shelly (RTB); RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters (RTB) BTG SGT Charles R. Storer (RTB); LWG SGT Vernon E. Koch (RTB) RWG SGT Dante G. Barron(RTB); TG SGT Walter E. Runge (RTB)

Other

Mission #4, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) N 2LT Robert L. Madrid (RTB); B 2LT Robert W. Smith (RTB) E/TTG TSGT James F. Shelly (RTB); RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters (RTB) BTG SGT Walter E. Runge (RTB); LWG SGT Roger W. Milford (RTB) RWG SGT Edward T. Levering (RTB); TG SGT Charles R. Storer (RTB)

Other

Mission #5, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) N 2LT Robert L. Madrid (RTB); B 2LT Robert W. Smith (RTB) E/TTG TSGT SSGT Edmond L. Smock (RTB); RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters (RTB) BTG SGT Walter E. Runge (RTB); LWG SGT Charles R. Storer (RTB) RWG SGT Roger W. Milford (RTB); TG SGT Vernon E. Koch (RTB)

Other

Mission #6, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - FTR

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1942 CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (KIA); CP: MAJ Charles C. Sheridan (KIA) N 2LT Robert L. Madrid (KIA); B 2LT Robert W. Smith (KIA) E/TTG TSGT James F. Shelly (KIA); RO TSGT Joseph H. Walters (KIA) BTG SGT Walter E. Runge (KIA); LWG SGT Martin F. McDonald (KIA) RWG SGT Donald H. Rutt (KIA); TG SGT Merle D. Bradley (KIA)

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1944 Shot down by enemy aircraft and exploded and crashed into the Atlantic during approaceh to St. Nazaire, France.

Revisions

Date26 Dec 2020 19:12:17
Contributorjmoore43
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “information” was misspelled.

Date19 Dec 2015 18:01:20
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date19 Dec 2015 17:55:03
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date19 Dec 2015 17:38:36
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date19 Dec 2015 17:30:41
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date19 Dec 2015 17:19:36
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event, per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42 http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date19 Dec 2015 17:10:18
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, crw page of William H. Goetz: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-goetz.html

Date19 Dec 2015 17:03:22
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Assigned with Crew event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, crw page of William H. Goetz: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-goetz.html

Date19 Dec 2015 00:00:22
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 18-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission REport of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date18 Dec 2015 23:52:27
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 18-Dec-2015. Added assignment with original crew, mission participation statement to Summary Biography; made connections to all mission participations based on my research of 303BG Mission Reports, 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/ and William H. Goetz crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-goetz.html

Date8 Jan 2015 21:40:34
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham8-Jan-2015. added TN and nickname to description per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date8 Jan 2015 21:08:19
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2015. Added nickname and markings per "The Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A.Hey MBE; Changed dates in description to military style signification; Added place and mission conenctions within existing website data; added crew position, rank, full proper names and dispositions per MACR 6141; formatted crew display.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:03
ContributorAAM
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 6141 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database