41-24567 Beats Me
![Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg/public/freeman/media-378931.jpg.webp?itok=hobQ6uD7)
Object Number - FRE 1063 - Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image...
B-17F 41-24567 [PU:J] "Beats Me" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-J] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42. Participated in 7 Operations - 2 Aborted (See Biography events) 23-Jan-43 - Mission in Action on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above and crashed in the woods at Bois de Queronic near Pluvinger, France. 7KIA 3POW MACR 15571.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with

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

- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-726967
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator

- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Air Service Group 358th Bomb Squadron 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-726969
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-431245
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot

- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-790793
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot, Pilot
Places

- Site type: Airfield
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Arrived at Station |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK. |
Other Mission #1 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | CREW P 1LT William H. Breed (RTD): CP 1LT Harry T. Sample, Jr. (RTD) N 1LT Homer R. Allen (RTD); B 1LT Homer N. Santerre (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Stanley Putala (RTD): RO TSGT Joseph M. Herbert (RTD) BTG SGT Roy C. Loken (RTD); LWG SSGT Samuel D. Easter(RTD) RWG SSGT Mathias A. Kuffel (RTD); TG SSGT James H. Lentz (RTD) |
Other Mission #2 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | CREW P 1LT Louis M. Schulstad (RTD); CP 2LT Roy W. Christianson (RTD) N 2LT John H. Embach (RTD): B 2LT Reinaldo Saiz (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Antone Pacheco (RTD) RO SSGT Charles L. Roth (RTD) BTG SGT Peter Soria (RTD); LWG SSGT John H. Sherman (RTD) RWG SGT Jerry W. Robins (RTD); TG SSGT Wayne O. Stevens (RTD) |
Other Mission #3 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | CREW P MAJ Richard D. Callaway (RTD): CP 1LT Louis M. Schulstad (RTD) N 1LT John H. Embach (RTD); B 1LT Reinaldo Saiz (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Antone Pacheco (RTD): RO SSGT Charles L Roth (RTD) BTG SGT Peter Soria (RTD); LWG SGT Jerry W. Dobbins (RTD) RWG SSGT John H. Sherman (RTD): TG SSGT Wayne O. Stevens (RTD) |
Other Mission #4 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | CREW P 1LT Louis M. Schulstad (RTD): CP 2LT Roy W. Christianson (RTD) N 2LT John H. Embach (RTD); B 2LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Antone Pacheco (RTD); RO SSGT Charles L. Roth (RTD) BTG SGT Peter Soria (RTD): LWG SGT Jerry W. Dobbins (RTD) RWG SSGT John H. Sherman (RTD): TG SSGT Wayne O. Stevens (RTD) |
Other Mission #6 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
13 January 1943 | CREW P LTC Charles E. Marion (RTD): CP 2LT Roy W. Christianson (RTD) N 1LT Samuel H. Anderson (RTD); CMN CPT Paul G. Moore (RTD) B 1LT Albert W. Dieffenbach (RTD); E/TTG TSGT Antone Pacheco (RTD) RO SSGT Charles L. Roth (RTD); BTG SGT Peter Soria LWG SGT Jerry W. Dobbins (RTD); RWG SSGT John H. Sherman (RTD) TG SSGT Wayne O. Stevens (RTD) | |
Other Mission #7 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | CREW P 1LT Joseph E. Haas (KIA); CP 2LT Roy W. Christianson (KIA) N 2LT John H. Embach (POW); B 2LT Ewel R. McCright (POW) E/TTG TSGT Antone Pacheco (KIA); RO SSGT Charles R. Roth (POW) BTG SGT Peter Soria (KIA); LWG SGT Jerry W. Dobbins (KIA) RWG SSGT John H. Sherman (KIA); TG SGT Wayne O. Stevens (KIA) |
Other Mission #5 B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 2043 | CREW P 1LT Louis M. Sshulstad (RTD); CP 2LT Roy W. Christianson (RTD) N 2LT John H. Embach (RTD): B 1LT Reinaldo Saiz (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Anotne Pacheco (RTD): RO SSGT CHarles L. Roth (RTD) BTG SGT Peter Soria (RTD): LWG SGT Jerry W. Dobbins (RTD) RWG SGT Joseph S. Klasnick (RTD); TG SSGT Wayne O. Stevens (RTD) |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #6 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of1 3-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #5 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 3-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #4 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 30-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 20-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #2 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 6-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #7 event crew details per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Operations participation per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, HIstorian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html. Added Arrived at Station per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Stroy", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.
Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2015. Added FTR event per MACR 15571.
Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2015. Added nickname and added target and loss details to description per "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition per MACR 15571.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15571 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database