41-24581 The 8 Ball
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 4197 - Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943....
B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" was assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-O] with its crew on 1-Jul-42 at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. The aircraft and crew were sent to Dow Field Bangor, Maine on 4-Oct-42 to prepare for overseas deployment; Molesworth 21-Oct-42; battle damaged 20-Dec-42 on mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. Pilot and Co-Pilot brought ship back to crash-landed at Bovingdon The rest of the crew baled out over England. Aircraft was DBR and salvaged 23-Dec-42. Participated in 7 Operations (2 were Aborted) See Biography events for crew details. 17-Nov-42 Mission #1 - U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France (See Biography events)
18-Nov-42 Mission #2 - U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France - Aborted (See Biography events)
22-Nov-42 Mission #3 - U-Boat pens at Lorient, France - Aborted (See Biography events)
23-Nov-42 Mission #4 - U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France (See Biography events)
6-Dec-42 Mission #5 - Carriage & Wagon Works at Lille, France (See Biography events)
20-Dec-42 LAST OPERATION Mission #6 - Air Depot at Rommilly-sur-Seine, France - DBR (See Biography events)
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 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-431017
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot / Operations Officer / Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-426125
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 31029540
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-724152
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35172061
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner / Tail Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Missions
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned with Crew |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 1 July 1942 | Assigned to 303BG/359BS with crew at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. CREW MAJ Eugene A. Romig (CO 359BS); P CPT William R. Calhoun CP 2LT James S. Nix; N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland B 2LT George R. Dominic; E/TTG TSGT Roman R. Zaorski RO SSGT Charles R. Terry; BTG SGT William C. Mulgrew LWG SGT Richard C. Fortunak; RWG SGT Murel A. Murphy TG SGT Willard W. Stephen |
|
Other Preparation for Deployment |
4 October 1942 - 20 October 1942 | Aircraft and crew transferred to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine in preparation for deployment to the UK | |
|
Other Arrival in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 October 1942 | Aircraft and crew arrived at Molesworth, UK |
|
Other Mission #1, B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | CREW B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS CMP MAJ George L. Robinson (RTB); CP CPT William R. Calhoun N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland (RTB); B 2LT Anton H. Haas (RTB) E/TTG TSGT Roman R. Zaorski (RTB); RO Charles R. Terry (RTB) BTG SSGT William C. Mulgrew (RTB); LWG SSGT Richard C. Fortunak (RTB) RWG SGT Murel A. Murhpy (RTB); TG SSGT Willard W. Stephen |
|
Other Mission #2, B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | CREW B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS P CPT William R. Calhoun (RTB); CP 2LT James S. Nix (RTB) N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland (RTB); B 2LT Norman Kossis (RTB) E/TTG TSGT Roman Zaorski (RTB); RO TSGT Charles R. Terry (RTB) BTG SSGT William C. Mulgrew (RTB); LWG SSGT Richard C. Fortunak (RTB) RWG SGT Murel A. Murphy (RTB); TG SSGT Willard W. Stephen |
|
Other Mission #3, B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | CREW B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS P CPT William R. Calhoun (RTB); CP 2LT James S. Nix (RTB) N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland (RTB); B 2LT George B. Dominic (RTB) E/TTG SGT Homer T. Perkins (RTB); RO TSGT Charles R. Terry (RTB) BTG SGT Murel A. Murphy(RTB); LWG SSGT Richard C. Fortunak (RTB) RWG SGT Murel A. Murphy (RTB); TG SSGT Willard W. Stephen |
|
Other Mission #4, B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | CREW B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS P CPT William R. Calhoun (RTB); CP 2LT James S. Nix (RTB) N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland (RTB); B 2LT George B. Dominic (RTB) E/TTG SGT Homer T. Perkins (RTB); RO TSGT Charles R. Terry (RTB) BTG SSGT William C. Mulgrew (RTB); LWG SSGT Richard C. Fortunak (RTB) RWG TSGT Raymond H. Kilgore(RTB); TG 2LT John W. Spence |
|
Other Mission #5, B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | CREW B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS P CPT William R. Calhoun (RTB); CP 2LT James S. Nix (RTB) N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland (RTB); B 2LT William D. Cargill (RTB) E/TTG TSGT Victor J. Cozza (RTB); RO TSGT Charles R. Terry (RTB) BTG SSGT William C. Mulgrew (RTB); LWG SSGT Richard C. Fortunak (RTB) RWG SGT Murel A. Murphy(RTB); TG SSGT John W. Spence |
|
Other Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) |
Bovington, Dorset, UK | 20 December 1942 | Aircraft was severely damaged by flak and enemy aircraft and crash-landed at Bovington upon return and declared a Category "E" (DBR) and salvaged 23-Dec-42. |
|
Other Mission #6 B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - DBR |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 - 4 October 1942 | CREW B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS P CPT William R. Calhoun, Jr. (RTD); CP MAJ Eugene A. Romig (RTD) N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland (BO RTD) B 1LT Robert J Yonkman BO (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Roman R. Zaorski (BO RTD); RO TSGT Charles R. Terry (BO RTD) BTG SSGT William R. Mulgrew (BO RTD); LWG SSGT Richard C. Fortunak (BO RTD) RWG Sgt Murel A. Murphy (BO RTD) TG SGT Willard W. Stephen (RO RTD) P and CP stayed with the aircraft and crash lanede it at USAAF Station at Bovington, UK and returned to Molesworth the next day. The remainer of ther crew baled out over England and all RTD. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Assigned with Crew event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Calhoun crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Preparation for Deployment event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Calhoun crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Assigned with Crew event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Calhoun crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html
Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Edited Biography and corrected Mission Participations for 7 to 6 and changed Mission event title on Mission 7 to 6.
Lee Cunningham 11-Dec-2015. Added Mission particpation list to Summary biography per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 11-DEc-2015 Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014. Completed proper name for Sgt Murel A. Murphy per 303BG website: www.303rdbg.com historian Gary Moncur.
Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014 Corrected nickname per 303bg website: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014. Added target information to description and converted dates to military-style signification per 'Losses of the 9th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & john A. Hey MBE. Added aircraft nickname and full proper names of crew and formatted crew display per data on 303rg Bomb Group website: http://www.303rdbg.com/ historian Gary Moncur.
