41-24584 Susfu

B-17F #41-24584 "Susfu" was assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-Q] Bangor 5-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; Missing in Action 23-Jan-43 while on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Attacked by German FW-190 fighters and crashed at Abbey Pleyben near Edern, France. 2 KIA, 6 POW, 2 EVD, MACR 15571. Participated in 6 Operations (1 was aborted) See Biography events for crew information.

18-Nov-42 Mission #1 - U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France
22-Nov-42 Mission #2 - U-Boat pens at Lorient, France
6-Dec-42 Mission #3 - Carriage and wagon works at Lille, France
12-Dec-42 Mission #4 - Railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France - Aborted
30-Dec-42 Mission #5 - U-Boat pens at Lorient, France
23-Jan-42 Mission #6 LAST OPERATION - U-Boat pens at Lorient, France (FTR)

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

Jack Belk

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18058462
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Alvin A Bridges

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34235254
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Edward J Broussard

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-659653
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

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

Hudson Choice

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20906856
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Places

Missions

VIII Bomber Command 21

  • Date: 18 November 1942
  • Official Description: VIII BC conducts missions against 3 U-boat bases. 19 HBs attack at La Pallice, 13 at Lorient Keroman, and 19 at Saint-Nazaire.

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 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.

VIII Bomber Command 27

  • Date: 30 December 1942
  • Official Description: 40 HBs hit submarine base at Lorient, which now shows cumulative effect of repeated bombardment.

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Brest, France 1943-01-23 Shot down by fighters in the area between Brest, France and the coast.

Other

Mission #6, B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS - FTR

Lorient, France 1943-01-23 CREW of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS P 1LT Harry A. Robey, Jr. (KIA); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (EVD) N 2LT Charles R. Grace (POW); B 2LT Roy R. Moser (KIA) E/TTG TSGT Francis Sulcofski (POW); RO SSGT Sebastian L. Vogel (EVD) BTG SGT Wilbur F. Hummel (POW); LWG SGT Val B. Hannen (POW) RWG SGT Thomas H. Morrison (POW); TG SGT Edward T. Levering (POW)

Other

Mission #1, B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 1942-11-18 CREW of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS CMP MAJ Charles C. Sheridan (RTB) ; CP 1LT Donald E. Stockton (RTB) N 2LT Walter M. Soha (RTB); B 2LT Albert W. Diffenbach (RTB) E/TTG SSGT Roy Q. Smith (RTB); RO SSGT Gordon D. Miller (RTB) BTG SGT Durward L. Hinds (RTB); LWG SGT Edward Z. Harmon (RTB) RWG SGT James L. Pennington (RTB); TG SGT Grover W. Henderson (RTB)

Other

Mission #2, B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 1942-11-22 CREW of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS P 1LT Edward J. Broussard (RTB) ; CP 2LT Benjamin H. Burma (RTB) N 1LT Charles L. Herman (RTB); B 1LT Lyle D. Sherwood (RTB) E/TTG SSGT Edmund L. Smock (RTB); RO SSGT William A. Karanson (RTB) BTG SGT Hudson Choice (RTB); LWG SGT Thomas H. Morrison (RTB) RWG SGT Wilbur F. Hummel (RTB); TG SGT Jack Belk (RTB)

Other

Mission #3, B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 1942-12-06 CREW of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS P 1LT Edward J. Broussard (RTB) ; CP 1LT William G. LeFevre (RTB) N 1LT Charles L. Herman (RTB); B 1LT Lyle D. Sherwood (RTB) E/TTG SSGT Edmund L. Smock (RTB); RO SSGT William A. Karanson (RTB) BTG SGT Hudson Choice (RTB); LWG 2LT Roy B. Moser (RTB) RWG SGT Wilbur F. Hummel (RTB); TG SGT Alvin A. Bridges (RTB)

Other

Mission #4, B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 1942-12-12 CREW of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS P 1LT Edward J. Broussard (RTB) ; CP 1LT William G. LeFevre (RTB) N 1LT Charles L. Herman (RTB); B 1LT Lyle D. Sherwood (RTB) E/TTG SSGT Edmund L. Smock (RTB); RO SSGT William A. Karanson (RTB) BTG SGT Wilbur F. Hummel (RTB); LWG SGT Alvin A. Bridges (RTB) RWG SGT Thomas H. Morrison (RTB); TG SGT Hudson Choice (RTB)

Other

Mission #5, B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 1942-12-30 CREW of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS P 1LT Edward J. Broussard (RTB) ; CP 1LT William G. LeFevre (RTB) N 1LT Charles L. Herman (RTB); B 1LT Lyle D. Sherwood (RTB) E/TTG SSGT Edmund L. Smock (RTB); RO SSGT William A. Karanson (RTB) BTG SGT Hudson Choice (RTB); LWG SGT Thomas H. Morrison (RTB) RWG SGT Alvin A. Bridges (RTB); TG SGT William F. Hummel (RTB)

Revisions

Date18 May 2021 18:45:19
Contributorjmoore43
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date7 Jan 2016 23:03:16
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date7 Jan 2016 22:52:58
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date7 Jan 2016 22:42:34
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date7 Jan 2016 22:31:55
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date7 Jan 2016 22:20:49
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date7 Jan 2016 22:04:13
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission Participations to Description; made connections to all mission participations; moved Mission #6 crew roster to Biography event notes. Mission particiaption based on my reasearch of 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date20 Jan 2015 21:46:10
ContributorLee8thbuff
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2015. Added markings, nickname, target information and loss details per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE. added FTR event , rank, crew position, full proper names and dispositions per MACR 15571; formatted crew display.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:03
ContributorAAM
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15571 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database