42-3414 Paddlefoot

Delivered Dallas 1/6/43; Dow Fd 14/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 18/7/43; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with John Parker, Co-pilot: Arland Gould, Navigator: Tom Dziechowski, Bombardier: Bob Macy, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: ?, Radio Operator: ?, Ball turret gunner: George Peterson, Waist gunner: Elwood Stewart, Waist gunner: Bob Grant, Tail gunner: Floyd Wood (10 Returned to Duty); no gas, ditched Mediterranean Sea, 80 miles from North African coast, all rescued. PADDLEFOOT.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.

388th Bomb Group

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

People

Thomas A Dziechowski

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Arland D Gould

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Robert S Grant

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Lieutenant Paul Bensel and his crew of the 388th Bomb Group stand with a bomb, personally addressed to Hitler, and their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5954) nicknamed "Mister Yank II" before the Regensburg Raid, August 1943. A B-17 nicknamed "Homesick Angel" is visible in the background.

Robert B Leventhal

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-674216
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Robert W Macy

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-671465
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Delivered

Dallas, TX, USA 1 June 1943

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Mediterranean Sea 17 August 1943 Damaged during mission to Regensburg and forced to ditch into Mediterranean Sea about 80 miles from North African coast after running out of fuel. All crew rescued. No MACR.

Revisions

Date16 Jun 2020 21:08:16
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to description
Sources

Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.

Date12 Jun 2016 20:35:50
ContributorRainer
ChangesChanges to nicknames, events, unit associations, person associations and mission associations
Sources

Martin Middlebrook - The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:43
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

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