DOCUMENT 52944

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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 10, 31 Dec 1943, Cognac, France. The primary target (Bordeaux) was obscured by cloud so the Wing Leader (Major Seawell) ordered the formation to proceed to the secondary target, a Luftwaffe Airbase at Cognac, which was bombed with excellent results. Major I Wayne Eveland, 614th Squadron Commander, flying with Lt. H.E. McDanal and his crew in "Flak Rat" (42-37770) was shot down by fighters but evaded capture, ultimately returning to Deenethrope via Spain. The wreckage of B-17 aircraft "Hey Lou" (42-31064), piloted by Lt. D. H. Lawry, was found off the coast of southern England. The cause of the loss was not determined, and only one body was recovered. Two other aircraft ran out of fuel and were abandoned by the crews.

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Units

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ol Massa
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little moe
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pakawalup II
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Heaven Can Wait, Boche Buster
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Carolyne
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

Locations

Mission

Revisions

Date:
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesChanges to caption, unit associations and aircraft associations
Date:
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesCreated entry with caption, unit associations, place associations and mission associations