DOCUMENT 53481

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301st Bomb Group, Mission No. 248, 14 Apr 1945, Royan, France Briefing took place at 0430 hours. While taxying toward the takeoff runway a problem arose when one aircraft had a flat tire on the perimeter track, blocking three other ships behind it. They were finally towed back to Runway 33, and were able to take off by 0619 hours. One aircraft was forced to abort the mission, landing at 0940 hours. All operational aircraft had returned from the mission by 1508 hours. The 401st put up the three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "C" Group on this mission. The target was an unusual one--German gun emplacements still held on the French coast, far away from the scene of ground combat in Germany, which were about to be attacked by French troops. With visual bombing possible, and no flak or enemy fighters to defend against, the Group's bombing was again excellent, with 90 percent of the bombs falling within 1,000 feet of the MPI. No battle damage or casualties were sustained.

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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: Dynamite John
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Farmer's Daughter
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: D-Day Dottie
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
Factory fresh B-17s
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Baby Lu, Grin N Bear It
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ice Cold Katy
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

Locations

Mission

Revisions

Date:
ContributorEJR
ChangesChanges to unit associations
Sources

log

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