309

20 April 1944
media-44294.jpeg UPL 44294 8th Air Force mission 309; April 20, 1944; V-1 launching site, France. 447th Bomb Group strike photo 447th Bomb Group collection

Timothy Motz, from Pictorial History of the 447th Bombardment Group (H) https://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/41056

Object Number - UPL 44294 - 8th Air Force mission 309; April 20, 1944; V-1 launching site, France. 447th Bomb Group strike photo

Mission Details

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: Note from log of Horace Turner, 412th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bomb Group, "Raided Fabenville, Haegg. Flak moderate, good bombing, formation good. A good mission. Flak hit airplane."

CHERBOURG (Primary)

Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES

PAS DE CALAIS (Primary)

Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group,303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. A total of 24 V-Weapon sites out of 33 briefed were bombed. 457th BG MISSION NO. 29 - GORENFLOS, FRANCE 20 APRIL, 1944 The target was a No Ball installation situated south of the village, located ten miles southeast ofAbbeville. It was a ski shaped launching ramp for V-i bombs. Other units of the Eighth attacked other installations in the Calais and Cherbourg areas. The Group used a new twelve plane formation, and dispatched two boxes on its target. The A box was led by Captain William F. Smith as Air Commander and Lt. J. L. Smith was the pilot. The B box was led by Major George C. Hozier as Air Commander and Captain Jerry Godfrey was pilot. Takeoff was late in the afternoon, at 1615. Bombing results were good, with the bomb pattern centering within two hundred feet of the MPI. Flak was moderate but accurate. One anti aircraft shell hit the Deputy Lead plane of the B box, piloted by Lt. Walter S. Milne, at the radio compartment, and exploded inside. The remnants of the craft plummeted nose down. Only two of the crew survived the crash. Eleven aircraft from the A box and eight craft of the B box sustained damage. The aircraft broke apart between the tail wheel and the waist door. The craft hit the ground with a terrific explosion. Four of the crew parachuted to safety.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 869 T HE

PAS DE CALAIS (Primary)

Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group. B-24s from 453rd Bomb Group carried 8,000 lbs bomb loads.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 419 T HE

PAS DE CALAIS (Primary)

Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES

Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 604 T HE

Connections

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38367805
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Harold C. Harpootlian
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 32353239
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31083077
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 0683704, 36153242
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: Canadian
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39616202
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Darlin' Dolly
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Quarterback
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Old 66 / Lady Margaret
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Bonnie Donnie
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributoraquaflow1
Changes
Sources

Added by Karen Turner, daughter of Horace Turner.

Date
Changes
Sources

Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.

309: Gallery (3 items)