311
22 April 1944
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 1742 - A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29155) nicknamed "Picadilly Commando" of the 446th Bomb Group. First handwritten caption on reverse: '446BG B/24...
Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
BONN (Opportunistic)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
HAMM (CITY) (Secondary)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
HAMM (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
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. The bombers also dropped 1,280,000 leaflets. 457th BG MISSION NO. 30 - HAMM, GERMANY 22 APRIL, 1944 The entire Eighth Air Force, consisting of eight hundred bombers, was sent aloft to bomb the Hamm marshalling yards, the largest in Germany, which had the capacity of handling 10,000 freight cars per day. It was one of the key centers for German rail traffic, handling everything between the Ruhr in the north and central Germany. The Group supplied twenty-four planes and led the 94th Combat Wing, with Col. Luper leading as Air Commander and with Lt. J. L. Smith as pilot. By the time the 457th reached the target, it was so blasted and smoke covered by the preceding units that the Group went to other yards in the city and bombed. Enemy fighters were in the area, but did not attack. Takeoff had been in late afternoon, and darkness was approaching as the aircraft returned to England. Landings were make in the dark. The lead ship (Luper) could not lower one of its landing wheels. After dropping its ball turret over the Wash and making several approaches, the craft finally came in for a successful belly landing in the darkness. The Germans attached about twenty Ju-88s and Me-410s to B-24 groups, which flew at the end of the bomber stream. They attacked while the B-24s were attempting to land in the darkness, and at least ten aircraft were shot down or crash landed, in addition to many planes being damaged. The 457th did not experience any intruder attacks.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 723 T HE 39 T IB
HAMM (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
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.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 347 T HE 294 T IB
HAMM (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
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. The bombers returned after dark and German fighters were able to infiltrate the bomber stream. A total of 14 aircraft were either shot down or involved in mid-air collisions. Note in log by Horace Turner.. "Raided Hamm, Railroad Yards, Good Bombing, Flak Heavy, Attacked by Fighters. A Rough Mission. Flak hit plane."
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 458 T HE 122 T IB
KOBLENZ (Opportunistic)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: Canadian
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39616202
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 711th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36159477 / O-811210
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 0 800 898
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13082080 at enlistment, then O-695722
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-370171
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot / Co-Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Nuttal's Nut House
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Bomber's Angel
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Berlin Bessie : I Dood It
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: West End
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Mairsy Doats
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron 546th Bomb Squadron 547th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/
Associated Media based on images associated with missions in Freeman, The Mighty Eighth War Diary.
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'.