319A
26 April 1944Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Brunswick, Germany
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. 457th BG - MISSION NO. 33 - WAGGUM / BRUNSWICK, GERMANY 26 APRIL, 1944 The target was the ME-110 aircraft assembly plant at Waggum, a repeat of Mission 22 flown on March 29th. Since the last mission, all buildings hac been repaired except one, and an entirely new hangar had been constructed. The Group supplied 24 planes and led the 94th Combat Wing with Col. Luper leading as the Air Commander. Lt Russell M. Selwyn was pilot. Due to heavy undercast at the primary target, all aircraft dropped bombs on the secondary target within the nearby city of Brunswick. Bombing results were unobserved. Flak over the target area was moderate to heavy, with six aircraft sustaining damage. Groups flying behind the 94th Wing caught heavy concentrations of flak. For the Eighth Air Force, this mission was noteworthy for the lack of enemy aircraft opposition and for the fact that bombers returned to their respective bases without and losses reported.
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 269.5 T HE 110 T IB
Brunswick, Germany
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Notes: The lead PATHFINDER (PFF) aircraft of the last Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3rd Bomb Division had a fire which caused the failure of the PATHFINDER (PFF) equipment, so bombs were dropped in the Hildesheim/Hannover area. Heavy overcast prevented all Groups from bombing the primaries. 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, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
![Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-408505.jpg.webp?itok=zJwHCUjh)
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 345T HE 86T IB
HILDESHIEM/HANNOVER
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
PADERBORN (Primary)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Notes: The entire formation fails to bomb because there were no EQUIPPED-equipped aircraft in the formation and overcast prevented visual bombing.
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 0.00
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 06966455
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-735233
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator; Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14182638
- Highest Rank: Chief Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Little Sheppard
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Blonde Bomber
- Unit: 467th Bomb Group 790th Bomb Squadron
![An airman of the 95th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-102447) nicknamed "El's Belles". First handwritten caption on reverse: 'F/L on last of 365's bases in Belgium other side "Angels Sister" [name struck-out and annotated 'No'] 365 FG C Johnson/icm/75' Second handwritten caption on reverse: 'BG-A 95 BG.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379271.jpg.webp?itok=QwML6lTh)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: El's Belles
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Odd Ball aka Double In Brass
- Unit: 571st Bomb Squadron 390th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron 95th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
711th Bombardment Squadron (H), 447th Bombardment Group (H)
B-17-G #42-39882, “My Gal” Crew
Top Left to Right: August E. Herlth, Eugene G. D'Albero, Larry S. Hatfield, Martin J. Gruber
Bottom Left to Right: William M. Lindgren, Bailey E. Swadley, Raymond L. Hayes, William H. Stoyer, Rocco J. LoCarro, Louis L. Jenkins
Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/
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'.