323

27 April 1944

Description

From the diary of Lt. David W LeBlanc: " This afternoon we went to Nancy France and it turned out to be a bad day. We had #3 off the group leader. It wasn't very deep in France when #3 engine started running terribly rough so we feathered it. While determining our trouble we fell back considerably and Knight moved up and took our place. Shortly after he did that we were hit by extremely accurate flak. The very last bursts knocked Copley and Knight down. They both had fires in the right wings. Three or four chutes were seen leaving Cope's ship - none from Knight's ship. Both planes blew up in the air. Nick, our navigator was riding with Cope. It was his next to last trip - he asked to go. Hayward was with Cope and he was on his last mission. We were unable to keep up so dropped our bombs. Came back across France alone and at 12,000 feet. #4 Engine busted a cylinder and we feathered it and restarted #3. Our electrical system went out because of a fire in #2. Result was that we had no radio, turrets, turbos, hydraulics. P47s picked us up half-way back and remained with us all the way. Thank God for them. We landed at the coast as our gas was very low."

Mission Details

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 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: 556.7 T HE

CHALONS SUR MARNE (Primary)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: Clouds prevented bombing of primary or secondary. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 264.5 T HE & FRAG

Nancy, France / Essay, France

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 92nd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 371 T HE 74.8 T IB

OSTEND/MIDDELKERKE (Opportunistic)

Description: AIRFIELD

TOUL/CROIX DE METZ (Primary)

Description: LANDING GROUND

Connections

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37263649
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 545th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (384th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-404094
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Group Operations Officer / Squadron Commander
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of a military airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12158273
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-7804395
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-672869
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Swiss Miss
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mexican Hay Ride
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Spirit of 96
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Helena
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 547th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorB17VforVictor
Changes
Sources

Diary of Lt. David W. LeBlanc 305th Bomb Group.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Changed location for mission event no. 4 from 'NANCY/ESSAY (Primary)' to 'Nancy, France' and 'Essay, France'.

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'.