364
23 May 1944Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 26 T HE
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 3 T HE
AVORD (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 295 T HE
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 31 T HE
BOURGES (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 195 T HE
CAEN/CARPIQUET (Secondary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 54 T HE
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 49 T HE
CHAUMONT (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 160 T HE
EPINAL (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 457th BG - MISSION NO. 49 - EPINAL-BLAINVILLE, FRANCE 23 MAY, 1944 French airfields and marshaling yards were the targets for the day with the Eighth Air Force supplying 1045 heavy bombers and 1185 escorting fighters. The 457th supplied two twelve-aircraft boxes, to make up the 94th A and B Combat Wings. Major Fred A. Spencer served as Air Commander with Captain Jerry Godfrey as pilot of the A Wing and Major William F. Smith was Air Commander of the B Wing, with Captain Clarence E. Schuchmann as pilot. The target for the A Wing was the marshaling yards at Blainville, located eleven miles southeast of Nancy on the main rail line from Strasbourg to Paris. The B Wing's target was the marshaling yards at Epinal, located forty miles south of Nancy on a connecting link between two double track lines out of Paris. The A box dropped bombs on a target of opportunity. Results were unobserved due to the cloud cover. The B box dropped on the primary target at Epinal with good results. The mission was marred shortly after its assembly by a B-24 group cutting through the lead box of the B Wing. This scattered the Wing's pattern, and resulted in a collision between aB-17 Lt. Amenco Procopia aborted the mission because of mechanical trouble. Additionally, the left landing gear was locked in the down position and the right landing gear in the up position. The crew was unable to correct either manually. Bombs were dropped in the Channel and the plane began circling the field to Use up fuel. After the other planes returning from the mission had landed Lt. Procopia made a smooth landing on the Left gear and tail wheel When the right wing dropped and hit the runway the plane veered and went off the runway. No one was injured.
- 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: 97 T HE
ETAMPES/MONDESIR (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 290 T HE
METZ (Primary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Notes: The 34th Bomb Group flies its first mission. 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, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. 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.
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
![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: 102 T HE
NEUNKIRCHEN (Secondary)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 111 T HE
ORLEANS/BRICY (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 39 T HE
ORLEANS/BRICY (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Notes: The 34th Bomb Group flying B-24s joins with other 3rd Bomb Division units (386th Bomb Group, 387th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group) flying B-24s to attack Etampes/Mondesir German airfield. This is the first mission for 34th Bomb Group. 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, 492nd Bomb Group. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 386th Bomb Group, 387th Bomb Group.
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 474 T HE
SAARBRUCKEN (Secondary)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 357 T HE
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 571st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18216616
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33574325
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 3555092
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier, Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Wolves Inc.
- Unit: 467th Bomb Group 789th Bomb Squadron 791st Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Diana Queen Of The Chase
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 325th Bomb Squadron 92nd Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Dynamite John
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: El Lobo
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 325th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
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'.