379

29 May 1944
media-7363.jpeg UPL 7363 Tutow Airfield, Germany
29 May 1944
466th BG

466th BG Archives

Object Number - UPL 7363 - Tutow Airfield, Germany 29 May 1944 466th BG

Description

Mission #2. The target was an aircraft assembly plant. Flak was exceedingly heavy. We were in the air 7-1/2 hours.

Mission Details

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 4.4 T

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 9.6 T

COTTBUS (Primary)

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 111.4 T

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

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, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. Bomber gunners of this element claim 22-18-14 German fighters (claims might be slightly exaggerated).

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 202.3 T

LEIPZIG/HEITERBLICK (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 113.9 T

LEIPZIG/MOCKAU (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

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, 486th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group. Bomber gunners of the element claim 11-4-5 German fighters (claims might be slightly exaggerated).

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 349.2 T

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 22.5 T

Description: OIL REFINERIES

Notes: These targets are all deep penetrations into Germany with some striking targets in Poland. Luftwaffe resistance is fairly heavy. Bomb crews of this element claim 29-15-10 German aircraft (claims might be slightly exaggerated), but a bad day for the Luftwaffe none-the-less. 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392 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 34th Bomb Group & 388th Bomb Group (exact breakout of 3rd Bomb Division not in source data).

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 546.5 T

POZNAN (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 131.5 T

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 35 T

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 39.5 T

SCHWERIN (Opportunistic)

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 2.5 T

Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: 457th BG - MISSION NO. 54 - SORAU, GERMANY 29 MAY, 1944 This mission was a repeat of Mission No. 25. The previous mission had not accomplished the destruction of the FW-190 assembly plant, the largest and most important FW-190 assembly plant in Germany. Though badly battered from the two previous days, the Group put eighteen aircraft aloft to fly the low box of the 94th Combat Wing, flying fourth in the Division formation. Major Theodore C. Hoffman served as Air Commander and Captain Jeriy Godfrey as pilot. Bombing results were excellent with direct hits on two hangars, two machine shops, the office building and the canteen. On the way back to England, the wing was overtaken but not attacked by Me-109s and FW-190s. (The Luftwaffe earlier had attacked a bomber force going to Leipzig.) A short while later, four Ju-88s passed along the formation. Members of the Group then witnessed a classic air battle between fighters. AP-5 1 suddenly appeared on the scene, destroyed two of the Ju-88s instantly, turned on the third and shot it down. The P-51 then caught up with the fleeing fourth Ju-88, a few thousand feet below, and downed it with a quick burst of fire. Four Ju-88s had been destroyed in a matter of seconds. One viewer described it as "the most thrilling episode since coming over here". The Group came back near Stettin, location of the synthetic oil refineries. The refineries were burning furiously, having been bombed by three combat wings earlier in the day. Crews could see the burning for one hundred fifty miles. Flak was meager, but accurate. Eleven aircraft suffered damage. One out of control B-I 7 from another wing came through the formation with chutes coming out as it passed through. The attention of all personnel was directed to the fact that many directives and regulations had been issued by the command, but had apparently not been taken seriously. These regulations and directives would henceforth be strictly enforced and "woe unto him who is caught breaking the law".

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 129.7 T

TUTOW (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT DEPOT

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Notes: The 466th BG sortied 28 B-24's that dropped 72.80 tons of bombs on target. They lost one a/c on the mission flown by the Adolf Komer Crew - Crew #613, who were forced to belly land their damaged B-24 #42-52570 "Sack Happy" on the Schleswig, Germany airfield. All 10 crew were made POW.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 436.5 T

Connections

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People

Mark Gilles
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 3rd Air Division 13th Combat Bomb Wing 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (13th Combat Bomb Wing)
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot/Instructor/Evaluator/SquadronCC
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-703243
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: general maintenance, spare bomber gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32505865
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-664616
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pretty Baby
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Doodle Bug
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 335th 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: Mag the Hag
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 327th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Kentucky Colonel aka Helena II
  • Unit: 398th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributorcmckeever
Changes
Sources

Daughter - Carol Rollinger McKeever

Date
ContributorPete
Changes
Sources

452nd Bomb Group Assoc.

Date
Changes
Sources

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

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

Attlebridge Diaries - John Woolnough

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

Attlebridge Diaries - John Woolnough
Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom

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'.

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