Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Description: RAILROAD TARGETS

Notes: Mission aborted due to extensive cloud cover

Description: RAILROAD BRIDGE

Notes: 458th Bomb Group attacked using AZON radio-controlled bombs against the target without success.

Description: AIRFIELD

Description: AIRFIELD

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

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, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Group. The 490th Bomb Group flies its first mission. One aircraft of 490th failed to get the recall message and bombed a T/O which was not credited. 457th BG - MISSION NO. 56 - LUXEVILLE, FRANCE 31 MAY, 1944 May ended with a trip to a French military airfield that was used by the German Luftwaffe. The Group provided twelve aircraft to lead the 94th Combat Wing, third in the Division formation. Lt. Col. Henry B. Wilson flew as Air Commander with Lt. Malcolm E. Johnson as pilot. The entire formation was bothered by dense contrails, and the Division leader abandoned the mission, followed by the second wing in the formation. This put the 457th in the lead position. The wings following the 94th Combat B Wing turned around so the 94th found itself alone a hundred miles inland over enemy territory. AP-5 1 fighter group was located overhead, but because of weather conditions became separated from the 94th Combat B Wing. The Wing let down to 18,000 feet and found CAVU conditions. Bombing results were excellent, the bombs dropping directly on the target. No enemy aircraft were encountered and flak was light. Soon after the Wing rally, fighter escort appeared and brought the 94th Combat B Wing back to England. During the month of May, the Group had flown eighteen missions, some being the toughest the 457th had encountered. Later, congratulatory messages were received from the Wing, the Division, and the Eighth Air Force, for the efforts expended during the month. No one knew the invasion date, however, everyone knew it could not be far distant, from the many signs provided by ground communications and aerial missions

Description: RAILROAD BRIDGE

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

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. The 96th Bomb Group has the unfortunate distinction of sustaining the highest loss rate of any 8th Air Force Bomb Group during operations from January thought May 1944.

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: Official 8th Air Force report of the mission: “287 B-17s are dispatched to hit marshalling yards in Germany; 88 hit Osnabruck, 54 hit Schwerte, 52 hit Oeske and 50 hit Hamm; 1 B-17 is lost and 58 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 10 MIA.