392
5 June 1944
Timothy Motz, from Pictorial History of the 447th Bombardment Group (H) https://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/41056
Object Number - UPL 44305 - 8th Air Force mission 392; June 5, 1944; Le Touguet, France beach defenses. 447th Bomb Group strike photo
Official Description
629 Heavy Bombers attack 6 coastal defence installations in Cherbourg-Caen area and 8 in Pas de Calais area, along with 3 V-weapon sites and a railroad bridge. 6 Bombers are lost.
Mission Details
BOULOGNE (Primary)
Description: COASTAL DEFENSES
CAEN (Primary)
Description: COASTAL DEFENSES
CHERBOURG (Primary)
Description: COASTAL DEFENSES
Description: COASTAL DEFENSES
Notes: Bomb Groups participating 44th Bomb Group, 91st Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 489th Bomb Group, 491st Bomb Group, 491st Bomb Group.
Description: COASTAL DEFENSES
Description: COASTAL DEFENSES
Notes: Lt. Col. Leon R. Vance, Jr (Navigator,) 489th Bomb Group lead aircraft B-24 41-28690 44th Bomb Group/66th BS, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on this mission. He was acting as the lead navigator for the 489th Bomb Group on this mission. This was the only CMOH to be awarded to any B-24 crewman in 8th Air Force. He survived the wounds he received this day and was to be awarded the medal upon his return to the United States. However, Lt. Col Vance was lost in action on 26 July 1944 when the aircraft in which he was a passenger and that was carrying wounded back to the States was lost over the Atlantic. This was the 11th CMOH to be awarded to a member of the 8th Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
![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: 1,896 T
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18137748
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- 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: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39854329
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 571st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33529901
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 66th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator, Radar, Radar Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Spam-O-Liner
- Unit: 545th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Swiss Miss
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Little Kenny
- Unit: 544th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Challenger
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Damn Yankee
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
USAAF Combat Chronology.
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'.
