421
18 June 1944
18 June 1944
466th BG
466th BG Historian
Object Number - UPL 7530 - Strike Photo - Bremerhaven, Germany 18 June 1944 466th BG
Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 13 T
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 7.5 T
BREMEN (Opportunistic)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 208.5 T
BREMEN-OSLEBSHAUSEN (Primary)
Description: OIL REFINERY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 43 T
BREMERHAVEN (Opportunistic)
Description: HARBOUR INSTALLATION
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: Some 466th BG a/c bombed Bremerhaven as a target of opportunity. Luneburg had been the primary.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 206 T
BRUNSBUTTEL (Primary)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 131 T
HAMBURG CITY (Opportunistic)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Notes: The same tactics of dropping external fuel tans upon trains and setting them alight with strafing are used on this target. Heavy damage is inflicted upon the trains and the Germans suffer heavy troop casualties. 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, 467th Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 444 T
HAMBURG CITY (Secondary)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Notes: Oil refinery targets are the number one priority targets at this stage of the conflict. The There is little or no Luftwaffe fighter opposition. Anti-aircraft opposition is heavy. 10 of the 11 bombers lost on these missions this day are attributed to AA fire. 1 bomber is lost due to unknown causes. 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, 389th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 34th Bomb Group, 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, 490th Bomb Group, 493rd Bomb Group.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 798.5 T
HAMBURG-EBANO (Opportunistic)
Description: OIL REFINERY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 48 T
HAMBURG-EUROTANK (Primary)
Description: OIL REFINERY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 146.5 T
HAMBURG-OSSAG (Primary)
Description: OIL REFINERY
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 457th BG - MISSION NO. 69 - HAMBURG, GERMANY 18 JUNE, 1944 The oil refineries in the dock area of Hamburg were the targets today. Earlier bombing efforts of the Eighth had been directed at synthetic oil refineries. Crude oil refineries had not been attacked until a few days prior to this mission. The effort. Was now to attack the crude oil refineries in western Germany. Thirteen hundred bombers participated in this mission. The 457th furnished two 18 ship boxes, one as the high box in the 94th A Combat Wing, and the other as the high box in the B Combat Wing. Both targets were in the Hamburg area. Captain Wilbur D. Snow was Air Commander with Lt. Edward B. Dozier as pilot of the A box, and Major Fred A. Spencer as Commander with Lt. Richard T. Bennett as pilot of the B box. The undercast prevented visual bombing and strike photos showed bombing results were poor. No enemy aircraft opposition was encountered. Antiaircraft fire was intense but fairly inaccurate; three aircraft suffered flak damage. Briefing information had reported 250 antiaircraft guns in the Hamburg area.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 97 T
HAMBURG-SCHINDLER (Primary)
Description: OIL REFINERY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 80 T
HANNOVER CITY (Opportunistic)
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 187 T
HANNOVER-MISBURG (Primary)
Description: OIL REFINERY
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 210 T
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 24 T
HUSUM (Opportunistic)
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 33 T
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 18 T
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 108 T
Watten, France
Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 220 T
Description: INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: Some 466th BG a/c bombed Wesermunde as a target of opportunity. The primary had been Luneburg airfield.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 72 T
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 3 T
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 458th Bomb Group 754th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35791387
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39856335
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-461089
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 458th Bomb Group 754th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39276036
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 31152190
- Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Kentucky Colonel aka Helena II
- Unit: 398th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Round Trip
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Boomerang
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th 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'.