458

7 July 1944
media-44166.jpeg UPL 44166 8th Air Force mission 458; Merseburg, Germany; July 7, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo 447th Bomb Group collection

Timothy Motz, from Pictorial History of the 447th Bombardment Group (H) https://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/41056

Object Number - UPL 44166 - 8th Air Force mission 458; Merseburg, Germany; July 7, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo

Mission Details

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 22.1 T

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 42.2 T

ASCHERSLEBEN (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 203.70

BERNBURG (Primary)

Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 256.9 T

Böhlen, Germany

Description: OIL REFINERY

Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17 is 94th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447TBomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group. _________________________________________________________________________ The 388th furnished 25 aircraft for this mission with the target being the synthetic oil plant at Bohlen just south of Leipzig. The A Group flew as high Group in the 45th A Combat Wing and our other 5 aircraft flew as high squadron with the 452nd B Group. 19 aircraft plus 1 PFF aircraft for the A Group took-off by 0459 hours and formations were effected without difficulty. 2 aircraft plus the PFF a/c aborted for mechanical reasons. The deputy leader then took over the lead. 2 aircraft of the B Group also aborted. The formations were about 30 minutes late in departing the English Coast. Therefore our Combat Wing did not get into its proper position. Due to the fact that the Combat Wing did not make its control points good, there was a concentration of Groups in the target area. The A Group was forced out of its bomb run by another Group and on the second bomb run the same thing happened. The lead bombardier then determined to toggle on the Group ahead with bombs away at 1003 hours from 27,000 feet. The B Group attacked the secondary target which was a synthetic oil plant at Lutzkendorf. Bombs were away at 1008 hours from 24,900 feet. 3 ME 109's were seen in the target area but did not attack. Flak was moderate in the target area. All of our aircraft returned to base by 1256 hours. (From The '388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger). __________________________________________________________________________

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 148 T

GOTTINGEN (Opportunistic)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 39.2 T

Description: OIL REFINERY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 156.10

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 82.1 T

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 38.7 T

Leipzig, Germany

Description: BALL BEARING PLANT

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: ME-109 FACTORY TARGETED: THE 384TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H) PROVIDED THE HIGH GROUPS FOR THE 41ST "A" AND "B" COMBAT BOMBARDMENT WINGS ON TODAY'S MISSION. THE "A" GROUP ENCOUNTERED LITTLE DIFFICULTY COMPLETING THE MISSION AS BRIEFED, BUT THE STORY WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FOR THE "B" GROUP. FOLLOWING ASSEMBLY, THE 41ST "B" CBW LEADER LED THE FORMATION THROUGH A VERY HEAVY CLOUD LAYER, CAUSING THE FORMATION TO DETERIORATE. ONCE CLEAR OF THE CLOUDS, FEW 384TH SHIPS WERE ABLE TO LOCATE ANY FORMATION. THOSE WHO DID TACKED ON TO THE LOW "B" GROUP AND BOMBED THE TARGET USING PFF. IN ADDITION, TWO OF OUR SHIPS COLLIDED IN THE CLOUDY CONDITIONS, WITH FATAL RESULTS.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 120 T

LEIPZIG STATION (Opportunistic)

Description: RAILROAD STATION

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 46.2 T

LEIPZIG/ABTNAUANDORF (Primary)

Description: OIL REFINERY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 37 T

LEIPZIG/HEITERBLICK (Primary)

Description: OIL REFINERY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 86.8 T

LEIPZIG/MOCKAU (Primary)

Description: OIL REFINERY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 193.5 T

LEIPZIG/TAUCHA (Primary)

Description: OIL REFINERY

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd 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. 457th BG - MISSION NO. 83 -LEIPZIG GERMANY - 7 JULY, 1944 The mission to the Leipzig-Taucha Aero Engine Factory on 29 June had failed to achieve the desired destruction. The plant was assigned again as the target for the 45 7th Group while nineteen other combat wings were assigned important oil refineries and aircraft factories in the Leipzig region. Thirty-six planes formed the two high boxes in the 94th A and B Combat Wings. Captain Godfrey led the A box and Captain Syptak led the B box. Near the IP, Lt. Jack B. Owens, flying an old F Model plane, was unable to transfer fuel from his Tokyo tanks, so he jettisoned his bombs and headed for home alone. He was able to reach only as far as the North Sea, where it was necessary to ditch. The sea was running high and the plane broke up when it hit. Four of the crew were lost. The remainder were picked up later by Air Sea Rescue. The boxes in the wings took interval for a visual run on the target. There were no clouds, although some haze existed and there was a smoke screen around Leipzig. The smoke screen obscured the targets so bombing was done in the center of the smoke. Photos showed all the main buildings had received direct hits and were severely damaged. This was particularly true of the three large buildings in the open field south of the woods. One was completely destroyed and gutted by fire. After bombing, a sharp turn to the south was made to avoid the flak guns covering the center of the city. Later, when the formation turned northwest on the return route, huge columns of smoke could be seen in the distance, coming from the Leuna and Lutzkendorf refineries, and from the aircraft factories at Bernburg and Aschersleben. No enemy fighters were seen by the 457th, although one of the three task forces was engaged by 75 interceptors. Over a thousand planes were dispatched and only 37 failed to return. The refineries and aircraft factories had been severely damaged. Taucha would require no attention for a very considerable time. The crew of Lt Jack B. Owens was lost on this date.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 264.1 T

Lützendorf, Weimar, Germany

Description: OIL REFINERY

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 491st Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group. after concentrating on targets in France for most of Jun 44, the 8th Air Force once again resumes its primary mission of destroying German aircraft production and oil refineries. The Luftwaffe remains strong protecting targets inside Germany, and even with outstanding escort from American fighters the Luftwaffe takes a significant toll on American bombers in this force. The bomber gunners record their first kills since 22-Jun-44.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 229.10

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 43.4 T

MERSEBURG (Primary)

Description: OIL REFINERY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 105.5 T

NORDHAUSEN (Opportunistic)

Description: INDUSTRIAL

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 17.5 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: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12159739
  • Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 457th Bomb Group 750th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-747209
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
The insignia of the 545th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37473471
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Due Back
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hard Seventeen, Hard Luck
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 447th Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Big Dog
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Midge
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ready Freddie
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Changes
Sources

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

Date
Changes
Sources

Information sent by Dick Read relating to Arthur M. Read and the 388th Bomb Group. (From The '388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger)

Date
Contributormcordell4
Changes
Sources

Sortie Report. 1944-07-07; 384th BG Mission# 153; 8th AF Mission # 458. http://www.384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/One384thMission.php?Missi…

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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