541

11 August 1944
media-23924.jpeg UPL 23924 Map for 8th Air Force mission #541 to Belfort, France on August 11, 1944. From estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold notes on the back of the map, "marshalling yards."

Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio. 447th Bomb Group collection

Timothy Motz

Object Number - UPL 23924 - Map for 8th Air Force mission #541 to Belfort, France on August 11, 1944. From estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron,...

Mission Details

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 2.5 T

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 3 T

BELFORT (Primary)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 96th Bomb Group, 100th BG, 388th BG, 447th BG, 452nd BG, 486th BG, 487th BG.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 185.7 T

COULOMMIERS (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD Excerpt from Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368 "There were two Circus missions to Coulommiers Aerodrome; the effort was designed to "pot-hole" the field and further impede GAF mischief-makers. Number 1 - six 329th Squadron pathfinders led squadrons of the Circus and 446th Group (Bungay). Lieutenants Edward W. Appell. Stoner and Hayes ushered the 93rd; Lieutenants Fischer, Elliott and Hagler showed the way for the Bungay crowd. Number 2 - Thirty Circus ships were dispatched under Captain Wayne Beumeler, four aborted, 26 reached the targets, several didn't unload. The lead's navigational gear went haywire. Flak was intense and accurate. The 330th roamed France on a Cook's Tour, skirting Paris. However, the 328th and 409th squadrons scored well. The Circus dodged known ack-ack concentration during withdrawal, but drew fire over Pas de Calais. Five Libs took damage. On the return, Lieutenant Hank Gruener had a tire blow-out half-way down the Hardwick runway, and the nose-wheel collapsed. His plane needed a wholesale face-lift. Lieutenant Glen R. Dunlap landed in southern England. At day's end: nobody hurt. Groundlings had enjoyed a hot summer day under azure skies. Late that night, British searchlight batteries were coning aircraft in an eerie sky. Not to worry. Libs were practicing night flight."

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th BG, 389th BG, 445th BG, 446th BG, 453rd BG, 458th BG, 466th BG, 467th BG, 489th BG, 491 BG, 492nd BG.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 100.8 T
  • Aircraft damaged: 5

MULHOUSE (Primary)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 185.7 T

NIVELLES (Opportunistic)

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 30 T

Description: AIRFIELD

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 22.4 T

PACY-SUR-ARMANCON (Primary)

Description: TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 104 T

SAARBRUCKEN (Primary)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 172.5 T

ST FLORENTIN (Primary)

Description: TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 83 T

STRASBOURG (Primary)

Description: FUEL DUMP

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 93rd BG, 392nd BG, 448th BG.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 188 T

STRASBOURG (Primary)

Description: MARSHALLING YARDS

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 177.5 T

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-24s is 34th BG, 486th BG, 491st Bomb Group, 493rd BG.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 110 T

Vélizy, Villacoublay Air Base, France

Description: AIR DEPOT

Notes: 3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17s is 94th BG, 95th Bomb Group, 100th BG, 385th BG, 390th BG,

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 136.3 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: 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 2nd Scouting Force 787th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-403886
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Squadron Commander - Pilot - Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-695625
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 708th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Big Dog
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Spirit of 96
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
The insignia of the 546th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group.
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: White Angel
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-10706) nicknamed "Miss Bea Havin'" of the 388th Bomb Group flies over countryside. Image via Mark Brown, AFA. Written on slide casing: 'Miss Bea Havin 2107062 M, 562 BS.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Worry Bird/Miss Bea Haven
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd 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
Changes
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368

Date
Changes
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368

Date
Changes
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368

Date
Changes
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368

Date
Changes
Sources

NARA MACR 8838

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

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'.

541: Gallery (4 items)