8th Air Force 280
26 March 1944
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 1796 - Airmen and ground crew of the 448th Bomb Group carefully transfer a flak casualty through the waist gun window of a B-17 Flying Fortress. Official...
Description
9 V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise, France area and 7 V-Weapon sites in the Cherbourg, France area are the targets of this mission. A combined force of 573 heavy bombers from all three Air Divisions are despatched. Mission Summary follows:
1st AIr Division: 243 B-17s from: 91BG; 303BG; 306BG; 351BG; 379BG; 381BG; 384BG; 401BG; and 457BG are despatched to bomb V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. 234 aircraft are effective on targets. 4 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 9KIA 31POW. 3 aircraft are Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) in crash landings upon return - 30RTD. 134 aircraft are damaged, 1 airman in a returning aircraft is KIA and 10 others are WIA. There are no other losses, casualties or claims.
2nd Air Division: A combined force of 185 B-24s from: 44BG; 389BG; 392BG; 445BG; 448BG; 453BG; and 458BG are despatched to bomb V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. 138 are effective on a target. 1 Aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 10KIA. 38 aircraft are damaged. 1airman in a returning aircraft is KIA and 5 others are WIA. There are no other losses casulaties or claims.
3rd Air Division: A combined force of 145 B-17s from: 94BG; 95BG;96BG; 388BG; 390BG;447BG and 452BG are despatched to bomb 7 V-Weapon sites in the Cherbourg area of France. There are no losses. 64 aircraft are damaged. There are no other losses, casualties or claims.
Mission Details
CHERBOURG (Primary)
Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: No bomber gunner claims. Seven sites are hit in this raid. Groups participating are part of 3rd Bomb Division.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 325.37
- Aircraft sent: 145
- Aircraft effective: 128
- Aircraft damaged: 64
PAS DE CALAIS (Primary)
Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: Nine sites are hit in this raid. No bomber gunner claims. All Groups from 1st Bomb Division participate except 92nd Bomb Group which stands down. 457th BG MISSION NO. 20 - WATTEN, FRANCE 26 MARCH 1944 The Group dispatched thirty-six aircraft to the No Ball anti-invasion fortification at Watton, France, a repeat of mission No. 15. Lt. Col. Wilson was Air Commander and Lt. J. L. Smith, pilot. The weather was clear; bombing results were poor. No enemy fighters were sighted; however, there was intense flak over the target. The lead craft had an engine knocked out on the bomb run, causing it to lose both altitude and power. There were no personnel casualties and all planes returned safely, although many received flak damage. Crew members witnessed a B-17, from another group, explode after taking a direct flak hit. The thirty-six craft put aloft by the Group represented a new high for one mission. The only other occasion to date was the first mission when the A and B Formations were flown. The post exchange announced the opening between hours of 1800 and 2200 daily, except Sunday, of the new beverage bar. One bottle of Coca-Cola per person per week could be purchased by submitting the ration card and paying the nominal sum of three pence for the product. (Same price as back home!)
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 594.83
- People killed in action: 10
- People wounded in action: 10
- Prisoners of war: 31
- People returned to duty: 30
- Aircraft sent: 243
- Aircraft effective: 234
- Aircraft missing in action: 4
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 3
- Aircraft damaged: 134
PAS DE CALAIS (Primary)
Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: No bomber gunner claims. All Groups are part of 2nd Bomb Division.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 350.80
- People killed in action: 10
- Aircraft sent: 185
- Aircraft effective: 138
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
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 561st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-752847
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11062335 on enlisting
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier / Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 06833767
- Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 6149248
- Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37418829
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Rum Pot II
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: West End
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Wabbit Twacks
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Command performance
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ice Cold Katie
- Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 6-Mar-2016. Added Mission Narrative per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman and "Losses of the 8ht & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE.
Mission detail added courtesy of Diane Reese - http://www.457thbombgroup.org/Narratives/ma20.html
Associated Media based on images associated with missions in Freeman, The Mighty Eighth War Diary.
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'.