8th Air Force 926
4 April 1945
Elmo Maiden Crew
466th BG - 786th BS
Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B), Gustave J. Roussel (E), Guerino G. Petti (N), Herbert Rosenkoff (CP), William A. Thomason (TT), Elmo Maiden (P), Kenneth W. Chester (NG), Joseph R. Zebrowski (R/O)
B-24J-5-DT #42-51532 Code: U8-W
Photo taken on 27 December 1944 after crash landing at an airfield in Belgium.
Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom
Object Number - UPL 6521 - Crew #664 Elmo Maiden Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B),...
Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Description: ESCORT MISSION
Notes: 25 P-51s escort 8 F-5s and 2 P-38s on a photo and radar recon mission, they claim 1-0-0 aircraft.
Description: SCOUTING MISSION
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 39
- Aircraft sent: 13
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 6.0
- Aircraft sent: 2
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 383.7
- Aircraft sent: 149
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 105.0
- Aircraft sent: 37
Description: SHIPYARD
Notes: Primary – Docks at Kiel (visual only) Secondary – City of Kiel We were to fly up the north sea and cutting west, hit land at [intentionally left blank] which was our I.P. and on the west coast of Denmark. From there the course was 102o to the eastern coast of Denmark and Kiel. The S-2 officer warned us to stay away from “the more accurate Naval flak.” He also said that there was a pocket battleship and other enemy ocean-going craft docked at Kiel. He also told us not to bomb the Kiel canal because it was being used by relief ships for Holland.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 1497.5
- Aircraft sent: 505
Description: AIRFIELD
Notes: A mix of 324 P-47s and P-51s provide escort. Mix not given in available data. The P-47s claim 14-0-20 aircraft and the P-51s claim 9-0-3 aircraft.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 87.0
- Aircraft sent: 33
Description: AIRFIELD
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 65.3
- Aircraft sent: 29
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
/
Description: "I just can’t remember the mission although i do have an air medal that’s dated April 5th and that aeroplane that’s cut in half we were flying a group ahead of that. Now that flight back there was Ed Chu’s flight and i always tried the best i could to get around some the facts on this. And i watched those jets come down to my right circle that group and shoot the hell out of them." "..And one jet came right at us and we were flying in the low right what they call the coffin corner and that jet came at me. And as far as everybody in my flight knows i was the only one shooting at him. And to make a long story short it was posted on the squadron bulletin board that that was confirmed kill." (Edward Paretti, 448th BG)
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: I interviewed a small group of 448th veterans with an American friend during one of their last reunions in Orlando, 2007. Edward Paretti (NY) spoke of the above incident in which the group were attacked by jet fighters. It sparked an interest in the mission and encounters with jets and I tried to gather as much material as I could about 4th April 1945. Ed Chu was an asian-american who also served in the 448th BG. He was at the reunion but couldn't or didn't want to talk at that time. We wrote to each other after the reunion and he passed away a few years later. If you want to get in touch you can find me here www.happywarriors.co.uk
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: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 447th Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Aircraft Mechanic, Instructor Pilot for B-24, B-17, B-25, Pilot, Aircraft Commander, Instructor Aircraft Maintenance
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-779085
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot, Passenger
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Cover Girl
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Homesick Angel
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Morning Star, Tail End Charlie
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Go Getter
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Shape
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise, who flew on this mission as a pilot with Jack Q. Means as co-pilot.
Virginia Wise, eldest child of, Lester Allen Wise, B-17 (43-39056) pilot 8th Air Force, 385th Bomb Group, who flew on this mission to Kiel from Great Ashfield, England, 4 Apr 1945
Information from original, hand-written combat logs dated Feb-Apr 1945.
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'.