VIII Bomber Command 131
16 November 1943
Object Number - FRE 1104 - A flight of B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 303rd Bomb Group fly above the clouds on their way to Norway. B-17F (BN-T, serial number 41-24561)...
Description
This mission was directed at targets in Norway. It was composed of three elements. The first element was a combined force of 189 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 384BG (21); 303BG (20); 379BG (22); 351BG (20); 91BG (20); 381BG (22); 305BG (23); 92BG (21); and 306BG (20) dispatched to bomb the molybdenum mine at Knaben, Norway. Neither the complement from 303BG or 91BG were able to find the target due to the nature of the terrain and the cover of snow and ice. 130 aircraft were effective on the target. 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 9POW 1EVD; 7 aircraft were damaged; 1 airman in a returning aircraft was Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners claim 2-0-4 of attacking German fighters. B-17F 41-24605 "Knock-out Dropper", 303BG/359BS becomes the first heavy bomber to complete 50 missions.
The second element is a combined force of 160 B-17s from 3rd Bomb Division that included: 385BG (20); 94BG (20); 388BG (19); 96BG (40); 95BG (20); 100BG (21); and 390BG (20) dispatched to bomb the hydro-electric power plant at Rjukan, Norway that the Germans were using to produce heavy water. 147 aircraft were effective on the target. 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 10KIA and 1 aircraft sustained an engine fire shortly after take-off, was abandoned and crashed at Tannington, UK 2KIA 8RTD. 2 other aircraft were dmaged. the bomber gunners of this element claim 2-0-0 of attacking German aircraft.
The third element was a combined force of 39 B-36s from 2nd Bomb Division that included: 93BG (14); 389BG (4); 44BG (3); 392BG (18) also dispatched to bomb the heavy water plant at Rjukan, Norway. 29 aircraft were effective on the target. There are no losses or claims.
Mission Details
Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 2 B-17s dropped 24 X 500GP on Rjukan, Norway as a Target of Opportunity. B-17 serial number 41-24605 "Knock-out Dropper" logged its 50th mission, the first in 8th Air Force to do so. There is no fighter escort for this mission to Norway.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 313.00
- People wounded in action: 1
- People evaded: 1
- Prisoners of war: 9
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 2
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 4
- Aircraft sent: 189
- Aircraft effective: 130
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 7
RJUKAN
Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 355.50
- People killed in action: 12
- People returned to duty: 8
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 160
- Aircraft effective: 147
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
RJUKAN
Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 48.75
- Aircraft sent: 39
- Aircraft effective: 29
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: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-681289
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-793713
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group Can Do 364th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14059607
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13057861
- Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11998665 /O-674111
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: What's Cookin' Doc?
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Damn Yankee
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Little Audrey
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers 384th Bomb Group Base Air Depot 1 368th Bomb Squadron 369th Bomb Squadron 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Duchess, Sure Stuff
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Bad Check
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Correct typos
Lee Cunningham 13-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to the statistics of 3BD Rjukan element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 13-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to the statistics of 1BG Knaben element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 13-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
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'.
