VIII Bomber Command 151

11 December 1943
Personnel of the 94th Bomb Group at a mission briefing. A censor has obscured the maps and charts in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press'[stamp],'Passed for publication 14 December 1943.'[stamp] '296691.'[Censor no] Printed caption on reverse: 'Operations Room at US Air Base. Preparing for take off. Associated Press photo shows: Col.F. W. Castle, Group Commanding Officer, gives the massed crews of the base the last part of the briefing, and a personal 'Godspeed' and 'Good Luck' in media-408449.jpg FRE 3826 Colonel Fred Castle delivers a briefing to personnel of the 94th Bomb Group, December 1943.

A censor has obscured the maps and charts in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press'[stamp],'Passed for publication 14 December 1943.'[stamp] '296691.'[Censor no]


Printed caption on reverse: 'Operations Room at US Air Base. Preparing for take off. Associated Press photo shows: Col.F. W. Castle, Group Commanding Officer, gives the massed crews of the base the last part of the briefing, and a personal 'Godspeed' and 'Good Luck' in the briefing room before the start of the raid. Map that is covered in background has route map for raid but was covered for picture.' Roger Freeman Collection

Amended caption and mission associations as per description in Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary, p 149

Object Number - FRE 3826 - Colonel Fred Castle delivers a briefing to personnel of the 94th Bomb Group, December 1943. A censor has obscured the maps and charts in the...

Description

This mission is a massive raid of 583 heavy bombers on the industrial areas of Emden, Germany. The first element is a combined force of 242 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (24); 92BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (20); 351BG (40); 379BG (21); 381BG (28); 384BG (24) and 401BG (22). 219 aircraft are effective on the target. 1 aircraft from 306BG Failed to Return (FTR) 10POW. 88 aircraft are damaged. 1 airman in a returing aircaft is Wounded in Action (WIA). One of the damaged aircraft from 401BG only returned with the Pilot and Co-Pilot, 6KIA aboard 2 baled out and were captured as POW. The bomber gunners claim 2-0-0 of attacking German aircraft.



The second element was a combined force of 93 B-24s from 2nd Bomb Division that included: 44BG (26); 93GBG (24); 389BG (22); 392BG (21). 86 aircraft are effective on the target. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 17KIA 3POW. 9 airmen in returning aircraft are Wounded in Action (WIA); 18 aircraft are damaged. The bomber gunners of this element claim 24-3-1 of attacking German aircraft.



The third element is a combined force of 252 B-17 from 1st Bomb Division that included: 94BG (41); 95BG (40); 96BG (44); 100BG (22); 385BG (22); 388BG (42); and 390BG (41). All Groups except 100BG and 385BG have been built up as double-strength units. The 252 dispatched indicate that this was a "maximum effort" mission for 1st Bomb Division. 281 aircraft are effective on the target. Losses are high as 15 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR)71KIA 71POW. 1 aircraft returning to base with battle damage only had 6 on-board (5 OJ 1KIA), 4 had baled out and were captured as Prisoners of War (POW). 32 aircraft were damage. The bomber gunners of this element claim 60-19-22 of attacking German aircraft.

Mission Details

Emden, Germany

Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 586.42
  • People killed in action: 73
  • People wounded in action: 10
  • Prisoners of war: 75
  • People returned to duty: 5
  • Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 60
  • Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 19
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 22
  • Aircraft sent: 252
  • Aircraft effective: 218
  • Aircraft missing in action: 14
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
  • Aircraft damaged: 32

Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 589.14
  • People killed in action: 6
  • People wounded in action: 1
  • Prisoners of war: 12
  • People returned to duty: 2
  • Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 3
  • Aircraft sent: 238
  • Aircraft effective: 219
  • Aircraft missing in action: 1
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
  • Aircraft damaged: 88

Description: INDUSTRIAL AREA

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Notes: One B-24 is damaged by a cable being trailed into the formation by an FW 190.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 231.34
  • People killed in action: 17
  • People wounded in action: 9
  • Prisoners of war: 3
  • Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 24
  • Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 3
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 1
  • Aircraft sent: 93
  • Aircraft effective: 86
  • Aircraft missing in action: 2
  • Aircraft damaged: 18

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-737361
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34338496
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39606925
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 571st Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O410629
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Situation Normal
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Patches
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
A formation B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 95th Bomb Group leave contrials behind during a mission. B-17 Flying Fortress (QW-L, serial number 42-30173) in in the foreground. Official caption on image: "35 Flying Forts Leaving Trails Over Brunswick, Germany. US AAF Photo 226-8."
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Gorgeous Hussy : Circe : All American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron 410th Bomb Squadron 412th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Darlin' Dolly
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30182) nicknamed "Blondie II" of the 95th Bomb Group.
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Blondie II
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron 412th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributorwilliam henry
Changes
Sources

trying to correct map

Date
Contributorwilliam henry
Changes
Sources

trying to correct map

Date
Contributorwilliam henry
Changes
Sources

trying to correct map

Date
Contributorwilliam henry
Changes
Sources

Trying to correct map from the present map of South Africa to Emden Germany

Date
Contributorwilliam henry
Changes
Sources

Trying to correct map from the present map of South Africa to Emden Germany

Date
Contributorwilliam henry
Changes
Sources

corrected typos

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to 2nd Bomb Division statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to 1st Bomb Division statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to 3rd Bomb Division statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.

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'.

VIII Bomber Command 151: Gallery (3 items)