VIII Bomber Command 191
24 January 1944
Witnesses on board swear he flew through the air still in his seat and hanging on to Browning gun handles !!
USAAF Photo.
Object Number - UPL 17089 - B-17 42-39867 'Hang the Expense II' sustained Flak damage on a mission to Frankfurt on 24th Jan 1944. A 88mm Flak shell exploded nearby causing the...
Description
The primary target of this mission was the Zukunft power station at Eschweilier, Germany. The mision was composed of 563 bombers three elements from 1BD, 2BD and 3BD. The despatch from 2BD was recalled due to weather before it could take off. Mission summary as follows:
3rd Bomb Division: 272 B-17s were despatched from: 94BG; 95BG; 96BG; 100BG, 388BG, 390BG and 447BG. Weather hampered bombing and only 56 of this formation were effective on the target. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 5 KIA, 12 POW, 3 EVD. 1 aircraft crashed on takeoff - 1 KIA 9 RTD. 1 airman was KIA in a returning aircraft. The bomber gunners claimed 1-0-3 of attacking German aircraft.
2nd Bomb Division - element recalled before takeoff.
3rd Bomb Division: 291 B-17s are despatched from: 91BG; 351BG; and 381BG. 1 aircraft was Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) in a crash landing at Ickelton Abby, UK - 4 KIA, 6 RTD. There were no other losses or claims.
Mission Details
Description: ZUKUNFT POWER STATION
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: All groups in this element were recalled, but 56 managed to bomb the power station.
Mission Statistics
- People killed in action: 10
- People evaded: 3
- Prisoners of war: 12
- People returned to duty: 15
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 3
- Aircraft sent: 272
- Aircraft effective: 56
- Aircraft missing in action: 2
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 2
Eschweiler, Germany
Description: ZUKUNFT POWER STATION
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: A combined force of B-17s and B-24s were despatched to bomb industrial targets around Frankfurt. However, weather frustrated form-up and only 563 of the force were despatched. Eventually all groups were recalled. Only two aircraft from this element managed to drop bombs on the power station.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 143.00
- Aircraft sent: 291
- Aircraft effective: 2
- Aircraft damaged: 5
Frankfurt, Germany
Description: AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: All the B-24s were recalled before leaving the ground.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 0.00
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 534th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 6573040
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-2044722
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-797609
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15096917
- Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32075985
- Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Lizbeth II
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Roarin' Bill
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Struggle Bunny : Batchas Patches : Miss Raps-O-D
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hard Time : A-Good-Bett : Blues in the Reich
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Corrected a typo in the "Detailed description" - “due” was misspelled.
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Corrected aircraft associations of FTRs and DBRs per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Added bomber gunner claims to statistics of 3BD element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Added Mission Narrative per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
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'.