VIII Bomber Command 20

17 November 1942

Official Description

35 HBs pound U-boat pens at Saint-Nazaire with 102 tons of bombs.

Description

The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 49 B-17s despatched from 91BG (20), 303BG (16) and 306BG (13). Another element of 14 B-24s despatched from 93BG also joins the bombing force on St. Nazaire. The 303BG made a navigational error and was not able to find the target, so their 16 B-17s were not able to bomb. The German airfield of Maupertus at Cherbourg, France was the Primary (P) target for 6 B-24s despatched from 44BG, but the target was totally obscured by clouds, so they could not bomb. In other action, 10 B-17 despatched from 305BG fly a diversion for this St. Nazaire bombing element. This was 305BG's first mission.

Mission Details

Description: DIVERSION

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: Diversion for St. Nazaire raid.

Unofficial emblem, 305th Bomb Group.

305th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • Aircraft sent: 10
  • Aircraft effective: 10

CHERBOURG/ MAUPERTUS (Primary)

Description: AIRFIELD

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Notes: Target obscured by 10/10 cloud cover.

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.

44th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • Aircraft sent: 6

SAINT- NAZAIRE (Primary)

Description: U-BOAT PENS

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes: The 303rd Bomb Group and 305th Bomb Group fly their first mission. 303rd Bomb Group was unable to find the target so none of their 16 B-17s were able to bomb. There is no fighter escort for this mission.

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.

306th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.

91st Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 57.50
  • People killed in action: 1
  • People wounded in action: 3
  • People returned to duty: 9
  • Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 6
  • Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 8
  • Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 2
  • Aircraft sent: 49
  • Aircraft effective: 23
  • Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
  • Aircraft damaged: 9

SAINT-NAZAIRE (Primary)

Description: U-BOAT PENS

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

The insignia of the 93rd Bomb Group.

93rd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 36.00
  • Aircraft sent: 14
  • Aircraft effective: 12
  • Aircraft damaged: 7

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

Homer R Allen

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-726967
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Frank L Batterson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39171219
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
First Lieutenant Harold Beasley,of the 91st Bomb Group with his B-17 Flying Fortress. Press caption for image series: ‘EXCLUSIVE PICTURES AS CREWS RETURN FROM RAID. Night and Day air blitz of enemy continues. “Forts” smash Axis factories at Antwerp. Raid carried out by crews who took part in Paris raid previous day. The greatest air offensive in history is being carried out by the Anglo-American air forces. For 72 hours bombs have been crashing down on Hitler’s Europe in the West almost nonstop. A

Harold H Beasley

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-379237
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Horace D Bowman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-661439
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Edward Albert Bradford

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13049248
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Aircraft

41-24496

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Chennault's Pappy
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron

41-24539

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Jersey Bounce
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

41-24558

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hunga Dunga
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24559) nicknamed "Old Soljer" of the 303rd Bomb Group. Passed as censored 25 Jan 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-17 "Old Soljer". 25 Jan 1943.' Printed caption attached: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Side view of Fortress. This one's been named "Old Soljer" by her crew, who have painted the name on the side of the fuselage, as shown here. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Ministry of Information, As

41-24559

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ooold Soljer
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Ground crew work of the 303rd Bomb Group work on the engines of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "The Duchess". Passed for publication 20 Jan 1944. Printed caption on reverse: 'Famous Fortresses. Associated Press Photo Shows:- Ground crewmen at work on the Fortress "Duchess", which has already been on 50 missions over enemy territory. They are (left to right, lower): Sgt. Clyde L. Dewald, of 200 E Union St., Schnykill Haven, Penn.; and Sgt. James C. Hicks, of Rowtob, Henderson, K.Y.; (Upper) Cpl. Charles

41-24561

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Duchess, Sure Stuff
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorEmily
ChangesChanges to official description
Sources

Air Force Combat Chronology

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to event
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on 19BG,303BG,306BG St Nazaire per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

Lee Cunningham 2-Nov-2014. Aulenbach association.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to event
Sources

Lee Cunningham 2-Nov-2014. Corrected place association for 93 BG.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 2-Nov-2014. Description based on 'Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
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'.