VIII Bomber Command 21
18 November 1942Official Description
VIII BC conducts missions against 3 U-boat bases. 19 HBs attack at La Pallice, 13 at Lorient Keroman, and 19 at Saint-Nazaire.
Description
The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed of 13 B-24s from 93; La Pallice is attacked by a combined element of 31 B-17s from 91BG (17) and 306BG (14). In addition, a diversion for the La Pallice force is flown by 20 B-17s from 305BG; and another diversion is flown by 6 B-24s from 44BG.
Mission Details
Description: DIVERSION
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: Diversion for La Pallice raid.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 20
- Aircraft effective: 20
Description: DIVERSION
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: Diversion for Lorient raid
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 6
- Aircraft effective: 6
LA PALLICE (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: Bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft are displayed on this event for statistical purposes and represent the bundled total of bomber gunner claims on VIII BC Mission 21.
- 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: 32.00
- People killed in action: 1
- People wounded in action: 3
- Prisoners of war: 9
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 5
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 3
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 1
- Aircraft sent: 31
- Aircraft effective: 21
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 9
LORIENT/ KEROMAN (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 39.00
- People killed in action: 5
- People wounded in action: 8
- Aircraft sent: 13
- Aircraft effective: 13
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 3
SAINT-NAZAIRE (Opportunistic)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: The actual briefed target was La Pallice, but the 303rd mistook St. Nazaire for La Pallice even though they are 100 miles away from each other.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 47.50
- People wounded in action: 3
- Aircraft sent: 21
- Aircraft effective: 19
- Aircraft damaged: 15
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: 455th Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 16041581 / O-53805
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14049756 / O-437941
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39171219
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36324682
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
- 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
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Katy Bug
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Floozy
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Fury
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hunga Dunga
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ooold Soljer
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added bundled Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on La Pallice fror VIII BC Mission 21 per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 4-Nov-2014. Mission description provided by Mr. Cunningham based on "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'.