VIII Bomber Command 25
12 December 1942Official Description
17 HBs bomb Rouen-Sotteville M/Y. Bad weather prevents large attack planned for air installations at Romilly-sur-Seine.
Description
This mission is composed of two elements. First element: The German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a force of 78 B-17s despatched from 91BG (19), 303BG (20), 305BG (21) and 306BG (18). However, the target is obscured by clouds so the force attacks the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen/Sotteville as a target of last resort (L), but clouds frustrate bombing and only 17 aircraft are effective and none of the 21 despatched by 305BG are able to bomb.
Second element: A force of 12 B-24s are despatched on a diversionary attack on the German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France. These are joined by 6 B-17s despatched by 11th Combat Crew Replacement Center. The airfield is not bombed.
Mission Details
Description: DIVERSION
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 6
ABBEVILLE/ DRUCAT (Primary)
Description: AIRFIELD
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Notes: Cloud prevented bombing.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Aircraft sent: 12
ROMILLY-SUR-SEINE (Primary)
Description: AIR DEPOT
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 305th Bomb Group could not bomb because of cloud cover.
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- People wounded in action: 4
- Aircraft sent: 21
- Aircraft damaged: 1
ROUEN/ SOTTEVILLE (Last Resort)
Description: MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: No fighter escort for any of the elements in this mission.
- 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: 40.00
- People killed in action: 2
- People wounded in action: 8
- People evaded: 9
- Prisoners of war: 9
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 19
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 8
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 60
- Aircraft effective: 17
- Aircraft missing in action: 2
- Aircraft damaged: 10
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: 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 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17030785
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34235254
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-659653
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Kali
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Jersey Bounce
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Spook
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th 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: The Duchess, Sure Stuff
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on Rouen per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 9-Nov-2014. Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman; "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop.
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'.