VIII Bomber Command 79
29 July 1943
Object Number - UPL 25220 - Lt. Carroll Dayle Briscoe (306thBG, 369thSq) flying the "Carroll Jun," named after his daughter who was born in the middle of his tour.
Description
The primary targets for this mission are the port facilities at Kiel, Germany and the Heinkel aircraft factories at Warnemunde, Germany. A combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (14 these included 1 Y-B40 gunship); 305BG (19); 306BG (18); 351BG (19); 381BG (24); 303BG (20); 379BG (19); and 384BG (17) are dispatcher to Kiel, Germany. 95 were able to bomb the target at Kiel, but 44 others (303BG; 379BG and 384BG) encountered cloud cover and smoke over the target and they ended up attacking targets of last resort. Also this formation dropped 767,000 leaflets over the city. A total of 4 B-17s from the groups that attacked Kiel Failed to Return (FTR) - 21KIA 21POW 1DIC. Another 2 were Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) but these crews all were RTD. The bomber gunners in this formation claimed 33-2-29 of the attacking enemy aircraft; another 2 B-17s from the groups that were forced to divert to other targets Failed to Return (FTR) - 4KIA 16POW. The bomber gunners in this formation claimed 13-4-4 of the attacking enemy aircraft.
A second element of a combined force of 81 B-17s from: 94BG (15); 95BG (8); 96BG (11); 100BG (21); 385BG (16); 388BG (10). 54 of these were effective on the target. 4 B-17s of this formation Failed to Return (FTR) - 21KIA 10POW 10RTD (Rescued by ASR). Fighter resistance against this group was light. The bomber gunners claimed 0-2-0 of attacking fighters.
Mission Details
Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: Cloud cover at Kiel forces 44 of this formation to seek targets of opportunity.
- 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: 107.25
- People killed in action: 4
- Prisoners of war: 16
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 13
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 4
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 4
- Aircraft sent: 56
- Aircraft effective: 44
- Aircraft missing in action: 2
- Aircraft damaged: 7
KIEL (Primary)
Description: NAVAL BASE
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 1 YB-40 Gunship from 92nd Bomb Group participates. Cloud cover frustrates bombing causing 44 to bomb targets of opportunity. This element also drops 767,000 leaflets. No fighter escort.
- 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
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Air base
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 207.90
- People killed in action: 22
- People wounded in action: 8
- Prisoners of war: 21
- People returned to duty: 20
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 35
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 29
- Aircraft sent: 112
- Aircraft effective: 95
- Aircraft missing in action: 4
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 2
- Aircraft damaged: 55
WARNEMUNDE (Primary)
Description: HEINKLE AIRCRAFT FACTORY
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- 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
- 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: 129.00
- People killed in action: 21
- Prisoners of war: 10
- People returned to duty: 10
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 81
- Aircraft effective: 54
- Aircraft missing in action: 4
- Aircraft damaged: 7
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: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36395293
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-523642
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13059061 at enlistment, then O-733589
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers 364th Fighter Group 1st Scouting Force 369th Bomb Squadron 384th Fighter Squadron 857th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (1st Combat Bomb Wing)
- Service Numbers: 18052358 / O-441827
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13096046
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Knock-out Dropper
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Old Faithful
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group Can Do 366th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Jimmie boy
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ol Swayback, Moor Fidite
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Patches
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Correct typos
303rd BG Web Page
Lee Cunningham 10-May-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to Warnemude element statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 10-May-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to Kiel formation statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A> Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 10-May-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to the statisitcs of the 44 aircraft that were diverted by weather to bomb targets of last resport per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Rober A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 10-May-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "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'.
