VIII Bomber Command 85
19 August 1943
(Personnel noted Back Row Left - Right; Front Row L-R)
Ds 6/30/2018
Object Number - UPL 23266 - Lt. Frank Robert Spitznagel and crew. 364th Squadron, 305th BG. Assembled June 18, 1943 in front of their B-17 #42-29633, nicknamed...
Description
The German airfields at Gilze-Rijen, Holland and Woensdrecht, Holland are the targets for this mission. The attacks will be made by two elements. The first element is a combined force of 125 B-17s from: 91BG (8); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (19); 306BG (20); 351BG (9);379BG (16); 381BG (7); and 384BG (7). The formation actually attacks two German airfields in Holland. 38 are effective on Gilze-Rijen and 55 are effective on Flushing. 4 B-17s Failed to Return (FTR) - 22KIA 19POW. The bomber gunners claim 29-1-2 of the attacking German fighters.
The second element is a combined force of 45 B-17s from 94BG (3); 95BG (7); 96BG (8); 100BG (7); 385BG (7) 388BG (7) and 390BG (7). Many of the B-17s that normally would have participated in this element were lost on the 17-Aug-43 mission to Regensburg or are still at bases in North Africa. Weather prevented any of this group from bombing. 1 B-17 Failed to Return (FTR) 8KIA 2POW and another caught fire during assembly and was abandoned over Wolferton, England. 3 INJ 8RTD. The bomber gunners claim 1-1-2 of enemy aircraft.
Mission Details
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Description: AIRFIELD
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 38 aircraft bomb Gilze-Rijen airfield and 55 bomb flushing airfield. Despatch from most groups limited because of losses suffered on the Schweinfurt raid.
- 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: 165.80
- People killed in action: 22
- People wounded in action: 9
- Prisoners of war: 19
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 29
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 125
- Aircraft effective: 93
- Aircraft missing in action: 4
- Aircraft damaged: 42
Description: AIRFIELD
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: This element aborted the mission due to weather. One loss from 96th Bomb Group when aircraft caught fire during assembly, crash-landing at Wolften Sands, England, 3 injuries but all eventually returned. Despatch limited because many of the groups' aircraft are still in North Africa or Missing in Action (MIA) on Schweinfurt raid.
- 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: None
- People killed in action: 8
- Prisoners of war: 2
- People returned to duty: 11
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 1
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 2
- Aircraft sent: 45
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
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: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35319150
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19122414
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33248223
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-734654
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hell's Angels
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Knock-out Dropper
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: SpitzFire
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 379th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron 526th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Stella
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Kathy Jane
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 24-May-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to Wensdrecht element statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 24-May-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to Gilze-Rijen element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 24-May-2015. Added bomber claims to Woensdrecht element narrative per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 24-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'.