August 14 th , 1943, mission 115, Schweinfurt, known in the history of the 8 th Air Force as “Black Thursday”. He was assigned to co-pilot Captain Tom Kenny's plane, The Fertile Myrtle III. The Unit Commander, Colonel Archie Olds, designated that aircraft the lead aircraft for the raid, and took over his job as co-pilot. In addition to carrying the usual crew of 10, it also had the lead navigator and lead bombardier on board for a total of 12. Dads job was to assume the tail gunner's position and also act as Squadron Coordinator for the Unit Commander who had to synchronize the attack and fly the plane as co-pilot at the same time. He would tell Colonel Olds the status of the flight (group of aircraft in the attack) positioning etc, and the Colonel would adjust the attack accordingly.

They were part of the 3 rd wave to attack the Schweinfurt ball bearing factories that day; all told there were 376 aircraft (B-17s and B-24's) dispatched, 291 made it over the target. 60 of those failed to return. 5 crashed in England on landing, 12 that did land were so battle damaged that they were scrapped, never to fly again. Total loss was over 600 Flight Crew and 77 aircraft. Of Dad's unit, the 96 th , 41 were initially dispatched, 32 made the raid, 7 did not return. Dad witnessed them being shot out of the air at 21,000 feet. It is considered to be the largest air battle ever, even today. The target was so far into Germany that the defenders could attack the bombers on the way in, land, refuel and rearm, and attack them on the way out. And the Fertile Myrtle III was the lead plane.

After dropping their bombs and on the way back over Rheims they were hit by flak, killing the navigator, wounding the pilot, co-pilot, and the bombardier, and blew away the Plexiglas nose, setting two engines on fire. They dropped from 21,000 to 11,000 feet due to the loss of power and were immediately jumped upon by 5 German ME110 fighters looking to finish off the cripple. They fought the fighters off, downing two, which took the fight out of the others and limped home on two engines.

He died in 2008.



More details are here http://366thspsk-9.com/Passed%20on/JWDunlap/JWD2.htm

His Mission list reads as follows. 

 

1. BONN GERMANY-------------------------------------------------------AUG. 12, 1943

2. MERVILLE FRANCE-----------------------------------------------------AUG. 15, 1943

3. ABBEVILLE-POIX FRANCE--------------------------------------------AUG. 16, 1943

4. REGANSBURG GERMANY (ABORT, O2 SYSTEM FAILED)--------AUG. 17, 1943

5. WOENSDRECHT HOLLAND-------------------------------------------AUG. 19, 1943

6. WATTEN FRANCE------------------------------------------------------AUG. 27, 1943

7. BRUSSELS BELGIUM---------------------------------------------------AUG. 31, 1943

8. ST. MARDYCK FRANCE------------------------------------------------SEPT. 2, 1943

9. ST. MARDYCK FRANCE------------------------------------------------SEPT. 3 1943

10 STUTTGART GERMANY----------------------------------------------SEPT. 6, 1943

11. WATTEN FRANCE----------------------------------------------------SEPT. 7, 1943

12. PARIS FRANCE-------------------------------------------------------SEPT. 9, 1943

13.. PARIS FRANC E ------------------------------------------------------SEPT. 15, 1943

14. LAPALLICE FRANCE--------------------------------------------------SEPT. 16, 1943

15. RHEIMS FRANCE------------------------------------------------------SEPT. 26,1943

16. SCHWEINFURT GERMANY (BLACK THURSDAY)-----------------OCT. 12, 1943

17. WILHELMSHAVEN GERMANY---------------------------------------NOV. 3, 1943

18. RJUKAN NORWAY----------------------------------------------------NOV. 16, 1943

19. BREMEN GERMANY---------------------------------------------------NOV. 29, 1943

20. BORDEAUX FRANCE--------------------------------------------------DEC. 5, 1943

21. EMDEN GERMANY-----------------------------------------------------DEC. 11, 1943

22. KIEL GERMANY---------------------------------------------------------DEC. 13, 1943

23. BREMEN GERMANY----------------------------------------------------DEC. 16, 1943

24. LUDWIGSHAVEN GERMANY-----------------------------------------DEC.30, 1943

25. PARIS FRANCE--------------------------------------------------------- DEC. 31, 1943