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19 April 1944
8th Air Force mission 308; Lippstadt Air Field, Germany; April 19, 1944. 447th Bomb Group (A group) strike photo
8th Air Force mission 308; Werl Air Field, Germany; April 19, 1944. 447th Bomb Group (B group) strike photo
401st Bomb Group, Mission No 52, 19 Apr 1944, Kassel, Germany
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BOMB TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
457th BG MISSION NO. 28
ESCHWEGE, GERMANY
19 APRIL, 1944
The target was the Air Park and Airdrome at Eschwege, twenty-six miles east-southeast of Kassel. This was an important center for equipping field-workshop units which went into action on the front lines. The 457th flew with the 40th Combat wing rather than the 94th. Major Rod Francis was Air Commander of the Group, which flew the low box, and Lt. Edward R. Bender was pilot.
The primary target was not bombed because of smoke and haze over the target area. Secondary targets and targets of last resort were bombed, with varied bombing results. The 457th bombed an air field at Kassel. Eleven craft sustained battle damage.
The 457th furnished four aircraft for Air-Sea Rescue. This assignment was completed without incident.
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Group
The 457th Bomb Group began combat operations during the Big Week of 20-25 February when American bombers carried out concentrated raids against German aircraft bases, factories and assembly plants. The air crews' targets on that first mission were...
AIRFIELD
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AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
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AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
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AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
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1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group. This mission was part of the effort to achieve Allied air superiority in advance of the D-Day invasion. These important aircraft factories were all in the Berlin area. Low claims of enemy aircraft by the bomber crews were a testament to the effectiveness of fighter support.
Division
The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
| Tonnage dropped | 433.5 T HE 181.1 T IB |
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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AIRFIELD
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3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
| Tonnage dropped | 402.5 T HE 168 T IB |
AIRFIELD
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2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group,445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group.
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
| Tonnage dropped | 184.5 T HE 305 T IB |
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
Note in my father's log.. Horace Turner, states, "Raided Werl, aircraft factory, perfect bombing, flak very light. It was a milk run."
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 29 x combat missions. Bill Trimble crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield in B-17 42-40002 19-Jun-44; force landed Le Pouyau. Evaded capture (EVD). See the page with details about his evasion at...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier, Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Don Currie crew. 38 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
T/Sgt Martin A. Anderson flew 34 missions, from 02/05/1944, mission #21, to 03/31/1945, mission #240. He served as a Radio Operator. He survived until the end of the war. Flew aircrafts 42-31521 'Badland Bat'
DFC
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 28 May 1944 in B-17 42-31034 'Bonnie Donnie. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Chief Master Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Bill Trimble crew.
Awards: DFC, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Post war: Served in Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 51
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Tail Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 51
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Crew 302-514: Aerial Armorer Gunner; Tail Gunner; Ball Turret Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Hunter 22/3/44; Grenier 2/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-R] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; 111m, Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/1/44; Kearney 1/2/44; Presque Is 5/3/44; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 6/3/44; Missing in Action Liege 25/5/44 with Bill Warren, Bombardier: Jerome Fontaine (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Gene McClellan, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 21/3/44; Kearney 4/4/44; Grenier 10/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-N] Deenethorpe 29/4/44; had aborted mission on 12/6/44, had returned and parked at dispersal, when fragmentation bomb being unloaded exploded killing six and injuring 11...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 10/8/43; Gr Isle 3/9/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-N] Deenethorpe 3/1/44; Missing in Action Berlin 8/5/44 with Dana Lenkelt, Co-pilot: Wendell Johnson, Bombardier: Harry Dershimer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jesse Pack, Radio...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 8/9/43; to Gt Falls with Phil Sweet but force landed Pueblo, CO 10/9/43; Scott 20/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-G] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; Missing in Action Cologne 28/5/44 with George West, Waist gunner: Hugh Russell, Tail gunner: Mike...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 4/10/43; Gr Island 16/10/43; Memphis 19/10/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-G] Deenethorpe 22/12/43; Missing in Action Berlin 29/4/44 with Don Butterfoss, Co-pilot: Bob Westfall, Navigator: Bernie Boyle, Bombardier: Bob Kerpen, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/10/43; Kearney 13/11/43; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-G] Horham 1/1/44; flak damage Berlin 6/10/44 with Lester Lennox, Co-pilot: Bob McCoy (2 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Bill Tate, Bombardier: Dick White, Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/11/43; Gt Falls 15/11/43; Denver 22/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Presque Is 25/12/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-H] Framlingham 2/1/44; suffered n/battle damaged hitting tree at Grundisburgh Hall, Sfk, being slow timed on 2/6/44, with...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/3/43; Morrison 31/3/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-Y] Molesworth 2/6/43; Missing in Action Hanover 29/4/44 with Jim Fisher, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gus Johnson[body recovered from lake 20/5/44] (2 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Note : The B-17G, 42-31892, was one of several B-17Gs in the 8th Air Force named, I'll Be Around, after the popular song in 1944, "I'll Be Around". WWII air crews often chose to name their airplanes with names already in use. ...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 03 November 2017 04:00:46 | ARowe95 | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
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ARowe95 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2017 03:58:25 | ARowe95 | Changes to event |
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ARowe95 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 08:14:03 | aquaflow1 | Changes to event |
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Added by Karen Turner, daughter of Horace Turner, based on his handwritten log. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 May 2015 12:18:42 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
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Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:06 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
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'. |
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