2nd Bomb Division
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.
395
6 June 1944
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Certificate showing the 33 Missions completed by Capt. William M. Bryan Jr of the 93rd Bomb Group
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The Military Service Record for Philip G. Rodgers Showing His Completion Of 30 Missions As Well As The Awards He Received
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8th Air Force mission 395; June 6, 1944; communications center behind German beach defenses. 447th Bomb Group strike photo. This was the second mission of D Day.
Official description
Eighth reaches its top strength as 493d Bomb Group (H) becomes operational, making a total of 40 Heavy Bomber Groups now operational. Heavy Bombers fly 4 missions in spite of the invasion of Normandy.
The third mission is dispatched against the important communications center of Caen. 56 B-24’s bomb through overcast skies.
Transportation chokepoints in towns immediately S and E of assault area are the objectives of the fourth mission for the Eighth. 553 HBs bomb targets including Vire, Saint- Lo, Coutances, Falaise, Lisieux, Thury-Harcourt, Pont-l’Eveque, Argentan, and Conde-sur-Noireau. In all, 1,729 HBs of Eighth AF drop 3,596 tons of bombs during D-Day, suffering only 3 losses (to ground fire and a collision).
Description
D-Day. Start of Operation Overlord.
Mission details
1.
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
2. ARGENTAN
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
3. CAEN (Primary)
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
The 2nd Bomb Division was made up of all 2nd Bomb Division Bomb Groups.
Units
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 157 T |
4. CONDE-SUR-NOIREAU
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
5. COUTANCES
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
6. FALAISE
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
7. LISIEUX
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
8. NORMANDY BEACHEAD
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS.
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
These attacks were made in the afternoon. Transportation chokepoints South and East of the assault area are targeted.
D-Day : Everyone knew that "The Invasion" would be soon and everyone was ready to get going with it. It was one of those moments that one knew was going to be momentous even before it happen and everyone wanted to be a part of it. The 388th BG's part was chosen to lead the entire 8th Air Force that day.
Units
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1st Bomb Division
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. -
2nd Bomb Division
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. -
3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division. -
388th Bomb Group
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 1,490 T |
9. PONT-L'EVEQUE
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
10. SAINT LO
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
11. THURY-HARCOURT
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
12. VIRE
Description
HIGHWAY ROAD JUNCTIONS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
Service
People
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Robert Allison
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Flew 26 missions on 'Mission Bell', was wounded on 26th mission. Purple Heart, 4 Air Medals -
Arthur Aull
Military | Captain | Pilot | 446th Bomb Group
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Thomas Barton
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
newly assigned May 1944 -
Paul Blow
Military | Colonel | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Blow flew 27 Missions, the last of which was on D-Day, 6 June 1944. -
James Braa
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 389th Bomb Group
James Braa served as a ball turret gunner with the 566th Bomb Squadron of the 389th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Hethel, England. He completed his tour of 30 missions between March and June 1944, flying his final two missions on D-Day. -
Virgil Brave
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California. ... -
Bernard Brooks
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
He flew with Pilot Lt. Ray Cambell on 'Ray's Hell' The plane crashed in England but the crew escaped. DFC, purple heart, etc -
Palmer Bryan
Military | 446th Bomb Group
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Ray Campbell
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
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Nicholas Duncan
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Aircraft
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42-31087 'Heaven Can Wait', 'Boche Buster'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/9/43; Gt Falls 28/9/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-K] Deenethorpe 26/10/43; Missing in Action Politz 7/10/44 with Tom Hill, Wilbur Schmedel, Theo Block, Junius Chadwick, Jim Mullins, Vic Shewbert, Ed Hellenbeck, Buddy Keith, Omer... -
42-31891 The Shape
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-P] Deenethorpe 15/2/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 1/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)... -
42-31939 Spook Six
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/1/44; Kearney 15/1/44; Romulus 23/1/44; Grenier 25/1/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-J] Horham 2/2/44; transferred 412BS [QW-J]; 98m, with S.D. Reed, force landed RAF Coltishakk, 8RTD, 1WIA; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 21/6/44;... -
42-38052 Lucky Stehley Boy, Hotshot Green
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17G-25-DL 42-38052 was one of 2,400 B-17 Flying Fortress four-engine heavy bombers built under license by the Douglas Aircraft Company at Long Beach, California from 1943 to 1945. -052 was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces on Christmas Eve, 24... -
42-97206 Woolf Pack
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/2/44; Gr Island 25/2/44; Presque Is 10/3/44; Assigned 452BG Deopham Green 16/3/44; damaged in taxi collision with 42-107225 at Hardwick Afd 7/6/44; Missing in Action Frankfurt 25/9/44 with Gaston Efird, Co-pilot: Bruce Merickle,... -
42-8531 Butch II
P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt Serial 42-8531 assigned to the 353rd Fighter Group/ 352nd Fighter Squadron was flown on D-Day, 6 June 1944 by Lt Clifford F. Armstrong. -
41-51121 Niagara Special
B-24 Liberator
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 25 January 2019 15:20:59 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to official description and media associations |
| Sources | ||
USAAF Combat Chronology. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 March 2015 16:51:51 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Information sent by Dick Read relating to Arthur M. Read and the 388th Bomb Group. |
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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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