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397

7 June 1944

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Not yet known

Mission details

1. ARGENTAN (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing is 389th Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group; 20Combat Bombardment Wing is 93rd Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group; 392nd Bomb Group

Units

  • 2nd Bomb 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.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 198.00

2. CONDE-SUR-NOIREAU (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

This mission was directed against any congested transportation points near the invasion beaches to hamper German mobility and reinforcements. 20 of the aircraft were PFF-equipped. Heavy cloud cover prevents 100 bombers from bombing. 1st Bomb Division was made up of 41st Combat Bombardment Wing is 303rd Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group; 93rd Combat Bombardment Wing 385th Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Group, 493rd Bomb Group.

Units

  • 1st Bomb Division

    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.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 171 T

3. FALAISE (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

457th BG - MISSION NO. 61 - FALAISE, FRANCE

7 JUNE, 1944

On the morning of the second day of the invasion, the 457th was dispatched to attack and destroy the highway intersection in the town of Falaise, southeast of Caen, thus hoping to disrupt transportation facilities in the area of the invasion. The Group provided the low 18-ship box for the 94th Combat Wing. Major William F. Smith was Air Commander and Captain J. L. Smith was pilot.

"The Eighth Air force is currently charged with a most solemn obligation in support of the most vital operation ever undertaken by our Armed Forces. It will be necessary during certain stages to attack with tremendous intensity the area immediately in front of our advancing troops. No other agency except the Eighth Air Force can undertake this task.... It must be recognized that bombardment accuracy has never faced a more severe test.... Every aid to accuracy must be exploited so that the pattern of our attack is exactly as ordered...."

Units

  • 1st Bomb Division

    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.

  • 457th Bomb Group

    457th Bomb Group

    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...

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 155 T

4. FLERS (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 177 T

5. LAIGLE (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 167.00

6. LISIEUX (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 243.00

7. VASCOEUIL (Opportunistic)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 57.00

Service

People

  • Marvin Abraham

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 20 x combat mission. McCord crew. Munich mission 16-Jul-44, A/C hit by flak causing a failure of the oxygen system to the nose compartment, died of anoxia along with bombardier Irwin Dobrow. Killed in Action (KIA) ...

  • Joseph Amber

    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).

  • William Ameen

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group

  • Francis Anthony

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group

  • Arthur Aull

    Military | Captain | Pilot / Operations Officer | 446th Bomb Group

  • William Barlow

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Crew 302-514: Aerial Armorer Gunner; Tail Gunner; Ball Turret Gunner | 446th Bomb Group

  • Charles Beckham

    Military | Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
    Assigned to 384th Bomb Group on 16 May 1944, completed 16 Missions with 384th Bomb Group before transferring to 305th Bomb Group on 26 June 1944.

  • Vernon Bohn

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
    Crew Number 7

  • George Boozer

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 388th Bomb Group
    The person with this name and birth/death dates buring at Fort Bliss National Cemetery is listed as "Master Sergeant - US Army" on his headstone. Boozer is wearing Captain's bars in his photo. This birth and death date may well be for the wrong ...

  • George Brand

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
    2nd Lt George C Brand flew 34 missions with the 401st Bomb Group, from 6 July 1944, mission to 30 October 1944. Brand was French, but enlisted in the US Army Air Forces,

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Aircraft

  • 42-97194 Good Pickin'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/44; Kearney 24/2/44; Presque Is 11/3/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-O] Horham 11/3/44; with G.M. Jackman force landed B-53 Merville, Belg., 10/5/45; with Lt Henderson force landed A-70 Laon, France 20/5/45; 114m Returned to the USA...

  • 42-102393 Diana Queen Of The Chase

    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...

  • 42-31037 Pistol Packin' Mama

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Dallas 8/9/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-F] Deenethorpe 10/10/43; Missing in Action Leipzig 20/7/44 with Kenneth R Murgatroyd, James E Pennoyer, James K Elderkin, Stanley Lesser, Jerome P Robertson, Howard N Magnuson (6 Prisoner of War); Owen...

  • 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...

  • 42-31591 Homesick Angel

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Wendover 9/12/43; Grenier 20/1/44; Assigned 457BG Glatton 25/1/44; transferred 613BS/401BG [IN-J] Deenethorpe 11/3/44; Missing in Action Pas de Calais 19/3/44, force landed continent; Salvaged 1 SAD Troston 22/4/44; mission...

  • 42-38013 "NEVADA AVENGER"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; New Castle 10/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-C] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; sal battle damaged 27/4/44. NEVADA AVENGER. ...

  • 42-39993 'Hells Angels Out Of Chute 13', 'Grossly Inadequate'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 26/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-C] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; 118m landing accident at base with Jim Nolan 7/5/45; sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 8/5/45. HELL’S ANGELS OUT OF CHUTE 13 aka GROSSLY INADEQUATE. ...

  • 42-97322 Mister Completely, Home James

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/44; Dow Fd 7/3/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 1/5/44; no ops, transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-D] Deenethorpe 21/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance...

  • 44-6113 'No. 2 Bandwagon', 'Mrs. Wing Ding'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Accepted: 3 May 1944 ...

  • 42-95021 San Antonio Rose

    B-24 Liberator

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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 November 2021 18:56:21 jmoore43 Changes to media associations
Sources

Removed connection to "UPL 44266" since there is something not right with the media.
Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 11:08:59 general ira snapsorter Changes to event
Sources

Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/
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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