8th Air Force 926

4 April 1945
media-6521.jpeg UPL 6521 Crew #664
Elmo Maiden Crew
466th BG - 786th BS

Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B), Gustave J. Roussel (E), Guerino G. Petti (N), Herbert Rosenkoff (CP), William A. Thomason (TT), Elmo Maiden (P), Kenneth W. Chester (NG), Joseph R. Zebrowski (R/O)

B-24J-5-DT #42-51532 Code: U8-W

Photo taken on 27 December 1944 after crash landing at an airfield in Belgium.

Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom

Object Number - UPL 6521 - Crew #664 Elmo Maiden Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B),...

Mission Details

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Description: ESCORT MISSION

Notes: 25 P-51s escort 8 F-5s and 2 P-38s on a photo and radar recon mission, they claim 1-0-0 aircraft.

Description: SCOUTING MISSION

Description: AIRFIELD

Danish civillians inspect the wreckage of a crashed B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107082) of the 379th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'St Heddinge 13th May 1944 at 18:30 Hrs. 8th AAF, 1st Air Division, 41st Combat Wing, 379th Bombardment Group, Squadron?.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 39
  • Aircraft sent: 13

Description: AIRFIELD

  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 6.0
  • Aircraft sent: 2

Description: AIRFIELD

Danish civillians inspect the wreckage of a crashed B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107082) of the 379th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'St Heddinge 13th May 1944 at 18:30 Hrs. 8th AAF, 1st Air Division, 41st Combat Wing, 379th Bombardment Group, Squadron?.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 383.7
  • Aircraft sent: 149

Description: AIRFIELD

Danish civillians inspect the wreckage of a crashed B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107082) of the 379th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'St Heddinge 13th May 1944 at 18:30 Hrs. 8th AAF, 1st Air Division, 41st Combat Wing, 379th Bombardment Group, Squadron?.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 105.0
  • Aircraft sent: 37

Description: SHIPYARD

Notes: Primary – Docks at Kiel (visual only) Secondary – City of Kiel We were to fly up the north sea and cutting west, hit land at [intentionally left blank] which was our I.P. and on the west coast of Denmark. From there the course was 102o to the eastern coast of Denmark and Kiel. The S-2 officer warned us to stay away from “the more accurate Naval flak.” He also said that there was a pocket battleship and other enemy ocean-going craft docked at Kiel. He also told us not to bomb the Kiel canal because it was being used by relief ships for Holland.  

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 1497.5
  • Aircraft sent: 505

Description: AIRFIELD

Notes: A mix of 324 P-47s and P-51s provide escort. Mix not given in available data. The P-47s claim 14-0-20 aircraft and the P-51s claim 9-0-3 aircraft.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 87.0
  • Aircraft sent: 33

Description: AIRFIELD

Two airmen of the 466th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Division
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Combat organisation

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 65.3
  • Aircraft sent: 29

Description: BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

/

Description: "I just can’t remember the mission although i do have an air medal that’s dated April 5th and that aeroplane that’s cut in half we were flying a group ahead of that. Now that flight back there was Ed Chu’s flight and i always tried the best i could to get around some the facts on this. And i watched those jets come down to my right circle that group and shoot the hell out of them." "..And one jet came right at us and we were flying in the low right what they call the coffin corner and that jet came at me. And as far as everybody in my flight knows i was the only one shooting at him. And to make a long story short it was posted on the squadron bulletin board that that was confirmed kill." (Edward Paretti, 448th BG)

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator

Notes: I interviewed a small group of 448th veterans with an American friend during one of their last reunions in Orlando, 2007. Edward Paretti (NY) spoke of the above incident in which the group were attacked by jet fighters. It sparked an interest in the mission and encounters with jets and I tried to gather as much material as I could about 4th April 1945. Ed Chu was an asian-american who also served in the 448th BG. He was at the reunion but couldn't or didn't want to talk at that time. We wrote to each other after the reunion and he passed away a few years later. If you want to get in touch you can find me here www.happywarriors.co.uk

The insignia of the 448th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

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: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-523465
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 448th Bomb Group 714th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18116883 / O-869037
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Observer / Top Turret Gunner
714th Bomb Squadron crew outside a B-24
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 448th Bomb Group 714th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39621301
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator, Tail Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Dynamite John
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Farmer's Daughter
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Damn Yankee
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Pretty Baby
  • Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Doasy Doats
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 1 398th Bomb Group 603rd Bomb Squadron 491st Bomb Group 600th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Added crew of B-24 44-50838

Date
ContributorVirginiawise50
Changes
Sources

Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise, who flew on this mission as a pilot with Jack Q. Means as co-pilot.

Date
ContributorVirginiawise50
Changes
Sources

Virginia Wise, eldest child of, Lester Allen Wise, B-17 (43-39056) pilot 8th Air Force, 385th Bomb Group, who flew on this mission to Kiel from Great Ashfield, England, 4 Apr 1945

Date
Changes
Sources

Information from original, hand-written combat logs dated Feb-Apr 1945.

Date
Contributorbloodsweatflak
Changes
Sources

4th April 1945

Date
Contributorbloodsweatflak
Changes
Sources

Red Bow Incident

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary, p. 479

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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'.

8th Air Force 926: Gallery (8 items)