Skip to main content
Edit entry 

407

12 June 1944

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Official description

Not yet known

Description

Willie Hussong got his arm caught in the door of the lower ball turret. Palmer and Rollinger pried him out with a gun barrel. Bombed an airfield. Hussong hospitalized.

Mission details

1. Vitry-en-Artois,- 457th Bomb Group

Description

Not yet known

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

Once again bad weather prevents priority targets in Germany from being attacked. Thus, 1,442, Bombers are despatched against airfields and landing grounds in NE France. Rail and road bridges on the Brest Peninsula are also hit.

1st Bomb Division is 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.

3rd Bomb Division was made up of 34th Bomb Group, 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 38th 8Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Group, 493rd Bomb Group.

2nd Bomb Division is 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 489th Bomb Group, 491st Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group.

457th BG - MISSION NO. 65 - , FRANCE

12 JUNE, 1944

The Eighth Air Force put 1,500 bombers aloft for widespread attacks on French airfields and transportation centers. The 457th put up three 12-ship boxes to comprise all craft for the 94th A Combat Wing with the airfield at ViItry-en-Artois as the target. This field had been used by the RAF in 1939 and 1940, but more recently by the Luftwaffe for long range bombers as well as night fighters. Lt. Col. Henry B. Wilson was Air Commander and Lt. Vinton H. Mays was pilot. Captain Syptak led the high box and Major Spencer the low box.

En route to the target the formation encountered dense flak near Brussels. Fifteen planes were damaged by this concentration of flak. The lead craft of the low box, piloted by Major Spencer, was seriously hit, losing two engines; however, the aircraft successfully returned to the Base. The target was bombed with good results. On the return to England, while flying over Claxton at 4,500 feet, flak was encountered by one of the boxes.

The 12th of June also marked the promotion of Col. Luper, the Group Commander, to the rank of full Colonel. It was the impetus for a festive occasion on the Base.

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.

  • 3rd Bomb 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.

  • 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 3,103 T

2.

Description

Not yet known

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

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

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 Acker

    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...

  • John Allen

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x missions. Ended Tour Duty (ETD). Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

  • 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

  • Don Anderson

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier, Navigator | 401st Bomb Group

  • Donald Anderson

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator; Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
    DFC/ AM w/ 5 Oak Leaf Cluster/ Unit Citation w/ Oak Leaf Cluster 1 Damaged

  • Francis Anthony

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

  • William Asbell

    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.

  • Jack Atherton

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
    Shot down by flak and crashed at Gruenewald on 6/21/44 in B-17 #42-31496 Prisoner of War (POW)

  • Arthur Aull

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

Show more

Aircraft

  • 42-102398 Dynamite John

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 29/2/44; Gr Island 22/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-H] Deenethorpe 13/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in...

  • 42-102589

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Gr Island 6/4/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 30/4/44; On a local flight 9/7/44 with Doug McArthur, Co-pilot: Stamos Zades, Navigator: George Mille, Bombardier: Chas Meyer, Flight engineer/top turret...

  • 42-107210 'Be Coming Back'

    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...

  • 42-31410 Berlin Bessie, I Dood It

    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...

  • 42-31496 Salvo Sadie

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 12/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-Q] Deenethorpe 1/2/44; Missing in Action Berlin 21/6/44 with Jack Atherton, Co-pilot: Don Awalt, Navigator: Dick Fitzmaurice, Bombardier: John Whelan, Flight engineer/top turret...

  • 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;...

  • 42-32012 'Shark Tooth'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 15/1/44; Kearney 28/1/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-P] Deenethorpe 5/3/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman...

  • 42-37981 Belle of the Barbary Coast

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 3/11/43; Gr Island 12/11/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-P] Deenethorpe 3/12/43; Missing in Action Leipzig 7/7/44 with Jim Neill, Co-pilot: Elbert Hammond, Navigator: Alby Roddy, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Moore, Radio...

  • 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. ...

Show more

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
24 January 2017 01:44:52 cmckeever Changes to description and person associations
Sources

Daughter - Carol Rollinger McKeever
Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 11:29:37 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'.

Share