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445

28 June 1944

  • A group of 384th BG B-17's that have landed AWAY at the 56th FG base at Boxted, 28 June 1944 because of bad weather at Station 106. Left group, front to rear: B-17G-45-BO #42-97320

    A group of 384th BG B-17's that have landed AWAY at the 56th FG base at Boxted, 28 June 1944 because of bad weather at Station 106. Left group, front to rear: B-17G-45-BO #42-97320 "Hot Rock" Code: SU-G B-17G-70-BO #43-37703 "Tremblin' Gremlin II" Code: SU-P Right group, front to rear: B-17G-30-VE #42-97824 no name Code: SU-U B-17G-55-BO #42-102661 "Big Dog: Code: SU-L B-17G-95-DL #44-6141 "Sneakin' Deacon" Code: SU-F B-17G-45-BO #42-97309 "Kathleen - Lady of Victory" JD-C

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  • Page 208 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations). Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.

    Page 208 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations). Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.

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  • 8th Air Force mission 445; Denain Air Field, France; June 28, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo

    8th Air Force mission 445; Denain Air Field, France; June 28, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Not yet known

Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 39.1 T

2. ANIZY LE CHATEAU (Primary)

Description

BRIDGE

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 40 T

3. DENAIN/PROUVLY (Opportunistic)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 63.4 T

4. DUGNY (Primary)

Description

OIL DEPOT

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 40 T

5. FISMES (Primary)

Description

BRIDGE

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 72 T

6. FLORENENNES/JUZAIN (Opportunistic)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 26 T

7. GIVET (Opportunistic)

Description

BRIDGE

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 3 T

8. JUVENCOURT (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 127.1 T

9. LAON/ATHIES (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 91.1 T

10. LAON/COUVRON (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

About one-third of the escorting fighters afterwards bomb and strafe transport targets, claiming 3 locomotives and an armored vehicle. 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.

3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17 is 94th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Group.

457th BG - MISSION NO. 78 - LAON-COUVRON, FRANCE

28 JUNE, 1944

The Germans had dispersed the bulk of their front line fighters in the Paris and Laon regions. The field at Laon-Couvron had based both bombers and fighters. The 457th was part of a force of two combat wings directed to bomb the facility. The 457th supplied the lead and low box of the 94th B Combat Wing. Major Spencer was Air Commander of the lead B box, with Captain Russell M. Selwyn as pilot, and Captain Jerry Godfrey was Commander of the low B box.

The weather was CAVU over the target. Lead box's bombing results were good, and the low box's fair. Flak was light and inaccurate.

The weather was poor on the return and Glatton was completely closed in, forcing all except two of the craft to divert to other bases.

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 119.8 T

11. LE BOURGET (Opportunistic)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 41 T

12. SAARBRUCKEN (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 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.

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 893.5 T

Service

People

  • Don Anderson

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

  • William Atkinson

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group

  • Joseph Booth

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group

  • William Brooks

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
    St. Dizier, France 24 Mar 1944; Brunswick, Germany 8 April 1944; Hamm, Germany 22 April 1944; Leipheim, Germany 24 April 1944; Paderborn, Germany 26 April 1944; Siracourt, France 27 April 1944; Mimoyecque, France 28 April 1944; Liege, France 1 May 1944...

  • Robert Collins

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Navigator; Statistics | 490th Bomb Group
    AWARDS: ...

  • Lee Conner

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 448th Bomb Group
    Lee's original aircraft was named "Do Bunny", after his soon to be wife, Doris Christianson (Frank Christianson's sister). However; upon arrival at Wales, the aircraft they named was given to another crew.

  • Morgan Cox

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group

  • Charles Evans

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 458th Bomb Group
    The 50-page description of CPT Evans' military service is found at http://www.2ndair.org.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/article/ncc175528.pdf (as listed in http://www.2ndair.org.uk/Second_Air_Division/Wartime_memories/index.htm).

  • Stephen Fecho

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer | 466th Bomb Group

  • Raymond Harman

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
    Prisoner of War (POW). Shot down by flak and crashed near Corne on 7/19/44 in B-17 44-6129

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Aircraft

  • 42-31200 Old Crow aka The Bad Penny

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 2/10/43; Gr Island 31/10/43; Long Beach 25/11/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-V] Molesworth 1/1/44; Missing in Action 937m) Paris 28/6/44 with Stan Wardowski, Navigator: Warren Birnbaum, Tail gunner: Don Wagner (3 Killed in Action); Co...

  • 42-31662 'Fancy Nancy IV'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 2/12/43; Kearney 17/12/43; Romulus 6/1/44; Kearney 7/1/44; Memphis 9/1/44; Presque Is 10/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-B] Deenethorpe 31/1/44; 134m crash landed Polebrook 22/4/44, Salvaged 1 SAD Troston. FANCY NANCY IV.

  • 42-32005 'Command Performance II', 'Annie'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 12/1/44; Kearney 28/1/44; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-M] Deenethorpe 7/3/44; Missing in Action St Lo 24/7/44 with Ed Coleman, Navigator: H.E. Kron, Bombardier: E.K. Stout, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: A.T. Lindholm, Radio Operator:...

  • 42-97938 'Twan-n-g-g-g'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 10/4/44; Kearney 9/5/44; Dow Fd 21/5/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-S] Deenethorpe 6/6/44; crash landed near base 30/11/44 and sal 2 SAD. TWAN-N-G-G-G.

  • 43-37628 Heavenly Body

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 5/5/44; Hunter 18/5/44; Dow Fd 30/5/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-O] Deenethorpe 10/6/44; 612BS [SC-A]; Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...

  • 43-37736 'Little Pedro', 'Little Pieces'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 16/5/44; Kearney 24/5/44; Dow Fd 1/6/44; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-T] Deenethorpe 10/6/44 LITTLE PIECES; battle damaged Merseburg 8/11/44 with ?; repaired & ret group; Salvaged 9AF Germany 18/2/46. LITTLE PEDRO! ...

  • 42-50313 Wabash Cannon Ball

    B-24 Liberator

  • 41-28695 Ruth-Marie

    B-24 Liberator
    Crash landed returning from mission #074. Aircraft ran out of fuel while on final approach at Hardwick

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 12:33:45 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 18:43:07 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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