Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
13 November 1943
Mission 130 Report, a/c 42-30776
Not yet known
The port area of Bremen, Germany is the focus of this mission composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 154 B0-17 of 1st Bomb Division including 94BG (16); 385BG (17); 95BG (21); 100BG (18); 390BG (21); 96BG (40); and 388BG (21). 60 aircraft of this element were effective on the port area; 1 aircraft from 91BG, 9 from 385BG and 7 from 390BG drop on targets of opportunity. 3 aircraft from this element Failed to Return (FTR) 13KIA, 9POW, 8RTD (rescued by ASR). 1 aircraft crashed on take off and was destroyed but all 10 crew RTD. 9 aircraft returned damaged wit 2 airmen Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners in this element claim 9-6-11 of attacking German aircraft.
The second element was scheduled to be a large formation from 1st Bomb Division but weather hampered assembly. The final dispatch was one formation of 5 aircraft: 305BG (2); 306BG (2) and 381BG (1). 2 of these aircraft were effective on the port area at Bremen, Germany. 1 aircraft returned too damaged to repair (DBR) 10RTD and 2 others were damaged. 8 airmen were KIA in returning aircraft. The bomber gunners of this element claimed 0-1-0 of attacking German aircraft.
NOTE: 4-B-17s from 482BG equipped with PFF equipment were dispersed among the formations, 1 aborted.
The third element was composed of 109 B-24s of 2nd Bomb Division including: 93BG (25); 389BG (27); 44BG (33) and 392BG (24). 53 were effective at Bremen and 7 from 93BG attack Helgoland Island as a target of opportunity. 13 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 93KIA 36POW 3EVD. 3 aircraft crashed on landing and were Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) 2KIA 18RTD. 4 aircraft returned damaged with 22 Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners in this element claimed 11-7-2 of attacking enemy aircraft.
HARBOUR INSTALLATION
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
Group
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
| Tonnage dropped | 31.80 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 5 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 2 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 8 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 2 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
SHIP YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Includes 3 of 4 482nd Bomb Group B-17s equipped with Pathfinder (PFF). More than 100 aircraft abort due to weather. 95th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group and 39Bomb Group attacked Targets of Opportunity.
Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
Group
The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
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...
Group
The 482nd Bomb Group was a Pathfinder Group, which using radar-equipped aircraft to support bombing missions until March 1944. Aircraft from this Group went ahead of other Bombers and sent information back about the best routes to take and the extent...
Group
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
Group
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
...
| Tonnage dropped | 297.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 163 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 64 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 3 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 3 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 12 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 32 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 4 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 17 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 11 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 19 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 6 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 11 |
SHIP YARDS
B-24 Liberator
8 aircraft from 93rd Bomb Group made a visual attack on Heligoland as a Target of Opportunity. B-24s dropped 520,00 0 leaflets on Bremen. The B-24s flew 12 aircraft section formations for the first time.
Group
The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...
Group
The 392nd Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators out of Wendling, Norfolk from August 1943 until April 1945. They were the first Group allocated B-24H Liberators, the first B-24 series fitted with a nose turret on the production line. The adaptation increased...
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Group
93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1-March-1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15-May-1942 the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to continue advanced flight training and also to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; they...
| Tonnage dropped | Not determined |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 109 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 61 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 13 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 3 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 10 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 97 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 22 |
| Number of people Evaded | 3 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 36 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 28 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 11 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 7 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #42-31084, Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | Master Sergeant | Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 335BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel
Military | Staff Sergeant | Air Gunner, Togglier/Bombardier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 26 November 1943 in B-17 #42-30832, Prisoner of War (POW). He was a POW from 26 Nov 1943 to 04 May 1945 at Stalag 17B, Krems, Austria. Prisoner of War (POW) no. 100388.
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 22 December 1943 in B-17 #4237773 'Full House. ' Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).
The plane was ditched in the Ijsselmeer, The Netherlands.
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster / Purple Heart
Military | Flight Officer | B-24 Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
Benjamin Byers was the Copilot on B-24D #42-41004 “The Urgin' Virgin”, which was lost, shot down over the North Sea on 13 November 1943, after a mission to Bremen, Germany. All 11 men onboard were missing in action - MIA. Later, listed as Killed In...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Reported to group on 11 Sept 1943. Assigned to 367BS, 306BG, 8AF USAAF. Completed 7 missions from 08 Oct to 05 Nov 1943. On takeoff from base on mission to Bremen on 13 Nov 1943, mission was recalled due to weather. B-17 42-31038 was hit with severe...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Survived crash on return from Bremen in B-24 427647 13-Nov-43; Crashed into trees a mile east of base. Returned to Duty (RTD)
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot/Command Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, SN #41-24226, 'Joisey Bounce' was assigned to Pilot Col. Walter T. Stewart of the 330 Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, for the famous mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, Aug 1,1943. Col. Stewart changed his...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/4/43; Gore Fd 27/4/43; Cheyenne 2/5/43; Sioux City 13/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 16/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 23/6/43 as CHARLENE; 15m transferred RCM 803BS Sculthorpe 19/1/44; Oulton 16/5/44; 36BS Cheddington...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Gore 9/5/43; Sioux City 10/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 1/6/43; crashed on take off for Bremen after encountering mechanical problems 13/11/43 with Bob Simons, Co-pilot: Alvin...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 4/5/43; Smoky Hill 14/5/43; Tinker 25/5/43; Smoky Hill 29/5/43; Dow Fd 31/5/43; Assigned 351BG Polebrook 10/6/43; transferred 412BS/95BG [QW-V] Horham 16/6/43; battle damage on 13/11/43 Ball turret gunner: E.J. Castona (wia), Tail...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/6/43; Smoky Hill 13/7/43; Kearney 16/7/43; Dow Fd 19/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 20/7/43; (34m) transferred Aphrodite project as OLIN'S 69'ERS; when War Weary, fuselage cut down and vehicle windshield fitted before open...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Gore 6/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Reno 14/8/43; Pierre 16/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; crashed on take off for France 13/8/44 with Leon Sutton, Co-pilot: Harlan Thompson, Navigator: George Healy, Bombardier:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 10/9/43; Scott 9/10/43; Assigned 367BS/306BG [GY-N] Thurleigh 19/10/43; targeted Bremen 13/11/43, mission was recalled, but ship went into spin while in a thunderhead, with Clyde Cosper (Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Wes Brinkley,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/9/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 9/10/43; Missing in Action Bremen 20/12/43 with Ken Eccleston, Co-pilot: Pete Schou, Navigator: John Dorsett, Bombardier: Tom Tollin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Molinari, Radio...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 18/4/43; Assigned 100BG Dow Fd 30/5/43; transferred 412BS/95BG [QW-W] Horham 15/6/43; force landed RAF St Eval ex-St Nazaire 28/6/43; crash landed Gt Ashfield ex-La Pallice 16/9/43; force landed RAF Hensridge; 31m, ex-Munster 22/12/43...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 5/9/43; Gr Island 12/10/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 15/10/43; sal 1SAD 18/4/44; (?Ret US, force landed Newfoundland with Dave Schmidt 27/6/44?);
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 January 2018 18:13:15 | william henry | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Correct typos |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 July 2015 21:43:40 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 10-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to statisitics of 2nd Bomb Division element per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 July 2015 21:42:12 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 10-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to statistics of 3rd Bomb Division per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", ROger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 July 2015 21:38:16 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 10-Jul-2015. Added Mission Narrative based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:16 | 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'. |
||
