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29 November 1943
Not yet known
This is another massive raid on Bremen, Germany by a force of 360 B-17s. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 182 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 94BG (40); 95BG (20); 96BG (41); 100BG (20); 385BG (20); 388BG (20); and 390BG (21). High clouds frustrate bombing efforts and only 104 aircraft are effective on the target. 9 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 60KIA 27POW 3RTD (rescued by ASR). 1 aircraft crash lands on return at RAF Beccles and is declared to be Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) 10RTD. 32 aircraft are damaged. 1 airman is KIA and 11 other are WIA in returning aircraft. The bomber gunners in this element claim 8-10-8 of attacking German fighters.
The second element is a combined force of 178 B-17 from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (21); 92BG (18); 303BG (20); 395BG (9); 306BG 27); 351BG (19); 379BG (19); 381BG (22); 384BG (19); and 482BG (5). 50 aircraft are effective on the target. Weather and clouds hamper bombing efforts. 4 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 18KIA 23POW 1DIC. 1 aircraft sustained a landing gear failure on return and belly landed aircraft DBR. 10RTD. The bomber gunners in this element claim 6-1-2 of attacking German aircraft.
SHIP YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Cloud conditions (Tops at 29,000 ft.) and malfunction of Pathfinder (PFF) equipment causes problems. 390th Bomb Group is unable to make the drop.
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 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...
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 | 308.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 162 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 104 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 9 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 32 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 61 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 2 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 27 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 3 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 8 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 10 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Fighter Command | 8 |
SHIP YARDS
B-17 Flying Fortress
Despatch from 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group and 381st Bomb Group unable to drop.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
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 351st Bomb Group flew strategic bombing missions from their base at Polebrook, Northamptonshire from April 1943 to June 1945. The Group's most famous member was Hollywood actor Clark Gable, who flew four/ five missions with them as an observer...
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...
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
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for...
| Tonnage dropped | 148.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 178 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 50 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 11 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 21 |
| Number of people Evaded | 1 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 20 |
| Number of people Died in Captivity | 1 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 20 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 6 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 29 November 1943 in B-17 #42-29498 'Dark Horse', Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
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 | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 29 November 1943 in B-17 #42-5483 'Red Ass', Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
On return from mission to Ludwigshaven on 7 Jan 1944, B-17G #42-39838 crashed near Wilby, Suffolk, England. Only two engines were operating at time of crash. RTD. Shot down by fighters near Haselunne on a mission to Klein Machnow, Belin on 6 Mar 1944...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot/Command Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Photographer | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 29 November 1943 in B-17 #42-29498 'Dark Horse', Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
George Chester Fisher served as a waist gunner with the 303rd Bomb Group out of Molesworth, England. On 29 November 1943, he was flying in B-17 42-29498 'Dark Horse' when it was shot down.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 29 November 1943 in B-17 #42-29498 'Dark Horse', Killed in Action (KIA).
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 422BS/305BG [JJ-O] Presque Is 22/9/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/9/42; transferred 547BS/384BG [SO-Y] Grafton Underwood 14/10/43; Missing in Action Ludwigshafen 7/1/44 with Walter Ernest Garner, Co-pilot: Philip Bern, Bombardier: James Daigle,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned to the 359BS/303BG [BN-R] Bangor 22-Sep-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; First 8th Air Force aircraft to complete 50, then 75 missions- 27-Mar-44; with M/Sgt Buford Pafford as crew chief; 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 5-Jun-44; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/12/42; Salina 11/1/43; Morrison 14/2/43; Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO-L] Thurleigh 2/3/43; transferred 360BS/303BG [PU-D] Molesworth 25/9/43; 7m Missing in Action Bremen 29/11/43 with Capt Carl Fyler, Co-pilot: Bob Ward, Navigator:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/1/43; Salina 9/2/43; Brookley 3/3/43; Morrison 9/3/43; Assigned Harris Prov. Gp, en route from Marrakech to St Eval, Cornwall, UK 7/4/43 force landed Lytchett Minster, near Poole, Dorset, low on gas with Talmadge Wilson, Co-pilot:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/43; Salina 5/3/43; Gulfport 31/3/43; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-F] Alconbury 15/4/43; Framlingham 12/5/43; Horham 15/6/43; 3m, transferred 326BS/92BG [JW- ] Alconbury 6/8/43, the transferred 525BS/379BG [FR-E] Kimbolton 4/9/43;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 20/4/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG as BATTLE WAGON but not to UK; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-J] 29/5/43; Returned to the USA 13/7/43; 4100 BU Patterson 31/7/43; 4000 BU Patterson 5/12/43...
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 Cheyenne 15/9/43;
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/9/43; Gr Island 6/10/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 25/10/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 10/2/44 with Jim Feeney - not found till 25/2/44, Radio Operator: Norman Kajut, Waist gunner: Marion Forbis, Tail gunner: Lou LeFevre ...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2015 21:02:49 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims to 1st BD element statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 July 2015 21:01:31 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Jul-2015. Added bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to 3rd BD element statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 July 2015 21:00:06 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-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'. |
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