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1 December 1943
42-30033 Nose Art, "Little America"
42-30033, 546th Bombardment Squadron, 384th Bombardment Group
Sgt William E. Roller, 91thBomb Group, 322nd BS. Tailgunner of "Wheel 'N Deal". Went down on Dec 1, 1943. Sgt William E. Roller is still Missing in Action...
42-29768 SO-Z, Winsome Winn II crash scene. 1 December 1943, shot down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Solingen, Germany; MACR 1336
Page 98 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 99 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.
Escape and Evasion report by SSgt Claude R Leslie after bailing out of B-17F 42-30033 "LITTLE AMERICA" . All other crew members became POWs
MACR 1335
Charles M. Lewis's report of Mission : Solingen, Germany Dec 1/2, 1943.
401st Bomb Group, Mission No 2, 1 Dec 1943, Solingen, Germany. The Group flew the low position in the 1st Combat Wing, and this was the third wing over the target. They encountered 25 to 35 FW-190's over the target itself, but the escorting fighters did a good job of protecting the bombers, and although the attack went on for about 30 minutes the Group suffered no losses. The target was bombed using PFF methods. On this mission the Group received credit for bringing down its first enemy aircraft. It went to Sgt Percy W. Stengel, a ball turret gunner with the 612th crew of W. J. Kelly.
Not yet known
This mission was directed at the industrial areas of Leverkusen and Solingen, Germany. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 221 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (27); 92BG (18); 303BG (17); 305BG (16); 306BG (22); 351BG (36); 379BG (20); 381BG (25); 384BG (19); 401BG (15); and 482BG (6) PFF equipped. The primary target for this element was Leverkusen, Germany but clouds obscured the target so the whol element diverted to the secodary target at Solingen, Germany. 201 aircraft were effective on the secondary. 19 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 67KIA 88POW 1DIC 11EVD 23RTD (rescued by ASR); 2 aircraft crashlanded on return and were declared Dmaged Beyond Repair (DBR) 1KIA 2WIA 16RTD; 4 airmen were KIA and 17 Wounded in Action (WIA) in returning aircraft. The bomber gunners claim 3-0-3 of attacking German aircraft.
The second element is a combined force of 78 B-24s from 2nd Bomb Division that included: 44BG (18); 93BG (21); 389BG (24); 392BG (15) despatched to bomb the industrial areas of Solingen, Germany. 69 aircraft are effective on the target. 5 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 17KIA 31POW 2EVD. 1 battle damage aircraft crashlanded on return 9 KIA; 6 airmen in returning aircraft were Wounded in Action (WIA). The bomber gunners in this element claimed 1-5-2 of attacking German aircraft.
INDUSTRIAL AREA
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
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
The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They...
| Tonnage dropped | 172.49 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 36 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 6 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 31 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 5 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 2 |
INDUSTRIAL AREA
B-17 Flying Fortress
Weather is extremely cold. 7 Bomb Groups from 3rd Bomb Division abandon the mission. 1st Bomb Division (listed here) were briefed for Leverkusen as their primary, but hit Solingen as the Pathfinder (PFF) secondary. B-17G, 42-39850, 306th Bomb Group/423BS returned to base safely, but waist gunner SSGT Guy J. Aubrey, SN 38130380 apparently had bailed out and was captured a MACR was issued but never numbered. He was held at Stalag Luft IV, Gross-Tychow, Prussia and Returned to Military Control (RMC) on 14-Jun-45.
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 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...
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 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
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 | 529.96 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 221 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 212 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 19 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 2 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 71 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 17 |
| Number of people Evaded | 11 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 89 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 42 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 3 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 3 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
James Akins was Co-Pilot of B-24 # 42-7544 of 44th Bomb Group / 67th Bomber Squadron when it was shot down by Flak and went low on fuel on return from the 1 December 1943 mission to Solingen. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 1382. Akins initially managed...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Duncan crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #42-29506 'Full Boost!'. Mission #46 to the chemical plant at Leverkusen, Germany. Diverted to the steel works at Solinger, Germany. MACR 1578. Killed in Action (KIA)....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier, Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Don Currie crew. 38 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator; Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
DFC/ AM w/ 5 Oak Leaf Cluster/ Unit Citation w/ Oak Leaf Cluster
1 Damaged
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39781. Prisoner of War (POW). An interview of Gordon Ballagh can be heard at http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.19979/sr0001001.stream
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Military | Corporal | Ball Turret gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Mark Bauer was Ball Turret gunner on B-17 Serial 42-39840, hit by Flak on the 1 December 1943 mission to Solingen/Leverkusen, Germany. Evaded capture for 10 days before he was arrested. See the story of his evasion and capture at https://www...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-24 #42-7544. Plane crashed near Passendale, Belgium. Missing Air Crew Report- MACR 1382. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39781. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
322nd Squadron pilot John Boyce completed 30 missions on 'Dame Satan II' with the 91st Bomber Group and was awarded the DFC and Air Medal. Post war he worked as a plumber and was a member of the Elks Lodge and the Canton Blue Hillsmen, a barbershop...
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 359BS/303BG [BN-T] Bangor 10/9/42; Molesworth 16/10/42; 59m transferred 1 Base Air Depot (sic),* Burtonwood 7/7/44; Returned to the USA Altus 18/8/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 14/8/45. Over...
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 28/12/42; Salina 9/1/43; Morrison 12/2/43; Homestead 18/2/43; Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-V] Chelveston 2/3/43 YE WHITE SWAN; transferred 532BS/381BG [VE-A] Ridgewell 22/8/43; Missing in Action Leverkusen 1/12/43 with Jason Duncan,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-G] Presque Is 27/11/42; Molesworth 13/12/42; Returned to the USA 2/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Arledge 22/11/44. IZA VAILABLE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/2/43; Walker 27/2/43; Salina 5/3/43; Gulfport 31/3/43; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-G] Alconbury 9/4/43 WINSOME WINN; Framlingham 12/5/43; 4m, battle damaged Lorient 17/5/43 with W. Thomas; crash landed Southern UK, (10 Returned to...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 20/5/43; Assigned to the 547BS/384BG [S0-G] Grafton Underwood 24/5/43, then the 546BS [BK-G]; Missing in Action Leverkusen 1/12/43 with Maj Maurice Stanley Dillingham, Co-pilot:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 8/9/43; to Gt Falls with Phil Sweet but force landed Pueblo, CO 10/9/43; Scott 20/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-G] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; Missing in Action Cologne 28/5/44 with George West, Waist gunner: Hugh Russell, Tail gunner: Mike...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 7/9/43; Scott 24/10/43; Assigned 303BG Molesworth 25/10/43, 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood; transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-X] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; Missing in Action Frankfurt 4/2/44 with Frank Zitkovic, Co-pilot: Bascom Clifton, Navigator:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 14/9/43; Scott 22/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-D] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; on return from Merignac 31/12/43 with Capt Jere Maupin, Co-pilot: Earl Owens, Navigator: Capt Walt Eabererr, Bombardier: Capt Ron WEoodhouse, Flight engineer...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 21 July 2015 23:29:52 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added bobmber gunner claims to 1nd BD statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 July 2015 23:28:55 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added bobmber gunner claims to 2nd BD statistics per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 July 2015 23:27:29 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 21-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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