23 January 1943
Jerry Dobbins
Not yet known
The port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the primary target for this mission. 305th Bombardment Group is selected as the lead group, but condensation on the bombsight of the lead aircraft in the Group prevents the 305BG from bombing Lorient and they divert to the secondary target of the U-Boat pens at Brest, France. 305BG despatches 22 B-17s and 18 are effective on Brest, France. The remainder of the force despatched to Lorient is comprised of 17 B-17s from 306BG; 13 B-17s from 91BG and 21 B-17s from 303BG. One of the B-17s from 303BG joins th 305BG attack on Brest. A total of 35 B-17s are effecrtive on the target at Lorient, France. 5 aircraft MIA, 2 Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR).
Also, the 44th Bomb Group despatches 17 B-24s to fly a diversion for the force attacking Lorient, France.
DIVERSION
B-24 Liberator
Not yet known
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...
| Number of aircraft Sent | 17 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
305th Bomb Group was lead group on the attack to Lorient, but bombed the secondary target at Brest because condensation on the bombsight of the lead aircraft the Group could not hit the primary at Lorient. One of the bombs dropped on Brest pierced the tunnel joining the arsenal to the port. One B-17 from 303rd Bomb Group also bombed Brest.
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 45.25 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 22 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 19 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 2 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 1 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
No fighter escort on this mission.
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
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 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...
| Tonnage dropped | 86.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 51 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 35 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 5 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 2 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 31 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 24 |
| Number of people Evaded | 1 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 10 |
| Number of people Died in Captivity | 1 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command | 7 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command | 7 |
| Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command | 4 |
Military | Technical Sergeant | Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Orginally assigned with the 92BG at Bovingdon, UK as an Aerial Gunner with the rank of Sergeant. He flew his first mission (and the only one with the 92BG) on 21-Oct-42.
...
Military | Captain | Lead Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
17-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F #41-24579 [PU-F] at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth UK. He was despatched on 26 Operations - 25 credited. Served as a Lead Navigator on 23 of those missions. Completed a 25-Mission...
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
6-Mar-42 Assigned as Radio Operator on B-17 41-24559 [PU-C] "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Ooold Soljer".
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
24-Jul-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner with 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 303BG records do not record the exact date that he arrived in the UK, but probably in Oct-42. 303BG records do not indicate that he had a permanent...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
12-Feb-42 Assigned to 303BG as an Aerial Gunner at Arrived at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 12-Jun-42 Trained at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo New Mexico. 7-Aug-42 Finished Advanced training at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. 24-Aug-42 transferred with Ground...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
12-Mar-42 Assigned to 303BG/360BS in B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soldier" as 2LT and Co-Pilot. Gowen Field (Boise), Idaho.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
On 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24580 'Hell Cat', 303BG/358BS while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft was downed by fighters near Brest. He was able to parachute to safety and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). Participated in 7 Operations -...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Beasley's crew claimed to shoot down 4 German fighters on a mission over Paris on 4 April 1943, they then claimed a further fighter on a mission over Antwerp the following day.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
1-May-1942 Assigned as and Aerial Gunner of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for-Sugar". Apparently he and the crew were re-assigned to B-17F 41-24607 [GN-W] ...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Sep-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F #41-24603 [BN-Y] "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS at Biggs Field, El Paso Texas and arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard that aircraft on 22-Oct-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-D] Bangor 30/8/42; Bassingbourn 26/9/42; battle damaged Ludwigshafen 22/3/43 with Chas Cliburn, who brought her back to crash landed RAF Lt Horwood, (10 Returned to Duty); 42m Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 15/3/44; en route from...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24541 "Spook" was assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-G] Kellogg Fd 14-Sep-42; Molesworth 16-Sep-42;The aircraft participated in 12 Operations - 4 Aborted (See Biography events)
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24567 [PU:J] "Beats Me" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-J] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42. Participated in 7 Operations - 2 Aborted (See Biography events)
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot: [GN:V] was assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-W] Bangor 5-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-F] 17-Feb-42 Gowen Field, Idaho; Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; Aircraft damaged by AA fire and enemy fighters on mission to Lorient, France on 23-Jan-43. 11 man crew. Belly-landed at...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24580 "Hellcat Agnes" was assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-C] Bangor 11-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-62. Participated in 6 Operations - 2 Aborts (See Biography events)
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24584 "Susfu" was assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-Q] Bangor 5-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; Missing in Action 23-Jan-43 while on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Attacked by German FW-190 fighters and crashed at...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-P] Bangor 5/10/42; Molesworth 25/10/42; Missing in Action 45m Oschersleben 11/1/44 with George McClellan, Co-pilot: Bill Fisher, ex B-26 pilot on his 1st mission, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dave Tempesta, Radio Operator...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24603 "Green Hornet" [BN-Y], 303BG/359BS was assigned with a combat crew on 10-Sep-42 at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas then moved to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine 9-Oct-42; Arrived at Molesworth, UK on 22-Oct-42.
...
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...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 February 2015 20:00:10 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on Lorient per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 February 2015 19:59:19 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims to statistics on Brest per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 December 2014 19:02:27 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2014. Descritpion based on "The Migthy Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:17 | 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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