VIII Bomber Command 45
18 March 1943
(Personnel noted Back Row Left - Right; Front Row L-R)
Ds 6/30/2018
Object Number - UPL 23266 - Lt. Frank Robert Spitznagel and crew. 364th Squadron, 305th BG. Assembled June 18, 1943 in front of their B-17 #42-29633, nicknamed...
Description
The U-Boat pens at Vegesack-Bremen are the primary target of this mission. 76 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (18) and 306BG (20). These are joined by 17 B-24's: 44BG (9) and 93BG (15). Of the 103 aircraft despatched 97 are effective on the target. 1 B-17 from 303BG is MIA (flown by a 92BG crew - Combat Crew Replacement Center- 5KIA 5POW) and 1 B-17 from 303BG is DBR. The single KIA casualty from 303BG was the Lead Bombardier, 1Lt Jack V. Mathis flying in B-17 41-24561 "The Dutchess". He is posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the first to be awarded to a member of the 8th Air Force. The citation may be viewed at: http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2864/mathis-jack-w.php 1 B-24 is MIA. Fighter opposition is heavy and the bomber gunners claim 52-20-23 on enemy aircraft (results probably exaggerated, but significant none the less).
Mission Details
VEGESACK (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: First use of autopilot linked to bombsight. 1st Lt. Jack V. Mathis (Lead Bombardier) 359BS/303rd Bomb Group is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor during this action. He was flying in B-17 , serial number 41-24561, "The Duchess". 1st CMOH awarded to a member of the 8th Air Force. 1st Lt. Mathis was the single Killed in Action (KIA) on this mission. No fighter escort. Seven U-Boat hulls reported damaged. 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Bomb Squadron - Five ships from our squadron, piloted by Capt. Dwyer and Clancy; Lt. Giauque, Rand and Walker took part in the extremely successful bombing of the submarine building yards at Vegasack, Germany. Approaching from a northeasterly direction and flying across the narrow direction of the target. The bombing was well directed and concentrated, securing praise from all high commands, including Winston Churchill. Seven nearly completed submarines on the ways are believed destroyed. This was the largest effort of US bombers so far, with ninety-seven ships over the target. Three tons of bombs were carried for the first time on a big mission.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 198.86
- People killed in action: 6
- People wounded in action: 8
- Prisoners of war: 5
- People returned to duty: 10
- Aircraft sent: 76
- Aircraft effective: 69
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
- Aircraft damaged beyond repair: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 9
VEGESACK (Primary)
Description: U-BOAT PENS
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 69.17
- People killed in action: 9
- People wounded in action: 8
- Prisoners of war: 1
- Aircraft sent: 27
- Aircraft effective: 24
- Aircraft missing in action: 1
- Aircraft damaged: 14
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12035120 / O-662769
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
![Sergeant Bernard Aleys Gergash, of the 303rd Bomb Group, fills a water bucket. Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238749.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: '32a. Filling the bucket is Sgt. Bernard Aleys Gergash, of 1025 Union Ave., Chicago Heights. Aged 24, he worked as a radio operator with the C.A.A.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378924.jpg.webp?itok=OXfueaD3)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36302819
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16034374 on enlisting
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-407085
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18035888
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Bombardier; Togglier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 31-Dec-2014. Added link to Mathis CMOH citation, Congressional Medal of Honor Society, http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2864/mathis-jack-w.php
Lee Cunningham 27-Dec-2014. Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
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'.