VIII Bomber Command 50
5 April 1943Image found at WW2 Today"
Description
The industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is the primary target of this mission. More specifically the Erla aircraft and engine factories are the highest priority. 79 B-17s are depatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (21); 305BG (18); 306BG (20). 64 of the 79 are effective on the target. The fighter opposition is fierce, especially on 306BG which loses 4 aircraft MIA. It so happens that Brigadier General Frank A. Armstrong has tagged along as an observer on the lead B-17 from 306BG. The aircraft is damaged and several of the crew are wounded, but the aircraft manages to make it back to England. BrigGen Armstrong later recounted the lead aircraft was attacked from head-on at least 25 times by the German fighters.
NOTE Roger A. Freeman mentions that there was a Spitfire escort for this formation which went as far as Ghent, Beligum before having to turn back. However, he does not include the statistics for this fighter escort in his "The Mighty Eighth War Diary". This would lead one to believe that the escort was provided by RAF units rather than those of the 8th Air Force.
25 B-24s also are deaptched and join the attack: 44BG (14) and 93BG (11) 18 of these 25 are effective on the target, but there are no aircraft lost from this formation. The combined claims on enemy aircraft from both groups is 23-8-4.
Mission Details
ANTWERP (Primary)
Description: ERLA AIRCRAFT FACTORY
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: No fighter escort on this mission. T Sgt M. Roscovich (306th Bomb Group) becomes the first airman in the 8th Air Force to complete a tour of 25 missions. The Belgian Ambassador to the United States protested about the inaccurate bombing that resulted in many civilian casualties (936 killed, 1,342 injured).
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 191.50
- People killed in action: 13
- People wounded in action: 3
- People evaded: 1
- Prisoners of war: 26
- Aircraft sent: 79
- Aircraft effective: 64
- Aircraft missing in action: 4
- Aircraft damaged: 12
ANTWERP (Primary)
Description: ERLA AIRCRAFT FACTORY
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 54.00
- Aircraft sent: 25
- Aircraft effective: 18
- Aircraft damaged: 1
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: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34258894
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-379237
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33121634
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11044073 at enlistment, then O-724020
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Montana Power
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Duchess, Sure Stuff
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Sky Wolf
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hell's Angels
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Bad Check
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 29-Dec-2014. Description based on "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop and "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'.