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11 June 1943
Official USAAF photo caption : "A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the 91st Bomb Group wings its way towards an enemy target somewhere in Europe. 10 June 1943". Note : The mission was in fact on 11 June, to Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
Lt. Frank Robert Spitznagel and crew. 364th Squadron, 305th BG. Assembled June 18, 1943 in front of their B-17 #42-29633, nicknamed "SpitzFire" (Personnel noted Back Row Left - Right; Front Row L-R)
Lt. Carroll Dayle Briscoe flying the Joan of Arc (42-29477), the plane his crew became known for. 1943
Mission 62 report, a/c 42-29937
Reed J. Lamb attended Pima high school and Arizona State college. He was called to active duty in September, 1940, and completed his flight training at the army air force advanced flying school in Roswell, New Mexico. He married Miss Marie Carlynn Andersen in November 1942 and from Reno the couple went to Salt Lake City in Utah where F/O Lamb was temporarily assigned. The aircraft was hit by flak. His brother Nash Larue Lamb was killed in action in the South Pacific during a kamikaze attack aboard the USS Gilligan DE-508 on January 12, 1945.
Not yet known
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown since 29-May-43 due to a build up of heavy bomber forces in the UK in early June. There are now 17 heavy bomb groups and 3 medium bomb groups in the UK.
The first element of this formation is a combined force of 166 B-17s despatched from 1st Bomb Wing: 91BG (21); 92BG (14); 303BG (25); 305BG (24); 306BG (27); 351BG (24); and 379BG (31) to bomb the naval facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. This is a "maximum effort" operation. The 303BG is the lead Group in the formation but the lead aircraft of the formation was hit by anti-aircraft fire while on the bomb run which knocked out two engines. As a result the formation became scattered and 20 aircraft ended up bombing targets of opportunity. Of the 166 despatched 139 were effective on a target. 7 B-17s are MIA (6 from the 379BG alone). Fighter and flak opposition in stiff but the bomber gunners claim 76-20-11 of the enemy fighters.
A second formation of 97 B-17s is dispatched from 4th Bomb Wing: 94BG (29); 95BG (29) and 96BG (28) to join in the attack on Wilhelmshaven with 30 directed to bomb the port area of Cuxhaven, Germany. Only 1 B-17 from this formation is MIA and the bomber gunners claim 9-0-13 of the enemy fighters.
All total 219 of the 252 B-17s despatched are effective on their targets and the Luftwaffe takes a big hit of 85-20-24.
NOTE: The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) issues a directive through the Chief of Air Staff (C/AS), Royal Air Force (RAF), marking the official beginning of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) of the USAAF and RAF against sources of German war power. The RAF is to bomb strategic city areas at night and the USAAF is to hit precise targets by daylight. The CCS sanctions the Combined Operational Planning Committee as the agency for coordinating the efforts of the CBO forces.
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
B-17 Flying Fortress
20 B-17s of the 252 despatched attack targets of opportunity in and aroung Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| Tonnage dropped | 40.62 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 20 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 20 |
PORT AREA
B-17 Flying Fortress
Not yet known
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 | 60.93 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 30 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 30 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 10 |
U-BOAT PENS
B-17 Flying Fortress
This is the first mission flown since 29-May-43 due to the build-up of bomber resources in the UK in early June. There are now 17 Heavy Bomb Groups and 3 Medium Bomb Groups in the UK. Bombing results poor due to the fact that the lead aircraft from 303rd Bomb Group had two engines knocked out while on the bomb run and this caused the formation to scatter. No fighter escort for 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
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
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 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 | 328.68 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 202 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 168 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 7 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 62 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 69 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 20 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 24 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Bremen / Wilhelmshaven in B-17 42-29915 11-Jun-43; Shot down, plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 1760
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Bremen / Wilhelmshaven in B-17 42-29915 11-Jun-43; Shot down, plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 1760
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner ; Flight Engineer | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down in B-24 42-29693 'Lonesome Polecat' North Sea 70 miles north of Texel Island, 11-Jun-43 Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2807
Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Aerial Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
18 November 1942 in 'Fury' B-17 #41-2499 bombs could not be released so were jettisoned in an open field. On return, 10 miles SW of Exeter, A/C collided with #41-24553 which was able to land safely; however Fury landed at RAF Turweston and was salvaged.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Flensburg raid 19-May-43 in B-17 42-29737 'Louise', fought off enemy fighters despite having been wounded in the face. Wounded in Action (WIA). RTD
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Radio Operator SSgt Leon Berger was Killed in Action flying his fourth and final mission to the synthetic rubber plant located at Hulls Germany on June 22, 1943. Enemy aircraft attacked the formation at approximately 09:15AM just prior to their...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 2 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Bremen / Wilhelmshaven in B-17 42-29915 11-Jun-43; Shot down, plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 1760
Awards: PH.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Top Turret Gunner/Engineer Technical Sgt Earl J Boies was Killed In Action flying his fourth and final mission to the synthetic rubber plant located at Hulls Germany on June 22, 1943.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner/Waist Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down 14 October 1943 in B-17 42-30231. Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Air Gunner, Togglier/Bombardier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 26 November 1943 in B-17 #42-30832, Prisoner of War (POW). He was a POW from 26 Nov 1943 to 04 May 1945 at Stalag 17B, Krems, Austria. Prisoner of War (POW) no. 100388.
POW
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 12/1/43; Rapid City 21/2/43; Kearney 12/3/43; Salina 31/3/43; Memphis 8/4/43; Dow Fd 16/4/43; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-K] Alconbury 22/4/43; 2m, transferred 401BS/91BG [LL-Z] Bassingbourn 16/6/43; AFSC 15/4/44; Returned to the USA...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 4/2/43; Rapid City 20/2/43; Kearney 12/3/43; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-O] Alconbury 29/3/43; t/o Framlingham (6m), Missing in Action Cuxhaven 11/6/43 with Malcolm MacKinnon, Co-pilot: Gene Wood, Navigator: Dick Miller, Bombardier:...
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 8/3/43; Smoky Hill 26/3/43; Baer Fd 10/4/43; Smoky Hill 13/4/43; Dow Fd 18/4/43; Assigned 339BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 24/4/43 MISCHIEF MAKER; Andrews Field 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-H] Grafton...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/43; Gore 31/3/43; Bangor 14/4/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-U] Kimbolton 22/4/43; Missing in Action Wilhelmshafen 11/6/43 with Ray Zucker, Co-pilot: Abram Birch, Navigator: Harry Anderson, Bombardier: Tony Amaya, Flight engineer...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Plane Mischief Maker II entered combat approximately Jun43 under command of Capt V.L. Iverson after the original Mischief Maker was damaged beyond repair. After this crew completed 25 missions Maj. Iverson was retained for HQ USSTAF, the crew...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 20/2/43; Presque Is 19/4/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-N] Molesworth 2/6/43; on training flight 4/8/43 crashed Arenig Fawr Mt, Bala, Merioneth, Wales with Jim Pratt, Co-pilot: Bill Bowling, Navigator: Allan Boner, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/2/43; 19/4/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-U] Molesworth 4/6/43; RWG Leon Kesky Killed in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43; 40m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with John Carothers, Co-pilot: Chas Frost, Radio Operator: George...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 14/10/42; Salina 31/1/43; Morrison 4/3/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-Z] Molesworth 8/4/43; 25m Missing in Action Anklam 9/10/43 with Bernard Clifford, Co-pilot: Chas Jahn, Navigator: Chas Stata, Bombardier: Bob Bruce, Flight engineer/top...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 January 2015 18:45:55 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 5-Jan-2015. Overall mission description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman; Note extracted from "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 January 2015 18:09:13 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 5-Jan-2015. Targets of opportunity descritpion and map locations added based on "The Mighty 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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