22 June 1943
2nd Lt Harold G. Russell - 96BG/337BS pilot of B-17 42-5877 shot down at Arkel by German fighters on 22 June 1943. http://stichting-vliegeniersmonument-giessenlanden-wo2.nl/English/22-6-1943%20B-17F%2042-5877%20crashed%20near%20Arkel-2.html
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 James P Mause, served with the 305th Bomb Group
Not yet known
The German rubber industry (Chemische Werke Hüls AG) at Marl (district Hüls-Nord), Germany, is the primary objective of this mission and is assigned to the Bomb Groups with the most expericence. Also the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is assigned as a secondary target. Three new Bomb Groups will fly their first missions today.
A large formation of 152 B-17s is depatched from 91BG (22); 92BG (29); 303BG (15); 305BG (25); 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (16) to bomb at Marl, Germany. 118 of 152 are effective on the target from this formation In addition, a composite group of 303BG (13) and 379BG (7) also is assigned to rubber industry at Marl, Germany and flies with the main formation. 16 of 20 are effective on the target. 11 YB-40 gunships are included in the despatch from 92BG. A total of 11 aircraft are MIA, one of these is a YB-40. 91BG takes the heaviest loss of 5 B-17s. Flak is light-moderate and fighter resistance is moderate. The bomber gunners claim 32-8-23 of the enemy fighters.
A second formation of 63 B-17s is despatched from 94BG (16); 95BG (17); and 96BG (30) to bomb the German rubber industry at Marl, Germany. 49 of the 63 despatched are effective on the target. 5 B-17s from this formation are MIA. The bomber gunners claim 14-12-11 of the enemy fighters.
A composite force of 42 B-17s is despatched from: 381BG (22) and 384BG (20) to bomb the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium. This is the first mission for 381BG and 384BG. 4 B-17s are MIA. Flak is moderate and fighter resistance is light. The bomber gunners claim 1-2-9 of the enemy aircraft.
Lastly, the 100BG despatched 21 B-17s to fly a diversion for the Huls attack, but was launched too late to confuse the enemy. This is the first mission for the 100BG. There are no losses or claims.
DIVERSION
B-17 Flying Fortress
This is the first mission for the 100th Bomb Group. The diversion is despatched too late to confuse the enemy, but suffered no losses or casualties.
Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
| Tonnage dropped | None |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 44 |
FORD and GM PLANTS
B-17 Flying Fortress
This is the first mission for the 381st Bomb Group and the 384th Bomb Group. T o ease their baptism of fire they get a fighter escort but still lose two aircraft apiece.
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...
| Tonnage dropped | 95.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 42 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 39 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 4 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 17 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 28 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 14 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 32 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 19 |
CHEMICAL PLANT - SYNTHETIC RUBBER PLANT - Chemische Werke Hüls AG, Marl.
B-17 Flying Fortress
First large scale raid on the Ruhr. The complement furnished by the 92nd Bomb Group included 11 YB-40s one of which was shot down by AA fire. 13 303rd Bomb Group aircraft and 7 379th Bomb Group aircraft flew as a composite group. It was estimated that less than 100 of the 1,445 bombs dropped on the plant from 25,000 ft. actually hit it. Though this was enough to destroy three months production and put the plant down for a month. 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
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...
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 | 422.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 235 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 183 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 16 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 75 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 32 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 16 |
| Number of people Evaded | 1 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 113 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 9 |
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 22 June 1943 in B-17 42-29536 'Mary Ruth-Memories of Mobile. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
"A man from GA. with big dreams of becoming a salesman but he was KIA. RIP uncle Glenn" from Walker Allen
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Part of an original contingent, Bader flew B-17 F 41-24482 'Heavyweight Annihilators' in November and December of 1942. According to Plane Names, the last mission for the plane was January 3, 1943, to St. Nazaire which the group called 'flak city'....
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner, Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Shenk crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Crash landed 22 June 1943 on the first 381st operational mission on B-17 #42-29984 "Linda Mary". Wounded. Completed 25 missions.
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 | 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 | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 381st Bomb Group
Radio Operator, Withers crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. KIS, 23 June 1943 when bombs loaded into B-17 #42-30024 "Caroline" exploded. 23 members of the 533rd BS were killed. Buried in the Brookwood Cemetery. Re-interred in the Zachary Taylor National...
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 | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
LWG, Schenk crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Wounded on 22 June when B17 #42-3215 "Linda Mary" piloted by Lt. M. Schenk crash landed on an English field. The crew was returning from Mission #1 to Antwerp, Belgium. Brinton was taken to the 12th Evac...
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 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
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 Denver 3/1/43; Salina 11/1/43; Brookley 8/3/43; Morrison 25/3/43; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-A] Bassingbourn 19/4/43; Missing in Action 7m Hüls 22 June 1943 with Kenneth L. Brown, Co-pilot: James H. Quenin, Navigator: Vincent J. Bliley,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/1/43; Salina 7/2/43; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-M] Molesworth 26/3/43. 18 missions. Missing in Action on the mission to bomb the airfield at Amiens-Glisy, France on 31 August 1943. Pilot: William J. Monahan; Co-pilot: Louis M....
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 15/2/43; Walker 27/2/43; Salina 10/3/43; Presque Is 8/4/43; Assigned 338BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 17/4/43 RUTH L II (re-named LUCKY LADY); transferred 533BS/381BG [VP-W] Ridgewell 14/7/43; Missing in Action 28m Brunswick 30/1/44 with...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 22/3/43; Cheyenne 31/3/43; Oklahoma City 6/4/43; Romulus 12/4/43; Assigned 533BS/381BG Ridgewell 16/6/434; battle damaged 1m lost two engines over Antwerp 22/6/43 with Martin Shenk, Co-pilot: Bill Grant, Navigator: Tom Kehley,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 6/5/43; Dow Fd 19/5/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-M] Ridgewell 6/5/43 with Earl Horr, Bill Roberts, George Griffith, Chester Hoover, Glenn Chapin, George Orin, Herb Clark, Chas Henry, Everett Hodson,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 1/4/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 17/4/43; Pueblo 27/4/43; Smoky Hill 6/5/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 533BS/381BG [VP-L] Ridgewell 29/5/43 with John Martin, Bob Marsh, Harry Long, Wallace Hoag, Jim Lantto, John Hutchinson, Hugh...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 20/4/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG as BATTLE WAGON but not to UK; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-J] 29/5/43; Returned to the USA 13/7/43; 4100 BU Patterson 31/7/43; 4000 BU Patterson 5/12/43...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 22 October 2017 14:09:55 | CeesSteijger | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Name of factory and the right location |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 October 2017 14:06:28 | CeesSteijger | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Name of the factory and the right location. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 January 2016 19:19:26 | Mags | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd BG Web Page |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 January 2015 19:40:38 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 6-Jan-2015. Description 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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