25 June 1943
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
Not yet known
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG (25); 305BG (25); 306BG (23); 351BG (20); 379BG (20); 381BG (24); and 384BG (19) are forced to bomb targets of opportunity and German airfield an AA batteries in Wangerooge island. 2 B-17s attack a German ship convoy near the island. Of the 197 despatched 149 are effective on a target. Fighter opposition is heavy and the lack of tight formation among the bombers give the Germans ample opportunities to attack the bombers. 15 B-17 are MIA. The bomber gunners claim 46-8-27 of the enemy fighters.
A second formation of 78 B-17s is despatched from: 94BG (15), 94BG (18); 96BG (26); and 100BG (19) to attack at Hamburg, Germany but this formation is widly scattered and only 18 of the 78 despatched are successful in finding a target to bomb. 94BG and 96BG do not bomb at all. The 18 that do drop focus on hitting a German ship convoy near Juist island. This is the first combat mission for 100BG and they suffer the loss of 3 of their B-17s, the only ones lost from this formation. The encounter fighters and the bombe gunners claim 16-3-3 of the enemy fighters.
CONVOY PATROL
B-17 Flying Fortress
The 100th Bomb Group flies their first mission, of 19 despatched only two were effective.
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...
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 | 45.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 78 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 18 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 3 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 22 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 25 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 3 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 5 |
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
B-17 Flying Fortress
The primary target for this mission was Hamburg, Germany but clouds and heavy contrails broke up the formation and the mission was recalled, however a few apparently made it close to the target, TN42-5382 of 303rd Bomb Group was one of these lost Missing in Action (MIA). The targets listed in the table were bombed as a last resort. 7 YB-40s from 92nd Bomb Group are-assignedto escort the bombers but 3 abort. Both elements receive fighter support.
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
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
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 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...
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 | 363.50 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 197 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 149 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 15 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 39 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 59 |
| Number of people Wounded in Action | 11 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 84 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Andrews was shot down on a mission to Hamburg on 25 June 1943 when his B-17 #42-30107 "Black Magic" was attacked by enemy aircraft. Andrews bailed out of the crashing aircraft after his Navigator. He was taken Prisoner of War on landing.
...
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 | Master Sergeant | Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 335BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Co-pilot of B-17 42-29866 'Judy B' on Hamburg mission, when pilot Lt Willis C Carlisle was killed at controls. A/C fought off fighters whilst in uncontrolled plunge from 16,000ft to 3,500ft 25...
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
He reported to group on 15 Jan 1943. He was the 35th Officer to complete 25 missions. Reported on 05 Feb 1945 with the 2AF weather scouts. Retired as a Colonel from the USAF in 1972.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
On 28 June 1943, on a mission to St. Nazaire, Edward Brodnax was flying B-17 #42-5724 'Thunderbird / Marnita No. 2' when it was hit by heavy, accurate flak. The aircraft went down in the English Channel and Brodnax died. There were only 2 survivors who...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 455th Bomb Group
Assigned to 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Completed tour. 2nd tour with 741BS, 455BG, 15AF USAAF.
Awards: DFC, AM (5OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. ETD.
Awards: DSC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean conflict.
Military | Captain | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 August 1943 in B-17 #423231 'The Inferno. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel
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 365BS/305BG [XK-W] Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Doug Mutschler, Co-pilot: Ed Carter, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Carlton Boberg (3 Killed in Action), Navigator: Bill Bagwell...
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 12/2/43; Walker 23/2/43; Smoky Hill 28/3/43; Presque 8/4/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 18/4/43 MOOR-FIDITE; Andrews Fd 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 532BS/381BG [VE-E] Ridgewell 16/7/43; Missing in Action...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6 Marcg 1943; Sioux City 18 March 1943; Kearney 8 April 1943; Bangor 14 April 1943. Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-N] Kimbolton 22 April 1943. Missing in Action Bochum 25 June 1943 with Pilot: Douglas K. Groom; Co-pilot: Frank T. Pulaski;...
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...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 6/5/43; Dow Fd 21/5/43; Assigned 533BS/381BG [VP-E] Ridgewell 25/5/43, with Bob Schrader, Ken Johnson, Ed Rogers, Ed Samara, Bill Cutting, Bill Yarnell, Earl Wietz, Cecil Pruiett, Lew Frisbee, Steve...
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 Dallas 19/7/43; Grand Isle 16/8/43; Assigned 482BG Alconbury 31/8/43; transferred 534BS/381BG [GD-G] Ridgewell 20/9/43; Missing in Action 1m Bremen 8/10/43 with Capt Dexter Lishon, Co-pilot: Carlton Long, Navigator: Bob Gluck, Bombardier:...
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...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 03 November 2017 04:41:42 | ARowe95 | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
ARowe95 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 November 2017 04:40:05 | ARowe95 | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
ARowe95 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 January 2016 19:22:41 | Mags | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd BG Web Page |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 January 2015 20:56:09 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 5-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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