VIII Bomber Command 68
26 June 1943Find A Grave memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/68670226/david-hardin
Description
The targets for today are all Luftwaffe installations: the Villacoublay air depot SW of Paris, France is the primary; the airfield at Poissy, France is attacked as the secondary because of cloud cover; the airfield at Tricqueville, France; and the airfield at Le Mans, France. A force of 123 B-17s are despatched from: 91BG (14); 92BG (18); 303BG (20); 351BG (21); 379BG (13); 381BG (19); and 384BG (18) to attack Villacoublay air depot. 5 of the 18 aircraft despatched by 92BG were YB-40 gunships. 1 of these flew with the 303BG, 1 with the 384BG and 3 with the 379th BG. Only 12 of the 124 despatched were able to bomb at Paris and 6 others bombed the secondary airfield at Poissy, France because of complete cloud cover of the air depot at Villacoublay. There is some fighter opposition and the bomber gunners claim 13-3-10 of the enemy aircraft.
A second formation of 42 B-17s is depatched from: 305BG (21) and 306BG (21) to bomb the airfield at Tricqueville, France. This target is clear and 39 of the 42 B-17s despatched are effective on the target. The bomber gunners claim 4-2-0 of the enemy aircraft.
A third formation of 81 B-17s is despatched from: 94BG (19); 95BG (18); 96BG (21); and 100BG (23) to bomb the airfield at Le Mans, France, but cloud cover prevents bombing and the formation turns back before reaching the target. There are no losses or claims.
Mission Details
Description: AIRFIELD
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: All return to base without bombing.
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: None
- Aircraft sent: 81
Description: AIRFIELD
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 12.25
- Aircraft sent: 6
- Aircraft effective: 6
Description: AIRFIELD
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 90.15
- Aircraft sent: 42
- Aircraft effective: 39
Description: AIR DEPOT
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Notes: 91st Bomb Group despatched 19, 5 of which were 5YB-40 assigned to escort the bombers but none of the aircraft make it to the target. Only 6 aircraft from 92nd Bomb Group and 12 from 379th Bomb Group are effective. Fighters are despatched as escort for all elements. All 5 Missing in Action (MIA) aircraft are from 384th Bomb Group
Mission Statistics
- Tonnage Dropped: 28.00
- People killed in action: 6
- People wounded in action: 3
- People evaded: 7
- Prisoners of war: 38
- Enemy aircrafts destroyed by bomber: 17
- Enemy aircrafts probably destroyed by bomber: 5
- Enemy aircraft damaged by bomber: 10
- Aircraft sent: 117
- Aircraft effective: 12
- Aircraft missing in action: 5
- Aircraft damaged: 14
Connections
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People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 2044662
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-665313
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18074396 / O-665314
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Mugwump, Rum Boogie II
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 96th Bomb Group 413th Bomb Squadron 418th Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 413th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Snuffy
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Pistol Packin Mama
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 388th Bomb Group 560th Bomb Squadron
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2015. Statistics and Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2041. 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'.