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14 July 1944
Harold Motz, navigator in the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group, summer and autumn of 1944. Navigation map of Eighth Air Force mission #472 to drop supplies to the French resistance in "Area 10", code-named "Cadillac", July 14, 1944. Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.
8th Air Force mission 472; Dropping supplies to French Maquis; July 14, 1944. 447th Bomb Group strike photo
Not yet known
Not yet known
SUPPLY DROP TO FRENCH FORCES
Not yet known
OPERATION CADILLAC - 55th fighter group is converted from P-38s to P-51s, this gives the 8 AF a majority of P-51 groups to provide escort on long-range high-altitude missions. Conversion to P-51s by fighter groups will continue until the end of the war until every fighter group except one is converted. The bombers drop 3,700 containers of supplies to interior French forces. A mix of 465 P-47s and P-51s accompany the mission. Exact mix not determined from available data. Many of the supplies were packaged in small canisters, fourteen to sixteen inches long, these contained a folded up Sten gun and several clips of ammo. The Americans loading the canisters also include packages of American cigarettes.
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The 3rd Air Division was dispatched to France on a special mission in support of the French Maquis. All aircraft were loaded with C-3 type bombs.
The 388th Bomb Group furnished three 12 aircraft Groups which composed the 45th C Combat Wing.
Our 36 aircraft were airborne between 0340 and 0423 hours and there were no abortions. Some difficulty was encountered in forming due to darkness; after which, the briefed route to and from the target was followed.
The target area was clear and the briefed recognition signals were easily recognized. Bombs were away from the prescribed altitude as follows: A Group at 0920 hours on a heading of 15 degrees. B Group at 0930 hours on a heading of 360 degrees and the C Group at 0932 hours on a heading of 345 degrees.
Strike photos show excellent results for all Groups.
No enemy fighters or flak was seen on this mission.
Our aircraft returned to base at 1338 hours.
(From 'The 388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger).
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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...
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The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
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The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
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The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...
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The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
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The 452nd Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deopham Green, Norfolk, from January 1944. The air crews hit strategic sites in Germany but also supported the movement of ground forces across Europe after D-Day. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group...
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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...
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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...
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The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
...
| Tonnage dropped | NA |
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
newly assigned May 1944
Military | B-17 Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Warran Callahan served as a co-pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Clayton Robert Christiansen went by the name Bob or his initials C.R. most of his life. He had 2 older
...
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Top Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Thomas Diamond served as a top turret gunner in the Westrope crew with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Oscar Flores served as a waist gunner with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.
Military | Master Sergeant | Photographic Chief | 34th Bomb Group
Lew was born in Wattenberg, Colorado, on Jan 30, 1921, to John and Alta Funk. An Eagle Scout who served in the National Guard at Fort Logan, he attended photo school for the Army at Lowry Air Force base. He achieved the rank of Master Sergeant as the...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
After enlisting in the Army Air Corps in March 1943 and earning his degree in Architecture from Catholic University he was accepted at Flight School. Flight training was completed at bases in Florida, Ohio and Arkansas. He received orders to pilot a B...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 6/2/44; Grenier 3/3/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-M] Horham 17/3/44; with R.V. Mercer force landed Framlingham AFB 25/12/44 with engine failure; battle damaged Berlin 3/2/45 with H. Palmer; force landed Charleroi, Bel; 97m, repaired & ret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/10/43; Kearney 13/11/43; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-G] Horham 1/1/44; flak damage Berlin 6/10/44 with Lester Lennox, Co-pilot: Bob McCoy (2 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Bill Tate, Bombardier: Dick White, Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/1/44; Kearney 15/1/44; Romulus 23/1/44; Grenier 25/1/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-J] Horham 2/2/44; transferred 412BS [QW-J]; 98m, with S.D. Reed, force landed RAF Coltishakk, 8RTD, 1WIA; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 21/6/44;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/1/44; Kearney 14/2/44; Presque Is 20/2/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-S] Framlingham 3/3/44 DOC'S FLYING CIRCUS, then GIRL OF MY DREAMS; on mission 21/7/44 with ? , Lt Sam Dubin (Killed in Action); severe icing during assembly for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/5/44; Kearney 1/6/44; Grenier 16/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 20/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/6/44; Hunter 13/6/44; Dow Fd 24/6/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-L] Framlingham 29/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 3/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 4/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 1/5/44; Kearney 10/5/44; Grenier 24/5/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-H] Framlingham 25/5/44; severe battle damaged at Tours 1/8/44, with - Blevins, rest unknown ? , force landed at Woodbridge ELG, Sfk, UK. Salvaged 4/8/44.
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 09 March 2015 11:45:34 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Information sent by Dick Read relating to Arthur M. Read and the 388th Bomb Group. (From 'The 388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger). |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:07 | 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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