2nd Bomb Division
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
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29 July 1944
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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Tonnage dropped | 24.4 T |
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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Not yet known
Tonnage dropped | 6 T |
OIL REFINERY
Not yet known
2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 489th Bomb Group, 491 Bomb Group 492nd Bomb Group.
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 1249.4 T |
AIRFIELD
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Not yet known
Tonnage dropped | 2.5 T |
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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Tonnage dropped | 3.5 T |
MARSHALLING YARDS
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Tonnage dropped | 24.5 T |
AIRFIELD
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3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-24s is 34th Bomb Group, 486th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Group, 491st Bomb Group, 493rd Bomb Group.
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 104.5 T |
AIRFIELD
Not yet known
Not yet known
Tonnage dropped | 103.3 T |
OIL REFINERY
Not yet known
1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.
3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17s is 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
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For the second consecutive day, 1st and 3rd Air Division forces were dispatched to the I. G. Farbenindustrie synthetic oil plant at Leuna. The 388th Bomb Group flew high Group on both the 45th "A" and "B" Combat Wings.
The "A" Group had 20 aircraft airborne between 0535 and 0554 hours. In the "B" Group, 19 aircraft were airborne between 0520 and 0532 hours. All aircraft of the "A" Group attacked the Target, while two aborted from the "B" Group for mechanical reasons. After forming, the Groups flew Southeasterly across Germany to the IP, where a turn was made to a west-east bomb run. Clouds covered the Target but black smoke in the Target area indicated direct hits. In the vicinity of the RP, the "A" Group was attacked by 30-50 Me 109's and 8-12 FW 190's.
Only one pass was made before our escort intercepted. Lt. Boyce in aircraft 42-39866, was attacked by 3 Me 109's from the rear, setting fire to the two inboard engines. When the fire broke out, he peeled off and went into a dive and disappeared into the clouds at 14,000 feet. The co-pilot and navigator were able to bail-out and landed into a Barley Field, and were captured immediately. The Germans at a near-by air base said that seven bodies were in the burned aircraft. After this five minute attack, the Groups followed the same route home as on the way to the Target.
Bombs were away at 1006 hours from 26,000 feet. The "B" Group made its own sighting and did not bomb with the Wing.
36 aircraft returned to the base by 1354 hours.
The only flak encountered was at the Target and was intense and accurate. 2 aircraft had major battle damage and 21 aircraft had minor damage. Sgt. G. J. Mead was wounded and one crew is missing. Claims are two Me 109's destroyed.
(From 'The 388th At War' by Ed Huntzinger).
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Division
The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Group
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...
Tonnage dropped | 1410 T |
Military | Technical Sergeant | MOS 757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF | 384th Bomb Group
Military | Master Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 68
Military | Captain | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Lead Crew Squadron Operations Officer
AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ DFC
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x missions. Ended Tour Duty (ETD).
Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 605BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago' Interned (INT)
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, Fance and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Shot down by Flak on the...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
B-24 Liberator
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/3/44; Dorval 10/3/44; Assigned RAF [HB784]; transferred USAAF 31/3/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG [B] Knettishall 1/7/44; Missing in Action Munich 31/7/44 with Jim Crider, Co-pilot: Fred Gordon, (no Nav), Bombardier: Bill Stewart, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/3/44; Hunter 7/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-C] Deenethorpe 3/5/44; 614BS [IW-S]; 106m, Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 14/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 23/3/44; Kearney 13/4/44; Grenier 15/5/44; Assigned 447BG Rattlesden 16/5/44; transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-J] Deenethorpe 30/5/44; Salvaged 10/1/45.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/4/44; Kearney 2/5/44; Grenier 26/5/44; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-S] 27/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/1/44; Kearney 15/2/44; Presque Is 2/3/44; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-B] Thorpe Abbotts 6/3/44. Missing in Action Merseburg 29 July 1944 with Pilot William L. Greiner Jr, Co-pilot James D. Coccia, Navigator Robert D. Fulkerson,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 17/2/44; Kearney 22/2/44; Grenier 6/3/44; Assigned 710BS/447BG Rattlesden 13/3/44; transferred 615BS/401BG [IY-E] Deenethorpe 23/3/44 FRECKLES!; Missing in Action Munich 31/7/44 with Jay Ossiander, Co-pilot: Roy Cooper, Navigator:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 24/2/44; Gr Island 7/3/44; Grenier 5/4/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-J] Deenethorpe 2/5/44; 612BS [SC-O]; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 7/3/44; Kearney 22/3/44; Grenier 7/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-B] Deenethorpe 15/4/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Gore 6/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Reno 14/8/43; Pierre 16/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; crashed on take off for France 13/8/44 with Leon Sutton, Co-pilot: Harlan Thompson, Navigator: George Healy, Bombardier:...
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
09 March 2015 15:40:43 | 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). |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
09 March 2015 15:36:37 | 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). |
||
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'. |