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541

11 August 1944

  • Map for 8th Air Force mission #541 to Belfort, France on August 11, 1944. From estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold notes on the back of the map,

    Map for 8th Air Force mission #541 to Belfort, France on August 11, 1944. From estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold notes on the back of the map, "marshalling yards." Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • The Military Service Record for Philip G. Rodgers Showing His Completion Of 30 Missions As Well As The Awards He Received

    The Military Service Record for Philip G. Rodgers Showing His Completion Of 30 Missions As Well As The Awards He Received

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  • Overall Missions Map for the 493rd BG - USAAF Station 152 -Debach, UK noting missions flown by the Lt Bernard E Vaughan Crew

    Overall Missions Map for the 493rd BG - USAAF Station 152 -Debach, UK noting missions flown by the Lt Bernard E Vaughan Crew

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  • 8th Air Force mission 541; August 11, 1944; Belfort, France Rail Yard. 447th Bomb Group strike photo

    8th Air Force mission 541; August 11, 1944; Belfort, France Rail Yard. 447th Bomb Group strike photo

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Not yet known

Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 2.5 T

2.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 3 T

3. BELFORT (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

3rd Bomb Division was made up of 96th Bomb Group, 100th BG, 388th BG, 447th BG, 452nd BG, 486th BG, 487th BG.

Units

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 185.7 T

4. COULOMMIERS (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Excerpt from Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368 "There were two Circus missions to Coulommiers Aerodrome; the effort was designed to "pot-hole" the field and further impede GAF mischief-makers.
Number 1 - six 329th Squadron pathfinders led squadrons of the Circus and 446th Group (Bungay). Lieutenants Edward W. Appell. Stoner and Hayes ushered the 93rd; Lieutenants Fischer, Elliott and Hagler showed the way for the Bungay crowd.
Number 2 - Thirty Circus ships were dispatched under Captain Wayne Beumeler, four aborted, 26 reached the targets, several didn't unload. The lead's navigational gear went haywire. Flak was intense and accurate. The 330th roamed France on a Cook's Tour, skirting Paris. However, the 328th and 409th squadrons scored well. The Circus dodged known ack-ack concentration during withdrawal, but drew fire over Pas de Calais. Five Libs took damage.
On the return, Lieutenant Hank Gruener had a tire blow-out half-way down the Hardwick runway, and the nose-wheel collapsed. His plane needed a wholesale face-lift. Lieutenant Glen R. Dunlap landed in southern England.
At day's end: nobody hurt.
Groundlings had enjoyed a hot summer day under azure skies. Late that night, British searchlight batteries were coning aircraft in an eerie sky. Not to worry. Libs were practicing night flight."

Aircraft type

B-24 Liberator

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th BG, 389th BG, 445th BG, 446th BG, 453rd BG, 458th BG, 466th BG, 467th BG, 489th BG, 491 BG, 492nd BG.

Units

  • 2nd Bomb Division

    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.

  • 329th Bomb Squadron

    329th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 100.8 T
Number of aircraft Sent mission one: 6 aircrafts and Mission two: 30 aircrafts
Number of aircraft Effective Mission one: unknown Mission two: 26 out of 30
Number of aircraft Damaged 5

5. MULHOUSE (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 185.7 T

6. NIVELLES (Opportunistic)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 30 T

7. ORELANS/SARAN (Secondary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 22.4 T

8. PACY-SUR-ARMANCON (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 104 T

9. SAARBRUCKEN (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 172.5 T

10. ST FLORENTIN (Primary)

Description

TRANSPORTATION TARGET

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 83 T

11. STRASBOURG (Primary)

Description

FUEL DUMP

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 93rd BG, 392nd BG, 448th BG.

Units

  • 2nd Bomb Division

    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.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 188 T

12. STRASBOURG (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 177.5 T

13. TOUSSUS LE NOBLE (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-24s is 34th BG, 486th BG, 491st Bomb Group, 493rd BG.

Units

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 110 T

14. Vélizy, Villacoublay Air Base, France

Description

AIR DEPOT

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

3rd Bomb Division was made up of B-17s is 94th BG, 95th Bomb Group, 100th BG, 385th BG, 390th BG,

Units

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 136.3 T

Service

People

  • Harold Adams

    Military | Technical Sergeant | MOS 757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF | 384th Bomb Group

  • Warren Allen

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group

  • Robert Boyd

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group

  • George Brand

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
    2nd Lt George C Brand flew 34 missions with the 401st Bomb Group, from 6 July 1944, mission to 30 October 1944. Brand was French, but enlisted in the US Army Air Forces,

  • Virgil Brave

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
    Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California. ...

  • Stanley Briggs

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Bombardier, Enlisted | 93rd Bomb Group
    Prisoner of War (POW).Shot down at Madgeburg on 9/11/44 in B-24 42-95258

  • Warren Callahan

    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.

  • Heath Carriker

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
    Dec 23, 44 on mission to Blatchen, ger. flack disabled aileron and rudder control with resulting loss of altitude from 23,000 to 8,000 ft. With elevator controls and all engines we made it back to Base 1:30 late. This was a close call! ...

  • Thomas Diamond

    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. ...

  • Robert Dickerson

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down at Madgeburg on 9/11/44 in B-24 #4295258 POW

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Aircraft

  • 42-107062 Worry Bird/Miss Bea Haven

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 9/2/44; Rapid City 2/3/44; Dow Fd 3/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 562BS/388BG Knettishall 29/4/44 WORRY BIRD; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 29/11/45;...

  • 42-110089

    B-24 Liberator
    Ditched in North Sea on 11 August 1944.

  • 42-30778 Old 66/Lady Margaret

    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:...

  • 42-31582 Ol' Scrapiron

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Paine Fd 28/11/43; Toledo 1/12/43; Felts Fd 4/12/43; Gt falls 5/12/43; Cheyenne 7/12/43; Kearney 19/12/43; Detroit 8/1/44; Montreal 10/1/44; Presque 12/1/44; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 23/1/44. ...

  • 42-95258 "What a Sack"

    B-24 Liberator

  • 43-37797 American Beauty

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/44; Hunter 1/6/44; Grenier 14/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 16/6/44; crashed on base 10/1/45 with Chas Summers, sal 8/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction...

  • 42-52527 Reliable Babe

    B-24 Liberator

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
02 July 2015 23:18:33 OReedergranddaughter Changes to description
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368
Date Contributor Update
02 July 2015 23:17:34 OReedergranddaughter Changes to event
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368
Date Contributor Update
02 July 2015 23:15:21 OReedergranddaughter Changes to event
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368
Date Contributor Update
02 July 2015 23:09:49 OReedergranddaughter Changes to description, person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Ted's Travelling Circus: 93rd Bombardment Group (H) - USAAF - 1942-45 by Carroll (Cal) Stewart. Page 368
Date Contributor Update
02 July 2015 22:55:21 OReedergranddaughter Changes to person associations
Sources

NARA MACR 8838
Date Contributor Update
25 March 2015 19:39:20 466thHistorian Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

466th BG Historian
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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