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639

18 September 1944

  • B-24 Liberators of the 392nd Bomb Group fly low over countryside. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'Holland or Rhine re supply 392 BG.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '18/9/44. 392BG B/24 dropping parachute supplies. Low level in Holland 9/17/44.'

    B-24 Liberators of the 392nd Bomb Group fly low over countryside. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'Holland or Rhine re supply 392 BG.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '18/9/44. 392BG B/24 dropping parachute supplies. Low level in Holland 9/17/44.'

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  • A B-24 Liberator (V2-X+, serial number 42-50757) of the 491st Bomb Group. Image by Dan Winston, Photographic Officer of the 491st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '855th BS, 491st BG, 18 Sept 1944 En route Holland.' Pilot on 18 September 1944 was 1st Lt. Edgar L. Murff. Co-pilot 2nd Lt. Leo M. Littfin can be seen in cockpit.

    A B-24 Liberator (V2-X+, serial number 42-50757) of the 491st Bomb Group. Image by Dan Winston, Photographic Officer of the 491st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '855th BS, 491st BG, 18 Sept 1944 En route Holland.' Pilot on 18 September 1944 was 1st Lt. Edgar L. Murff. Co-pilot 2nd Lt. Leo M. Littfin can be seen in cockpit.

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  • Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (LM-Cbar, serial number 42-26060) a few weeks after crash-landing near Kornelimünster, Germany, October 1944. The crash occurred on the 18 September 1944. The P-47D was part of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at the time of this crash and was being flown by Lieutenant James P Hodges. Hodges broke his leg in the crash and was hospitalized. He eventually returned to the United States.

    Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (LM-Cbar, serial number 42-26060) a few weeks after crash-landing near Kornelimünster, Germany, October 1944. The crash occurred on the 18 September 1944. The P-47D was part of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at the time of this crash and was being flown by Lieutenant James P Hodges. Hodges broke his leg in the crash and was hospitalized. He eventually returned to the United States.

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  • Recon element pose alongside Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (LM-Cbar, serial number 42-26060) a few weeks after it crash-landed near Kornelimünster, Germany, October 1944. The crash occurred on the 18 September 1944. The P-47D was part of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at the time of this crash and was being flown by Lieutenant James P Hodges, who survived.

    Recon element pose alongside Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (LM-Cbar, serial number 42-26060) a few weeks after it crash-landed near Kornelimünster, Germany, October 1944. The crash occurred on the 18 September 1944. The P-47D was part of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at the time of this crash and was being flown by Lieutenant James P Hodges, who survived.

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  • Recon troops with Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (LM-Cbar, serial number 42-26060) a few weeks after it crash-landed near Kornelimünster, Germany, October 1944. The crash occurred on the 18 September 1944. The P-47D was part of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at the time of this crash and was being flown by Lieutenant James P Hodges, who survived.

    Recon troops with Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (LM-Cbar, serial number 42-26060) a few weeks after it crash-landed near Kornelimünster, Germany, October 1944. The crash occurred on the 18 September 1944. The P-47D was part of the 62nd Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group at the time of this crash and was being flown by Lieutenant James P Hodges, who survived.

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Not yet known

Mission details

1. ARNHEM-NIJMEGEN

Description

SUPPLY DROP

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

782 tons of supplies are dropped to the First Allied Airborne Army. The flak is intense and 7 of the bombers are shot down.550 + P-38s, P-47s and P-51s provide escort the B-24s and the C-47s dropping the second troop echelon near Arnhem. 20 fighters are lost, 9 damaged beyond repair and 46 damaged (split not given in available data). 1 fighter pilot is KILLED IN ACTION (KIA) and 20 others are MIA. In other developments, elements of US Third Army capture Brest, France. 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th BG, 93rd Bomb Group 392nd BG, 446th BG, 448th 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.

Mission Statistics

Service

People

  • Lee Conner

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 448th Bomb Group
    Lee's original aircraft was named "Do Bunny", after his soon to be wife, Doris Christianson (Frank Christianson's sister). However; upon arrival at Wales, the aircraft they named was given to another crew.

  • Harry Freivogel

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator. B24. 2nd Air Division, 448th Bomb Group, 714 Bomb Squadron, 29 complete missions | 446th Bomb Group
    After marriage in 1941, Harry enlisted for the draft, and in his own words " being patriotic or probably knowing the regular draft would get me sooner or later and I would be drafted into the regular Army, I decided I would enlist in the Army Air Corps...

  • Ernest Fuxa

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Joined Sqd 8/16/44. Killed in Action (KIA) 10/18/44 (Leverkusen). Pilot: E. Lehnhausen. Plane was 'Flak Magnet' #4250596

  • James Hodges

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 56th Fighter Group
    James P Hodges Jr. served as a pilot with the 56th Fighter Group during World War II. ...

  • Edward Lehnhausen

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Joined Sqd 8/16/44. Killed in Action (KIA) 10/18/44 (Leverkusen). Plane was B-24 'Flak Magnet' #4250596 ...

  • Lester Nichoson

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 466th Bomb Group

  • Leonard Witkin

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed near Aachen in B-24 'Flak Magnet' #4250596

Aircraft

  • 42-26060

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Republic P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt (serial number 42-26060) was marked up as CV-O when it was with the 368th Fighter Squadron of the 359th Fighter Group. ...

  • 42-95021 San Antonio Rose

    B-24 Liberator

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
13 November 2014 14:14:23 Emily Changes to media associations
Sources

Associated Media based on images associated with missions in Freeman, The Mighty Eighth War Diary.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:08 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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