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729

29 November 1944

  • Crew #551 Seward M. Meinstma Crew Standing Left to Right: Jack Veach (R/O), George Wood (BTG), William Osborne (NG), John O'Donnell (FE), Howard Wade (TG), Sherell Campbell (G) Kneeling Left to Right: Seward Meinstma (P), Donald Vanderwall (CP), Eugene Gjertsen (N), Harvey Levine (B) This crew completed a 35 mission tour. Gjertsen transferred to the Welsh Crew of the 784th BS at some point during the tour. Also Daniel Chadbourne replaced O'Donnell as Flight Engineer during the tour.

    Crew #551 Seward M. Meinstma Crew Standing Left to Right: Jack Veach (R/O), George Wood (BTG), William Osborne (NG), John O'Donnell (FE), Howard Wade (TG), Sherell Campbell (G) Kneeling Left to Right: Seward Meinstma (P), Donald Vanderwall (CP), Eugene Gjertsen (N), Harvey Levine (B) This crew completed a 35 mission tour. Gjertsen transferred to the Welsh Crew of the 784th BS at some point during the tour. Also Daniel Chadbourne replaced O'Donnell as Flight Engineer during the tour.

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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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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

2. ALTENBEKEN

Description

RAIL VIADUCT

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

3. BIELEFLED/SCHILDESCHE / Bielefeld, Germany

Description

RAIL VIADUCT

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

A mix of 261 P-47s and P-51s provide escort. Mix not given in available data.

Mission Statistics

4. HAMM

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

5. MISBURG

Description

OIL REFINERY

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

A mix of 419 P-47s and P-51s provide escort. Mix not given in available data.

457th BG MISSION NO. 153 : MISBURG, GERMANY : 29 NOVEMBER, 1944
This was the Group's second successive attack on the natural oil refinery at Misburg, but again the bombing results were unobserved due to ten tenths cloud cover over the target. A regular group of 36 aircraft was dispatched plus a screening force referred to as "D" Squadron.

With Lt. Colonel Francis in the lead, the Group effected assembly and the formation proceeded to the Continent. At the Dutch coast a three-gun battery threw up some meager and inaccurate flak. From the coast the Group flew east to a point between Bremen and Osnabruck, where it headed southeast into the IP. From there a ninety degree turn to the left brought the formation on the bomb run. Bombs were dropped from 26,200 feet. Bomb results were unobserved because of cloud undercast. Flak was meager and inaccurate.

Units

  • 1st Bomb Division

    1st Bomb Division

    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.

  • 457th Bomb Group

    457th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 457th Bomb Group began combat operations during the Big Week of 20-25 February when American bombers carried out concentrated raids against German aircraft bases, factories and assembly plants. The air crews' targets on that first mission were...

Mission Statistics

6. MISBURG

Description

SCREENING MISSION

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

7. OSNABRUCK

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Service

People

  • Harold Adams

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

  • Curtis Adamy

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group

  • Joseph Almand

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
    Flew 34 missions. Flew on b-24 'Slick Chick'

  • Vermont Anderson

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 100th Bomb Group
    Assigned 349BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. 4 x missions (Aachen, Hamm, Hamm, Merseburg). Failed to Return (FTR) Merseburg; hit by flak after bombs away, crashed Flur Oberkotzau, Germany. 30-Nov-44 Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 10831 Awards: AM, PH.

  • George Asprocolas

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group

  • Dale Avers

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group

  • Earl Beitler

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot -- Squadron Operations Officer | 466th Bomb Group

  • Jackie Bishop

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 466th Bomb Group

  • Peter Brennan

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Togglier | 388th Bomb Group

  • Rolland Bushner

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 25th Bomb Group
    Missions: 1944 - Aug 9 Saarbrucken; 12 Mourmelon sur Marne; 14 Dole/Tauaux/ 16 Madgeburg; 24 Hanover; 26 Dulmen; 30 Mainz; Sep 9 Mainz; 10 Ulm; 11 Madgeburg; Oct 5 Lippstadt; 7 Madgeburg; 9 Koblenz; 22 Hamm; 26 Bottrop; 30 Hamburg; Nov 5 Karlsruhe; 10...

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Aircraft

  • 42-97194 Good Pickin'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/44; Kearney 24/2/44; Presque Is 11/3/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-O] Horham 11/3/44; with G.M. Jackman force landed B-53 Merville, Belg., 10/5/45; with Lt Henderson force landed A-70 Laon, France 20/5/45; 114m Returned to the USA...

  • 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;...

  • 42-31939 Spook Six

    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;...

  • 42-38013 "NEVADA AVENGER"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; New Castle 10/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-C] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; sal battle damaged 27/4/44. NEVADA AVENGER. ...

  • 42-39993 'Hells Angels Out Of Chute 13', 'Grossly Inadequate'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 26/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-C] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; 118m landing accident at base with Jim Nolan 7/5/45; sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 8/5/45. HELL’S ANGELS OUT OF CHUTE 13 aka GROSSLY INADEQUATE. ...

  • 42-97760

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 16/2/44; 1SAG Langley 12/3/44; Dow Fd 29/5/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 31/5/44; Salvaged 9AF Germany 11/1/46.

  • 43-38393

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/44; Hunter 8/8/44; Dow Fd 30/8/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-V] Framlingham 2/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...

  • 43-38501 SWEET CHARIOT

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 10/8/44; Kearney 21/8/44; Grenier 7/9/44; Assigned 546th Bomb ...

  • 43-38776 Passion Wagon/Victory Devils

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Lincoln 20/9/44; Grenier 11/10/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-B] Horham 13/10/44; 67m, Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 29...

  • 44-6583 Cadet Nurse

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Lincoln 16/9/44; Dow Fd 2/10/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-Y] Horham 13/10/44; battle damaged Nurnberg 20/2/45 with R. Lee Young, #2 feathered, crash landed near A-78 AF Florennes, Bel; 9RTD; 39m, sal 28/2/45. CADET NURSE.

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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
23 April 2020 01:59:20 466thHistorian Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

466th BG - Report on Mission No 145, RR Viaduct, Bielefeld, Germany, 29 November 1944
NARA Research by Brad Sullivan
Date Contributor Update
09 June 2016 00:00:43 466thHistorian Changes to event
Sources

466th BG Historian
Date Contributor Update
29 April 2015 10:36:05 general ira snapsorter Changes to event
Sources

Mission details added courtesy of Diane Elizabeth Reese from 457th Bomb Group Mission Documents. http://www.457thbombgroup.org/
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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