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814

1 February 1945

  • 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 202, 1Feb 1945, Ludwigshaven, Germany. Briefing took place at 0515 hours. Loading was twelve 500 pound GP's and two M17IB's. Assembly to be at 19,000 feet. At 0840, during Group takeoff, a B-17 piloted by Lt. F. E. Babcock, suffering a malfunction, ran off the runway and continued beyond the perimeter track. The aircraft was only slightly damaged and the crew, who were not injured, transferred to a ground spare and were airborne by 0947 hours. Three aircraft were forced to abort, and one spare also returned early. All other operational aircraft had landed by 1748 hours. The 401st again provided the three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing

    401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 202, 1Feb 1945, Ludwigshaven, Germany. Briefing took place at 0515 hours. Loading was twelve 500 pound GP's and two M17IB's. Assembly to be at 19,000 feet. At 0840, during Group takeoff, a B-17 piloted by Lt. F. E. Babcock, suffering a malfunction, ran off the runway and continued beyond the perimeter track. The aircraft was only slightly damaged and the crew, who were not injured, transferred to a ground spare and were airborne by 0947 hours. Three aircraft were forced to abort, and one spare also returned early. All other operational aircraft had landed by 1748 hours. The 401st again provided the three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group. Because of cloud cover over the target, the target was attacked by the Lead and Low Squadrons using Gee-H (radio beam) means. Because the High Squadron experienced a Gee-H failure on the bomb run, the Squadron attacked the target of last resort at Pferzheim by PFF (radar) technique. No German fighers were encountered, and the meager flak caused only minor damage to five aircraft.

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Official description

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Description

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Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

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Mission Statistics

2. BARTH

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

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Mission Statistics

3. KREFELD

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

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Mission Statistics

4. LUDWIGSHAVEN

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

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Mission Statistics

5. MANNHEIM

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

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Mission Statistics

6. MANNHEIM

Description

RAIL and HIGHWAY BRIDGES

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

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Mission Statistics

7. PFORZHEIM

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

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Mission Statistics

8. WESEL

Description

RAIL BRIDGE

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

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Mission Statistics

Service

People

  • Allan Ainley

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 28 x combat missions. Michael Kochel crew. ETD Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars)

  • Ora Akins

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 37 x Combat missions. Carl Djernes crew. ETD Awards: AM (5OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars).

  • James Allcroft

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator-Mechanic-Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Millard French crew. Completed 36 combat missions. Awards: AM (5OLC), GC, WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars).

  • John Althoff

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot, Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group

  • Howard Anderson

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group

  • Lyle Andler

    Military | Flight Officer | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group

  • Allen Aschenbach

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
    .

  • Alfred Atchinson

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group

  • Clarence Bitner

    Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 336BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 24 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Holzwickede 23-Mar-45. Mid air collision with B-17 44-8754, crashed Campsea Ash, Suffolk. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: AM (3OLC), GC, PH.

  • Sabatine Branco

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator; Waist Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
    Flew 34 combat missions from 1/8/45 to 4/21/45. Most of them in a B-17G 'Dinah-Mite' #44-8694.

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Aircraft

  • 42-102393 Diana Queen Of The Chase

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Hunter 22/3/44; Grenier 2/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-R] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; 111m, Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal...

  • 42-102398 Dynamite John

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 29/2/44; Gr Island 22/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-H] Deenethorpe 13/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in...

  • 42-102468 'Farmer's Daughter'

    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...

  • 42-102947 D-Day Dottie

    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...

  • 42-107047 The Doodle Bug

    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...

  • 42-107151 Cover Girl

    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)...

  • 42-31072 Betty J.

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    ...

  • 42-31662 'Fancy Nancy IV'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 2/12/43; Kearney 17/12/43; Romulus 6/1/44; Kearney 7/1/44; Memphis 9/1/44; Presque Is 10/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-B] Deenethorpe 31/1/44; 134m crash landed Polebrook 22/4/44, Salvaged 1 SAD Troston. FANCY NANCY IV.

  • 42-31730 'Morning Star', 'Tail End Charlie'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 10/12/43; Kearney 27/12/43; RAF Nutts Corner 15/1/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-B] Deenethorpe 31/1/44; 613BS [IN-O]; 112m, Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 9/6/45; 4100 BU Patterson 9/10...

  • 42-31983 Mary Alice

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 13/1/44; Kearney 28/1/44; Presque Is 18/2/44; Grenier 2/3/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-G] Deenethorpe 7/3/44; detailed Munich 13/7/44 with L.H. Haskett, Tail gunner: Ed Page (Killed in Action); Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 6/6...

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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
05 June 2017 20:31:59 jancheta Changes to person associations
Sources

adding connections
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:09 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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