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).
821
6 February 1945
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Crew #664 Elmo Maiden Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B), Gustave J. Roussel (E), Guerino G. Petti (N), Herbert Rosenkoff (CP), William A. Thomason (TT), Elmo Maiden (P), Kenneth W. Chester (NG), Joseph R. Zebrowski (R/O) B-24J-5-DT #42-51532 Code: U8-W Photo taken on 27 December 1944 after crash landing at an airfield in Belgium.
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401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 204, 6 Feb 1945, Giessen (T.O.) Eisfeld (T.O.) Germany. Briefing took place at 0415 hours. Aircraft loading was ten 500 pound GP's. During takeoff, one ship reported engine problems and was told to circle the field until called in. Another ship had a flat tire when in No. 3 in takeoff position. Within ten minutes the ship had been cleared from the runway, and takeoff proceeded. While the ship with engine trouble landed and the crew attempted to take off in a ground spare, they were unable to make the formation. One other aircraft was also forced to abort. Upon return fourteen ships were diverted to other airfields in England by bad weather, and two landed on the Continent. The 401st provided the three squadrons making up the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group plus another squadron which flew with the 94th CW Composite "B" Group. Because the clear weather expected over Germany didn't materialize, one secondary and 13 targets of opportunity were attacked instead. Since bombing was by PFF (radar), no results were observed. No enemy fighters were encountered, but meager and accurate flak was met in two different places and caused minor battle damage to five aircraft. With regard to the two aircraft that landed on the Continent, the Group History remarks, "a weekend in Paris maybe?". In fact, the crews returned immediately.
Official description
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Description
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Mission details
1.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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2. CHEMNITZ
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
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1,383 bombers and 904 fighters are despatched to attack oil targets in Germany; however the expected clear weather does not materialize so the bombers hit secondary targets.
Mission Statistics
3. DIRLOS
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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4. EISENBACH
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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5. EISFELD
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
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6. FRIEDRICHRODA
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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7. GIESSEN
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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8. GOTHA
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
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9. GREIZ
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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10. MAGDEBURG
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
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11. MEPPEN
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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12. MEPPEN
Description
BRIDGE
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13. OHEDRUF
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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14. OSTHEIM
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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15. QUACKENBRUCK
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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16. REICHENBACH
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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17. SAALFELD
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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18. SCHMALKADEN
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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19. SCHMALKADEN
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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20. Germany
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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STEINBACH
Mission Statistics
21. WALTERSHAUSEN
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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22. ZWICKAU
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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Service
People
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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). -
James Allman
Military | Technical Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
James entered the Army Air Corps in July 1942 and served in a glider unit. James received his basic training at Santa Ana, California, and then attended Radio Operators School at Scott Field, Illinois, and Gunnery School at Yuma, Arizona. After serving... -
Howard Anderson
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
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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. -
John Bookout
Military | Captain | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Jan 1945 -
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. -
John Burk
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
John McKale Burk was born 30 November 1924 in Ventnor, Atlantic County, NJ to Frederick Grater Burk (20 April 1891 Philadelphia, PA -19 June 1948 Philadelphia, PA) and Mary Cunningham McKale Burk (21 February 1895 Philadelphia, PA - 20 October 1990... -
Max Burrows
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
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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...
Aircraft
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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... -
42-107062 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;... -
42-31072 Betty J.
B-17 Flying Fortress
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42-31591 Homesick Angel
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Wendover 9/12/43; Grenier 20/1/44; Assigned 457BG Glatton 25/1/44; transferred 613BS/401BG [IN-J] Deenethorpe 11/3/44; Missing in Action Pas de Calais 19/3/44, force landed continent; Salvaged 1 SAD Troston 22/4/44; mission... -
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... -
42-32012 'Shark Tooth'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 15/1/44; Kearney 28/1/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-P] Deenethorpe 5/3/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman... -
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. ... -
42-97105 Paper Doll
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Selfridge Fld 3/2/44; Dorval 4/3/44; Assigned RAF [HB-768]; transferred 561BS/388BG Knettishall 13/3/44; Missing in Action Parchim 7/4/45 with Lew Hickman, Arnold Wolf, Cawthorn Perdue, Albt Vawter, Herman Meyer (5 Prisoner of War); John... -
42-97322 Mister Completely, Home James
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/44; Dow Fd 7/3/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 1/5/44; no ops, transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-D] Deenethorpe 21/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 June 2017 20:34:11 | jancheta | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Update |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 May 2015 14:34:22 | jdossetter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
| 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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