Eighth Air Force
Command
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force in February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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16 February 1945
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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OIL REFINERY
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
B-17 Flying Fortress
Mission 280 Flown on 2/16/1945, 8th AF/379th BG/ A. Edwards Crew
Mission City: Langendreer Country: Germany
Mission Target: Synthetic Oil Plant Aircraft: 44-6459
Alfred E Edwards Jr, Lester W Bohne, Billy C. Hulsey, Vernon T. Calhoun, Wallace I Pfieffer, Janel D Hamilton , William H Melvin Jr., Harry G Chaoona, Michael Rusnak.
Command
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force in February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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OIL REFINERY
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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OIL REFINERY
B-17 Flying Fortress
457th BG MISSION NO. 188 : GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY : 16 FEBRUARY, 1945
The synthetic benzol producing refineries at Gelsenkirchen were the targets. The Group supplied the 94th A Combat Wing lead and low boxes with Lt. Col. Francis as Air Commander. The 351st Bomb Group comprised the high box. Wing assembly was without difficulty. The Group was in proper position in Division column and flew the Division assembly line 1500 feet above briefed altitude in order to avoid clouds. Course from the end of the Division assembly line to the IF was flown as briefed, except it was necessary for the Group to go 1,000 feet above briefed altitude in order to avoid dense, persistent contrails. The IP was reached on course.
The Group made a run on the primary target, in squadron formation. It was necessary to bomb by G-FI equipment because dense, persistent contrails produced by aircraft of the preceding formation, and fog, made it impossible to perform a visual sighting operation. Cloud coverage was about four tenths, and visibility was extremely poor. The Group was about 1,000 feet above briefed altitude because of contrails and bombs were dropped from 27,000 feet. Bomb results of the lead squadron were fair; no photos were available from the low squadron.
Flak was moderate but accurate. The craft piloted by Lt. Roland H. Brazier, deputy lead of the low box, was hit in No. 3 engine. The right wing folded and broke off, the plane rolled over, went into a flat spin and was on fire. Six of the crewmen did not survive.
Because of weather conditions, the Group landed at another base.
Division
In December 1944, the 1st Bomb Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.
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...
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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OIL REFINERY
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RAIL BRIDGE
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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).
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
T/Sgt Martin A. Anderson flew 34 missions, from 02/05/1944, mission #21, to 03/31/1945, mission #240. He served as a Radio Operator. He survived until the end of the war. Flew aircrafts 42-31521 'Badland Bat'
DFC
Military | 379th Bomb Group
Military | Captain | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Jan 1945
Military | Technical Sergeant | Togglier | 388th Bomb Group
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...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Kleve on 16 Feb 45 in B-17 #43-39081. After bypassing the primary target Langendreer, Germany, crew was ordered to proceed to bomb secondary target the Munster railhead. This plane was in the lead and was shot down...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Pin Point Navigator | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
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...
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;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 24/2/44; Gr Island 7/3/44; Grenier 5/4/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-J] Deenethorpe 2/5/44; 612BS [SC-O]; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
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)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/10/43; Gr Island 21/11/43; La Guardia 29/11/43; New York 1/12/43; Presque Is 2/12/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-X] Deenethorpe 6/1/44; RAF Stornaway 5/4/44, ret grp 6/4/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 9/6/45; Syracuse 10/6...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-P] Deenethorpe 15/2/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 1/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
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.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/2/44; Kearney 17/3/44; Grenier 6/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-F] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; mechanical fault, with Dave Stauffer, caused fire and burnt out at RAF Saltby 25/43/45; 111m, Salvaged 2 SAD 25/3/45. CHUTE THE WORKS.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/11/43; Wendover 12/12/43; Nutts Corner, Belfast, N. I. 20/1/44; Assigned 748BS/457BG Glatton 9/1/44; 749BS; transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-Q] Deenethorpe 11/3/44.
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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12 January 2016 05:23:01 | Figmnt | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
Sources | ||
http://www.8thairforce.com/379th/search/crew_member_listing_for_mission.... |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
12 January 2016 05:19:28 | Figmnt | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
http://www.8thairforce.com/379th/search/crew_member_listing_for_mission.... |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
29 April 2015 11:30:53 | 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/ |
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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'. |