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20 March 1945
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.
42-97271 JD-A, BOSS LADY, 545th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group
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Narrative - Official Air Force Mission Description
Mission 898: 451 bombers and 355 fighters are dispatched to hit the shipyard and dock area at Hamburg and an oil refinery; they claim 14-3-17 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 bombers and 2 P-51s are lost:
1. 13 of 152 B-17s hit the Blohm & Voss U-boat yard at Hamburg; 133 others hit the secondary, the port area at Hamburg; bombing is visual; they claim 1-0-3 aircraft; 1 airman is KIA and 2 WIA. Escorting are 70 of 79 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft.
2. 149 of 162 B-17s hit the secondary target, the Hamburg port area, using H2X radar; 1 other hits the Nordholz Airfield, a target of opportunity; they claim 5-3-2 aircraft; 3 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 54 damaged; 27 airmen are MIA. The escort is 72 of 75 P-51s; they claim 0-0-2 aircraft.
3. 114 of 129 B-24s attack the oil refinery at Hemmingstedt; 1 B-24 is lost and 9 damaged; 12 airmen are MIA. 75 P-51s escort; they claim 2-0-1 aircraft in the air and 1-0-2 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission without loss.
5. 2 B-17s and 26 of 27 P-51s fly scouting missions.
6. 78 of 82 P-51s fly a strafing mission in the Bremen-Hannover area; they claim 2-0-3 aircraft in the air and 3-0-2 on the ground; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).
7. 17 P-51s escort 11 F-5s and 2 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany.
Source: The Eighth Air Force Historical Society - http://www.8thafhs.org/new/missions.php
Source: THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History
"A Force of 400 heavy bombers of the 8th Air force, with some 300 Mustang providing protection, boomed over northwest Germany yesterday to attack oil target and submarine building yards in the area of Hanover."
" While Fortresses struck at a small oil refinery, the Blohm and Voss U-boar works and harbor targets in Hamburg. Liberators planted bombs on the Hemmingstedt oil refinery near Heide, 60 Miles northwest of Hamburg".
-Newspaper Article March 21, 1945.
STRAFING MISSION
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HARBOUR INSTALLATIONS
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Group
The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
Blom & Voss U-Boat Yard
B-17 Flying Fortress
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Group
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
OIL REFINERY
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AIRFIELD
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Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
John Barnes was born January 31, 1922 in Philadelphia, PA, the son of Leonard and Gertrude Barnes of Emporium, PA . He received his undergraduate and Ph.D from Penn State University. He served in WWII as the navigator of the “Spirit of Martinez with...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator, Commanding Officer | 384th Bomb Group
Bob Birney was assigned to the 547th Bomb Squadron on 5 February 1945 and completed 26 missions between 19 February 1945 and 20 April 1945.
Military | Flight Officer | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
June 1, 1922: Edward Aloysius Blattner (Nickname: "Buddy") was born in Chicago Illinois
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Damaged 34th BG aircraft (#43-38971) mid-air collision with Ol' Scrapiron (#42-31582). Ol' Scrapiron broke apart at the waist on 23 Mar 1945. Seven crewmen of Ol' Scrapiron killed in Action (KIA) including Bruckman. Two survived (Schlag and Shibble).
Military | First Lieutenant | B-17 Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Frank Calicura served as a pilot with the 95th Bomb Group.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 18 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Held A/C level along with pilot for crew to bale out, last seen on catwalk to escape...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier/Chin Turret | 96th Bomb Group
Joseph Denver served as a bombardier with the 337th Bomb Squadron of the 96th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Snetterton Heath, England.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 - After the A/C broke up Dugan was the only man to make it out of the nose section. Prisoner of War (POW)...
Military | Captain | Pilot | 34th Bomb Group
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 Cheyenne 17/9/43; Gr Island 3/10/43; Assigned 401BG Deenethorpe 19/11/43; transferred 708BS/447BG [CQ- ] Rattlesden /43; Salvaged 20/4/45. BUTCH II.
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...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/2/44; Dalhart 29/2/44; Dow Field 3/4/44; Assigned 545BS/384BG [JD-A] Grafton Underwood 25/4/44; Missing in Action Hamburg 30/3/45 with Gerald Hicks (Killed in Action); Jesse Hendricks, Bob Thiefels, John Gussin, Bill Goodman,...
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...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 14/10/44; Dow Fd 26/10/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 29/10/44; while on navigation exercise 17/5/45 with H.J. Cole, cp V. Ferguson, two navigators and two grounded crew, on as makeshift ttg and r/op (6 Killed in Action); crash...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 20/11/44; Grenier 2/12/44; Assigned 549BS/385BG [XA-V] Gt Ashfield 3/12/44; when parked at Horsching, Austria was hit by 44-8320 on 20/5/45; Salvaged n/battle damaged 6/9/45.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 23/12/44; Grenier 3/1/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-G] Molesworth 4/2/45; Missing in Action Hamburg 20/3/45 with Francis Taub, John Cooper, Elmer McWilliams (3 Killed in Action); Chas Johnson, Mike Dugan, Warren Chrisman, Chester...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 27/11/44; Grenier 16/12/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-E] Horham 1/1/45; battle damaged Chemnitz 6/2/45 with D.V. Tregoning, force landed B-53, Merville, Bel. then rep; 53m, Returned to the USA Bradley 21/6/45; Sth Plains 23/6/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 30/11/44; Hunter 20/12/44; Grenier 6/1/45; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-J] Thorpe Abbotts 8/1/45; transferred as PFF 336BS/95BG [ET-F] Horham 23/1/45; 13m, Returned to the USA Morrison 20/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 September 2018 19:37:21 | spiritofmartinez45 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
owner of original copy of news paper article pertaining to date of mission. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 September 2018 19:30:21 | spiritofmartinez45 | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 September 2018 19:27:36 | spiritofmartinez45 | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
owner of source materal (newspaper) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 September 2018 01:51:40 | jhuck | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; p. 297 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 September 2018 01:51:07 | jhuck | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; p. 297 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 September 2018 01:16:20 | jhuck | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
John G Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields, p. 297 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 September 2018 01:14:29 | jhuck | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
John G Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields, p. 297 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 September 2018 01:09:22 | jhuck | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: The Eighth Air Force Historical Society - http://www.8thafhs.org/new/missions.php Source: THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by Carter / Mueller, the Office of Air Force History |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 July 2017 22:50:00 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Official Website of 385th Bomb Group Associations Database-Missions |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 July 2017 22:23:54 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Official Website of 385th Bomb Group Association Database-Missions |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 July 2017 18:02:00 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 July 2017 18:00:46 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Virginia Wise, eldest child of Lester Allen Wise |
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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'. |
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