3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
355
13 May 1944
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'Forts maul rail center -- Bombs from Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses strike the marshalling yards at Osnabruck as US 8th AAF heavies attacked 13 May 44. Smoke from a nearby steel plant can be seen rising as the American bombs take their toll. Hits were also registered on the steel plant. 95th BG.' Photo from 42-107201 "Worry Bird" (95th BG 334th BS BG-J) NARA Ref No 342-FH-3A22211-3A22211.
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Carroll Duane Swartzendruber - Wellman, 384th BG, KIA
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MACR 4824 41-29391 "Little LuLu" 466th BG | 787th BS 13 May 1944
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8th Air Force mission 355; May 13, 1944; Osnabruck, Germany. 447th Bomb Group strike photo. Note burst of flak near center of photo
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
| Tonnage dropped | 3 T HE |
2.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 30.5 T HE |
3. OSNABRUCK (Primary)
Description
MARSHALLING YARDS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
Units
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 572.5 T HE |
4. STETTIN (Opportunistic)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
The mission was originally planned to hit oil refinery targets in Poland but clouds force the mission to hit these targets in Germany instead. Luftwaffe opposition was heavy. 1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd Bomb Group, 303rd Bomb Group, 305th Bomb Group, 306th Bomb Group, 351st Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.
457th BG - MISSION NO. 45 - POLITZ-STETTIN, POLAND
13 MAY, 1944
Having commenced the campaign to eliminate the German synthetic oil production, the 457th followed up by going to Politz to attack the second largest synthetic oil plant in Germany. This plant produced over 600,000 tons annually. The Group provided eighteen aircraft for the low box of the 94th Combat Wing. Major Theodore C. Hoffman served as AU Commander, and Lt. Malcolm E. Johnson was pilot.
En route to the target area, the 40th and 41st Combat Wings came under vicious attack from FW-190s and Me-109s. The 94th Combat Wing was not intensively attacked. The target area was under approximately eight-tenths cloud coverage, which required PFF bombing, so the bomb run was made on Stettin.
Bombing results were fair with a wide bomb pattern. Flak was moderate to heavy, however only one craft received damage. The Eighth lost fifteen bombers.
Units
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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
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
| Tonnage dropped | 659 T HE |
5. STRASLAND (Opportunistic)
Description
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 103 T HE |
6. TUTOW (Primary)
Description
AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group.
Units
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2nd Bomb Division
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Mission Statistics
| Tonnage dropped | 446 T HE |
Service
People
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Charles Baker
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down in B-17G 42-102548 on 13 May 1944. While formation was under attack from enemy aircraft, the plane left formation, dove directly down and disappeared through undercast; crashed near Zarnekla (7.5 miles S of Grimmen) Germany. MACR 4814 -
Joseph Booth
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
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Gilbert Borba
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Sgt Gilbert A. Borba, only survivor, all other crew were Killed in Action (KIA) 08-08-1944 Shot down by flak and crashed near St Sylvain, France in B-17 "Varga Venus" #4337865 -
Raymond Bowkley
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 13 May 1944 in B-17 #42-97404. Prisoner of War (POW). Missing Air Crew Report #4813. POW -
James Braa
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 389th Bomb Group
James Braa served as a ball turret gunner with the 566th Bomb Squadron of the 389th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Hethel, England. He completed his tour of 30 missions between March and June 1944, flying his final two missions on D-Day. -
Edgar Burton
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 446th Bomb Group
Flew 25 missions, ending just before D-Day. Flew on D Day just to see it. According to him, he never saw a German fighter but did see lots of flak. -
Alfred Cannon
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 448th Bomb Group
Alfred E. Cannon was born 25 Feb 1919 in Queens, New York. In Apr 1943 he became the Navigator in the initial formation of Crew 11, 712th Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group at Gowen Field, Idaho. In Nov 1943 Crew 11 arrived at Seething England and from... -
Howard Carey
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 7 -
Phillip Carlin
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 13 May 1944 in B-17G #42-102548. While formation was under attack from enemy aircraft, the plane left formation, dove directly down and disappeared through the undercast; crashed near Zarnekla (7.5 miles South of Grimmen) Germany. MACR 4814. ... -
Gerald Carroll
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 448th Bomb Group
S/Sgt. Gerald Carroll was born 24 Sep 1921 in Silver Bow, Montana. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps 08 Aug 1941. In Apr 1943 he became the Top Turret Gunner and First Engineer in the initial formation of Crew 11, 712th Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group...
Aircraft
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41-28711 "Little Sheppard"
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 712th Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. ... -
42-102548
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 12/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 544th Bomb Squadron/384th Bomb Group [SU-M] Grafton Underwood 20/4/44; 547BS [SO-M]; Missing in Action Stettin 13/5/44 with Charles Washington Baker Jr., Co-pilot: Leonard Koos,... -
42-107017
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/1/44; Kearney 1/2/44; Presque Is 5/3/44; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 6/3/44; Missing in Action Liege 25/5/44 with Bill Warren, Bombardier: Jerome Fontaine (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Gene McClellan, Flight engineer/top... -
42-30212 Quarterback
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Sioux City 14/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 16/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 17/6/43; transferred Aphrodite project, Missing in Action V-sites, Watten 6/8/44 with Lt Joeseph P Andrecheck & T/Sgt Raymond Healy (2... -
42-30595 'Gremlin Gus II' "Olin's 69'ers"
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/6/43; Smoky Hill 13/7/43; Kearney 16/7/43; Dow Fd 19/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 20/7/43; (34m) transferred Aphrodite project as OLIN'S 69'ERS; when War Weary, fuselage cut down and vehicle windshield fitted before open... -
42-31410 Berlin Bessie, I Dood It
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/10/43; Kearney 13/11/43; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-G] Horham 1/1/44; flak damage Berlin 6/10/44 with Lester Lennox, Co-pilot: Bob McCoy (2 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Bill Tate, Bombardier: Dick White, Flight engineer/top turret... -
42-31512 Ice Cold Katie
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/11/43; Gt Falls 15/11/43; Denver 22/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Presque Is 25/12/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-H] Framlingham 2/1/44; suffered n/battle damaged hitting tree at Grundisburgh Hall, Sfk, being slow timed on 2/6/44, with... -
42-31741 Thunderbolt/Hi Fever
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 12/12/43; Kearney 30/12/43; RAF Nutts Corner 14/1/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 17/1/44; Missing in Action Liege 25/5/44 with Capt Jim Zengerle, Co-pilot: Albt Millin, Navigator: Walt Travis, Bombardier: Capt Wayne Barnett,... -
42-31892 I'll Be Around
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-H] Framlingham 19/2/44; aircraft suffered oxygen fire while on assembly for Boulogne mission 4/6/44 with Leroy Holmberg, Co-pilot: George Benton, Navigator: Ellis McClintick,... -
42-97404
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered to Cheyenne 26 February 1944; Kearney 16 March 1944; Grenier 26 March 1944; Assigned to the 544th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group [SU-L] Grafton Underwood on 27 March 1944; Missing in Action on a mission to Stettin, 13 May 1944 with Tom Rex...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2015 13:34:59 | 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 18:43:06 | 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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