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361

22 May 1944

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

From diary of Lt. David W. Leblanc: "Was up at four for a mission to Kiel, Germany. I went as first pilot and Rocky as my co-pilot. Every thing went along swell except at target. Flack was moderate but extremely accurate. Two ships in the lead squadron received direct hits. The flames from one were licking our right wing and we could feel the heat in the cockpit. As far as we know no one got out of either ship. We had several holes in our ship. We flew beautiful formation today. Made a fairly good landing. Hayden - our waist gunner finished up today."

Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 12.5 T HE

2. KIEL (Primary)

Description

HARBOUR INSTALLATION

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

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, 381st Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group, 398th Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Group, 457th Bomb Group.

3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.

457th BG - MISSION NO. 48 - MEL, GERMANY

22 MAY, 1944

The 457th Bomb Group led the entire Eighth Air Force, consisting of seven combat wings, on the raid to the submarine yards at Kiel Colonel Hams E. Rogner, flying a PFF ship and later to become the Commanding Officer of the 457th, was Air Commander for the mission. Major George C. Hozier Was Deputy Lead.

The primary target was attacked; however, the bomb results were not good. There was no enemy air opposition. Flak was moderate and inaccurate with two craft sustaining damage.

Units

  • 1st Bomb Division

    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.

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

  • 457th Bomb Group

    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 623 T HE

3. SIRACOURT (Primary)

Description

V-1 MISSILE SITES

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 93rd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group.

Units

  • 2nd Bomb Division

    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 336. 5 T HE

Service

People

  • Jack Agee

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. On 27-Jan-44, while taxiing after landing from a training flight, the landing gear switch of B-17 42-31414 was placed in the up position instead of the flap switch. RTD. ...

  • Robert Allison

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
    Flew 26 missions on 'Mission Bell', was wounded on 26th mission. Purple Heart, 4 Air Medals

  • Harold Arnold

    Military | Major | Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 23 x combat missions. Clyde Lewis crew. Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (5OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).

  • Arthur Aull

    Military | Captain | Pilot / Operations Officer | 446th Bomb Group

  • Thomas Barton

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
    newly assigned May 1944

  • Enrico Carpini

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
    My dad, Enrico 'Rick' Carpini was from Linden, NJ and served as a radio gunner on a B-17G with the 305th Bomb Group/365th Bomb Squadron. He flew 30 missions from 1/4/44-5/22/44. The pilot was John F. Schleifer from Buffalo, NY. ...

  • Frank Deuerling

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Flew on 'Priority Girl' 42-97305 on June 18, 1944.

  • Nicholas Duncan

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group

  • Lawrence Dunn

    Military | Sergeant | Flexible Gunner, Tail Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
    Assigned to the 384th BG 547th BS on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #39 dated 27 February 1944, Jack N. McKinney Crew. 33 combat missions. Wounded on 8th AF mission #361, 22 May 1944.

  • James Hendel

    Military | Captain | Pilot B-17 | 447th Bomb Group

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Aircraft

  • 42-102485 Bare Essentials

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/44; Gr Island 2/4/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 12/5/44; Missing in Action Dessau 28/5/44 with Art Codding, Co-pilot: Roger Withers, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Berg, Radio Operator: Clyde Waite,...

  • 42-102580

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 16/3/44; Gr Island 1/4/44; Dow Fd 8/4/44; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-Q] Deenethorpe 3/5/45; Missing in Action Dessau 28/5/44 with Bill Protz, Ball turret gunner: Frank Bartak, Waist gunner: Alby Reinhardt, Waist gunner: Glenn Cliff,...

  • 42-102674 Packawalup III

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/44; Kearney 12/4/44; Grenier 29/4/44; Assigned 94BG Rougham 1/5/44; transferred 615BS/401BG [IY-M] Deenethorpe 19/5/44; battle damaged Frankfurt 5/11/44, force-landed at Great Dunmow, U.K. after sustaining extensive battle...

  • 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...

  • 42-107207

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Tulsa 21/3/44; Kearney 2/4/44; Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-O/D] Deenethorpe 2/5/44; Missing in Action Oschersleben 30/5/44 with Alpheus Kilmer, Co-pilot: Jim Hunter, Navigator: Bill Griggs, Bombardier: John Wilson`Wounded in...

  • 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...

  • 42-31369 Round Tripper

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/10/43; Gr Island 13/11/43; Romulus 25/11/43; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-K] Deenethorpe 14/1/44; Missing in Action Brandenburg 6/8/44 with John Sauerwald, Co-pilot: John Zimmerman, Navigator: Forrest Holmstrom, Bombardier: Cletus...

  • 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...

  • 42-38013 "NEVADA AVENGER"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; New Castle 10/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-C] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; sal battle damaged 27/4/44. NEVADA AVENGER. ...

  • 42-39932 Sweat 'er Out

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 12/10/43; Gr Island 5/11/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-H] Deenethorpe 2/1/44; 11 x missions; was set for mission to Bernburg 6/7/44 with Russ Lockhart, Co-pilot: Porter Ham, Navigator: Bob Grilley, Bombardier: John Jardine, Flight...

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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
27 October 2017 00:54:15 B17VforVictor Changes to description
Sources

Not sure if I am doing this correctly. I would like to add a mission narrative (see above) from my Grandfather's diary regarding this mission.
Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 09:46:20 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/
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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