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367

24 May 1944

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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 14 T HE

2. BERLIN (Primary)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

This is the 3rd 1000 plane mission staged by 8th Air Force and the largest to date with 1,106 bombers participating. 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 34th Bomb Group, 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, 486th Bomb Group. 100th Bomb Group became separated from main force by weather and contrails and came under attack by approximately 200 German fighters.

457th BG - MISSION NO. 50 - BERLIN, GERMANY

24 MAY, 1944

Mission No. 50 for the 457th, represented the thirteenth take off for Berlin and the tenth time over the city. Again the target for the eighteen crews assigned to fly the mission was the Friedrichsirasse Railway Station. The Group led the 94th Combat Wing with Lt. Col. Henry B. Wilson serving as Air Commander and Lt. Russell M. Selwyn as pilot.

The primary target was attacked with poor results. There was no fighter opposition. Flak was intense and accurate. Fourteen aircraft suffered damage. The aircraft piloted by Lt. Harry Stafford did not return from the mission. The craft ditched in the North Sea and the crew was later picked up by the Air/Sea Rescue in the afternoon of the second day, amid big swells that began to rise in the North Sea.

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 1081 T HE

3. CREIL (Secondary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 91.5 T HE

4. MELUN (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

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, 453rd Bomb Group, 458th Bomb Group, 466th Bomb Group, 467th Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 388th Bomb Group, 487th 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.

  • 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.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 500.9 T HE

5. NAUEN (Opportunistic)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 71 T HE

6. ORLY (Primary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 469 T HE

7. POIX (Secondary)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 170 T HE

8. RECHLIN (Opportunistic)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 31 T HE

Service

People

  • Marvin Abraham

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 20 x combat mission. McCord crew. Munich mission 16-Jul-44, A/C hit by flak causing a failure of the oxygen system to the nose compartment, died of anoxia along with bombardier Irwin Dobrow. Killed in Action (KIA) ...

  • Paul Akin

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
    Crew Number 68

  • John Allen

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x missions. Ended Tour Duty (ETD). Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

  • 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

  • John Amalfitano

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 15 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin in B-17 42-37784 24-May-44; enemy aircraft attack caused collision with 42-38082, crashed Melchow, Ger. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 5322 Awards: AM (OLC), PH.

  • Donald Anderson

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator; Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
    DFC/ AM w/ 5 Oak Leaf Cluster/ Unit Citation w/ Oak Leaf Cluster 1 Damaged

  • Robert Andrus

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
    Shot down 28 May 1944 in B-17 42-31034 'Bonnie Donnie. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • 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).

  • William Barlow

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Crew 302-514: Aerial Armorer Gunner; Tail Gunner; Ball Turret Gunner | 446th Bomb Group

  • James Bates

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group

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Aircraft

  • 42-102393 Diana Queen Of The Chase

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Hunter 22/3/44; Grenier 2/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-R] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; 111m, Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal...

  • 42-102398 Dynamite John

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 29/2/44; Gr Island 22/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-H] Deenethorpe 13/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 6/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in...

  • 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,...

  • 42-107017

    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...

  • 42-107154 'Puddles'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Tulsa 7/3/44; Hunter 15/3/44; Grenier 5/4/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-F] Horham 10/4/44; 412BS [QW-F]; with G.L.Ferguson force landed RAF Woodbridge 16/8/44; with M.R. Scott force landed Framlingham AFB 24/12/44; 109m, Returned to the USA...

  • 42-30595 "Olin's 69'ers" aka 'Gremlin Gus II'

    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...

  • 42-30778 Old 66/Lady Margaret

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Gore 6/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Reno 14/8/43; Pierre 16/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/9/43; crashed on take off for France 13/8/44 with Leon Sutton, Co-pilot: Harlan Thompson, Navigator: George Healy, Bombardier:...

  • 42-31306 'Nelson King'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 20/10/43; Gr Island 3/11/43; Romulus 10/11/43; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-V] Thorpe Abbotts 15/11/43; Missing in Action Berlin 24/5/44 with Emil Siewart, Bombardier: Irving Jacobwitz,Tail gunner: Frank Kroczynski (3 Killed in Action);...

  • 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...

  • 42-31496 Salvo Sadie

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 12/11/43; Kearney 27/11/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-Q] Deenethorpe 1/2/44; Missing in Action Berlin 21/6/44 with Jack Atherton, Co-pilot: Don Awalt, Navigator: Dick Fitzmaurice, Bombardier: John Whelan, Flight engineer/top turret...

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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 09:51:47 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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