28 March 1944
A crippled Flying Fortress silhouetted over the target at the Reims Champagne Airfield, France which the 8th AF "heavies" smashed it on 28 March 44. The B-17 Fortress 42-37754 'Who Dat - Ding Bat', piloted by 1st Lt. Daniel C Henry crippled and part severed by a flak hit in the fuselage, which killed 3 gunners, miraculously with the aid of escorting P-38 escorts, Lt Henry made it back to base, where the crew less himself and co-pilot Bob Crisler baled out. Henry and Crisler later baled out over the sea and were rescued. NARA Ref No - 342-FH-3A19100-50478AC
"Mission accomplished ! leaving the Nazi target at Chateaudun, France, in smoke and flames, Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" of the 452nd Bomb Group starts the long journey back to England, 28 March 1944. Heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force continually blasted at every operational enemy factory, oil refinery and airfield." - B-17G 42-39902 'Big Noise' 730BS, 452BG, 8AF.
"Photo of Nazi airfield at Chateaudun, France, was taken a few moments before B-17 "Flying Fortresses" of the 452nd Bomb Group released their bombs during their raid of 28 March 1944. Pock-marks on the runways indicate that these B-17s had made the trip before with good results. (Taken by Sgt Melvin S Jenner)."
"The Nazi airfield at Chateaudun in occupied France was pounded by Flying Fortresses of the U.S. 8th AF on March 28. Two large concentrations in the north and northwest sections of the field hit hangars, dispersal areas, and barracks."
8th Air Force mission 283; March 28, 1944; Chartres. 447th Bomb Group strike photo. Caption in the 447th BG Pictorial History: "Note that Chartres Cathedral, famous Gothic architectural masterpiece located only 1200 yards from target, is untouched by precision bombing. (Cathedral indicated by arrow.)"
Not yet known
A force of 450 heavy bombers from all three Air Divisions is despatched to bomb the German E-Boat pens at Ijmuiden, Holland and German airfields in France. Mission Summary follows:
2nd Air Division: A force of 77 B-24s from 93BG and 448BG are despatched to bomb the German E-Boat pens at Ijmuiden, Holland. The formation is recalled due to cloud cover and failure of the fighter escort to take off. There are no losses, casualties or claims in this element.
1st Air Division: A combined force of 182 B-17s from: 91BG; 303BG; 305BG; 306BG; 379BG; 381BG and 384BG are despatched. 117 aircraft are effective on the German airfield Dijon/Longvic, France; 59 are effective on the German arifield of Reims/Champagne, France. 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) ditching into the English Channel - 3KIA 6RTD (rescued by ASR). 3 battle damaged aircraft are Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) in crashes upon return - 30RTD. 60 aircraft are damaged. 3 airmen in returning aircraft are KIA and 1 is WIA. There are no other losses, casualties or claims in this element.
3rd Air Division: A combined force of 191 B-17 from: 94BG; 95BG; 96BG; 100BG; 385BG; 388BG; 390BG; 447BG; and 452BG are despatched. 127 are effective on the German airfield at Chateaudun, France; 61 are effective on the German airfield at Chartres, France. 2 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) - 13KIA 9POW. 59 aircraft are damaged. 1 airman in a returning aircraft is WIA. There are no other losses, casualties or claims in this element.
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
It has not been determined which Groups from 3rd Bomb Division attacked this target.
| Tonnage dropped | 146.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 61 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 61 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
No bomber gunner claims. All Groups participating are part of 3rd Bomb Division
Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
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...
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Group
The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...
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...
Group
The 452nd Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deopham Green, Norfolk, from January 1944. The air crews hit strategic sites in Germany but also supported the movement of ground forces across Europe after D-Day. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group...
Group
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
Group
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
...
| Tonnage dropped | 304.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 130 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 127 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 2 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 59 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 13 |
| Number of people Prisoners of War | 9 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
No bomber gunner claims. Groups participating are all part f 1st Bomb Division.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Group
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
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...
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
| Tonnage dropped | 323.39 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 123 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 117 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged | 60 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 10 |
E-BOAT PENS
B-24 Liberator
No bomber gunner claims. Recalled due to excessive cloud cover and failure of the escort to take-off.
Group
The 448th Bombardment Group was organized on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field, near Boise, Idaho. The initial training of the air crews took place in Florida. The entire group was assembled Wendover Field, Utah. Both air and...
Group
93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1-March-1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15-May-1942 the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to continue advanced flight training and also to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; they...
| Tonnage dropped | 0.00 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 77 |
AIRFIELD
B-17 Flying Fortress
It can only be confirmed that 381st Bomb Group attacked this target but other Groups from the 1st Bomb Division may also have attacked this target.
| Tonnage dropped | 163.08 |
| Number of aircraft Sent | 59 |
| Number of aircraft Effective | 59 |
| Number of aircraft Missing In Action | 1 |
| Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair | 2 |
| Number of people Killed In Action | 3 |
| Number of people Returned To Duty | 26 |
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew 27 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM, Unit Citation, WWII Victory, EAME.
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.
...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 390th Bomb Group
Shot down 13 April 1944 in B-17 #4231691. Landed in Switzerland. Interned.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 11 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Sorau, Germany mission 11-Apr-44 'Tenny Belle' exploded in mid-air near Downham Market, England. Killed in Action (KIA). No MACR
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Flew on 'Priority Girl' 42-97305 on June 18, 1944.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
An Aviator's Dream: The Man From Painted Woods
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 17 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Sorau, Germany mission 11-Apr-44 'Tenny Belle' exploded in mid-air near Downham Market, England. Sole survivor, blown out of A/C with chute. Wounded in Action (WIA) RTD....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 11 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) in 42-31083. A/C exploded mid-air near Downham Market, England. Killed in Action (KIA)
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | B 17 gunner waist, Ball, top/flight engineer | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 8
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 730th Squadron.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/44; Kearney 24/2/44; Presque Is 11/3/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-O] Horham 11/3/44; with G.M. Jackman force landed B-53 Merville, Belg., 10/5/45; with Lt Henderson force landed A-70 Laon, France 20/5/45; 114m Returned to the USA...
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...
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...
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...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Note : The B-17G, 42-31892, was one of several B-17Gs in the 8th Air Force named, I'll Be Around, after the popular song in 1944, "I'll Be Around". WWII air crews often chose to name their airplanes with names already in use. ...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/1/44; Billings 25/1/44; Cheyenne 30/1/44; Kearney 11/2/44; Presque Is 28/2/44; Assigned 728BS/452BG Deopham Green 3/3/43; with Bob Cook, force landed English base 20/3/44 (10 Returned to Duty); Missing in Action Berlin 28/3/44...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 17/8/43; Assigned 534BS/381 BG [GD-K] Ridgewell 20/9/43; on 9th mission Rheims 28/3/44 with Dan Henry, Co-pilot: Bob Chrisler, Navigator: Fred Beardsworth, Bombardier: Rudi Jaciak, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sebastian Quaresma,...
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.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/1/44; Kearney 14/1/44; Assigned 525BS/379BF [FR-O] Kimbolton 19/2/44; Missing in Action Berlin 7/5/44 with Clarry Darnell, Co-pilot: John Jones, Radio Operator: Tom Wilkens, Ball turret gunner: Bill Snider, Waist gunner: Lewis Rule...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 20/10/43; Gr Island 31/11/43; Assigned 369BS/306BG [WW-W] Thurleigh 19/12/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 29/3/44 with Gerald Haywood, Co-pilot: Rubin Robertson, Navigator: Jack Bailiff, Bombardier: Bill Daniels, Flight engineer...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 01 February 2018 00:50:51 | TennyBelle | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
8th AF Database |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 March 2016 17:16:24 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 10-Mar-2016. Added Mission Narrative based on the "The Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:12 | 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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