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379

29 May 1944

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Mission #2. The target was an aircraft assembly plant. Flak was exceedingly heavy. We were in the air 7-1/2 hours.

Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 4.4 T

2.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 9.6 T

3. COTTBUS (Primary)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 111.4 T

4. KRZESINSKI (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Aircraft type

Not yet known

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. Bomber gunners of this element claim 22-18-14 German fighters (claims might be slightly exaggerated).

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.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 202.3 T

5. LEIPZIG/HEITERBLICK (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 113.9 T

6. LEIPZIG/MOCKAU (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

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, 486th Bomb Group, 487th Bomb Group. Bomber gunners of the element claim 11-4-5 German fighters (claims might be slightly exaggerated).

Units

  • 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 349.2 T

7. MISDORY (Opportunistic)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 22.5 T

8. POLITZ (Primary)

Description

OIL REFINERIES

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

These targets are all deep penetrations into Germany with some striking targets in Poland. Luftwaffe resistance is fairly heavy. Bomb crews of this element claim 29-15-10 German aircraft (claims might be slightly exaggerated), but a bad day for the Luftwaffe none-the-less. 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392 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. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 34th Bomb Group & 388th Bomb Group (exact breakout of 3rd Bomb Division not in source data).

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 546.5 T

9. POZNAN (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORIES

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 131.5 T

10. RENSBURG (Opportunistic)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 35 T

11. SCHNEIDEMUHL (Opportunistic)

Description

AIRFIELD

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 39.5 T

12. SCHWERIN (Opportunistic)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 2.5 T

13. SORAU (Primary)

Description

INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

457th BG - MISSION NO. 54 - SORAU, GERMANY

29 MAY, 1944

This mission was a repeat of Mission No. 25. The previous mission had not accomplished the destruction of the FW-190 assembly plant, the largest and most important FW-190 assembly plant in Germany. Though badly battered from the two previous days, the Group put eighteen aircraft aloft to fly the low box of the 94th Combat Wing, flying fourth in the Division formation. Major Theodore C. Hoffman served as Air Commander and Captain Jeriy Godfrey as pilot. Bombing results were excellent with direct hits on two hangars, two machine shops, the office building and the canteen.

On the way back to England, the wing was overtaken but not attacked by Me-109s and FW-190s. (The Luftwaffe earlier had attacked a bomber force going to Leipzig.)

A short while later, four Ju-88s passed along the formation. Members of the Group then witnessed a classic air battle between fighters. AP-5 1 suddenly appeared on the scene, destroyed two of the Ju-88s instantly, turned on the third and shot it down. The P-51 then caught up with the fleeing fourth Ju-88, a few thousand feet below, and downed it with a quick burst of fire. Four Ju-88s had been destroyed in a matter of seconds. One viewer described it as "the most thrilling episode since coming over here".

The Group came back near Stettin, location of the synthetic oil refineries. The refineries were burning furiously, having been bombed by three combat wings earlier in the day. Crews could see the burning for one hundred fifty miles. Flak was meager, but accurate. Eleven aircraft suffered damage.

One out of control B-I 7 from another wing came through the formation with chutes coming out as it passed through. The attention of all personnel was directed to the fact that many directives and regulations had been issued by the command, but had apparently not been taken seriously. These regulations and directives would henceforth be strictly enforced and "woe unto him who is caught breaking the law".

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.

  • 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 129.7 T

14. TUTOW (Primary)

Description

AIRCRAFT DEPOT

Aircraft type

B-24 Liberator

Notes

The 466th BG sortied 28 B-24's that dropped 72.80 tons of bombs on target. They lost one a/c on the mission flown by the Adolf Komer Crew - Crew #613, who were forced to belly land their damaged B-24 #42-52570 "Sack Happy" on the Schleswig, Germany airfield. All 10 crew were made POW.

Units

  • 466th Bomb Group

    466th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 466th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators from Attlebridge, Norfolk, during the last year of the war in Europe. The Group flew 232 missions in the course of the year and celebrated the 100th one by inviting local people onto the base to mark the...

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 436.5 T

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) ...

  • Edward Anastasio

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Squadron Commander - Command Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
    786th Bomb Squadron Commander Retired from the USAF with the rank of Lt. Colonel

  • Don Anderson

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier, Navigator | 401st Bomb Group

  • William Asbell

    Military | Chief Master Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
    Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Bill Trimble crew. Awards: DFC, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star). Post war: Served in Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

  • Richard Autry

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
    Crew Number 51

  • Robert Baldi

    Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Tail Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
    Crew Number 51

  • Thomas Barton

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

  • Charles Beckham

    Military | Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
    Assigned to 384th Bomb Group on 16 May 1944, completed 16 Missions with 384th Bomb Group before transferring to 305th Bomb Group on 26 June 1944.

  • Virgil Brave

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
    Assigned to the 34th Bomb Group on 1 April 1944 in Blythe California. ...

  • William Brooks

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
    St. Dizier, France 24 Mar 1944; Brunswick, Germany 8 April 1944; Hamm, Germany 22 April 1944; Leipheim, Germany 24 April 1944; Paderborn, Germany 26 April 1944; Siracourt, France 27 April 1944; Mimoyecque, France 28 April 1944; Liege, France 1 May 1944...

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Aircraft

  • 41-28711 "Little Sheppard"

    B-24 Liberator
    Assigned to 712th Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. ...

  • 41-29387 Snafu Snark

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24H, named SNAFU Snark, was an original 466th Bomb Group airplane. It flew combat missions from March 24, 1944 through August 8, 1944 when it crash landed at Manston emergency airfield, Kent, on it's return from a mission to Clastres, France. ...

  • 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...

  • 42-102589

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Gr Island 6/4/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 30/4/44; On a local flight 9/7/44 with Doug McArthur, Co-pilot: Stamos Zades, Navigator: George Mille, Bombardier: Chas Meyer, Flight engineer/top turret...

  • 42-102946

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 21/4/44; Kearney 2/5/44; Grenier 21/5/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 23/5/44; Missing in Action Krzesinki 29/5/44 with Ray Callahan, Co-pilot: Gene Kivett, Navigator: Jim Russell, Bombardier: John Gerson, Flight engineer/top...

  • 42-107047 The Doodle Bug

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Tulsa 6/2/44; Grenier 3/3/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-M] Horham 17/3/44; with R.V. Mercer force landed Framlingham AFB 25/12/44 with engine failure; battle damaged Berlin 3/2/45 with H. Palmer; force landed Charleroi, Bel; 97m, repaired & ret...

  • 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...

  • 42-30778 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:...

  • 42-31072 Betty J.

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    This was the only original aircraft of the 401st BG to return to the USA after the war. The aircraft was named after Lt. Bryan Shotts' Wife "Betty Jean Shotts". ...

  • 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...

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Revisions

Date Contributor Update
23 January 2017 19:21:04 cmckeever Changes to description and person associations
Sources

Daughter - Carol Rollinger McKeever
Date Contributor Update
05 June 2015 17:03:12 Pete Changes to media associations
Sources

452nd Bomb Group Assoc.
Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 10:05:12 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
11 January 2015 02:51:15 466thHistorian Changes to person associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Attlebridge Diaries - John Woolnough
Date Contributor Update
11 January 2015 02:44:27 466thHistorian Changes to event
Sources

Attlebridge Diaries - John Woolnough
Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom
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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