Hunter Harris
Military | General | 447th BG Commander | 447th Bomb Group
From Wikipedia:
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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 connected with a planned ground invasion of France the following summer. This meant they were attacking
ports, missile sites, airfields and marshalling yards in France, Belgium, and Germany. In June 1944 itself, the Group supported the invasion of Normandy by bombing airfields and other targets near the beachhead. One of the Group's B-17s, named "Milk Wagon", set the record for the number of missions with no turn-backs for a B-17 in the 3rd Air Division with 129 missions.
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Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England in Nov 1943 and assigned to Eighth AF. Entered combat in Dec 1943 and operated chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization.
From Dec 1943 to May 1944, helped to prepare for the invasion of the Continent by attacking submarine pens, naval installations, and cities in Germany; ports and missile sites in France; and airfields and marshalling yards in France, Belgium, and Germany. During Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944, took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry.
Supported the invasion of Normandy in Jun 1944 by bombing airfields and other targets near the beachhead. Aided the breakthrough at St Lo in Jul and the effort to take Brest in Sep. Pounded enemy positions to assist the airborne invasion of Holland in Sep. Also dropped supplies to Free French forces during the summer of 1944. Turned to strategic targets in Germany in Oct 1944, placing emphasis on sources of oil production until mid-Dec.
2nd Lt Robert E Femoyer, navigator, won the Medal of Honor for action on 2 Nov 1944: while on a mission over Germany, his B-17 was damaged by flak and Femoyer was severely wounded by shell fragments; determined to navigate the plane out of danger and save the crew, he refused a sedative and, for more than two hours, directed the navigation of the bomber so effectively that it returned to base without further damage; Femoyer died shortly after being removed from the plane.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945, the group assaulted marshalling yards, railroad bridges, and communications centers in the combat zone. Then resumed operations against targets in Germany, attacking oil, transportation, communications, and other objectives until the war ended. During this period, also supported the airborne assault across the Rhine (Mar 1945). Returned to the US in Aug 1945. Inactivated on 7 Nov 1945.
Commanders:
Lt Col Robert D McDonald, 10 May 1943
Col Hunter Harris Jr, 23 May 1943
Col William Wrigglesworth, 25 Sep 1944
Lt Col Louis G Thorup, 31 Mar 1945;
Air Force Combat Units of World War II, Maurer, Maurer: USAF, 1986
Source: Eighth Air Force Operations History http://www.8thafhs.com/get_one_acgroup.php?
acgroup_id=8
Military | General | 447th BG Commander | 447th Bomb Group
From Wikipedia:
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Military | Colonel | Group Air Executive Officer, Pilot, Squadron Commander, Group Commander | 447th Bomb Group
First Squadron Commanding Officer for the 333rd BS of 94th BG from 19 November to June 1943.
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Ground Executive Officer | 447th Bomb Group
Wilfred Beaver (10 May 1897 – 19 August 1986) was a World War I flying ace credited with 19 aerial victories.
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Military | Colonel | 447th Bomb Group
Wing
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Headquarters
24 December 1943
This mission is directed at V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. The attacks are made between 1330-1510hrs. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a force of 277 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG ...
30 December 1943
The port area and oil refineries at Ludwigshaven, Germany are the target for this massive attack of 710 heavy bombers. The despatch includes 12 PFF-equipped B-17s from 482BG, 11 of these are effective on the mission, 3 are damaged, and the bomber...
31 December 1943
This mission is the last heavy bomber operation of 1943. 1943 had been a very "tough" year for the 8th Air Force in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). 23365 B-17s had been despatched on missions and 881 had Failed to Return (FTR) for a loss...
4 January 1944
The port area of Kiel, Germany and the railroad marshalling yards at Munster, Germany are the Primary targets of this Mission which is organised as two elements: one going to Kiel and the other to Munster. Roger A. Freeman begins to designate aircraft...
7 January 1944
The industrial areas of Ludwigshaven, Germany are the primary target for this mission. The formation has three elements. The bomber gunners of the entire force claim 30-6-17 of attacking German aircraft.
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11 January 1944
Three aviation industry targets in Germany are bombed. The bomber force consists of 291 B-17s despatched from 1st Bomb Division in two elements, one element of 177 B-17s is despatched to Oschersleben, Germany as the primary target, the other 1BD...
14 January 1944
This mission is a combined effort of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bomb Divisions to attack V-Weapon sites near the French coast near Pas-de-Calaise. Some targets of opportunity were also bombed. A total of 20 out of 21 V-Weapon sites are hit with varying results.
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24 January 1944
The primary target of this mission was the Zukunft power station at Eschweilier, Germany. The mision was composed of 563 bombers three elements from 1BD, 2BD and 3BD. The despatch from 2BD was recalled due to weather before it could take off. Mission...
29 January 1944
The primary target for this mission was the railroad marshalling yards and industrial areas of Frankfurt, Germany. A combined force of 863 heavy bombers were despatched in three elements to make the attack. The combined bomber gunner claims on enemy...
30 January 1944
This mission has the aviation industry at Brunswick, Germany as the primary target. The mission is composed of a combined force pf 777 heavy bomber aircraft despatched in three elements: 1st Bomb Division; 2nd Bomb Division and 3rd Bomb Division. The...
Station | Location | Date |
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Based | Rattlesden | 30 November 1943 – 2 August 1945 |
Military | Second Lieutenant | Command Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Lt. Clarence Aaberg was killed on his 3rd mission, flying the B-17 42-37855, returning from a mission to Regensburg, Germany, 25-Feb-44. His Fortress was hit and lost the #3 engine 10 minutes after bombing it's target. The crew saw quite a few German...
Military | 447th Bomb Group
Military | 447th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | 447th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville, FR after crew bailed out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Captain | 447th Bomb Group
Military | 447th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-31125. Prisoner of War (POW).
PH/ POW
Military | Master Sergeant (1st Grade) | Flight Chief-710 Bomb Squadron | 447th Bomb Group
Military | 447th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Gr Island 15/3/44; Grenier 2/4/44; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 8/4/44; Missing in Action Brux 12/5/44 with Tom Mandrell, Co-pilot: Bill Popovich, Navigator: Don McDougall, Bombardier: Okley Wheeler{Wounded in Action},...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Cheyenne 2/3/44; Hunter 16/3/44; Nashville 23/3/44; Dow Fd 12/4/44; Assigned 709BS/447BG [IJ-E] Rattlesden 20/4/44; crashed on take off for mission 28/6/44 with Tom Brown, Co-pilot: Bob Jacobs, Navigator: Herbert Wolf, Bombardier: T/Sgt Tom Middleton,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 2/3/44; Gr Island 16/3/44; Presque Is 2/4/44; Assigned 709BS/447BG [CQ-M] Rattlesden 6/4/44.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/3/44; Gr Island 13/3/44; Dow Fd 7/4/44; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 8/4/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 7/10/44 with Bob Harwood, Jim Kelley, Karl Wendell, Russell Tolle, Sam Manipella, Dick Roberts, Ron Fleming (7 Prisoner of...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 7/3/44; Kearney 6/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 710BS/447BG [IJ-B] Rattlesden 22/4/44; Missing in Action Chemnitz 11/9/44 with Leroy Hyder (KIA-chute failed, crashed through factory roof); Co-pilot: Harry Wood, Navigator: Jim...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 7/3/44; Gr Island 29/3/44; Dow Fd 7/4/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG [CQ- ] Rattlesden 8/4/44; Missing in Action Berlin 29/4/44 with Edgar Farrell, Co-pilot: John Benedict, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Peters, Radio Operator:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Dow Fd 19/4/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG [CQ- ] Rattlesden 20/4/44; Missing in Action Berlin 24/5/44 with Ralph Simon, Co-pilot: Ed Tully, Navigator: Joe Teixeira, Bombardier: Ralph Pittman, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/3/44; Gr Island 1/4/44; force landed base with Clark Graham 19/4/44; Dow Fd 24/4/44; Assigned 710BS/447BG Rattlesden 3/5/44; crashed on take off with Lt. Jesse Sills 1/1/45, Written Off (damaged beyond repair). The aircraft was...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Kearney 1/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG [CQ-] Rattlesden 22/4/44; returned from Caen 6/6/44 with Phil Chase, Co-pilot: George Phillips, Navigator: Francis PrendercastWounded in Action, Bombardier: George Betker,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/3/44; Hunter 13/4/44; Presque Is 19/5/44; Assigned 710BS/447BG Rattlesden 22/4/44; force landed continent 10/1/45; Salvaged 11/1/45.
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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05 September 2018 01:44:22 | jhuck | Changes to commanding officers associations |
Sources | ||
John G Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields, p. 320 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 September 2018 20:16:33 | jhuck | Changes to commanding officers associations |
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Entry by John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 September 2018 20:10:45 | jhuck | Changes to description |
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Entry by John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
25 May 2018 17:17:20 | LUCKY PARTNERS | Changes to description |
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lp |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
28 March 2017 19:49:07 | RHT447 | Changes to motto |
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Note: Fiat justitia ruat cælum is a Latin legal phrase, meaning "Let justice be done though the heavens fall." |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 June 2015 20:33:05 | 466thHistorian | Changes to mission associations |
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Chris Brassfield |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:20:20 | rossingtonj | Changes to mission associations |
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Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:20:09 | rossingtonj | Changes to mission associations |
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Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
13 March 2015 15:19:58 | rossingtonj | Changes to type and mission associations |
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Type added. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:42:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |