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B-17G 42-97986

Aircraft Details

Serial Number: 42-97986
Name: Not Known
Manufacturer: Built by the Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Corporation, B-17G-40-VE, Natural Metal Finish
Squadron: 545th Bombardment Squadron (H)
Squadron ID Code: 544th‑SU*M (through 1944-08-04)
544th‑SU*Z (through 1944-10-05)
545th‑JD*Y (through 1945-04-20)
Start Date: 29 July 1944. Transferred: Received from the 305th BG..
Missions: This aircraft was credited with 31 combat missions with the 384th.
End Date: 16 May 1945. Salvaged: Nosed over after landing from training flight.
Comments: This aircraft was equipped with a Radar bombing system, commonly referred to as PFF.
Related Documents:Accident Report # 45-05-16-512 (2.682 MB)
Photo Album: Aircraft 42-97986 Photo Album
(more...)

B-17G Aircraft 42-97986 Was Assigned To 49 Missions Manned by 384th BG Personnel,
Earning Combat Credit For 31 Of Them
Number Date Target Results Mission/Sortie Information
1714 August 1944Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Peenemünde, Germany
Completed MissionLead Group, Wing Deputy. PFF Ship.
Sortie Report
1769 August 1944Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
17711 August 1944Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France
Completed MissionHigh group lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
18425 August 1944Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany
Completed MissionWing lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
18526 August 1944Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Completed MissionWing lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
18630 August 1944Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France
Flight CompletedWeather aircraft.
Sortie Report
--1 September 1944Ludwigshaven, Germany, RECALLEDMission RecalledMaj. Koehne Wing Ldr
Sortie Report
1873 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
1885 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Completed MissionPFF ship. Low group lead.
Sortie Report
1909 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Completed MissionPFF ship. Wing lead.
Sortie Report
19413 September 1944Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Completed Mission41st A Combat Wing lead; PFF ship.
Sortie Report
19619 September 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany
Completed MissionPFF ship; lead Squadron deputy. Landed away at Old Buckenham, reason unknown.
Sortie Report
19721 September 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Mainz, Germany
Completed MissionWing deputy. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
19825 September 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Completed MissionB Wing, deputy wing lead. PFF ship. Led wing on bomb run due to failure of equipment on lead aircraft - the PFF on this ship went out momentarily on first bomb run, forcing a second one.
Sortie Report
19926 September 1944Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
20027 September 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed MissionLow group lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
20128 September 1944Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Magdeburg, Germany
Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 43‑38616.
Sortie Report
20230 September 1944Target: Handorf Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Münster, Germany
Completed MissionLow group lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
2043 October 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
2055 October 1944Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed MissionDeputy lead. This aircraft led the group on two PFF runs, was hit by flak over target area and lost two engines; could not keep up with group and was going to land in Belgium; plane was under control, but was reported to explode at about 2,000' altitude. However, while it was out of commission for about two months, it was back flying combat missions in December.
Sortie Report
2342 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany
Flight CompletedWeather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified.
Sortie Report
23912 December 1944Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
24223 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ehrang, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. Landed away at Horham due to weather.
Sortie Report
24324 December 1944Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Kirch Göns, Germany
Completed Mission13F Squadron Deputy. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
24528 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brühl, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
24630 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Limburg, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. PFF& Gee-H ship.
Sortie Report
24731 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2481 January 1945Target: Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Derben, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
2492 January 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gerolstein, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
2527 January 1945Target: Enemy Strong Point
Type: Military
Location: Blankenheim, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
2538 January 1945Target: Railroad
Type: Transportation
Location: Kyllburg, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
25410 January 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Bonn, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. PFF ship. Left his position and assumed lead at IP and led group on a PFF bomb run on secondary target (primary was obscured with clouds). The (secondary) target was picked up visually half-way down the bomb run but prior to release it was found that the bomb racks were frozen. He circled around and completed a second run with successful bomb release.
Sortie Report
25617 January 1945Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Bielefeld, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
25720 January 1945Target: Rail and Road Bridges
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead; PFF ship. Landed away at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk.
Sortie Report
26614 February 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Dresden, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead; PFF ship.
Sortie Report
--17 February 1945Mannheim, Germany, RECALLEDMission RecalledHSq Deputy
Sortie Report
26920 February 1945Target: Main Railroad Station
Type: Transportation
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
27021 February 1945Target: Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Nuremberg / Nürnberg, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
27324 February 1945Target: Submarine Construction Shipyard
Type: Shipyards
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
27627 February 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Wahren (Leipzig area), Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
2814 March 1945Target: Ordnance Depot
Type: Military
Location: Ulm, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy and hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
28510 March 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Schwerte, Germany
Flight CompletedWeather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified.
Sortie Report
28915 March 1945Target: Army HQ
Type: Military
Location: Zossen, Germany
Returned EarlyGroup deputy and lead Squadron hot camera ship. Turned back before the IP when #3 engine failed; bombed a target of opportunity (TOO), railroad marshalling yards in Vechta, Germany.
Sortie Report
29724 March 1945Target: Twente Enschede Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Completed Mission Sortie Report
29826 March 1945Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Zeitz, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
29928 March 1945Target: Berlin/Spandau Motor Transport Works
Type: Industry
Location: Spandau (Berlin), Germany
Completed MissionLead Squadron Deputy
Sortie Report
30030 March 1945Target: Deutsche Schiff- u. Maschinenbau A.G. (DESCHIMAG)
Submarine and Warship Yard
Machine Shop
Type: Submarine Facility
Location: Bremen, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report
31520 April 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Seddin, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
--16 May 1945Training
(Non-Combat)
Ground AccidentWhile taxiing after landing, the right tire blew, resulting in the aircraft nosing over. No personnel were injured.
Sortie Report