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B-17G 42-98000

Aircraft Details

Serial Number: 42-98000
Name: FIGHTIN' HEBE
This aircraft was named after Nathan 'Mike' Mazer, 544th Ordnance Officer. It was intended as a recognition of his fighting spirit, and he was quite proud of it.
Manufacturer: Built by the Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed Corporation, B-17G-40-VE, Natural Metal Finish
Squadron: 544th Bombardment Squadron (H)
Squadron ID Code: 544th‑SU*J
Start Date: 15 July 1944. New Replacement AC.
Missions: This aircraft was credited with 54 combat missions with the 384th.
End Date: 8 January 1945. Failed to return from combat operations.
Related Documents:Missing Air Crew Report # 11579 (6.117 MB)
Photo Album: Aircraft 42-98000 Photo Album
(more...)

B-17G Aircraft 42-98000 Was Assigned To 63 Missions Manned by 384th BG Personnel,
Earning Combat Credit For 54 Of Them
Number Date Target Results Mission/Sortie Information
16119 July 1944Target: Hydrogen Peroxide Plant
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Höllriegelskreuth District, Pullach, Germany
Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Lead group. Turned back due to low oxygen pressure.
Sortie Report
16220 July 1944Target: Aircraft Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Dessau, Germany
Completed MissionLow Group Lead. On the bomb run, hit by flak in #4 engine; had to jettison bomb load to stay in formation.
Sortie Report
1747 August 1944Target: Aircraft Fuel Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dugny (Paris), France
Completed MissionLead group.
Sortie Report
17711 August 1944Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France
Completed MissionHigh section lead, high group.
Sortie Report
17913 August 1944Target: Tactical: Road Network
Type: Transportation
Location: Beaumont-le-Roger (area), France
Completed MissionHigh group.
Sortie Report
18014 August 1944Target: Echterdingen Airdrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Completed MissionLow group.
Sortie Report
18116 August 1944Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Delitzsch, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy, high group.
Sortie Report
18218 August 1944Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium
Completed MissionLead group.
Sortie Report
18324 August 1944Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
18630 August 1944Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Crepieul, France
Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑102566.
Sortie Report
--1 September 1944Ludwigshaven, Germany, RECALLEDMission Recalled Sortie Report
1873 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
1885 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Completed MissionHot camera ship, low Squadron.
Sortie Report
1898 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
1909 September 1944Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
19413 September 1944Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
19825 September 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Aborted Mission After Taking Off.C Wing, lead Squadron. Aborted due to personnel illness.
Sortie Report
19926 September 1944Target: Steelworks
Type: Industry
Location: Osnabrück, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
20027 September 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards (PFF Aiming Points)
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed MissionHigh group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
20230 September 1944Target: Handorf Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Münster, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2032 October 1944Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed MissionDropped bombs early, reason unknown.
Sortie Report
2043 October 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2055 October 1944Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
Sortie Report
2077 October 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Spare, Completed MissionLead Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report
2089 October 1944Target: Ball-Bearing Plant
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
20911 October 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Wesseling, Germany
Completed MissionThird Squadron.
Sortie Report
21014 October 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Saarbrücken, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
21115 October 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron.
Sortie Report
21217 October 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
21419 October 1944Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Completed MissionLead Squadron.
Sortie Report
21525 October 1944Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Completed MissionFourth Squadron.
Sortie Report
21630 October 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2194 November 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2205 November 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2216 November 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
Sortie Report
2228 November 1944Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant (visual aim point)
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2239 November 1944Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France
Completed Mission Sortie Report
22410 November 1944Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany
Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off41D Squadron. Replaced by Ground Spare aircraft 44‑8409.
Sortie Report
22511 November 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
22616 November 1944Target: Tactical - Artillery Positions
Type: Military
Location: Eschweiler, Germany
Completed MissionHot camera ship. Landed away at Stratford, due to weather.
Sortie Report
22720 November 1944Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
22823 November 1944Target: Nordstern Coking Plant at Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-A.G.
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
22925 November 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Lützkendorf, Germany
Flying Spare, Returned As BriefedLow Squadron
Sortie Report
23026 November 1944Target: Railroad Viaduct
Type: Transportation
Location: Altenbeken, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
23229 November 1944Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
23330 November 1944Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Zeitz, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2342 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Oberlahnstein, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
Sortie Report
2354 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Soest, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
Sortie Report
2366 December 1944Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2379 December 1944Target: Airfield and Daimler Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Böblingen (Stuttgart area), Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
23811 December 1944Target: Road & Rail Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
23912 December 1944Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron hot camera ship
Sortie Report
24018 December 1944Target: Road Junction
Type: Transportation
Location: Gemünd, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
24119 December 1944Target: Railway Junction
Type: Transportation
Location: Glaadt, Germany
Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffDid not take off due to weather which deteriorated after lead aircraft took off.
Sortie Report
24223 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Ehrang, Germany
Completed MissionLanded away at Eye due to weather.
Sortie Report
24324 December 1944Target: Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Kirch Göns, Germany
Completed MissionTook off from Eye Airfield, AAF Station 134 (was unable to return to GU after prior day's mission due to weather), and flew the mission with the 490th BG, attacking their assigned primary target.
Sortie Report
24427 December 1944Target: Bridge (Tactical)
Type: Transportation
Location: Altenahr, Germany
Completed MissionLow Squadron.
Sortie Report
24528 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Brühl, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
24630 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Limburg, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
24731 December 1944Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Neuss, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2492 January 1945Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Gerolstein, Germany
Completed MissionHigh Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report
2527 January 1945Target: Enemy Strong Point
Type: Military
Location: Blankenheim, Germany
Completed Mission Sortie Report
2538 January 1945Target: Railroad
Type: Transportation
Location: Kyllburg, Germany
Failed To ReturnMIA. Prior to the IP at 1022 hrs, this aircraft was observed slowing up and dropping behind formation. It was then lost to view in contrails. Flak damaged one or more engines. Crashed near BAASEM, Germany. MACR 11579
Sortie Report