Mission # 164

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date	24 July 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations	Show Operations > Mission 492: Heavy bombers are scheduled to participate in a US First Army offensive (Operation COBRA) to penetrate the German defenses West of Saint-L&ocicr; and secure Coutances; 1,586 bombers and 671 fighters are dispatched but bad weather causes the ground forces to delay the attack until next day, and cloud conditions cause 1,102 bombers to abort. >> Air Task Force 1. Of 909 B-17s, 343 hit the Periers/St Lô area and 35 hit the Granville railroad junction; 1 B-17 is lost and 70 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 1 1 WIA and 1 MIA. >> Air Task Force 2. 109 of 677 B-24s bomb targets of opportunity including road intersections and rail lines; 2 B-24s are lost and 74 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 1 WIA and 20 MIA. >> Escort for the bombers is provided by 478 P-38s, P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air and 1-0-1 on the ground; 3 P-38s are lost (pilots are MIA) and 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair and 1 P-47 is damaged. >> 143 of 169 P-51s fly a sweep over Lechfeld and Leipheim Airfields in Germany; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft in the air and 12-0-16 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA), 1 damaged beyond repair and 6 damaged. > Mission 493: 7 of 7 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night. > 6 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions during the night. Source: Jack McKillop, Rutgers University, used with permission. Hide Operations
384^th Bomb Group Mission	384th BG Mission Number 164, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 492 Weather Limits Attacks Next Mission Previous Mission The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st A Combat Bombardment Wing on today's mission. This mission was primarily against enemy troops near the invasion front lines. Weather prevented attacks on the primary target, but the lead group did manage to bomb a road junction just south of the primary target. The high group made two bomb runs in an attempt to attack the primary, but was unable see the target area. Similarly, the low group was preparing to make a second run on the primary when it received a radio message to abandon operations.
Primary Target	Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points Type: Military Location: La Chapelle en Juger & Hébécrevon, France
Target Attacked (Mode)	TOO (Visual) Target: Road Junction Type: Transportation Location: Le Mesnil-Amey, France
Sortie/Aircraft Summary	Completed Mission, not including spares - 36 Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 4
Mission Personnel	Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents	Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗
Other Mission Documents	1944-07-24, Wing Lead, D. Smith, W. Fairfield⇗

40 AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED TO THIS MISSION
Table is sorted by Pilot, and may be sorted by any column: click the column head.
Aircraft	Pilot	Results	Mission/Sortie Information
42‑31484⇗	Herzog, John Henry⇗	Completed Mission	Low Squadron deputy, low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑32106⇗	Young, Daniel Monroe⇗	Completed Mission	Low group hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37822⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑37982⇗	Durdin, Larkin Clayton⇗	Completed Mission	Low Squadron deputy, lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗	Hannaford, Vernon Lloyal⇗	Completed Mission	High group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗	Dudock, Edward Peter⇗	Completed Mission	High group hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97072⇗	Cole, Alfred Holton⇗	Completed Mission	Lead group hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97142⇗	Mead, Frank Willard⇗	Completed Mission	Low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97150⇗	Sweeney, Ned Hardy⇗	Completed Mission	Low group deputy, high group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97204⇗	Soester, Wilbur Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	High group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗	Johnstone, William Andrew⇗	Completed Mission	Low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97263⇗	Bennett, John R⇗	Completed Mission	High group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97282⇗	Norton, Paul E⇗	Completed Mission	Lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97320⇗	Melzar, Raymond Augustus⇗	Completed Mission	Lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗	Keate, Richard Clifford⇗	Completed Mission	Low group lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97948⇗	Gibson, James Allen⇗	Completed Mission	Lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97960⇗	Bahten, John Irwin⇗	Completed Mission	High group deputy and hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102459⇗	Allred, Frank Lavon⇗	Completed Mission	Lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗	Peck, Harland Kenneth⇗	Completed Mission	High section lead, low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102501⇗	Clements, Ben Hill⇗	Completed Mission	High section deputy, high group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑102601⇗	Donohue, William Robert⇗	Completed Mission	High section deputy, lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102617⇗	Dodson, Lee White⇗	Completed Mission	Lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗	Jennings, William Cornelius⇗	Completed Mission	High section deputy, low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102933⇗	[N/A]	Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑102959⇗	Kelley, Robert Encil⇗	Completed Mission	Wing deputy and hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107057⇗	Strand, Robert Earl⇗	Completed Mission	High section lead, lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107083⇗	Peterson, John Wright⇗	Completed Mission	High group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107125⇗	Fairfield, William Adelbert⇗	Completed Mission	Wing lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107148⇗	Liebert, Jack Louis⇗	Completed Mission	Low group deputy and hot camera ship. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37703⇗	Strong, Bert Franklin⇗	Completed Mission	Low Squadron lead, lead group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37713⇗	Myrick, Kenneth Delay⇗	Completed Mission	High section lead, high group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37822⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
43‑37843⇗	Lynch, Edward Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	Low Squadron lead, high group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37870⇗	Koch, Robert Bruce⇗	Completed Mission	High group lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37917⇗	Martin, Donald Francis⇗	Completed Mission	Low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6109⇗	Farra, Robert Leslie⇗	Completed Mission	Low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6135⇗	Bagby, Donald Woods⇗	Completed Mission	Low Squadron lead, low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6149⇗	Neville, Harry Walter⇗	Completed Mission	High group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6294⇗	Minor, Henry W⇗	Completed Mission	Low group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗