Mission # 248

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 1 January 1945
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
384th Bomb Group Mission
384th BG Mission Number 248, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 774
Two Targets Attacked
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The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew today's mission as the 41st Combat Wing C Group. Weather at the primary forced the decision to attack elsewhere. The lead squadron attacked a target of opportunity (TOO) and the high and low squadrons attacked the briefed PFF secondary target in visual mode.
Primary Target Target: Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Derben, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Secondary (Visual)
Target: Vehicle Workshop
Type: Industry
Location: Kassel, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 35
Flying Spare, Completed Mission - 2
Flight Completed - 1
Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed - 1
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 3
Scrubbed - 1
Aborted - 1
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗

44 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
42‑32106⇗Gilmer, Charles E⇗Flying Spare, Returned As BriefedLead Squadron
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37788⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 43‑37843.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37822⇗Warner, Henry L⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗Chamberlin, Myron⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗Ramsay, Walter E⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron. Crashed while landing at RAF Detling, Kent, on return from mission with battle damage. Struck obstructions including a hut, destroying aircraft. There were no personnel injuries.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗Gregg, William G⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97271⇗MacKellar, Donald Allen⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97309⇗Holmes, George W⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron. Left formation over friendly territory and landed on Continent, due to low fuel.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97320⇗Birder, Rodney Hugh⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑97960⇗Smisek, William Joseph⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97986⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑102459⇗Hoppen, Jack Stewart⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗Johnson, Donald Ernest⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron. Left formation over friendly territory and crash-landed near Okegem, Belgium, with battle damage. Seven crewmembers had bailed out and the pilot and co-pilot landed the aircraft in a field.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102518⇗Hollingsworth, Fredrick Clay⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗Milligan, George Robert⇗Spare, Completed MissionLow Squadron flying spare; joined formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102661⇗McKone, Joseph Francis⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107125⇗Oosterhof, Franklin Gerald⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37703⇗Ultcht, John Preston⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37717⇗Baughman, John R⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37843⇗Bennett, Ralph J⇗Completed MissionGround Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37788. High Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37917⇗Zink, Joseph Darrell⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38016⇗Rice, Robert Eugene⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy. Gee-H ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38062⇗Galiano, Joe Vincent⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38501⇗Tatulis, Charles Paul⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38616⇗Cook, Raymond D⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38630⇗Belsinger, Harry Flair⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38673⇗Boyette, Irving H⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38678⇗Miley, Harold L⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38721⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
43‑38747⇗Mohler, John Grigsby⇗Flight CompletedWeather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38752⇗Jackson, Oakley Homer⇗Spare, Completed MissionHigh Squadron flying spare; returned as briefed.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38757⇗Farnsworth, Reuben Joseph⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38800⇗Rowe, George B⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38801⇗Fisher, Robert Jeremy⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑98000. Low Squadron. Struck some trees in avoiding a collision with another aircraft following takeoff in poor visibility. The wings and fuselage were damaged, but this aircraft continued in flight. They jettisoned bombs in the Channel, and returned to base.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38823⇗Touton, William Frank⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑38994⇗Festersen, John Carl⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6109⇗Kinkead, Robert Miller⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6514⇗Molder, Charles Richard⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6592⇗Abbott, William H⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8216⇗Gilmore, James Robson⇗Completed MissionGroup lead. PFF ship. Prevented from attacking the primary target by weather, led an attack on the secondary PFF target, but did not attack when PFF equipment failed. After several additional failed attempts to attack the secondary and last resort targets, finally attacked a target of opportunity (TOO).
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8221⇗Keller, Marion Wayne⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron lead. PFF ship. Followed group lead past primary target and started bomb run on secondary PFF target but was out of position. Returned for a second run and found the assigned MPI was obliterated by other bombs, they 'bombed the shops and yards at the western side' of the target area.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8401⇗Smith, James Milton⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron lead. PFF ship. Waist Gunner hit by flak but was saved by flak suit. After unsuccessful runs on the primary and secondary PFF targets, this Squadron broke formation and returned to bomb the secondary PFF target by visual means.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑8430⇗Richardson, George P⇗Completed MissionLead Squadron hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗