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Mission # 32

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 14 October 1943
VIII Bomber Command Operations Operations description not yet available.
384th Bomb Group Mission
384th BG Mission Number 32, VIII BC Mission Number 115
"Second Schweinfurt" aka "Black Thursday"
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) put up three squadrons on today's mission. However, six aircraft aborted, reducing the number that bombed the primary target. A further six aircraft were knocked out by enemy action. An all-too-familiar situation faced the returning crews - bad weather over East Anglia. Three Aircraft were lost when the crews, unable to locate a suitable place to land in England, bailed out and abandoned them, while most of the remainder landed at other airfields.
Primary Target Target: Ball-Bearing Factory
Type: Bearings Industry
Location: Schweinfurt, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Primary (Visual)
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 4
Returned Early - 1
Crashed - 3
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 2
Aborted - 5
Failed To Return - 6
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster or Mission Loading Lists
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives

21 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
41‑24525Carter, T L (IO)Completed MissionLanded away at Little Staughton.
SORTIE REPORT
41‑24560Hurley, Joseph AnthonyAborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑3037Price, William MerrimanCrashed In Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out near Deenethorpe on return; the aircraft crash-landed near Corby, UK.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑3216Kopf, William EverettFailed To ReturnDamaged by enemy aircraft; exploded and crashed near Dilsen, Belgium; MACR 841.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑3218[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑3429Sprague, Alfred LeeAborted Mission After Taking Off.High Squadron lead. Landed away at Alconbury.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑5444[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑5852Goulder, Edmund SamuelCrashed In Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out over England; aircraft crashed near Chetwode, UK on return.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29651Jacobs, Randolph George EdwardReturned EarlyTurned back early after #2 supercharger ran away off the coast of Belgium. Bombs were jettisoned in the Channel and they landed away at Great Ashfield.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29703Robinson, Robert LawrenceCompleted MissionLanded away at Molesworth.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29717Carpenter, Walter RichardAborted Mission After Taking Off. SORTIE REPORT
42‑29768Willing, Mark SkinnerAborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back. Landed away at Ridgewell.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29784Johnson, Erwin CrawfordCrashed In Allied TerritoryCrew bailed out over England; their battle-damaged aircraft crash-landed near Baydon, Wiltshire. Erwin C. Johnson and Elliott L. Gadd were injured as a result of bailing out. Johnson did not fly again. Gadd remained off flight status until 5 December 1943.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29800Harry, William RussellFailed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Simmershofen, Germany; MACR 840.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29809Bedsole, Joseph LinyerCompleted MissionLanded away at Molesworth.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29867Williams, Walter GordonFailed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Metz, France; MACR 838.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑29870Kauffman, Giles FelkerFailed To ReturnCrashed near Bad Brückenau, Germany; MACR 1038.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑30026Algar, Philip MorrisCompleted MissionGroup lead. Only plane to return to Grafton Underwood.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑30033Armstrong, Lloyd RowlandAborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back. Landed away at Metfield.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑30196Keller, Lawrence LarryFailed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed at Bischbrunn, Germany, 21 miles WNW of Würzburg, Germany; MACR 839.
SORTIE REPORT
42‑31059Ogilvie, Donald PotterFailed To ReturnKnocked down by enemy aircraft; crashed near Soissons, France; MACR 842.
SORTIE REPORT