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Mission # 71

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 4 March 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations Operations description not yet available.
384th Bomb Group Mission
384th BG Mission Number 71, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 247
Weather Alters Mission
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The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew as the low group of the 41st Combat Wing on today's mission. The Group had difficulty attaining its position in the wing formation because the wing leader used speeds greater than SOP, finally catching up near the Ruhr Valley. With the ground completely obscured by dense cloud cover, the wing commander informed his formation that they would bomb a target of opportunity (TOO), initially thought to be Cologne (Köln), Germany, but later determined to be Bonn.
Primary Target Type: Military
Location: Berlin, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) TOO (Visual)
Type: Non-Military
Location: Bonn, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 10
Flying Spare, Completed Mission - 2
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 1
Scrubbed - 1
Aborted - 7
Failed To Return - 3
Mission Personnel Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗
Other Mission Documents 1944-03-04, Group Lead, R. Ketelsen, F. Edwards⇗

24 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
42‑3441⇗Smith, Harry Bailey⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31166⇗Poole, George Irvin⇗Spare, Completed MissionFlying spare; joined formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31211⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑31235⇗Allison, Earl Thomas⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31364⇗West, George Berry⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 1035 hrs; aircraft took off late and was unable to locate the group formation due to poor visibility.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31375⇗Knapp, Paul Bernard⇗Completed MissionHigh Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31433⇗Urton, Raymond Lee⇗Completed MissionLow Squadron deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31484⇗Laboda, Joseph Stanley⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31495⇗Foster, James Everett⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑39888. Turned back at 1018 hrs because #2 & #3 engines were running rough, were smoking and detonating; tach and manifold pressure oscillated.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31606⇗Lovvorn, Hollie Ray⇗Failed To ReturnLow Squadron lead. Left formation at 1156 hrs right after bombs away going down under control, apparently in good condition and covered by friendly fighters; damaged by flak, crashed about 15 km northwest of Amiens, France. MACR 2739.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31740⇗Clayton, John Earl⇗Spare, Completed MissionFlying spare, joined formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31871⇗Outen, Charles Levi⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31926⇗Fioretti, Edward Anthony⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑32007⇗Cosentino, George (NMI)⇗Failed To ReturnIn formation at bomb release at 1157 hrs; damaged by flak, crashed 3 km north of Ransart, Belgium. MACR 2740
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37792⇗Pryor, Raymond Thomas⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 1010 hrs because engineer was knocked out while fixing the ball turret; when azimuth power switch was released, it caused the turret to swing around and hit the engineer in the head; he was taken to Thrapston Hospital for observation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37801⇗Smith, Roger Clement⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 0955 hrs; oxygen failure; dropped from 350 lbs to 250 lbs in 30 minutes without use.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37982⇗Goller, Theodore (NMI)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗Jorgenson, Henry (NMI)⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back at 1010 hrs because fuel transfer pump was inoperative.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38112⇗Thompson, Siguard (NMI)⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Group deputy. Turned back at 1048 hrs over enemy territory because #1, #2, and #3 engines were smoking very badly after pulling excessive manifold pressure for 30 minutes; aircraft was vibrating very badly.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗Bennett, Phillip Nathan⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39888⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑31495.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39991⇗Carpenter, Walter Richard⇗Failed To ReturnHigh Squadron lead. Was seen in formation at bombs away; at 1202 aircraft peeled off and left formation under control; all engines were running, but one may have been hit by flak; last seen going down still under control; flak, crashed 1 km south of Blangermont, France. MACR 2741
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97449⇗Daskey, Kendall (NMI)⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back because of oxygen system damage; filler line on ball turret was torn off.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97477⇗Edwards, Floyd Clinton⇗Completed MissionGroup lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗