SORTIE REPORT #1918
MISSION DATA:
DATE 384th BG Mission # 8th AF Mission # 384th PRIMARY TARGET
1944‑02‑25 67 235 Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants
Type: Industry
Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany
Big Week, Last Day: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided aircraft and crews to two separate combat wings for today's mission. One formation flew as the high group of the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing (41A Group), and another small contingent flew as portions of the lead and low groups of the 41st Composite Combat Wing (41C Group). Weather at the 41A Group's target area near Augsburg was CAVU and visual bombing results were good.
During assembly, one aircraft was forced out of the 41A Group while avoiding a mid-air collision and ended up joining the 41C Group and bombing a ball bearing plant with them. Weather at the 41C Group's target area near Stuttgart was CAVU and visual bombing results were good.
SORTIE DATA:
COMBAT CREDIT STATUS TARGET ATTACKED (MODE)
Yes Failed To Return
Comments: 41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Feathered #2 engine at 1325 hrs but continued on towards target; at 1420, three minutes before target was reached, jettisoned bombs and peeled off from formation, perhaps heading for Switzerland; crash-landed near Bruchsal, Germany. MACR 2774
Primary (Visual)
SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA:
TYPE SERIAL NUMBER SQUADRON SQ CODE NAME
B-17F 42‑29717 544th SU*M MR. FIVE BY FIVE
SORTIE CREW DATA:
POSITION CREWMEMBER UNIT STATUS
Pilot Larsen, Jack Kirby 544 POW
Co-pilot Donovan, Warren Francis 544 POW
Navigator Fallon, John James 544 POW
Bombardier Murray, Edward Joseph 544 POW
Radio Operator Cole, Robert Lester 544 POW
Engineer/Top Turret Barnes, Karl Francis 544 POW
Ball Turret Haverlah, Alton Bernhard 544 POW
Tail Gunner Moore, John William 544 POW
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Holler, Edward Ralph 544 POW
Waist (Flexible) Gunner Simon, Edward (NMI) 544 POW
SORTIE-RELATED DOCUMENTS:
TYPE IDENTIFICATION
MACRMissing Air Crew Report # 2774
Sortie Report 1918 provided by 384thBombGroup.com
SortieEngine.php Rev. 3.3.2, 22 June 2022
Report generated: 19 March 2024, 12:20 AM (PDT)
Site design and content © 1999-2024 by Webmaster