| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1943‑07‑29 | 12 | 79 | Target: Naval Base Type: Military Location: Kiel, Germany |
| Weather Stymies Bombers: Solid clouds at German coast prevented formations from continuing mission. Captain Ketelson led Group in an attack on a target of opportunity (TOO), an airfield on a German coastal island, near Heligoland. Due to the shortness of the bomb run, the Bombardier reported all bombs fell into the North Sea. About fifty enemy fighters and moderate flak were encountered after turning back. Wing formation was described as 'straggling', leaving formations vulnerable to attack. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| No |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off. Comments: Turned back over North Sea because #3 exhaust manifold blew and pressure went down to 15 inches, making it impossible to keep up with formation. |
N/A |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | |||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME | GROUND CREW CHIEF |
| B-17F | 42‑3074 ⇗ | 545th | JD*B | KATHLEEN / LOMA LEE | Wilson, Stuart P |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Swank, Robert Dale⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Co-pilot | Hoffmeyer, William Alfred⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Navigator | Bolin, Harold Andrew⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Bombardier | Perkins, Newell Edward⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Radio Operator | Mattoon, William Earl⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Kosse, Russel Jerome⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Ball Turret | Johnson, Carl Benjamin⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Tail Gunner | Martin, J D (IO)⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Smith, William James⇗ | 545 | Aborted |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Richey, Charles Virgil⇗ | 545 | Aborted |