| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑05‑28 | 117 | 376 | Target: Junkers Aircraft Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany |
| Equipment and Smokescreen Problems: For the first mission of the day - identified as 'Regular Mission' in Group records - the 384th Bombardment Group (H) formed the High Group of the 41st Combat Bombardment Wing, the fourth of five wings comprising Air Task Force 1. Equipment problems on the bomb run on the primary target prevented the lead aircraft from releasing its bombs (the signal for the rest of the group to drop its bombs). After turning the lead over to the group deputy, the secondary target was found to be effectively obscured by a smoke screen, so the formation dropped their bombs on a target of opportunity (TOO), a factory complex about 10 miles east of Leipzig, Germany. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Completed Mission Comments: Group Lead. Aircraft experienced 'rack and AFCE problems' on initial bomb run, and was unable to drop bombs on the primary target. The air commander turned over the lead to his deputy for the (abortive) attack on the secondary target, and the actual attack on the TOO. |
TOO (Visual) Target: Factory Complex Type: Industry Location: Leipzig, Germany |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17G | 42‑97072 ⇗ | 547th | SO*H | GREEN MOUNTAIN GAL |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Commander | Thacker, Robert Eli⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Pilot | Bennett, Phillip Nathan, Jr⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Monfort, Robert Hugh⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Potts, Raymond Louis⇗ | Completed, Uninjured | |
| Bombardier | Austin, Raymond Lee, Jr⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | House, Harland Francis⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Whitley, William Martin⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Hughes, Richard Bland, Jr⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Rooker, Billy Roy⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Smith, Otto (NMI)⇗ | 547 | Completed, Uninjured |
| SORTIE-RELATED DOCUMENTS: | |
| TYPE | IDENTIFICATION |
| Photo | 28 May 1944, Group Lead, R. Thacker, P. Bennett |