| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑06‑14 | 135 | 412 | Target: Coulommiers Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Coulommiers, France |
| Clouds Cover Primary: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew as the 41st B Combat Bombardment Wing (41B Wing) and the High Group of the 41st D Combat Bombardment Wing (41D Group) on today's mission. The primary and secondary targets of the 41B Wing were hidden by 10/10 cloud cover, so a target of opportunity (TOO), the airfield at Creil, was bombed by the Lead and High groups: the Low group was forced out of position by sudden maneuvers by the Wing Lead and were unable to follow him on the bomb run to the TOO, resulting in no attack by the Low Group. The High and Low groups returned to England in formation with the Wing ahead of them in the bomber stream. Weather prevented the 41D Group from attacking the primary. After three runs on the primary target, contact with the Lead group was lost, and a decision was made to attempt to find the secondary target. However, weather conditions there were similar, so all bombs were returned to base. Also, because this group had lost contact with its Wing, it returned to base alone. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Failed To Return Comments: 41B Wing, Low Group. Attacked by about ten enemy aircraft on route to target; aircraft exploded and crashed near Bisseau, France. MACR 580 |
No Target Attacked |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17G | 42‑97188 ⇗ | 544th | SU*A | not known |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Summerville, Robert Dana⇗ | 544 | KIA |
| Co-pilot | Vogt, Jean Deveau⇗ | 544 | KIA |
| Navigator | Wiseman, Abraham (NMI)⇗ | 544 | Evaded/Wounded |
| Bombardier | Eisenach, Ralph Eugene⇗ | 544 | POW |
| Radio Operator | McClanahan, John Howard, Jr⇗ | 544 | POW |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Holt, Alfred Irwin⇗ | 544 | Evaded |
| Ball Turret | Larocca, Frank (NMI)⇗ | 544 | POW |
| Tail Gunner | Harris, Thomas James⇗ | 544 | KIA |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Marshall, Sylvester Joseph⇗ | 544 | POW |
| SORTIE-RELATED DOCUMENTS: | |
| TYPE | IDENTIFICATION |
| MACR | Missing Air Crew Report # 5800⇗ |
| ESCAPE | Escape & Evasion Report # 1009⇗ |
| ESCAPE | Escape & Evasion Report # 1193⇗ |