| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑08‑09 | 176 | 533 | Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Erding, Germany |
| More Bad Weather: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st B Combat Bombardment Wing - except for three aircraft from the 303rd BG, which formed the high element of the high group - on today's mission. Although the division abandoned operations at the Dutch Coast due to bad weather, the 41st B carried on until after they had passed Aachen, at which point the weather had become impenetrable. The wing leader ordered the wing to attack the briefed target of last resort, which the lead and high groups accomplished. However, the low group's bombsight gyro 'tumbled' just before bombs away, so they went on to bomb a target of opportunity (TOO), a bridge over the River Nahe at Nohfelden, Germany. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Completed Mission Comments: Lead group. |
Last Resort Target (Visual) Target: Shoe Factory Type: Industry Location: Pirmasens, Germany |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | |||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME | GROUND CREW CHIEF |
| B-17G | 42‑102601 ⇗ | 546th | BK*K | BOLO BABE | Pierce, Howard Bundy |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Cepits, Francis Frederick⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Co-pilot | McGahey, Thomas Levert⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Hance, Horace (NMI), Jr⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Bombardier | Henderson, Frank William, Jr⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | Cafiero, Lee Herman⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Shannon, James Brent⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Campbell, Donald Rudolph⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Haden, Levi Baldwin⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Kish, Steve (NMI)⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |