| 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) |
| No |
Aborted Mission After Taking Off. Comments: Low group hot camera ship. Turned back having lost the formation. |
TOO (Visual) Target: Railroad & Highway Viaduct Type: Transportation Location: Nohfelden/Hoppstädten, Germany |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17G | 42‑37788 ⇗ | 547th | SO*N | HELL'S MESSENGER |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Proctor, John Richard⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Co-pilot | Baker, Dale Richard⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Navigator | Gary, Joseph Shirley⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Togglier | Sarver, Harold Thomas⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Radio Operator | Nieters, George Henry, Jr⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Schulz, Russell Lloyd⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Ball Turret | Fox, Fred Calvin⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Tail Gunner | Northrup, Robert Louis⇗ | 544 | Aborted |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Luciano, Fred Joseph⇗ | 544 | Aborted |