| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1944‑08‑24 | 183 | 568 | Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant Type: Oil Industry Location: Merseburg, Germany |
| Oil Pressure: The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st C Combat Bombardment Wing on today's mission. The 8th AF continued to decimate the enemy's fuel supply by attacking this giant chemical complex. The C wing was to follow the A and B wings, but over the North Sea, they caught up and passed both, leading them from the enemy coast, for the rest of the mission. This was apparently due to the wings making different adjustments for cloud layers, and perhaps navigation errors. Although the 384th was prepared for a target obscured by clouds and smoke screen, there was sufficient visibility for visual bombing. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Completed Mission Comments: Low Squadron deputy, low group. |
Primary (Visual) |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | |||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME | GROUND CREW CHIEF |
| B-17G | 42‑97251 ⇗ | 546th | BK*O | SNUFFY | Kahn, Arthur William |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Tracy, Edward Hanks⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Co-pilot | Hancock, Harry Carleton⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Sheppard, Ralph Bartlett⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Bombardier | Vlaun, Richard Joseph⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | Hopkins, Robert Lee⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Veal, Connally Hammond⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Powell, Frederick H⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Balacek, Richard William⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Surowiec, Joseph (NMI)⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Barnett, Gene Henry⇗ | 546 | Completed, Uninjured |