| MISSION DATA: | |||
| DATE | 384th BG Mission # | 8th AF Mission # | 384th PRIMARY TARGET |
| 1943‑10‑14 | 32 | 115 | Target: Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany |
| "Second Schweinfurt" aka "Black Thursday": The 384th Bombardment Group (H) put up three squadrons on today's mission. However, six aircraft aborted, reducing the number that bombed the primary target. A further six aircraft were knocked out by enemy action. An all-too-familiar situation faced the returning crews - bad weather over East Anglia. Three Aircraft were lost when the crews, unable to locate a suitable place to land in England, bailed out and abandoned them, while most of the remainder landed at other airfields. | |||
| SORTIE DATA: | ||
| COMBAT CREDIT | STATUS | TARGET ATTACKED (MODE) |
| Yes |
Returned Early Comments: Turned back early after #2 supercharger ran away off the coast of Belgium. Bombs were jettisoned in the Channel and they landed away at Great Ashfield. Individual Sortie Reports and Completion of Tour documents indicate that combat credit was granted. David H. Davis received the DFC for Extraordinary Achievement. |
Primary (Visual) |
| SORTIE AIRCRAFT DATA: | ||||
| TYPE | SERIAL NUMBER | SQUADRON | SQ CODE | NAME |
| B-17F | 42‑29651 ⇗ | 544th | SU*G | STELLA |
| SORTIE CREW DATA: | |||
| POSITION | CREWMEMBER | UNIT | STATUS |
| Pilot | Jacobs, Randolph George Edward⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Co-pilot | Boger, Eugene Arthur⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Navigator | Curtin, John Quinn⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Bombardier | Davis, David Harold⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Radio Operator | Cloud, Doy Jennings⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Engineer/Top Turret | Goetz, Jack Keith⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Ball Turret | Gorham, Donald Frederick⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Tail Gunner | Compton, Robert Lewis⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Wager, Lawrence Holmes⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |
| Waist (Flexible) Gunner | Gregori, Aldo Joseph⇗ | 544 | Completed, Uninjured |