Grafton Underwood, England (Station 106) 1943-1945
Combat History of the 384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in WWII
384th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
"Keep The Show On The Road"
| Serial Number: | 42-29717 |
| Name: | MR. FIVE BY FIVE |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Boeing Airplane Company, B-17F-65-BO, Camouflage |
| Squadron: | 544th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: |
544th‑SU*H (through 1943-11-03) 544th‑SU*M (through 1944-02-25) |
| Start Date: | 13 September 1943. Transferred: Received from the 92nd BG.. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 20 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 25 February 1944. Failed to return from combat operations. |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 2774⇓ (1.201 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 42-29717 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | 42-29717 Delivered to Cheyenne Modification Center, Colorado on 9 February 1943. Transferred to the 94th Bombardment Group at Pueblo Army Air Base, Colorado on 18 February 1943; then to Salina (Smokey Hill Army Airfield), Kansas on 25 February 1943; then to Brookley Field, Alabama on 19 March 1943. Moved back to Smokey Hill Army Airfield, Kansas on 23 March 1943; then to Syracuse Army Air Base, New York on 8 April 1943. Assigned to the 332nd Bombardment Squadron, squadron code XM*Z, 94th Bombardment Group, station 121, Bassingbourn UK on 17 April 1943; then to Station 158, Earls Colne, station 458 on 12 May 1943; then to Rougham on 13 June 1943. Transferred to the 326th Bombardment Squadron, 92nd Bombardment Group at Station 102, Alconbury on 1 August 1943. Moved to the 544th Bombardment Squadron, squadron code SU*M, 384th Bombardment Group, Station 106, Grafton Underwood on 13 August 1943. The aircraft went Missing in Action (MIA) on a mission to Augsburg on 25 February 1944 with Pilot-Jack Kirbey Larsen, Copilot-Warren Francis Donovan, Navigator-John James Fallon, Bombardier-Edward Joseph Murray, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner-Karl Francis Barnes, Radio Operator-Robert Lester Cole, Ball Turret Gunner-Alton Bernhard Haverlah, Waist Gunner-Edward Simon, Waist Gunner-Edward Ralph Holler and Tail Gunner-John William Moore were taken prisoner (10 POW). The aircraft had a mechanical fault and crash landed at Bruchsal, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 2774. Aircraft Name: MR FIVE BY FIVE. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25⇗ | 23 September 1943 | Target: Submarine Repair Ship Type: Submarine Facility Location: Nantes, France | Completed Mission | Landed away at RAF Wing, Buckinghamshire. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 27⇗ | 2 October 1943 | Target: Port Facilities Type: Transportation Location: Emden, Germany | Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 29⇗ | 8 October 1943 | Target: Workshops Type: Submarine Facility Location: Bremen, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 30⇗ | 9 October 1943 | Target: Aircraft Factories Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Anklam, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 31⇗ | 10 October 1943 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Münster, Germany | Completed Mission | Landed away at Desborough due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 13 October 1943 | Emden, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 32⇗ | 14 October 1943 | Target: Ball-Bearing Factory Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany | Completed Mission | Tail gunners heated suit failed after crossing coast and inside enemy territory. Individual Sortie Reports and Squadron Commander's notes on the Abortive Report submitted by the pilot indicate that combat credit was granted. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 33⇗ | 20 October 1943 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Düren, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| --⇗ | 30 October 1943 | Gelsenkirchen, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 34⇗ | 3 November 1943 | Target: Port Area Type: Transportation Location: Wilhelmshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | Kennedy (CP) and Hedin (N) wounded by flak burst in nose of aircraft. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 45⇗ | 22 December 1943 | Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Osnabrück, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 46⇗ | 24 December 1943 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Croisette, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 47⇗ | 30 December 1943 | Target: I. G. Farben Industrie, Chemical/Synthetic Rubber Plants Type: Industry Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany | Completed Mission | Composite Squadron Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 54⇗ | 21 January 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France | Completed Mission | 41A Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 24 January 1944 | Frankfurt am Main, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | A Grp Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 55⇗ | 29 January 1944 | Target: Aircraft Parts Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 56⇗ | 30 January 1944 | Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany | Completed Mission | Low group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 57⇗ | 3 February 1944 | Target: Submarines (under construction) Type: Submarine Facility Location: Wilhelmshaven, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 58⇗ | 4 February 1944 | Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | High group, 41st B Combat Wing. Turned back with 'supercharger trouble.' Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 60⇗ | 6 February 1944 | Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | This aircraft did not take off. 544th BS loading list does not identify the crewmembers; pilot identified from other documents. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 61⇗ | 8 February 1944 | Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 63⇗ | 20 February 1944 | Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany | Completed Mission | 41B Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 64⇗ | 21 February 1944 | Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 65⇗ | 22 February 1944 | Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | 41A Group. Took off late (0922 instead of 0845) due to mechanical trouble but succeeded in joining formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 66⇗ | 24 February 1944 | Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany | Completed Mission | High Squadron, lead group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 67⇗ | 25 February 1944 | Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany | Failed To Return | 41C Group, High Squadron, Lead Group. Feathered #2 engine at 1325 hrs but continued on towards target; at 1420, three minutes before target was reached, jettisoned bombs and peeled off from formation, perhaps heading for Switzerland; crash-landed near Bruchsal, Germany. MACR 2774 Sortie Report ⇗ |