| Serial Number: | 42-37974 |
| Name: | SECTION 8 |
| Manufacturer: | Built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, B-17G-20-DL, Camouflage |
| Squadron: | 545th, 544th Bombardment Squadron (H) |
| Squadron ID Code: |
545th‑JD*O (through 1944-03-22) 544th‑SU*M (through 1944-07-20) |
| Start Date: | 21 January 1944. New Replacement AC. |
| Missions: | This aircraft was credited with 42 combat missions with the 384th. |
| End Date: | 20 July 1944. Failed to return from combat operations. |
| Related Documents: | Missing Air Crew Report # 7278⇓ (36.954 MB) |
| Photo Album: | Aircraft 42-37974 Photo Album⇗ |
| History: | 42-37974 Del Denver 2/11/43; Kearney 14/11/43; ass 547BS/384BG [SO-O] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; also 545BS [JD-O] and 544BS [SU-M]; MIA German oil inst. 20/7/44 w/Walter Grant, Ben Wells, Herb Zipfel, Tom Farrow, Bill Sexton, Albt Fulwider, Ray Jablonski (7POW); Dan Grabon, Norbert Karcher (2KIA); e/a, cr Zetteritz, Ger; MACR 7278. SECTION 8. |
| Research Notes: | The Monthly Aircraft Inventory Reports indicate that 42-37974 was moved from the 545th Bomb Squadron to the 544th Bomb Squadron between 6 April 1944 and 6 May 1944. |
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| Number | Date | Target | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 low Squadron lead. 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 Squadron lead, high group, 41st B Combat Wing. Turned back at 1105 hrs because all four superchargers (electronic) were not giving the required pressure. Supporting documents indicate mission credit was awarded for this sortie. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 60⇗ | 6 February 1944 | Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France | Completed Mission | High Squadron lead, lead group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 61⇗ | 8 February 1944 | Target: Piston Ring Factory Type: Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Squadron, Group Deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 62⇗ | 11 February 1944 | Target: Propeller Factory (Foundry) Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 63⇗ | 20 February 1944 | Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany | Completed Mission | 41A Group, Low Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 64⇗ | 21 February 1944 | Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Werl, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron deputy, low group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 65⇗ | 22 February 1944 | Target: Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | 41A Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 66⇗ | 24 February 1944 | Target: Ball-Bearing Plant Type: Bearings Industry Location: Schweinfurt, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Squadron, lead group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 67⇗ | 25 February 1944 | Target: Aircraft Assembly & Ball Bearings Plants Type: Industry Location: Augsburg & Stuttgart, Germany | Completed Mission | 41A Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 68⇗ | 28 February 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Preuseville, France | Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 69⇗ | 2 March 1944 | Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant and Machine Shop Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 75⇗ | 16 March 1944 | Target: Aircraft Assembly & Repair Works Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Turned back at 1017 hrs because he was pulling excessive power settings, losing airspeed, stalled out at 115 MPH, and was unable to maintain position in formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 79⇗ | 22 March 1944 | Target: Heinkel Aircraft Assembly Plant at Annahof Airfield Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Oranienburg, Germany | Flight Completed | Weather aircraft. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 97⇗ | 27 April 1944 | Target: Toul/Croix de Metz Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 100⇗ | 4 May 1944 | Target: Friedrichstrasse Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany | Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 101⇗ | 7 May 1944 | Target: Friedrichstrasse Railroad Station Type: Transportation Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 103⇗ | 8 May 1944 | Target: V-Weapon Service Bunker (under construction) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Sottevast, France | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑37785. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| -- | 10 May 1944 | Ehrang, Germany, RECALLED | Mission Recalled | High Grp B Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 108⇗ | 15 May 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Mimoyecques, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 109⇗ | 19 May 1944 | Target: Unidentified Industrial Area Type: Industry Location: Berlin, Germany | Spare, Completed Mission | Lead Group Flying Spare. Joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 110⇗ | 20 May 1944 | Target: Orly Airport Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Paris, France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 113⇗ | 23 May 1944 | Target: Nancy/Essey Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Nancy, France | Completed Mission | 41A Group Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 114⇗ | 24 May 1944 | Target: Unidentified Military Installations Type: Military Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 115⇗ | 25 May 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Sarreguemines and Blainville-sur-l'Eau, France | Completed Mission | 41A Group, Low Squadron Lead. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 116⇗ | 27 May 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Mannheim, Germany | Completed Mission | Low Group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97521. This crew took off in 42‑97521 but landed immediately because #3 engine was running rough. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 118⇗ | 28 May 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 119⇗ | 29 May 1944 | Target: Focke-Wulf Aircraft Parts Plant Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Krzesiny District, Poznań, Poland | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 120⇗ | 30 May 1944 | Target: Aircraft Hangars and Repair Sheds Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Halberstadt, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 123⇗ | 2 June 1944 | Target: Four Medium Howitzer Batteries, Tactical Support Type: Military Location: Neufchatel (5 miles SE of Hardelot), France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 125⇗ | 4 June 1944 | Target: Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: Hardelot (Boulogne area), France | Spare, Completed Mission | Lead group Flying Spare. Joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 126⇗ | 5 June 1944 | Target: Field Artillery Battery Type: Military Location: La Fosse, France | Completed Mission | Low Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 138⇗ | 18 June 1944 | Target: Ölwerke Julius Humbles Type: Oil Industry Location: Hamburg, Germany | Completed Mission | 41B Group, High Squadron Deputy. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 140⇗ | 19 June 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Fleury & Crépy, France | Completed Mission | 41B Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 141⇗ | 20 June 1944 | Target: Oil Refineries Type: Oil Industry Location: Harburg (Hamburg area), Germany | Completed Mission | Lead Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 142⇗ | 21 June 1944 | Target: Friedrichstrasse Industrial Area Type: Industry Location: Berlin, Germany | Completed Mission | Composite High Group. Pilot: Matoshko, 379th BG. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 144⇗ | 22 June 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Lille (Fives district), France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 145⇗ | 24 June 1944 | Target: German Vacuum Oil Company Type: Oil Industry Location: Oslebshausen (Bremen area), Germany | Completed Mission | Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42-97273. High Squadron lead, high group, 41st A wing. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 146⇗ | 25 June 1944 | Target: Railroad Bridge & Embankment Type: Transportation Location: Sens, France | Completed Mission | Assigned to fly as the second section, high composite Squadron, high group, 41st B' wing; unable to rendezvous with the assigned group, joined a formation of the 92nd BG and bombed with them. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 147⇗ | 27 June 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Storage Depot) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Saint-Martin-L'Hortier, France | Completed Mission | 41st A section. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 150⇗ | 4 July 1944 | Target: Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Dreux (Conches-en-Ouche), France | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 151⇗ | 6 July 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Coubronne, France | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑102459. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 153⇗ | 7 July 1944 | Target: Me-109 Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig, Germany | Completed Mission | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; tacked on to the low group of the 41st B wing and bombed with them. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 154⇗ | 8 July 1944 | Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site) Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Renescure, France | Spare, Completed Mission | Low group flying spare; joined formation. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 157⇗ | 13 July 1944 | Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards Type: Transportation Location: Munich / München, Germany | Completed Mission | 41B Group. Landed away at Knettishall, AAF Station 136, on return due to weather. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 158⇗ | 16 July 1944 | Target: Aero Engine Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Munich / München, Germany | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Turned back with oxygen system trouble. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 159⇗ | 17 July 1944 | Target: Beautor Bridge Type: Transportation Location: Beautor, France | Completed Mission | Lead group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 160⇗ | 18 July 1944 | Target: Rocket Research & Development Complex Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Peenemünde & Zinnowitz, Germany | Completed Mission | 41A Group. Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 161⇗ | 19 July 1944 | Target: Hydrogen Peroxide Plant Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons) Location: Höllriegelskreuth District, Pullach, Germany | Completed Mission | Sortie Report ⇗ |
| 162⇗ | 20 July 1944 | Target: Aircraft Plants Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Dessau, Germany | Failed To Return | High Group. At 1115 hrs aircraft dropped back and released bombs, apparently unable to keep up with formation; it was under attack by four ME109s and two FW190s; four chutes seen; the aircraft went down in a glide, apparently under control; crashed near Zetteritz, Germany. MACR 727. Sortie Report ⇗ |