384th BG Mission

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date	14 June 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations	Show Operations > Mission 412: Bad weather again covers all strategic targets in Germany except one in the extreme North; a major effort is against tactical objectives, mainly in France; 1,357 of 1,525 bombers dispatched hit the targets listed below; 14 bombers are lost: >> Air Task Force 1. 502 B-17s are dispatched to hit airfields in France, i.e.,: Le Bourget (134 bomb), Coulommiers (24 bomb), Creil (25 bomb), Bretigny (69 bomb), Melun (50 bomb), Creil (66 bomb) and Etampes (69 bomb); they claim 0-5-1 Luftwaffe aircraft; 11 B-17s are lost and 139 damaged; 6 airmen are KIA, 14 WIA and 97 MIA. >> Air Task Force 2. 466 B-24s are dispatched to hit airfields at Chateaudun (103 bomb), Orleans/Bricy (97 bomb), Eindhoven, the Netherlands (63 bomb) and Coxyde, Belgium (7 bomb); and 61 hit the Emmerich, Germany oil refinery, 50 hit Beauvois, 44 hit Domleger, 12 hit targets of opportunity and 4 hit the Normandy beaches; 33 B-24s are damaged. >> Air Task Force 3. Of 191 B-24s, 7 hit Ham-sur-Somme, 32 hit targets of opportunity, 52 hit Lille/Vendeville, 12 hit Calas Tres, 12 hit Denain Drousey, 39 hit Laon/ Athies and 70 hit Chievres; 2 B-24s are lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 56 damaged; 10 airmen are KIA, 2 WIA and 4 MIA. >> Air Task Force 4. 351 B-17s are dispatched to hit targets in Belgium: 35 bomb St Trond Airfield, 95 hit Florennes Airfield, 52 bomb Le Culot and 61 attack Brussels/Melsbroek; 1 B-17 is lost, 2 damaged beyond repair and 73 damaged; 1 airman is MIA. >> Air Task Force 5. 7 of 15 B-24s hit the Ham-sur-Somme Bridge and 5 use Azon missiles against targets of opportunity; no losses. >> Escort for the bomber missions is provided by 103 P-47s; 2 P-47s lost, the pilots are MIA. > Other fighter missions are: >> Fighter Task Force 1. 168 of 176 P-47s fly fighter-bomber missions against Luftwaffe HQ at Chantilly, France and Panzer columns; they claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft. >> Fighter Task Force 2. 234 of 242 P-38s, 178 of 190 P-47s and 171 of 197 P-51s fly beachhead patrols and sweeps in front of the bomber force; they claim 4-1-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-38s, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are lost (all pilots are MIA; and 1 P-38 is damaged beyond repair. > Mission 413: 3 of 4 B-17s drop leaflets in France during the night. > 20 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions. Source: Jack McKillop, Rutgers University, used with permission. Hide Operations
Mission	384th BG Mission Number 135, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 412 Clouds Cover Primary Next Mission Previous Mission The 384th Bombardment Group (H) flew as the 41st B Combat Bombardment Wing (41B Wing) and the High Group of the 41st D Combat Bombardment Wing (41D Group) on today's mission. The primary and secondary targets of the 41B Wing were hidden by 10/10 cloud cover, so a target of opportunity (TOO), the airfield at Creil, was bombed by the Lead and High groups: the Low group was forced out of position by sudden maneuvers by the Wing Lead and were unable to follow him on the bomb run to the TOO, resulting in no attack by the Low Group. The High and Low groups returned to England in formation with the Wing ahead of them in the bomber stream. Weather prevented the 41D Group from attacking the primary. After three runs on the primary target, contact with the Lead group was lost, and a decision was made to attempt to find the secondary target. However, weather conditions there were similar, so all bombs were returned to base. Also, because this group had lost contact with its Wing, it returned to base alone.
Primary Target	Target: Coulommiers Airfield Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Coulommiers, France
Target Attacked (Mode)	TOO (Visual) Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Location: Criel, France
Sortie/Aircraft Summary	Completed Mission, not including spares - 44 Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 3 Scrubbed - 1 Failed To Return - 1
Mission Personnel	Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗
Mission Documents	Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗
Other Mission Documents	1944-06-14, 41st B Wing, Lead Group, Wing Lead, Nuttall, June⇗

49 AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED TO THIS MISSION
Table is sorted by Pilot, and may be sorted by any column: click the column head.
Aircraft	Pilot	Results	Mission/Sortie Information
42‑31222⇗	Rosborough, James Edward⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31484⇗	Dean, Ralph Merrick⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑32106⇗	Cranstoun, Richard Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37776⇗	Maggart, Richard Lee⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group. 'Over the target four enemy fighters dove through the formation, shooting off a big chunk of this B-17's stabilizer; a shell went through her wing, grazing a gas tank and a mass of controls, but did no damage. When she reached her hardstand, the sub-depot boys had a new stabilizer there by the time the props stopped turning.' SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37822⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑37982⇗	Barnes, Robert Clark⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38013⇗	Shelley, John Keith⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38014⇗	June, Glenn Joseph⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group, Wing Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗	Kelly, John Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Group Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39888⇗	Gottfried, Raymond Nathan⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97139⇗	Meland, Ralph Wendell⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group, Wing Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97150⇗	Hannaford, Vernon Lloyal⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97178⇗	Peterson, Walter Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97188⇗	Summerville, Robert Dana⇗	Failed To Return	41B Wing, Low Group. Attacked by about ten enemy aircraft on route to target; aircraft exploded and crashed near Bisseau, France. MACR 580 SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97201⇗	Roth, Verle Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. Jettisoned bomb load in the English Channel due to battle damage. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97237⇗	Pring, Robert Bradford⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97251⇗	Gibson, James Allen⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97273⇗	Melsen, Howard Carl⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97282⇗	Druckenmiller, Leon Charles⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97309⇗	Bagby, Donald Woods⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97367⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑97449⇗	Menke, Robert Arthur⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗	Sullivan, James Dominic⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group. Number 3 engine went out near the primary target (which was not attacked) due to enemy aircraft; forced to jettison bombs in an open field to keep up with the formation. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97521⇗	[N/A]	Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused
42‑97824⇗	Humbles, Alfred Thomas⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Group Lead. Lead Ground Spare aircraft; replaced 42‑97960. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗	Parks, Oattis Elwyn⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97948⇗	Malone, John James⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97960⇗	[N/A]	Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off	Replaced by Ground Spare aircraft 42‑97824. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102430⇗	Keate, Richard Clifford⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102442⇗	Peterson, Harold William⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group, Low Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗	Gowder, Charles Fred⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102501⇗	Rucker, David Leroy⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102601⇗	Carey, Gates Chapman⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102617⇗	Rimbold, Arthur Arimese⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group, High Squadron Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102661⇗	Lane, Edward William⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group, Group Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102933⇗	Stills, James Vernon⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102959⇗	Pryor, Oliver McCoy⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107057⇗	Ungerman, Kenneth Armistead⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Lead Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107121⇗	Kelley, Robert Encil⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group, Group Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107148⇗	Pompe, Bernard Joseph⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group Deputy. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107224⇗	Finch, Francis Nelson⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37703⇗	Strong, Bert Franklin⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37717⇗	Liebert, Jack Louis⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6105⇗	Wortman, Marshall (NMI)⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6109⇗	Adams, William Lowell⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6128⇗	Hale, Charles Eugene⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, Low Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6135⇗	Wright, James Wiley⇗	Completed Mission	41D Group, High Squadron Lead. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6141⇗	Murchan, Lawrence Aloysius⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, Low Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6147⇗	Burkhard, James Albert⇗	Completed Mission	41B Wing, High Group. SORTIE REPORT ⇗

Mission # 135

MISSION SUMMARY