| Mission Date | 7 July 1944 |
| Eighth Air Force Operations | Show Operations |
| Mission |
384th BG Mission Number 153, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 458
Me-109 Factory Targeted The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided the high groups for the 41st A and B Combat Bombardment Wings on today's mission. The A group encountered little difficulty completing the mission as briefed, but the story was quite different for the B group. Following assembly, the 41st B CBW leader led the formation through a very heavy cloud layer, causing the formation to deteriorate. Once clear of the clouds, few 384th ships were able to locate any formation. Those who did tacked on to the low B group and bombed the target using PFF. In addition, two of our ships collided in the cloudy conditions, with fatal results.
|
| Primary Target |
Target: Me-109 Aircraft Factory Type: Aircraft Industry Location: Leipzig, Germany |
| Target Attacked (Mode) | Primary (Visual) |
| Sortie/Aircraft Summary |
Completed Mission, not including spares - 22 Flying Spare, Completed Mission - 2 Crashed - 2 Flight Completed - 1 Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed - 1 Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 1 Scrubbed - 3 Aborted - 12 Some Crewmembers Bailed Out - 1 |
| Mission Personnel | Mission Personnel Roster⇗ or Mission Loading Lists⇗ |
| Mission Documents | Combat Mission Records and Plans obtained from the National Archives⇗ |
| Aircraft | Pilot | Results | Mission/Sortie Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42‑32106⇗ | Young, Daniel Monroe⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑37788⇗ | Hannaford, Vernon Lloyal⇗ | Flight Completed | Weather aircraft; remainder of crew (CP, N, RO, Eng) not identified SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑37974⇗ | Combs, William Felix⇗ | 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 ⇗ |
| 42‑37982⇗ | Durdin, Larkin Clayton⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High Squadron deputy, 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 ⇗ |
| 42‑38013⇗ | Menke, Robert Arthur⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑38208⇗ | Hale, Charles Eugene⇗ | Completed Mission | High group deputy, 41st A wing. Deputy Grp Leader SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97072⇗ | [N/A] | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑97251. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97142⇗ | Melsen, Howard Carl⇗ | Completed Mission | Low Squadron deputy, high group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97201⇗ | Coleman, Lee Browning⇗ | Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97237⇗ | Brown, Billie Barnard⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97251⇗ | Rosborough, James Edward⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st A wing. Turned back; reasons unknown. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97263⇗ | [N/A] | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | High group, 41st A wing. Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 44‑6149. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97271⇗ | Seitz, Harold Meade⇗ | 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 ⇗ |
| 42‑97273⇗ | Pranger, Nicholas Vincent⇗ | Completed Mission, Some Crew Bailed Out | High group, 41st A wing. Tailgunner bailed out during violent prop wash, apparently believing the aircraft was in trouble. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97367⇗ | Sweeney, Ned Hardy⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97449⇗ | Griggs, Frederick Monroe⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97521⇗ | Melzar, Raymond Augustus⇗ | 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. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97072. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97941⇗ | Dean, Ralph Merrick⇗ | Completed Mission | High group lead, 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 ⇗ |
| 42‑97948⇗ | Gibson, James Allen⇗ | Completed Mission | High Squadron deputy, high group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑97960⇗ | Shelley, John Keith⇗ | Completed Mission | High group lead, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102430⇗ | Herzog, John Henry⇗ | 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 ⇗ |
| 42‑102442⇗ | Anderson, Earl Overlade⇗ | Crashed In Allied Territory | High group, 41st B wing. Collided with 44‑6147 over England due to weather conditions; crashed 8 miles NW Ridgewell at Withersfield, Suffolk, UK. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102500⇗ | Gowder, Charles Fred⇗ | Completed Mission | Low Squadron lead, high group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102501⇗ | Endelicato, Marion (NMI)⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102518⇗ | Olson, Norman (NMI)⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102566⇗ | Minor, Henry W⇗ | Spare, Completed Mission | High group flying spare, 41st B wing; joined formation. Lost group in heavy clouds; tacked on to the low group of the 41st B wing and bombed with them. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102601⇗ | Carey, Gates Chapman⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102617⇗ | Allred, Frank Lavon⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102620⇗ | Stills, James Vernon⇗ | Completed Mission | High Squadron lead, high group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102661⇗ | Strong, Bert Franklin⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑102933⇗ | [N/A] | Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused | |
| 42‑102959⇗ | Thompson, Paul Waldron⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | Low Squadron deputy, high group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑107064⇗ | [N/A] | Scrubbed: Did Not Take Off | High group, 41st A wing. Replaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑107121. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑107083⇗ | Myrick, Kenneth Delay⇗ | Spare, Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing flying spare; joined formation. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑107121⇗ | Blackburn, Keith Monroe⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑107064. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑107148⇗ | Burkhard, James Albert⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group deputy, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 42‑107224⇗ | Cole, Alfred Holton⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Turned back with instruments out. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 43‑37703⇗ | Murchan, Lawrence Aloysius⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 43‑37713⇗ | Sullivan, James Dominic⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 43‑37717⇗ | Norton, Paul E⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group flying spare, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 44‑6105⇗ | Dudock, Edward Peter⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 44‑6109⇗ | Adams, William Lowell⇗ | 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 ⇗ |
| 44‑6141⇗ | James, Robert Huey⇗ | Aborted Mission After Taking Off. | High group, 41st B wing. Lost group in heavy clouds; returned to base. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 44‑6147⇗ | Bagby, Donald Woods⇗ | Crashed In Allied Territory | High group, 41st B wing. Collided with 42‑102442 over England due to weather conditions; crashed 8 miles NW Ridgewell at Withersfield, Suffolk, UK. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |
| 44‑6149⇗ | Bahten, John Irwin⇗ | Completed Mission | High group, 41st A wing. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97263. SORTIE REPORT ⇗ |