384th 2025 REUNION
INFORMATION PAGE⇗

Mission # 162

MISSION SUMMARY

Mission Date 20 July 1944
Eighth Air Force Operations Show Operations
Mission
384th BG Mission Number 162, Eighth AF Force Mission Number 484
Airfield Attacked
Next Mission
Previous Mission
The 384th Bombardment Group (H) provided all three groups of the 41st C Combat Bombardment Wing on today's mission. Weather in the target area was partly cloudy, and, although the lead aircraft was equipped for radar bombing (PFF), the air commander determined that the primary target would not be attacked. Instead, he led the wing to attack a fighter airfield by visual means. Bombing results were mixed; some low group B-17s dropped their loads early when their group lead jettisoned his load due to flak damage to his #1 engine.
Primary Target Target: Aircraft Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Dessau, Germany
Target Attacked (Mode) Secondary (Visual)
Target: Fighter Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nordhausen, Germany
Sortie/Aircraft Summary Completed Mission, not including spares - 34
Flight Completed - 1
Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused - 3
Scrubbed - 1
Aborted - 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 1944-07-20, High Group Lead, M. Booska, R. Koch⇗

41 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
42‑3441⇗Keate, Richard Clifford⇗Flight CompletedAssembly Ship; remainder of crew not listed on mission documents.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31222⇗Young, Daniel Monroe⇗Completed MissionLanded away at RAF Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire, on return for unknown reasons.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑31484⇗Spiers, Paul Robert⇗Completed MissionLead Group, High Squadron Lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37788⇗Bahten, John Irwin⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37822⇗MacFarlane, Menzies James⇗Completed MissionHigh Group, Low Squadron Lead. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑97263. Hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑37974⇗Grant, Walter Edward⇗Failed To ReturnHigh 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 ⇗
42‑37982⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑38014⇗Shearer, Wilbur Lee⇗Completed MissionWing Deputy, Hot Camera Ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑38208⇗Stevens, Raymond Robert⇗Completed MissionHigh Group Deputy, Hot Camera Ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑39888⇗Patella, Joseph David⇗Completed MissionHigh Group, High Squadron Deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97072⇗Cole, Alfred Holton⇗Completed MissionLow Group, Low Squadron Deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97142⇗Pranger, Nicholas Vincent⇗Aborted Mission After Taking Off.Turned back with a sick crew member. Hot camera ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97150⇗Hannaford, Vernon Lloyal⇗Completed MissionHigh Group, Low Squadron Deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97201⇗Lynch, Edward Thomas⇗Completed MissionHigh Group Hot Camera Ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97263⇗[N/A]Scrubbed: Did Not Take OffReplaced by Ground Spare Aircraft 42‑37822.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97282⇗Norton, Paul E⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97320⇗Melzar, Raymond Augustus⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97510⇗Jennings, William Cornelius⇗Completed MissionLead Group, Low Squadron Deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97574⇗Kelsay, Omar Frank⇗Completed MissionWing Lead. PFF ship and unidentified crew members provided by the 305th BG, Chelveston, AAF Station 105.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑97941⇗[N/A]Lead Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑97960⇗Koch, Robert Bruce⇗Completed MissionHigh Group Lead. This was the first mission of Booska's second tour.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑98000⇗Fairfield, William Adelbert⇗Completed MissionLow Group Lead. On the bomb run, hit by flak in #4 engine; had to jettison bomb load to stay in formation.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102459⇗Thompson, Paul Waldron⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102500⇗Gibson, James Allen⇗Completed MissionLead Group, High Squadron Deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102501⇗Clements, Ben Hill⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102566⇗[N/A]Ground Spare Aircraft, Unused 
42‑102601⇗Strand, Robert Earl⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102620⇗Davis, L K (IO)⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑102959⇗Halasz, John Julius⇗Completed MissionLow Group, Low Squadron Lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107058⇗Donohue, William Roberts⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107083⇗Minor, Henry W⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
42‑107224⇗Kelley, Robert Encil⇗Completed MissionLow Group Deputy, Hot Camera Ship. Led the Low Group after Lead ship was damaged and couldn't keep up.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37713⇗Myrick, Kenneth Delay⇗Completed MissionLead Group, Low Squadron Lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37717⇗Liebert, Jack Louis⇗Completed MissionHigh Group, High Squadron Lead. Warren May (N) killed instantly by flak - see 'Jesse's Story' on the Stories page.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37822⇗Allred, Frank Lavon⇗Completed MissionLow Group Hot Camera Ship.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37870⇗Dudock, Edward Peter⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
43‑37917⇗Cranstoun, Richard Leroy⇗Completed MissionLow Group, High Squadron Lead.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6109⇗Farra, Robert Leslie⇗Completed MissionLow Group, High Squadron Deputy.
SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6135⇗Bagby, Donald Woods⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6141⇗Combs, William Felix⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗
44‑6149⇗Bennett, John R⇗Completed Mission SORTIE REPORT ⇗